Mayo Clinic Plan
The Mayo Clinic Plan is a great diet, designed by medical professionals from a reputable health institute. The Mayo Clinic Plan (book available from Amazon) promotes a nutritious diet of fruit and vegetables with starchy carbs and then proteins and dairy, and is based on the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid.

With the Mayo Clinic plan you eat practically unlimited amounts of vegetables and fruit, plus whole-grain foods, lean protein and heart-healthy fats. The objective is to eat foods containing a small number of calories in large amounts, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, poultry, fish and whole grains. Also on the menu are low-fat dairy and unsaturated fats (especially from nuts and olive and canola oils). This is not a restrictive diet plan, so carries its own incentive to stick with it long-term.
The result is a balanced, nutritious diet to achieve a healthy weight. The Mayo Clinic claims that the plan can help reduce your risk for heart disease (by lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol), cancer and Type 2 diabetes.
Mayo Clinic Diet Plan
Internet site eDiets.com®, which claims to be the web’s authority in diet, fitness and motivation, working in partnership with The Mayo Clinic, appears to be the sole agency to offer the plan via the Internet (beginning December 2005) as the basis for a comprehensive program to manage and maintain your weight. eDiets no longer offers the Mayo Clinic Plan.
This program uses the Mayo Clinic Plan as its foundation, and additionally offers:
- Personalized menus each week
- Ingredients shopping lists
- Options to match meal plans and lifestyles
- Daily serving recommendations
- Results charts and reports
- Weight-loss do’s and don’ts
- Dining-out tips
Sample Meals
A sample meal might include:
- Pancakes with syrup and strawberries
- Dilled Pasta Salad with Spring Vegetables
- Rosemary Lemon Chicken
- Fresh Apricots
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
| Breakfast Oatmeal 1 cup nonfat, skim milk 1 slice whole wheat bread 1 1/4 cups sliced fresh strawberries |
Breakfast 2 pancakes, from mix (4” diameter) 1 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup 1 tsp margarine 1 cup nonfat, skim milk 3/4 cup fresh blueberries 1 cup honeydew melon |
Breakfast Poached Egg with toast and orange juice 2 slices whole wheat bread 1 tsp margarine 1 cup orange juice, calcium-fortified |
| Lunch Southwestern Salad 1/2 whole-wheat, approximately 6” (2 oz.) pita bread 1 cup nonfat, skim milk |
Lunch Dilled Pasta Salad with Spring Vegetables 1 small apple 1 cup nonfat, skim milk |
Lunch Tuna Salad Pita 1 bell pepper 1 small apple |
| Dinner Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce 1 slice whole wheat bread 5 baby carrots 1 cup nonfat, skim milk 1 cup cantaloupe |
Dinner Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Sweet Green Beans and Brown Rice with Green Onions 1 cup nonfat, skim milk 6 tomato slices 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar 1 cup cantaloupe |
Dinner Tomato-Basil Pita Pizza with salad and cantaloupe 2 cups lettuce, romaine or lettuce of choice 1 cup chopped or sliced cucumber 2 Tbsp. dressing, Italian low fat 1 cup cantaloupe 1 cup nonfat, skim milk |
| Snack 7 whole almonds 1 cup red or green grapes |
Snack
1 small pear 3/4 cup fresh blueberries |
Snack Vegetable juice 1 medium banana 1/2 cup canned vegetable juice 6 Whole Wheat crackers |
Look for other high protein meal ideas here.
Summary
The program altogether appears to be comprehensive and effective in its goals. It should appeal to many looking for a long-term lifestyle in which a healthy weight can be achieved and maintained without causing undue stress – in fact, it promotes a healthier life overall.
The Mayo Clinic Plan: 10 Steps to a Healthier Life for EveryBody! retails for $24.95.
The Mayo Clinic Has Officially released a Diet, see our review here.


the mayo clinic diet really works if u stick with it and exercise.itsnot a quick fix its hard work but you can do it. i was 276 pouhds when i started 90 days ago. now im 232 im down 44 pounds i have 72 pounds to go to my goal and iknow ill make it to 160 pounds because it works.dont give up keep going and believe you deserve it.
I am 297lbs., a size 22/24, 30 years old and about 5’8″ and I’m getting married in 6 weeks…I eat healthy…NOW, but just haven’t been motivated to exercise. I joined a ZUMBA class yesterday to attend twice a week, and I have a wedding workout that I have no choice but to stick to it so the race to a better, healthier, happier me has already begun! PLUS, I have a WII that has been collecting dust since Christmas! My father bought my dress one size smaller and I promised myself that I would fit into it with NO ALTERATIONS, because it was perfect in my eyes the first time I saw it. I’ve done this diet before, lost approx. 20lbs and fell backwards about 5 years ago, but I want to glow on “our” wedding day, and we both want to be healthier so that when we have children, mommy and daddy can keep up with them! My fiance is approx. 300lbs as well and we are both going on this diet starting July 29th for 30 days until SHOWTIME and then we will take our lives back and do this thing FORREAL!! Wish us luck…I know we can do it…we want to spend a lifetime together and that starts today! Prayer makes things happen, send’em up and stay inspired everyone! We can all DO IT!
Well everyone out there just started the Mayo clinic diet today. Really need to lose weight. I wish everyone luck on losing. People we can do it…
I tried many diets including the mayo clinic (FAD)diet, most fad diets like this try to avoid starch all together but the pyramid is the most health way to loose weight. Most problems with diets are that most people don’t know portions and what is considered as a meat, dairy, fat, or starch …(fruit is easy). Did you know peas and corn are starch’s, and 2 tbs. peanut butter is one meat, or that cheese is considered a meat? One cup of raw veggies or 1/2 cup cooked veggies = one portion
one 3oz pork chop = 3 portions of meat….each oz is a portion. So if you have 2eggs scrambled with i slice cheese and on bread with 1 slice deli ham and a glass of milk (2%) you already have used 4 meats, 2 starch, and 1 dairy on the pyramid scale… The trick to success is to plan each meal for the day and stick to it! Keep a log on how many of each portion you want to eat and stick to it! Exercise daily even if it is only short 5 minute walks (inside or out) and stick to it! Did you notice I said to STICK TO IT 3 time? Well good luck with all of you who are dieting! I am with you on this all the way! Knowledge is the key to success.
I weigh 275lbs and I am very concerned about my health since most people in my family are overweight and have died at young ages including my parents. My sons try and push me everyday to lose the weight, I join gyms and give up, I walk and give up. I want to try this diet. I am going on vacation in the beginning of July can u please help me by sending me the diet plan. Also do I need to work out daily and if so how many days and how long? PLEASE HELP ME!!
The sample diet you posted doesn’t really have anything to do with the food pyramid above it… Shouldn’t each meal include a 2-4 whole fruits and more veggies, since they are unlimited, and minimal amounts of everything else?
You have PANCAKES for crying out loud, let alone pasta. The sample meals look more like unlimited grain based carbs, minimal fruits/veg. It’s going to give people diabetes!
Sample meal should look more like-
2 apples, 2 oranges, bowl of veggies[spinach, carrots, onions, peppers, cucumbers, etc..], a few nuts, and maybe 2-3 oz lean meat if you can stomach it.
i want to start the mayo clinic diet today but have
so much fear of failure and dont know why..
this monday is my first day of the diet
I did the old mayo clinic diet 8 years ago and lost 23 lbs in 6 weeks and kept it off for about 7 years. after the very strict diet of only eggs, bacon,salad, meat or fish and veg’s also 4oz of grapefruit juice at each meal for 12 days on 2 days off and again for 12 days.After I lost the weight I started to introduce small amounts of crabs such as for my breakfast ate berries apposed to fruit stayed away from sweets and breads.It became a life style.I fell of the wagon about 2 yrs ago and gained 10lbs eating everything I could get my mouth on LOL… so I started the 12 day diet again. wish me luck!
i am about to start the diet on monday i heard that you can drink whiskey on the diet is that true?
i started the diet yesterday i eat two egg & two bacon an 8% grapefruit x3 meals or juice lunch and dinner any meat and a veggie or salad my water and skim milk for snack can i have another snack other than bedtime
Any diet that includes healthy carbs, fruits and vegies will work if you stick to it and watch your portions(portion control is the key in any diet. Also how the foods are prepared is very important-staying away from fried foods also helps.
Hello Erica everyday I come on this site to see if you have answered. Please Erica I pray god that you one day you will be in my email add. If someone know Erica tell her many people are inspired by her testimonials and her willpower to shed all that kgs. Please share with all the xxxxl sizes.