Military Diet Substitutions

Some people want to try the 3 day Military Diet, but there are a couple of food items here and there that just don’t appeal or can’t be eaten because of dietary restrictions, but never fear, you can substitute on the Military Diet. Using substitutions on the Military Diet, you can create a gluten free, lactose free, vegetarian and vegan version of the 3 day diet.

You can download the Military Diet Substitutions List. Below are the most frequently asked questions about the 3 day diet substitutes. You can find all the Military Diet substitutions detailed below these most frequently asked questions.

What can I substitute for grapefruit on the Military Diet?

To get the same Military Diet benefits as a grapefruit, put 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink it. NEVER substitute orange for grapefruit. Oranges will create the opposite effect intended for the Military Diet.

Why is baking soda used as a grapefruit substitute on the Military Diet?

Baking soda and grapefruit both effect the body’s pH levels, which are either alkaline or acid. In an acidic environment, fat flourishes. So, alkaline producing foods will help improve the pH balance of the body. Grapefruit and baking soda create more alkaline conditions, better for fat burning.

What can I substitute for tuna on the Military Diet?

The best substitute for canned tuna is a piece of grilled sushi grade tuna, the same size as 1/2 or 1 cup serving of canned tuna. Any very lean meat can be substituted for tuna, but fish is preferable. Other substitutes for tuna include cottage cheese, chicken, tofu, or almonds. For vegetarians and vegans, substitute 1/2 an avocado and 2 tablespoons of hummus.

What can I substitute for coffee on the Military Diet?

You can substitute green tea for coffee on the Military Diet. Caffeine is an important part of the Military Diet, but the diet will still work if you can’t tolerate caffeine and need to substitute herbal teas instead.

What can I substitute for cottage cheese on the Military Diet?

You can substitute PLAIN Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, eggs, or ham for cottage cheese on the Military Diet. Tofu is a non dairy substitute with similar nutrients. Also for vegans and vegetarians, 1 cup unsweetened soy/hemp/almond milk and 2 tablespoons hummus

DAY 1

Breakfast

1/2 Grapefruit
Put 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink it.

1 Slice of Toast
Substitute:1/8 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of whole grain cereal, 1/2 high protein bar, 1/4 cup of yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon of flax seeds. You can also use one tortilla or two rice cakes instead of bread.

2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter
Substitute: you can substitute the same amount of almond butter, cashew butter, pumpkin butter, soy butter, sunflower seed butter, hummus or bean dip. Two tablespoons of plain sunflower seeds also work. Read more about peanut butter substitutes on the Military Diet…

1 cup Coffee or Tea (with caffeine)
Substitute: Instead of coffee, you can drink Green Tea. We don’t recommend artificial sweeteners, but sugar free hot chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine. If you can’t make it through the day without your energy drinks, sugar Free Red Bull also has 76 mgs of caffeine. Any other sources of caffeine have too many calories for the Military Diet.

Lunch

1/2 Cup of Tuna
Substitute: Substitute a grilled sushi grade piece of tuna, the same size as 1/2 or 1 cup serving of canned tuna. Fish is the preferable substitute for canned tuna, but any other lean meat with the same calories will work. Other substitutes for tuna include cottage cheese, tofu, or almonds. For vegetarians and vegans, substitute 1/2 an avocado and 2 tablespoons of hummus.

1 Slice of Toast
Substitute: 1/8 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of whole grain cereal, 1/2 high protein bar, 1/4 cup of yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon of flax seeds. You can also use one tortilla or two rice cakes instead of bread.

1 cup Coffee or Tea (with caffeine)
Substitute: Regular Tea, Green Tea, Sugar free hot chocolate, sugar free Red Bull

Dinner

3 ounces of any type of meat
Substitute: If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can use lentils, beans, tofu or portobello mushrooms as meat alternatives.

1 cup of green beans
Substitute: the same CALORIE amount of lettuce, tomatoes, spinach or any other green vegetable.

1/2 banana
Substitute: 2 kiwis, 1 cup of papaya or 2 apricots. Plums, grapes and apple sauce also work. Just make sure you eat the same amount of calories and not more.

1 small apple
Substitute: plums, peaches, grapes, zucchini, pears or dried apricots.

1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Substitute: 1 cup of fruit flavored yogurt or apple juice. A good non dairy substitute is strawberry, vanilla or banana flavored almond milk. Do not substitute chocolate almond milk. For vegetarians and vegans, use dairy free ice cream. Coconut Bliss is ridiculously good.

DAY 2

Breakfast
1 egg
Substitute: one cup of milk, one chicken wing, 1/4 cup of seeds or nuts, or 2 slices of bacon. 1/2 cup baked beans for vegetarians and vegans

1 slice of toast
Substitute: 1/8 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of whole grain cereal, 1/2 high protein bar, 1/4 cup of yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon of flax seeds. You can also use one tortilla or two rice cakes instead of bread.

1/2 banana
Substitute: 2 kiwis, 1 cup of papaya or 2 apricots. Plums, grapes and apple sauce also work.

Lunch

1 cup of cottage cheese
Substitute: Use plain Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, eggs, or ham. Tofu is a non dairy substitute, make sure you’re substituting an equal amount of calories. For vegans and vegetarians, use 1 cup unsweetened soy/hemp/almond milk and 2 tablespoons hummus

1 hard boiled egg
Substitute:1/2 avocado

5 saltine crackers
Substitute: Rice cakes are a perfect substitute for saltine crackers. If you substitute saltine crackers for any other cracker, like gluten free, make sure you’re eating a similar amount of calories. Each saltine cracker has 13 calories. You can also substitute the calorie correct amount of quinoa or couscous for saltine crackers.

Dinner

2 hot dogs (without bun)
Substitute: turkey dogs, soy dogs, tofu dogs, bratwurst,luncheon meat, deli meat or baloney. For vegetarians, you can also substitute beans, lentils, or portobello mushrooms. Again, you can substitute another meat, but you don’t need to skimp on the fat with the hot dog substitute, as long as the calories are the same. There are about 250-300 calories in two plain hot dogs. Plain tofu also works, just make sure you eat 300 calories worth.

1 cup of broccoli
Substitute: a green or greenish vegetable like cauliflower, spinach, brussell sprouts or asparagus.

1/2 cup of carrots
Substitute: Squash, parsnip, beets, celery and bell pepper can all be substituted for carrots.

1/2 banana
Substitute: 2 kiwis, 1 cup of papaya or 2 apricots. Plums, grapes and apple sauce also work.

1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream
Substitute: 1 cup of fruit flavored yogurt or apple juice. A good non dairy substitute is strawberry, vanilla or banana flavored almond milk. Do not substitute chocolate almond milk. For vegetarians and vegans, use dairy free ice cream, like Coconut Bliss.

DAY 3

Breakfast

1 slice of cheddar cheese
Substitute: egg, cottage cheese or ham. Other nondairy, vegetarian cheese substitutes with calcium include soy cheese, soy milk, cabbage and tofu.

1 small apple
Substitute: Plums, peaches, grapes, zucchini, pears or dried apricots.

Lunch

1 hard boiled egg
Substitute: cup of milk, one chicken wing, 1/4 cup of seeds or nuts, or 2 slices of bacon. For vegans and vegetarians, 1/2 avocado or 20 almonds

Dinner

1 cup of tuna
Substitute:1/2 cup canned chickpeas

1/2 banana
Substitute: 2 kiwis, 1 cup of papaya or 2 apricots. Plums, grapes and apple sauce also work.

An important note about Substitutions, Size doesn’t Matter:

When you’re making substitutions, worry about calories, not size. Make sure whatever you substitute has the same amount of calories as what you’re eliminating. For instance, let’s say 4 ounces of cottage cheese has 100 calories. Substitute 1 ounce of cheddar cheese to get the same 100 calories. If you’re substituting almonds for tuna, you don’t use the same measurement for almonds as tuna. Almonds have way more calories for their size than tuna. One can of tuna is equal to about 20 almonds, just under 200 calories. Eating a cup of almonds would blow the diet to smithereens.