The Sonoma Diet is a Mediterranean-inspired eating pattern designed to promote weight loss and improve overall health. It emphasizes portion control and a diverse intake of whole, nutrient-dense foods. But is this diet right for you? This article provides a comprehensive review of the Sonoma Diet, covering its benefits, drawbacks, and effectiveness for weight loss.
What is the Sonoma Diet?
The Sonoma Diet is a weight loss program developed by registered dietitian and author Dr. Connie Guttersen. The diet's original book was published in 2005, with a revised version, "The New Sonoma Diet," released in 2011. Guttersen promises weight loss and improved health within the diet's first 10 days. Her book also offers guidance on overcoming sugar addiction and satisfying cravings with healthy foods throughout the program.
Named after the wine-growing region in California where Guttersen resides, the Sonoma Diet is inspired by the Mediterranean diet. It promotes a balanced intake of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. The diet incorporates specific portion control guidelines and is structured into three distinct dietary phases. While Guttersen doesn't consider it a low-carb diet, some phases involve removing or restricting certain carb-rich foods. The diet also discourages excessive intake of saturated fats, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners.
The Three Waves of the Sonoma Diet
The Sonoma Diet is divided into three distinct phases, or "waves," each with its own set of guidelines and restrictions. The limitations are gradually eased as you progress through the waves.
Wave 1: The Initial Phase
Wave 1 is the most restrictive phase, lasting 10 days. It's designed to encourage rapid weight loss, help you break your sugar habit, and teach portion control. During this phase, you'll eliminate several foods, including:
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- Added sugar: honey, white sugar, maple syrup, agave, desserts, sweet treats, soda, and jam
- Refined grains: white rice, white bread, and cereals made from refined grains
- Fats: lard, margarine, mayonnaise, creamy dressings, and most cooking oils (except extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, and nut oils)
- Dairy: yogurt (all types), full-fat cheeses, and butter
- Certain fruits: banana, mango, pomegranate, and peaches
- Certain vegetables: potatoes, corn, peas, winter squash, artichoke, carrots, and beets
- Artificially sweetened foods: all kinds
- Alcohol: all kinds
While the original Sonoma Diet prohibited all fruit during Wave 1, the revised version allows one serving of fruit from an approved list.
Foods permitted during Wave 1 include:
- Non-starchy vegetables: leeks, asparagus, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, and bell peppers
- Fruit (one serving per day): strawberries, blueberries, apples, and apricots
- Whole grains (up to two servings per day): oats, wild rice, and whole grain bread, pasta, and breakfast cereal
- Dairy: low-fat cottage cheese, Parmesan, skim milk
- Protein: eggs (1 whole and 2 whites per day), seafood, beans (limited to 1/2 cup or 30 grams per day), and lean cuts of beef, pork, and chicken
- Fats (up to three servings per day): extra virgin olive oil, almonds, avocado, peanut butter, and walnuts
- Beverages: black coffee, unsweetened tea, and water
Although calorie counting isn't encouraged, most people consume approximately 1,000-1,200 calories per day in Wave 1 due to extremely limited portion sizes.
Wave 2: Reaching Your Goal
Wave 2 begins after the first 10 days and lasts until you reach your goal weight. All foods permitted during Wave 1 are still allowed, but certain previously prohibited foods are reintroduced. You may consume up to 1,500-2,000 calories during Wave 2, depending on your food choices. Calorie counting remains optional.
Foods reintroduced in Wave 2 include:
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- Wine: red or white, up to 6 ounces (180 mL) per day
- Vegetables: all vegetables except white potatoes
- Fruit: all whole fruits but no fruit juice
- Dairy: fat-free yogurt
- Sweets: dark chocolate and sugar-free treats
Servings of high-carb fruits and veggies like bananas and sweet potatoes are limited to one per day, while lower-carb options can be eaten more often. Wave 2 also introduces specific lifestyle changes, including regular exercise and mindfulness practices that encourage you to savor and enjoy your meals.
Wave 3: Maintenance
Wave 3 is the maintenance phase, entered after reaching your weight loss goal. Most of Wave 2's rules still apply, but there's more flexibility and a few more food options.
Wave 3 allows some foods higher in carbs and fats, such as desserts, fruit juice, refined grains, full-fat dairy products, and white potatoes - albeit very sparingly. If you notice your weight creeping back up, it’s recommended that you return to Wave 2 until you reach your goal weight again.
The 10 "Power Foods"
Each wave of the Sonoma Diet centers on 10 "power foods":
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Broccoli
- Bell peppers
- Spinach
- Whole grains
- Olive oil
- Tomatoes
- Almonds
These foods form the foundation of the diet because they’re minimally processed and loaded with important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats.
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Portion Control
Central to the Sonoma Diet is portion control. You’re encouraged to eat three meals per day and only snack if you’re struggling with hunger between meals. You're meant to swap your usual dinnerware for a 7-inch (17.8-cm) plate or 2-cup (475 mL) bowl for breakfast and a 9-inch (22.8-cm) plate for lunch and dinner. Each bowl or plate is then divided into sections to be filled with certain foods.
Potential Benefits of the Sonoma Diet
As the Sonoma Diet mimics the Mediterranean diet, it may provide similar health benefits. Decades of research have found that the Mediterranean diet is one of the best eating patterns for promoting general health and preventing chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
Weight Loss
Outside of anecdotal reports, no formal scientific evidence suggests that the Sonoma Diet aids weight loss. However, multiple studies indicate that a low-calorie Mediterranean-style diet is effective for long-term weight management. Because the Sonoma Diet models itself on the Mediterranean diet, it may offer similar results.
Notably, it minimizes your intake of processed foods and added sugar while encouraging a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. These foods are naturally lower in calories than their more processed counterparts and provide important nutrients like fiber and protein, which may help regulate your appetite and metabolism. Furthermore, the strict portion control in Wave 1 likely leads to a significant drop in calorie intake. As with any other diet, you must consume fewer calories than your body expends to lose weight on the Sonoma Diet.
Increased Nutrient Intake
The Sonoma Diet may boost your consumption of important nutrients. Research associates diets high in whole, minimally processed foods with improved diet quality and an increased intake of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean proteins are cornerstones of the Sonoma Diet.
Improved Heart Health
Multiple studies demonstrate that Mediterranean-style diets support heart health by being low in saturated fat but high in unsaturated fats and whole plant foods. The Sonoma diet is very low in saturated fat and promotes heart-healthy unsaturated fats from olive oil, avocados, and fish. It’s also very rich in vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, all of which may help reduce inflammation, blood pressure, and cholesterol. In turn, these factors may lower your risk of heart disease.
Reduced Blood Sugar Levels
Diets that cut sugar and refined grain intake while promoting fiber, protein, and whole plant foods may encourage healthy blood sugar levels. The Sonoma Diet restricts all major sources of refined grains and sugars. Moreover, the carb content of the Sonoma Diet is much lower than that of a typical Western dietary pattern and mainly comes from high-fiber foods like whole grains, fruit, and legumes. Lower blood sugar may reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments.
Potential Drawbacks of the Sonoma Diet
Although the Sonoma Diet has several benefits, it isn’t right for everyone. There are several downsides worth considering before you dive in.
Severely Limited Calorie Intake
Wave 1 of the Sonoma Diet is meant to stimulate rapid weight loss. Yet, this 10-day crash phase may slash your calorie intake by extreme amounts, which is unnecessary to promote healthy, sustainable weight loss. You likely eat only 1,000-1,200 calories per day during Wave 1 due to extreme portion control. Eating so few calories puts you at risk of intense hunger and disordered eating.
Furthermore, no scientific evidence suggests that rapid weight loss is necessary. Although some people may find quick results encouraging, most weight loss from such an approach is linked to a drop in water weight, not fat. Thus, it may be best for most people to skip Wave 1 and start with the more balanced approach of Wave 2.
Specific Food Restrictions Aren’t Based on Science
The Sonoma Diet’s book asserts that it’s essential to completely avoid all refined carbs during Waves 1 and 2 to combat sugar addiction. While research suggests sugary foods have addictive qualities and that eating high amounts of sweets may drive cravings, extreme measures, such as eliminating sugar or overly restricting sweet-tasting foods, may not be necessary for most people.
What’s more, certain healthy foods like white potatoes are unfairly demonized on the program. Although some studies have associated certain types of potato products with weight gain, eating white potatoes in moderation prepared in healthy ways, such as baked or roasted, is unlikely to cause weight gain. Plus, white potatoes are much more satiating than other carbohydrate sources like pasta and rice and can be included in a healthy diet.
Very Time Intensive
One of the major critiques of the diet is that its meal planning and food prep takes a lot of time. Because the Sonoma Diet relies almost exclusively on whole, unprocessed foods, you’re meant to cook almost all meals on your own. While cooking is enjoyable for a lot of people, others may prefer a weight loss program that’s less intensive and fits better with their lifestyle. If long hours in the kitchen aren’t sustainable for you long term, this diet isn’t a good fit.
Can Be Expensive
At the diet’s onset, you’re supposed to throw out or donate any non-compliant foods in your pantry, then replace them with compliant versions. Depending on your pantry’s contents, this demand may spell a large grocery bill and a lot of food waste. Moreover, many of the Sonoma Diet’s approved foods are costly, which limits access and may strain your food budget. Notably, the diet limits widely affordable foods like legumes and potatoes in favor of more expensive items like seafood and high-quality wine.
Sample Menu
The Sonoma Diet book and cookbook provide various recipes for each program phase. Here’s a sample menu for 3 days during Wave 2:
Day One
- Breakfast: 100% whole grain cereal with skim milk
- Lunch: roasted turkey, hummus, and sliced vegetables in a whole grain tortilla with a side of blueberries
- Dinner: grilled salmon with quinoa, roasted broccoli, and 6 ounces (180 mL) of white wine
Day Two
- Breakfast: ham, bell pepper, and egg white scramble with a slice of whole wheat toast
- Lunch: spinach salad with grilled chicken, sliced almonds, and strawberries
- Dinner: tofu and vegetable stir fry with brown rice and 6 ounces (180 mL) of red wine
Day Three
- Breakfast: wild mushroom omelet
- Lunch: Greek salad with mixed greens, fresh herbs, tomatoes, olives, and grilled chicken
- Dinner: grilled lean steak with black beans, sautéed bell peppers, sliced avocado, and 6 ounces (180 mL) of red wine
Alternatives to the Sonoma Diet: Exploring Meal Kit Options
Committing to the Sonoma Diet requires significant time for meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking. If you find this overwhelming, consider exploring meal kit options that offer convenience and support for healthy eating. Here are a few alternatives:
BistroMD
BistroMD, created by bariatric specialist Dr. Caroline Cederquist, offers chef-prepared frozen meals delivered weekly. These meals require no chopping, mixing, or cooking - simply heat and eat. With menus curated by registered dietitians and chefs, BistroMD caters to various needs, including diabetic, heart-healthy, gluten-free, and keto-friendly diets.
EveryPlate
EveryPlate provides fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes at an affordable price. Each recipe has no more than six steps and takes the estimated time listed on the card. The plans are customizable for your household’s needs, allowing you to order for two, four, or six people, at three, four, or five meals per week.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh is a traditional meal kit that delivers pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions. They offer a variety of recipes that are fun and flavorful, making it ideal for those who want to up their cooking game easily.
Home Chef
Home Chef is a traditional meal kit with a weekly menu schedule. Meals come in their own packaging, with ingredients separated for ease and proteins stored on ice packs. They also offer options for ready-made microwave meals.
Dinnerly
Dinnerly offers simple and delicious meals with filling portions and fresh ingredients at an affordable price. Each recipe has six steps or fewer, making it easy to follow and a great option for families who want to cook together. They also offer options for ready-to-eat meals that only require a microwave to heat up.
Factor
Factor provides health-conscious, pre-portioned meals that arrive ready to heat and eat. These meals are great for singles or couples since they only yield one serving. Factor also offers drinks and desserts, with options like smoothies, shakes, and cheesecakes.
Marley Spoon
Marley Spoon, from the same manufacturer as Dinnerly, offers fresh and seasonal ingredients with Martha Stewart's recipes. They offer a wide variety of recipes and ship fresh ingredients according to your plan.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron offers a variety of recipes that rotate weekly and have options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even desserts. This is a good option for couples and families looking for delicious home-cooked meals.
Thistle
Thistle is a healthy meal service that sends mostly prepared, fresh food that requires almost no prep. It's one of the healthier meal services with a variety of salads, stir-fries, snacks, juices, and protein-packed breakfast meals to choose from. Thistle meals are healthy, full of whole ingredients, and gluten-free, even the pasta. The food has minimally processed foods and contains lots of superfoods, such as sweet potatoes, ancient grains, nuts, fruit, veggies, and lean meats.