The Engine 2 diet is a stricter version of the plant-based diet. It mainly focuses on whole unprocessed plant foods and cutting out animal products. Engine 2 is low-fat and free of vegetable oils.
People on the Engine 2 diet eat whole foods like beans, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. While it can help with weight loss, its main goal is overall wellness and a healthier diet.
US News and World Report ranks the Engine 2 diet as number 19 among the best diets overall.
What do experts say about the Engine 2 diet?
Experts see Engine 2 as a stricter plant-based diet. The plan cuts out oils and focuses on plant foods, which gives it many health benefits.
However, experts agree meeting protein and vitamin B12 needs can need extra planning. Also, sticking to the diet long-term might be tough.
What can you eat on the Engine 2 diet?
The Engine 2 diet contains very clear signals. It expects you to get rid of all animal products and vegetable oils. The system is made up of low-fat meals mostly from unprocessed plant foods.
The eating plan includes three main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). There are no specific snacks in this plan, but you can have snacks as long as you stick to the same basic dietary rules.
What foods should the Engine 2 diet include:-
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Whole grains :-
Engine 2 is not a low-carb diet. So you can enjoy brown rice with lunch or dinner. Other grains allowed are oatmeal and quinoa.
You can also eat grains, pasta, and bread in this diet as long as they are 100% whole grain.
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Legumes :-
In Engine 2 meals usually have legumes like fava beans, lentils, beans, chickpeas, and peas. The plan encourages making sure the legumes are oil-free and low sodium (salt).
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Fruits :-
Fruits fit with the Engine 2 diet, but there are some basic rules like
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that the fruit should be fresh or frozen.
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Don’t eat dried fruits (like raisins, dried banana chips).
Because dried fruits often have added sugar, fat, and calories, which goes against the diet plan. Also, it’s better to eat whole fruit instead of blended or juiced.
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Vegetables :-
Since the Engine 2 diet recommends low-calorie foods and is primarily a plant-based diet, veggies are a key part of it.
The creator of the Engine 2 diet suggests eating lots of leafy greens because they’re low in calories and rich in nutrients. You can enjoy both raw and cooked veggies. Starchy veggies like potatoes are also included in the diet plan.
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Nuts and seeds :-
Instead of eating nuts and seeds, the Engine 2 diet uses them as spices. For example, you can add chia seeds to oatmeal and banana slices and eat that.
You can use raw, unsalted nuts and seeds to avoid extra salt and oil.
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Non-dairy milk :-
The Engine 2 diet allows non-dairy milk, so you can pick from plant milks like almond, soy, coconut, or rice milk. Just make sure they are unsweetened because many non-dairy milks have sugar added.
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Tofu and tempeh :-
A great way to get protein on the Engine 2 diet is tofu and tempeh. Be sure to check food labels because some products may have lots of sugar, salt, or fat.
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Engine 2 diet special product line :-
The Engine 2 diet has its own food line. It includes grains that fit the diet, veggie burgers, plant milks, veggie broth, granola, soups, hummus, and pasta.
Everything is plant-based, low sodium, no oil, low sugar, and low fat.
Which foods should not be included in the Engine 2 diet:
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Animal products:
The Engine 2 diet is basically a continuation of the plant-based diet. So you have to cut out all animal products and processed items from them. That means cutting out two food groups (animal protein, dairy products).
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Vegetable oils:
The Engine 2 diet cuts out all vegetable oils. It doesn't even allow olive oil, coconut oil, or other oils often seen as healthy fats.
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Refined foods:
You'll notice Engine 2 diet includes whole grain foods like (wheat bread) instead of white bread.
The diet advises avoiding refined foods like grains, pasta, and bread that can be high in calories. Whole grain choices are recommended to keep you feeling full longer.
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Processed plant foods :-
Plant-based food isn't always healthy by default. There are endless processed plant food options in the market that don’t fit the Engine 2 diet because they're usually high in calories, fat, sugar, and added salt.
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Added sugar and salt :-
The Engine 2 diet warns against adding salt and sugar to meals. When buying canned products, you should check the labels to make sure they are low in sodium and have no added sugars.
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High calorie drinks :-
The Engine 2 diet takes a firm stand against high-calorie drinks, meaning you should drink water, regular coffee, and herbal tea only.
Sample shopping list for your Engine 2 diet plan :-
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Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula).
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Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, peppers, eggplant).
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Whole fruits (oranges, berries, bananas, apples, avocado).
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Whole grains (oats, quinoa, barley, brown rice).
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Dried legumes (black beans, lentils, chickpeas, beans).
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Tofu and tempeh.
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Nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, cashews, chia seeds, flaxseeds).
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Non-dairy milk (oat, almond, soy).
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Tahini.
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Engine 2 products (veggie burger, chickpeas, pasta, halva) and that's optional, up to you.
Here is a meal plan example inside the Engine 2 diet system :-
Remember this eating plan has no oils, so you need to cook in a non-stick pan with a splash of water or veggie broth to roast. You can add flavor to veggies with dried herbs instead of olive oil.
This meal format can help you see how the diet plan might go :-
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Day one :-
Breakfast :- One serving of oats with flaxseeds and banana.
Lunch: ¾ cup of roasted beet salad with walnuts (no feta cheese).
Dinner: 1 ¾ cup of red curry lentil soup with kale (no oil), 1 cup of roasted broccoli.
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Day two:
Breakfast: 1 cup of quinoa topped with a mix of fresh berries and almonds.
Lunch: 3 cups of orange and quinoa kale salad.
Dinner: 1 cup of tofu with brown rice noodles (no oil) (you can use tahini instead of oil).
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Day three:
Breakfast: 1.5 cups of tofu with broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes + ½ grapefruit.
Lunch: 1 cup of vegetable soup (no oil) + ¼ cup of oil-free chickpeas with a handful of carrot sticks.
Dinner: 1 cup of chana curry (no oil), + 1 cup of cooked quinoa or brown rice.
Benefits of following the Engine 2 diet:
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It focuses on whole foods:
Most meals in the Engine 2 diet are made from whole, unprocessed foods. Eating whole foods is an important part of this diet.
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It doesn't count calories:
Many diets require followers to count calories. There is no calorie counting or tracking in the Engine 2 diet.
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High in fiber:
Fiber is important for better digestion and it helps you feel full. The Engine 2 diet is naturally rich in fiber because it’s based on whole plant foods.
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Boosts heart health :-
The Engine 2 diet originally started as a meal plan for local firefighters to lower their cholesterol. So it can help reduce cholesterol and support heart health.
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Can help with weight loss :-
Even though losing weight isn’t the main goal of the Engine 2 diet, people following it can lose weight because it’s naturally low fat and low calorie.
Downsides of the Engine 2 diet :-
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Restrictive diet :-
The Engine 2 diet is stricter than a typical vegan diet. Vegan diets already avoid animal products, but Engine 2 goes further by cutting out oil and sugar and reducing salt and fat.
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People might struggle with strong food cravings :-
When diets are restrictive, people tend to feel strong cravings for food. Also, the Engine 2 diet doesn’t include snacks in its plan, so followers might feel strong cravings to eat.
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Sustainability :-
In theory, you can stick to this diet long term. But it’s very strict and followers might have strong cravings that make it hard to keep up the plan over time.
Is the Engine 2 diet a healthy choice for you :-
The Engine 2 diet isn’t the only one that cuts animal products, but it may be stricter, especially about cutting out vegetable oils and other fats.
Health guidelines especially advise people on plant-based diets to make sure they get enough vitamin D, since meat-free diets tend to be lower in vitamin D.
With limited vegetable oils and sources of fat and protein in the Engine 2 diet, it’s naturally low in calories and the guidelines don’t make followers count calories.
Diet followers should watch their intake of protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and other nutrients to meet health guidelines.
In the end, if the diet plan fits your health or weight control goals, it is a safe diet you can follow.
