The Baby Food Diet

What it is: One of the newest Hollywood fad diets, the Baby Food diet has been hailed by everyone from Jennifer Aniston to the Desperate Housewives as an excellent way to quell food cravings. That means substituting meals for mashed bananas and pureed yams in little portion-controlled jars, which might not be such a bad idea if monitored correctly (and if you can get over the taste!).

How it works: Currently there are no written rules for the Baby Food diet. Since infant digestive tracts are still new and fragile, most baby food lacks added fats, fillers, and other additives. Plus, since baby food comes in tiny glass jars, the portions are automatically controlled and most baby food is fruit and vegetable based, therefore high in vitamins and minerals.

What you do: As mentioned above, there aren’t any concrete guidelines for this diet yet. However, the main gist of it can be followed in two ways—the dieter can eat only baby food for every meal and snack or the dieter may have one adult meal and replace every other meal of the day with baby food.

Benefits: Followers of this fad diet will eat smaller portions for meals but still consume foods rich in nutrients. Baby food has fewer preservatives and genetically-enhanced ingredients. Plus, many companies are putting out all-organic versions of their products. In the end, eating less but somewhat healthy meals will result in some weight loss.

The Downside: There is no scientific evidence to prove that following this diet results in weight loss. Not to mention, have you tasted baby food lately?