Rice, chicken and apple diet
The rice, chicken and apple diet allows you to lose up to 20 pounds in 9 days during which you can only eat these three food items: rice, chicken and apple. It is a quick diet that can help you lose more than 2 pounds a day, and at the same time, clean your body from toxins.
This diet is based on the consumption of only one type of food per day (when you want and as much as you want). The nine days are divided in three and only one type of food is allowed during the three days. For the first three days: rice, for the following three days: chicken and for the last three days: apples. The most important aspect of this diet is to never mix the food. During your diet you can't drink any alcohol because it would alter the diet results. You may only eat one of the three food items and drink water or coffee with no added sugar or milk. The rice chicken and apple diet procedure is easy: During the first three days you can only eat boiled rice without adding any other food or substance. The three following days you should only eat chicken, you can have it boiled, in the oven, or grilled. The most important thing when cooking the chicken, a part from not mixing it with any other food, is to cook it without its skin, as it is where most the chicken's fat and toxins are. During the last three days you can only eat raw, boiled or baked apples. The rice, chicken and apple diet allows you to lose up to twenty pounds in nine days (9 kilos in 9 days). If the diet is carried out properly, you'll start to notice the results from the second day - and you'll start feeling less heavy. It's a very quick diet but it requires some sacrifice as you are only allowed to eat these three food items separately: rice, chicken and apple.
Chicken and rice diet: what people usually mean
The 9-day plan described above is a short-term diet that restricts you to one food at a time. Most people who search for the "chicken and rice diet" mean something different and more flexible: a meal pattern built around lean chicken, rice and vegetables. This section covers that version, with a 7-day plan, a 30-day structure, what results to expect and the risks.
Little research exists on single-food diets, and what is known points to two problems: weight tends to come back once normal eating resumes, and a very narrow menu can leave gaps in vitamins, minerals and fibre (Healthline). That is why the plan below keeps chicken and rice to about one meal a day and fills the rest with other foods.
7-day chicken and rice diet plan
Basic chicken and rice meal: about 120 to 150 g of cooked skinless chicken breast, roughly one cup of cooked rice, at least two handfuls of vegetables and one teaspoon of olive oil. That comes to roughly 550 to 600 kcal. Calories are approximate and depend on how you cook and measure.
Every day: breakfast of plain yogurt or oats with fruit, or eggs with wholegrain toast. Snacks of fruit or a small handful of unsalted nuts. Water, tea or coffee without sugar.
| Day | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grilled chicken, brown rice, steamed broccoli and carrots | Vegetable omelette with salad |
| 2 | Chicken, rice and a mixed salad with lemon | Lentil and vegetable soup |
| 3 | Chicken and rice stir-fry with peppers and courgette | Tuna salad with chickpeas |
| 4 | Chicken, rice, green beans and tomato | Baked salmon with roasted vegetables |
| 5 | Chicken, rice, spinach and garlic | Vegetable frittata with salad |
| 6 | Chicken and rice bowl with cucumber and yogurt-herb sauce | Bean and vegetable stew |
| 7 | Light chicken, rice and vegetable soup | Baked white fish with salad |
Adjust portions to your size, age, activity and goals. If you are unsure how much you need, ask a registered dietitian.
30-day chicken and rice diet: should you do it?
Eating mostly chicken and rice for 30 days is not a good idea. A better 30-day version keeps the same simple base but changes it each week:
- Week 1: follow the 7-day plan above.
- Week 2: replace the chicken with fish, eggs or tofu on three days. Keep vegetables in every meal.
- Week 3: add beans or lentils and a daily piece of fruit. Alternate brown rice with other whole grains such as oats or wholemeal pasta.
- Week 4: move towards the way you want to eat afterwards, with rice and chicken as one option among many.
Weigh yourself once a week, on the same day and at the same time. Stop and talk to your doctor if you feel dizzy, unusually tired or cold, or if you lose weight faster than about 1 kg (2 lb) a week.
Chicken and rice diet results: what to expect
Guidelines generally suggest losing weight gradually, about 0.5 to 1 kg (1 to 2 lb) a week, because that weight is more likely to stay off (British Nutrition Foundation). Expect a faster drop in the first days, which is mostly water, followed by a slower and steadier pace.
Results depend on your starting weight, how many calories you eat, how active you are and how long you can keep it up. A chicken and rice meal on its own does not cause weight loss. What matters is eating fewer calories overall than you use. We do not publish "before and after" claims because they say very little about what will happen to you.
Brown rice or white rice on the chicken and rice diet?
Both can be part of a healthy diet. Brown rice keeps the bran and germ, so it has more fibre, magnesium, potassium, iron and some B vitamins. White rice is easier to digest, which can help during a flare-up of a digestive condition (Harvard Health).
| Brown rice | White rice | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories, 1 cup cooked (medium grain) | 218 | 242 |
| Fibre | Higher | Lower |
| Glycaemic index | About 68 (medium) | About 73 (high) |
| Best for | Most people, most of the time | Easy digestion, or when you need something light |
Source for the figures: Harvard Health. If you have diabetes, ask your doctor or dietitian which type suits you, because rice affects blood sugar.
Risks of the chicken and rice diet and who should avoid it
- Nutrient gaps. If you eat only chicken and rice, you will probably miss fibre, vitamin C, healthy fats and several minerals. Adding vegetables, fruit, beans and other protein sources reduces this risk.
- Food safety. Cook chicken until it is no longer pink and reaches 74 °C (165 °F) inside. Cool leftover rice quickly, keep it in the fridge and eat it within a day, and reheat it until it is steaming hot all the way through.
- Arsenic in rice. Rice can contain inorganic arsenic. Cooking rice in plenty of water and draining it, as you would pasta, reduces it by roughly 40 to 60 per cent according to the FDA, and rinsing before cooking has a much smaller effect and also washes away some nutrients in enriched rice (FDA; British Nutrition Foundation). Vary your grains rather than eating rice every day.
- Boredom and rebound eating. A very repetitive menu is hard to follow and is a common reason people give up and regain weight.
Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, over 65, have diabetes, kidney disease or any other medical condition, take medication, or have ever had an eating disorder.
Chicken and rice diet: common questions
Can I eat chicken and rice every day?
You can, but variety matters more. Keep it to one meal a day, change the vegetables and rotate other proteins through the week.
How much weight can I lose in a week?
A realistic and generally recommended range is 0.5 to 1 kg (1 to 2 lb). Faster is not better.
Is brown rice better than white rice for weight loss?
Brown rice has more fibre and nutrients, and the calories are similar. It is a better default choice for most people.
Can I add vegetables, fruit or other foods?
Yes, and you should. Vegetables add fibre and volume for very few calories.
Sources
- Harvard Health: Brown rice versus white rice
- British Nutrition Foundation: Overweight, obesity and weight loss
- British Nutrition Foundation: Arsenic in rice
- FDA: What you can do to limit exposure to arsenic
- Healthline: The chicken diet
Important: this information is general and is not medical advice. Restrictive or very low-calorie diets are not suitable for everyone, including children, teenagers, pregnant or breastfeeding women, older adults and people with medical conditions. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet. Results vary from person to person.
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