What should you eat first after a juice cleanse?

Introduction

After completing a juice cleanse, it’s important to ease back into eating solid foods gradually. Suddenly going back to your normal diet can shock your system and cause digestive issues. Instead, you’ll want to focus on eating light, nutritious meals for the first few days.

In this article, we’ll discuss the best foods to eat right after finishing a juice cleanse and provide sample meal plans for the first day and beyond. Read on for tips to transition smoothly off your cleanse while still supporting your health and wellness goals.

The First Day

When you wake up the morning after completing your juice cleanse, you’ll want to start slowly. Here are some of the best options for your first post-cleanse meals:

Breakfast

• Oatmeal – 1/2 cup cooked with almond milk, cinnamon, and fresh fruit
• Avocado toast – 1 slice sprouted grain toast with 1/4 avocado mashed on top
• Yogurt parfait – 1 cup plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries and chopped nuts

Focus on getting protein from plant-based sources like nuts, seeds, or yogurt. This will help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Avoid sweets or refined carbs. Stick to whole grains like oats, quinoa, or sprouted grain bread.

Lunch

• Spinach salad – 2 cups spinach with veggies, chickpeas, avocado, and lemon vinaigrette
• Vegetable soup – 1 cup broth-based veggie soup with whole grain crackers
• Buddha bowl – Brown rice, roasted veggies, and hummus

Lunch is a good time to incorporate more vegetables. Salads, soups, and buddha bowls with lots of produce are excellent choices. Go for non-starchy veggies and healthy plant-based fats from foods like olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds.

Dinner

• Salmon – 4-6 oz salmon baked or grilled with broccoli and quinoa
• Turkey burger – Ground turkey patty with spinach and tomato on a whole wheat bun
• Stir fry – Brown rice with tofu, broccoli, carrots, peppers, and ginger soy sauce

For dinner, you have more flexibility to incorporate lean proteins like poultry, fish, eggs, or plant-based proteins like tofu or tempeh. Focus on getting a balance of protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich complex carbs from whole grains or vegetables.

Snacks

Here are some healthy snack options for the first day off your cleanse:

• Apple slices with almond butter
• Carrots and hummus
• Greek yogurt with berries
• Cucumber slices with guacamole
• Hard-boiled egg
• Small handful of unsalted nuts or seeds

When snacking, emphasize fresh fruits and veggies along with proteins and healthy fats. This will help regulate your blood sugar and appetite.

The First Week

For the rest of the first week following your juice cleanse, you’ll want to continue emphasizing whole, nutritious foods. Here are some tips for the first week:

• Eat 5-6 small meals spaced evenly throughout the day
• Drink 64+ ounces of water per day
• Focus on fiber-rich complex carbs like vegetables, fruits, whole grains
• Incorporate lean proteins like poultry, fish, eggs, beans, nuts
• Include healthy fats from avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds, coconut
• Avoid sugar, sweets, refined grains, fried foods, alcohol

Here is a sample meal plan for the first week:

Breakfast Options

• Oatmeal with almond milk, chia seeds, fruit
• Scrambled eggs with spinach and tomatoes
• Greek yogurt with granola and berries
• Avocado toast on sprouted grain bread

Lunch Options

• Chickpea salad sandwich on whole grain bread
• Veggie and brown rice soup
• Tuna salad with leafy greens
• Buddha bowl with quinoa, roasted veggies, hemp seeds

Dinner Options

• Baked salmon with asparagus and quinoa
• Chicken thighs with roasted broccoli and sweet potato
• Veggie stir fry with tofu over brown rice
• Tacos with turkey, lettuce, tomato, avocado

Snacks

• Apple with peanut butter
• Greek yogurt with mixed berries
• Hard boiled eggs
• Hummus with carrot and cucumber sticks
• Cottage cheese with pineapple
• Chickpeas roasted with olive oil and spices

Focus on listening to your body and eating when hungry. Have snacks on hand to avoid intense hunger. Drink lots of water and herbal tea. Get plenty of rest as your body adjusts.

Beyond the First Week

After the first week, you can start gradually increasing your portions and adding more variety to your diet,