The Cooking Light 3-Day Detox

By Carolyn Williams, RD, PhD
March 01, 2017
Photo: Jennifer Causey
Our plan helps you jump back into healthy eating with fresh food at a calorie level that keeps pep in your step. Use it post-holidays, following a week of vacation, or any time you need to get back on track. You'll feel energized, nourished, and empowered to continue enjoying a healthier life.
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Why Our Plan Is Different

Photo: Colin Price

Maybe your diet has been crowded with processed foods, added sugars, and alcohol lately, or you're simply veering far from your normal healthy habits. Any combination of poor choices can leave clothes fitting tighter and you feeling sluggish. This is why diets that claim to cleanse or detox the body have become so popular. The problem is that most plans attempt to do this with extremely low calories and bizarre food restrictions, leaving your body weak and devoid of key nutrients—not the best way to return to good health.

With the Cooking Light 3-Day Detox, we don't resort to liquid-only meals or weird food combos to detoxify. Instead, we're helping you tune up your diet with real, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods. This is meant to be your reset button, and it's streamlined for your busy life.

We kept an eye on price, ease, and reduced food waste. Here's what you'll need to get cooking—all for about $60. Download our Simple Detox Shopping List.

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Start Here! Learn About the Detox and How to Plan Ahead

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: All-Purpose Citrus Dressing

To begin, read our 5 Pillars of the CL Detox, so you understand what you'll be eliminating from your diet. Next, download our Simple Shopping List with everything you need for the next three days. Then, take a look at Simple Swaps for Our 3-Day Detox filled with ideas for easy substitutions and helpful tips. Now you're ready to start cooking.

Prepping some items in advance will make mealtime quick and easy over the next few days. Homemade dressing comes together in minutes, and is far healthier, cheaper, and fresher than bottled dressings with added sugars, chemicals, and fillers. Prep ahead and store in a covered jar or container in the refrigerator. If you're cooking for more than one, feel free to double or triple the dressing.

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Day 1 Menu

Photo: Colin Price

BREAKFAST: Berry Green Smoothie

MIDMORNING SNACK: Hummus with fresh cucumber

LUNCH: Tuna-Quinoa Toss

AFTERNOON SNACK: Grapes

DINNER: Spinach Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Easy Herbed Pork Tenderloin

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Breakfast: Berry Green Smoothie

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Berry Green Smoothie

Smoothies are a quick way to kick-start your day with extra fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Avoid juices and powders with added sugars; instead choose whole ripe fruit to add a sweet touch naturally. Dairy-free option: Use a (5.3-ounce) container dairy-free soy yogurt alternative.

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Snacks: Hummus and Grapes

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Midmorning Snack: 3 Tbsp. hummus with 1/2 cup fresh cucumber

Afternoon Snack: 1/2 cup grapes

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Lunch: Tuna-Quinoa Toss

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Tuna-Quinoa Toss

A whole-grain protein bowl is the perfect solution for when lunch needs to be quick—as well as tasty, filling, and healthy. Cook quinoa ahead of time (or buy precooked, available in pouches near the rice). To complete the lunch, serve with 1/2 cup steamed green beans as shown. Dairy-free option: Use 2 teaspoons toasted chopped walnuts instead of feta cheese.

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Dinner: Spinach Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Spinach Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This salad is nutrient- and antioxidant-packed, with healthy doses of fiber, iron, potassium, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. You'll save half of the potatoes here for the next day's breakfast.

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Dinner: Easy Herbed Pork Tenderloin

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Easy Herbed Pork Tenderloin

We suggest buying poultry blend herbs, which will provide a mix of rosemary and thyme in one package (instead of buying two separate packages). Be sure to reserve half of the pork for the next day's lunch.

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Day 2 Menu

Photo: Colin Price

BREAKFAST: Sweet Potato Home Fries with Eggs

LUNCH: Winter Salad with Easy Herbed Pork Tenderloin

SNACK:  Pear or apple with almond butter*

DINNER: Pan-Seared Shrimp with Rosemary Spaghetti Squash

*If you're on the go, consider swapping the almond butter for 12 walnut halves, 22 whole almonds, 10 whole cashews, 45 pistachios, or 10 peanuts.

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Breakfast: Sweet Potato Home Fries with Eggs

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Sweet Potato Home Fries with Eggs

With the sweet potatoes already roasted the day before, this breakfast is ready in a flash. Serve with 1 orange or 2 clementines to complete the meal.

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Snack: Apple or Pear with Almond Butter

Photo: Jennifer Causey

1 medium pear or apple with 1 1/2 Tbsp. almond butter

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Lunch: Winter Salad with Easy Herbed Pork Tenderloin

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Winter Salad with Easy Herbed Pork Tenderloin

Kale and spinach provide a hearty salad base for herb-seasoned pork tenderloin, tangy feta, sweet grapes, and a bright, citrusy olive oil dressing. Dairy-free option: Use 2 teaspoons toasted chopped walnuts instead of feta cheese.

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Dinner: Pan-Seared Shrimp with Rosemary Spaghetti Squash

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Pan-Seared Shrimp with Rosemary Spaghetti Squash

For a faster option, you can use an equal amount of raw zucchini noodles or ribbons in place of the spaghetti squash. For a heartier dinner, serve with 1 cup steamed green beans.

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Day 3 Menu

Photo: Colin Price

BREAKFAST: Berry Green Smoothie

SNACKS: 3 Tbsp. hummus with 1/2 cup cucumber slices and 1 medium apple

LUNCH: Greek Spaghetti Squash Toss with 1 orange or 2 clementines

DINNER: Roasted Salmon with Kale-Quinoa Salad

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Breakfast: Berry Green Smoothie

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Berry Green Smoothie

Smoothies are a quick way to kick-start your day with extra fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Avoid juices and powders with added sugars; instead choose whole ripe fruit to add a sweet touch naturally. Dairy-free option: Use a (5.3-ounce) container dairy-free soy yogurt alternative.

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Snack: Hummus with Cucumber and Apple

Photo: Colin Price

3 Tbsp. hummus with 1/2 cup cucumber slices and 1 medium apple

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Lunch: Greek Spaghetti Squash Toss

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Greek Spaghetti Squash Toss

Spaghetti squash is a great lower-calorie, lower-carb alternative to pasta. It's a neutral tasting veggie that absorbs all the flavors of this simple dish. Eat with 1 orange or 2 clementines. Dairy-free option: Use 4 teaspoons toasted chopped walnuts instead of feta cheese.

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Dinner: Roasted Salmon with Kale-Quinoa Salad

Photo: Colin Price
View Recipe: Roasted Salmon with Kale-Quinoa Salad

The American Heart Association recommends eating salmon or other fatty fish twice a week to reap the cardiovascular benefits that the omega-3 fatty acids provide. Look for wild salmon, which has 5 to 10 times fewer contaminants and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) than farm-raised.

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What's Next?

Photo: Jennifer Causey

Continue eating healthy foods and portions, but take a break from the detox, and increase your caloric intake. Incorporate the plan's five pillars when possible, and feel free to repeat the cleanse at the beginning of each week, once a month, or as needed.

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By Carolyn Williams, RD, PhD