The Promise If you’ve been to enough baby showers, you may have played the baby food guessing game, in which you sample various baby foods (labels obscured) and try to identify what’s in them - peas? pears? spinach? But some people are purposely eating entire jarfuls, not to win a shower prize but to get a Hollywood figure. The Baby Food Diet, originally an Internet phenomenon rumored to have been started by celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, is a gimmick for cutting calories and controlling portions. It involves replacing one or two meals or snacks a day with baby food -- jars of which range in calories from about 20 to 100. This is not a weight loss diet, but a maintenance plan to help you keep off pounds you’ve already shed. The rules, which aren’t published anywhere official, vary. One version calls for eating 14 jars of baby food during the day and a real dinner in the evening. It’s not hard to see why a person might lose weight by replacing adult-size meals with a few small jars of bananas or peas. And because many people find it difficult to eat more than a few spoonfuls, portion control is probably not a major issue.

What You Can Eat and What You Can't All flavors of baby food seem to be fair game, which means your meals can consist of pureed fruits, vegetables, and a few meats, such as turkey, chicken, and beef, with “gravy.” People who’ve tried it say many of the flavors take getting used to as an adult, and you may need to do some expensive, and possibly unpleasant, trial and error to figure out which ones you can stomach, figuratively and literally. Some say the readily digested fare speeds through their system.

Level of Effort: High Giving up regular food and chewing takes commitment. Limitations: You’re limited by what baby foods are available. If you’re looking for baby food pizza or hamburgers, they don’t exist. Cooking and shopping: You’ll be stocking up on a lot of baby food, and doing less cooking, if you follow this diet. In-person meetings: No. Exercise: Not required.

Does It Allow for Restrictions or Preferences? Vegetarians and vegans: Since most baby food is made from fruits or vegetables, it’s not difficult to eat vegetarian or vegan on this diet. But plant sources of protein, like beans and soy products, aren't typically found in baby food products. Gluten-free: Most fruit and vegetable baby food products should be free of gluten, but check labels. Some other baby food products, including cereals and meat-based “dinners,” contain wheat.

What Else You Should Know Replacing meals with baby food could result in nutritional imbalances and getting very few calories. And because protein, fiber, and the act of chewing food help you feel full, you may find your stomach grumbling after a “meal” on this diet, depending which foods you choose and how much you eat. Keep in mind that the right way to lose weight and keep it off is to find a healthy eating plan you can live with for life, and get some regular exercise. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, when trying any new diet, you should ask yourself, “Can I picture myself eating this way forever?” If the answer is “no,” you’re looking at a short-term fix at best, not a long-term solution. Cost: Calorie for calorie, baby food is not especially cheap. A jar will cost you in the neighborhood of a dollar or more, and if you’re eating 16 jars a day, the cost will add up fast. Support: This is a diet you do on your own.