Rip Esselstyn

What Rip says, topic by topic

Vitamin B12

His PLANTSTRONG site tells people starting the diet to watch B12, vitamin D, omega-3 and iron, and to consider a B12 supplement because, it says, the vitamin is not naturally present in today’s food supply (2024)¹.

PLANTSTRONG sells plant milks that it advertises as fortified with B12, D3 and calcium, launched in 2024² and still described that way after a 2026 recipe update³.

What all the experts say about vitamin B12

Vitamin D

The same 2024 beginners’ guide lists vitamin D among the nutrients to watch¹. In a 2025 PLANTSTRONG podcast episode, the guest, the head of the supplement company Complement, called B12, vitamin D3 and omega-3 the essentials for plant based eaters; Esselstyn’s own line in the write-up is that supplements come second to a whole food diet and lifestyle⁴. The post carried a 30% discount code for that company’s products⁵.

What all the experts say about vitamin D

Omega-3 fats

The 2024 beginners’ guide points to flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts for omega-3⁶. In a 2022 live show Esselstyn called the walnut his nut of choice because, in his words, it fights inflammation⁷.

He draws the line at oils from those same foods: in that show he said flaxseed and walnut oil are as calorie dense as any other oil⁸. In the 2025 supplement episode the guest defended the oil in his company’s algae omega-3 capsules, which the post presents as a question listeners had raised given the program’s no oil stance⁹.

What all the experts say about omega-3 fats

Oil

No added oil is a core rule of his program. In a talk posted in 2018 he listed olive, canola, safflower and grapeseed oil, extra virgin included, as foods to drop, calling oil nearly free of nutrients and about 120 calories a tablespoon¹⁰. In the 2022 show he said all oils come to roughly 4,000 calories a pound and warned against the fashion for coconut oil shots⁸.

His site argues that olive oil is mostly empty calories, a tablespoon holding the fat of about forty five olives, and that coconut oil is 92 percent saturated fat (2022)¹¹. In a 2025 debate with the surgeon Garth Davis, who defended moderate extra virgin olive oil, Esselstyn argued that whole plant foods give more antioxidants for fewer calories, and cited his father’s experience that angina returned in some patients who went back to olive oil¹².

What all the experts say about oil

Protein

In the 2018 talk he said people need roughly 4 to 8 percent of calories from protein and will get enough as long as they eat enough calories¹³.

An article under his name on his site (2025) makes the same point, says protein deficiency barely exists outside calorie shortage, and lists beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, whole grains, greens, nuts and seeds as sources¹⁴.

What all the experts say about protein

Calcium, dairy and bones

In the 2018 talk he said the best absorbed calcium comes from leafy greens and beans, not dairy, and that the countries that eat the most dairy also have the most osteoporosis¹⁵. His program drops all dairy from the first week, and he described cheese as the largest source of saturated fat in the diet¹⁶.

A 2022 post on his site argues that animal foods make the blood acidic so the body pulls calcium from bone, and suggests water or plant milk in place of cow’s milk¹⁷. PLANTSTRONG’s own milks are sold as a source of calcium³.

What all the experts say about calcium, dairy and bones

Calorie density

Calorie density is central to how he talks about weight. In a 2022 live show he said foods of 600 calories a pound or less can be eaten in large amounts, while animal products, refined grains, nuts, seeds, oils and cheese run from 1,200 to 4,000 calories a pound¹⁸.

His site’s 2023 guide makes the same case: a few pounds of melon hold a fraction of the calories of the same weight of Swiss cheese, and people should mostly eat the less calorie dense foods its chart places above a red line¹⁹. In another 2022 show he called water and fiber the formula that keeps whole plant foods low in calorie density and filling²⁰.

What all the experts say about calorie density

Nuts, seeds and avocado

Unlike his father, who wants heart patients to eat no nuts, Esselstyn allows them in small amounts. In the 2022 show he suggested about one ounce of nuts a day, used as a condiment, and no more than one to two ounces, keeping to one for people trying to lose weight²¹. He treats avocado the same way, a quarter to a half on a salad or sandwich rather than whole ones²².

That has been his line for years: the recipes he showed for The Engine 2 Diet in 2009 included hummus and avocado sandwiches²³, and in the 2018 talk he described nuts and seeds as an addition to the four main food groups²⁴.

What all the experts say about nuts, seeds and avocado

Soy

Soy foods are on his protein list. The 2025 article under his name names tofu and tempeh, and calls soy a complete protein on its own²⁵. A 2026 post on his site gives his tips for grilling tofu, noting that he almost always uses super firm tofu²⁶.

What all the experts say about soy

Salt

His site cites the US limit of 2,300 mg of sodium a day and says excess salt impairs how well blood vessels dilate within half an hour (2022)²⁷. It measures its own products against a rule of at most 1 mg of sodium per calorie²⁸.

On a 2022 show he pointed out that PLANTSTRONG popcorn has no added oil or salt²⁹.

What all the experts say about salt

Sugar

In a 2022 live show on fiber he set whole fruit and beans, which he likened to a log that burns slowly, against gummy bears, white sugar and white pasta, which he said flare up and leave people riding sugar highs and lows³⁰. In the talk posted in 2018 (it dates from about 2009) he quizzed the audience on the sugar in a large fast food cola, which he put at 20.5 teaspoons³¹.

His company sweetens its granola and cereals with Medjool dates instead of refined sugar; a 2023 post on its site says he has a big sweet tooth and presents the dates as his way around refined sweeteners³².

What all the experts say about sugar

Starches

Starchy whole foods carry his plan. In the 2022 calorie density show he said corn is a bit starchier than other vegetables but perfectly fine, and that he eats two or three ears at a time³³. He called rice and beans a household favorite, noting that a bowl of rice is near 600 calories a pound while rice chips made with oil reach about 2,400³⁴, and he put pasta cooked in water near 550, far below dry bread³⁵.

In his 2015 book Plant-Strong, excerpted on his site in 2023, he argued that cooked starches and root vegetables helped drive the growth of the human brain³⁶.

What all the experts say about starches

Supplements

Asked in 2022 about vitamin E, he said he did not know its recommended intake, and that the only shortfall he had heard of on a varied whole food plant diet was vitamin B12, which he said is missing from food because it comes from microbes in the soil³⁷. His 2025 write-up of a supplement episode says supplements come second to a whole food diet and lifestyle⁴, and his site’s beginners’ guide recommends a B12 supplement¹.

What all the experts say about supplements

Iron

His company’s 2024 beginners’ guide puts iron on its short list of nutrients to watch and points to leafy greens, fortified plant milk and tofu as sources³⁸. A 2026 post on the same site adds beans, and notes that iron deficiency anemia is more common in women than in men³⁹.

What all the experts say about iron

Fish and eggs

In the 2018 talk he said that even fish free of mercury, PCBs and dioxins still bring animal fat, cholesterol and protein⁴⁰. He objected to both parts of the egg: the yolk for its cholesterol, over 212 mg, and the white as concentrated animal protein⁴¹.

What all the experts say about fish and eggs

Fiber

In a 2022 show he said 97% of Americans fall short of the recommended fiber intake, calling it the country’s top nutritional deficiency⁴². He said he usually eats 80 to 100 grams a day, 35 of them in his breakfast bowl⁴³.

That show was built around Rip’s Big Bowls, a PLANTSTRONG cereal, and he said all the brand’s whole food products are high in fiber²⁹.

What all the experts say about fiber

Fruit

Fruit is one of the four food groups of his plan; in the talk posted in 2018 he said there are hundreds of fruits beyond apples, oranges and bananas⁴⁴. In 2022 he said he easily eats six or seven pieces a day, which at about 250 calories a pound costs him only 350 to 500 calories⁴⁵ and gives him some 20 grams of fiber⁴⁶.

He treats dried fruit differently: grapes sit near 250 calories a pound against about 2,000 for raisins⁴⁷, and dates, which he takes on bike rides, run near 1,500⁴⁸. Asked in 2022 whether someone with prediabetes could eat half a watermelon, he noted that watermelon has a higher glycemic index, suggested testing it, and said his understanding from the Mastering Diabetes founders was that no fruit is off the table⁴⁹. His seven-day plan, as excerpted on his site, allows fruit in any amount⁵⁰.

What all the experts say about fruit

Vegetables and greens

In the talk posted in 2018 he called leafy greens the superheroes of all foods, for their calcium and vitamins⁵¹. In the 2022 calorie density show he put the average vegetable near 100 calories a pound⁴⁵ and said his family cooks big batches of finely sliced kale three or four times a week⁵².

He praised cauliflower as a cruciferous vegetable that helps the body make nitric oxide⁵³, and said his family buys plenty of frozen broccoli, which he blackens in a cast iron pan with spices and broth⁵⁴.

What all the experts say about vegetables and greens

Beans and lentils

In the 2022 fiber show he named beans, peas and lentils the best source of fiber, said a 15 ounce can holds about 25 grams, and noted that most Americans do not eat even one serving a day⁵⁵. Legumes are one of the four food groups of his plan⁵⁶; in the talk posted in 2018 he said he eats a simple dish of brown rice, black beans and vegetables at least twice a week⁵⁷, and recalled telling a firefighter that beans do not count as his vegetables⁵⁸.

What all the experts say about beans and lentils

Whole grains, bread and flour

Whole grains are another of his four food groups; in the talk posted in 2018 he pointed to millet, quinoa, wheat berries and pearl barley beyond brown rice⁵⁶. In 2022 he called whole grain breads and pastas great sources of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and dismissed the idea that grains cause inflammation except in people with celiac disease or a real intolerance⁵⁹. He said he could live off oats, whose soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol⁶⁰, and advised people trying to lose weight to cook their oats rather than eat them raw⁶¹.

On bread he draws a line by goal: in the 2022 calorie density show he advised open-faced sandwiches on 100 percent whole grain bread, and told people with 50 to 200 pounds to lose to use collard or romaine wraps for now⁶². He put dry boxed cereals at 1,200 to 1,500 calories a pound, against about 300 for a bowl of oatmeal with fruit⁶³. His 2015 book excerpt cites studies tying whole grains to longer life and less obesity and heart disease⁶⁴.

What all the experts say about whole grains, bread and flour

Potatoes

He is a firm defender of potatoes. In the 2022 calorie density show he said that if he had to live on one food for a year it would be potatoes, praising their vitamin C, potassium, fiber and protein⁶⁵, and said there is “no such thing” as a bad potato⁶⁶. He put potatoes near 350 calories a pound and said he usually eats two or three big sweet potatoes at a meal⁶⁷.

He blames the toppings: butter, sour cream and bacon bits make a potato calorie dense, not the potato⁶⁸, and deep frying turns 350 calories a pound into about 2,500⁶⁹. He waved away the nightshade worry, pointing to Okinawans who get most of their calories from sweet potatoes⁷⁰. His seven-day plan welcomes Yukon Gold, sweet and russet potatoes alike⁷¹.

What all the experts say about potatoes

Meat

In the talk posted in 2018 he described week two of his first plan as dropping all flesh, from red meat to chicken and fish, because anything with muscle carries saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein, a mix he calls the “demonic trinity”⁷². In his 2017 book, excerpted on his site in 2023, he lists meat, eggs, dairy, fish, oils and processed foods as the causes of heart disease to cut, rather than patching it with statins⁷³. In a 2022 show he warned that burning meat creates heterocyclic amines, which he called cancer causing⁷⁴.

What all the experts say about meat

Low-fat eating

His diet is low in fat by design. In the 2022 calorie density show he said the last thing anyone needs is more fat, and that the only fats we need are the essential polyunsaturated ones that whole plant foods supply⁷⁵. He noted that nuts are about 90 percent fat⁷⁶, and his seven-day plan, as excerpted on his site, leaves out rich foods such as avocados, nuts and oils⁷⁷.

What all the experts say about low-fat eating

Saturated fat

In a 2022 show he said humans have no need for saturated fat and that most research shows it promotes heart disease and insulin resistance, which is why he steers people away from coconut milk⁷⁸. In the calorie density show he called coconut oil 92 percent saturated fat, the most of any food, and said his program is not a fan of any coconut product, from yogurt to coconut bacon⁷⁹. He added that butter is nearly as calorie dense as oil, and that most vegan spreads are built on canola and palm oil⁸⁰.

In the talk posted in 2018 he called cheese probably the largest source of saturated fat in the diet¹⁶, a point he repeated in 2022⁸¹, and he put olive oil at around 15 percent saturated fat⁸².

What all the experts say about saturated fat

Cholesterol

Cholesterol results launched his career. In the talk posted in 2018 he told how a fellow firefighter’s cholesterol of 344 at age 33 set off the firehouse diet challenge⁸³, and he set a goal of total cholesterol under 150, saying people who get there are “heart attack proof”⁸⁴. In a 2018 pilot of his seven-day program, he reported that total cholesterol fell about 15 percent and LDL about 22 points on average in one week⁸⁵.

His 2017 book reports average drops of 26 mg/dl in total and 25 mg/dl in LDL cholesterol among more than 1,200 guests at his seven-day retreats⁸⁶. He credits oats in particular with helping lower cholesterol⁶⁰.

What all the experts say about cholesterol

Carbohydrates and low-carb diets

In his 2017 book, excerpted on his site in 2023, he argued that humans are built to run mainly on whole, unprocessed carbohydrates, and wrote that the brain runs on carbs⁸⁷. His 2015 book argues that paleolithic people ate mostly plants and about 100 grams of fiber a day, and that the wild game they ate was far leaner than today’s meat⁸⁸.

In the talk posted in 2018 he said Atkins and the South Beach diet should be things of the past⁸⁹, and in a 2021 event he listed the paleo, keto and carnivore diets among the myths he works to take apart⁹⁰.

What all the experts say about carbohydrates and low-carb diets

Gluten and wheat

In the 2022 calorie density show he said only a small share of people, those with celiac disease⁵⁹ or a true gluten intolerance, need to avoid wheat, barley, rye and contaminated oats, and that many gluten free grains are available to them⁹¹.

What all the experts say about gluten and wheat

Coffee, tea and caffeine

A 2024 post on his company’s site warns that French press and other unfiltered coffee lets through cafestol and kahweol, oily compounds that raise LDL cholesterol, and suggests paper filtered coffee or tea instead⁹². The post ends by promoting the company’s own teas⁹³.

What all the experts say about coffee, tea and caffeine

Alcohol

His 2017 book, excerpted on his site in 2023, makes the case against alcohol: it is empty calories, it raises appetite, it can lead to fatty liver and cirrhosis⁹⁴, and it is listed as a known human carcinogen⁹⁵. His free seven-day challenge drops alcohol for the week under a rule against drinking your calories⁹⁶.

What all the experts say about alcohol

Juicing and smoothies

He prefers chewing to drinking. Asked in 2022 about fruit and vegetable smoothies, he said his team is not a big fan because blending can push calorie density up fast, and that he would rather people eat those foods and chew them, since digestion starts in the mouth⁴⁸. His 2017 book, as excerpted on his site, groups fruit juice with soda as empty calories⁹⁴.

What all the experts say about juicing and smoothies

Organic food and pesticides

He does not insist on organic. In the talk posted in 2018 he said people need not buy everything organic, pointed to the Dirty Dozen list for the foods best bought that way, and said the diet can cost under $250 a month⁹⁷. In 2022 he called it a personal choice: he likes his leafy greens organic, worries less about thick-skinned fruit, bought only the cheapest good looking produce before his decade at Whole Foods, and said organic or not should never stop anyone buying produce⁹⁸.

What all the experts say about organic food and pesticides

Weight loss

He presents weight loss as a result of what you eat, not of eating less. In the 2022 calorie density show he promised weight loss without hunger or calorie counting⁹⁹, argued that the usual advice to eat less and exercise more cannot last¹⁰⁰, and urged a shift of focus from how much to what we eat¹⁰¹.

His own trials report losses: in the talk posted in 2018 he said men in his first four-week trial lost 14 pounds on average and women 8¹⁰²; in a 2018 pilot participants lost about 5 pounds in a week⁸⁵; his 2017 book reports a 3 pound average loss in seven days among more than 1,200 retreat guests⁸⁶. In a 2021 event he said about 43 percent of Americans are obese, and linked obesity to insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease and cancer¹⁰³.

What all the experts say about weight loss

Cravings and food addiction

In a 2024 podcast he said hyperpalatable processed foods hit the same brain pathways as drugs like nicotine or opiates, only more weakly, crediting the idea of the “pleasure trap” to Doug Lisle and Alan Goldhamer; understanding this, he said, lets people set themselves free¹⁰⁴. For his 2018 pilot he said the program had to take willpower out of the picture and make healthy choices easy and automatic¹⁰⁵.

He singles out cheese: in 2022 he said many Americans are addicted to it and would name it as the food they could not live without¹⁰⁶. A 2023 post on his site calls cheese “Dairy Crack” and blames casein, which it says releases opioid-like casomorphins¹⁰⁷.

What all the experts say about cravings and food addiction

Exercise

He sees exercise as essential but second to food. In the talk posted in 2018 he said exercise alone will not make people lose weight and that many treat a workout as license to eat anything¹⁰⁸; he called himself a huge fan of exercise, reworked a Jack LaLanne line to make eating plant strong the king and exercise the queen, and said his first book has bodyweight routines needing no gym¹⁰⁹.

In a 2015 video, aged nearly 52, he said he swims, bikes or runs every morning and no longer lifts weights, preferring push-ups, pull-ups and squats¹¹⁰; he added that some such activity is needed to hold on to muscle with age¹¹¹. His 2017 book, excerpted on his site, calls sitting the new smoking and cites research that a brisk daily walk of 25 minutes may add years of life¹¹².

What all the experts say about exercise

Heart disease

Heart disease is why his diet exists. In the talk posted in 2018 he said heart attacks on the job, not fire or smoke, are the top killer of firefighters¹¹³, and used his father’s angiograms to argue that heart disease can be reversed, not just halted¹¹⁴. He described the artery lining and its nitric oxide as what keeps arteries slick, and said a plant based diet can keep them healthy for life¹¹⁵.

In his 2017 book, excerpted on his site in 2023, he likens statins to duct tape on a leaking fire hose, says the fix is to stop eating the foods that cause the disease⁷³, and calls heart disease a choice¹¹⁶. His 2015 book argues that a Western diet matters more than family history, and that people raised on it should assume they already have heart disease¹¹⁷.

What all the experts say about heart disease

High blood pressure

His 2017 book reports that guests at his seven-day retreats, more than 1,200 people with before and after screenings, cut their blood pressure by 10/5 mmHg on average⁸⁶. A 2023 post on his site calls high blood pressure a silent killer and blames excess salt, which makes the body hold fluid and strains the arteries¹¹⁸; it sets a goal of under 1,500 mg of sodium a day¹¹⁹.

What all the experts say about high blood pressure

Diabetes

In a 2018 pilot of his seven-day program, he reported that fasting blood sugar fell about 5 points on average, and that eight of the 23 participants who began with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes reached normal fasting values within the week⁸⁵.

In 2022 he said fiber keeps blood sugar steady³⁰, and answered a prediabetes question by pointing to the Mastering Diabetes founders, saying whole plant foods can bring A1C below 5.6 in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes¹²⁰. He also said coconut oil’s saturated fat promotes insulin resistance⁷⁹.

What all the experts say about diabetes

Cancer

In the talk posted in 2018 he blamed animal protein for promoting tumors¹²¹, and, noting breast cancer awareness month, said that eating plant based is itself the cure that fundraising walks are looking for¹²². In a 2022 show he said slow transit of animal products through the colon helps explain colorectal cancer, citing Dr. Michael Klaper, and called fiber a strong defense¹²³.

He has warned about cancer causing compounds formed when meat is burned⁷⁴, and his 2017 book lists alcohol as a known human carcinogen⁹⁵.

What all the experts say about cancer

Longevity and aging

He points to Okinawa: in the 2022 calorie density show he said Okinawans, among the longest-lived people, get most of their calories from sweet potatoes¹²⁴, and cited Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones work against fears of potatoes and grains⁷⁰.

His 2017 book cites research that a brisk daily walk may add three to seven years of life¹¹².

What all the experts say about longevity and aging

Each small number links to its reference at the bottom of the page: the video at the exact second, or the page where it was said.