Can I make meal substitutions? .
If there is a meal that you would prefer not to eat, you may substitute another meal from what you have been given. Remember that you also need to adjust your shopping list. If you are on the convenience or combination diet and you dislike a certain frozen entree or an entree is not available in you area, you may substitute an entree of your choice that contains approximately 350 calories, less than 8 grams of fat, less than 2 grams of saturated fat, and less than 500 mg. of sodium. .
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What if I can't find a particular meal in my supermarket? .
If you cannot find a particular meal, substitute another meal from a different day or week. .
I do not have an allergy, should I choose milk free and egg free if I dislike milk or eggs?.
All of the following are interchangeable and can be substituted at any time for one another:8 oz of skim, 8 oz. of milk substitute, such as soy milk or rice milk, 8 oz. of Lactaid milk, 1 serving of fat-free yogurt, 4 oz. serving of fat-free pudding (8oz. if fat-free and sugar-free), 2 oz. of fat-free cheese, 1/2 cup of fat-free cottage cheese, or 1/2 cup of fat-free ricotta cheese. .
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How much water should I drink? .
You need to drink about 16 ounces of water between breakfast and lunch, another 16 ounces between lunch and dinner, and 16 additional ounces before your snack. You can add lemon or lime if you desire. Coffee, tea or any other unsweetened beverage may also be consumed throughout the day. .
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Can I skip meals? .
DO NOT SKIP MEALS! Skipping meals, or even skipping foods in a meal can drop your metabolic rate. In fact, it would be beneficial to save some of the foods in a meal for a snack between meals.
