What does Dr. Jason Fung recommend to eat? A Deep Dive into His Nutrition Diet Approach

October 11, 2025 •

4 min read

According to Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian nephrologist and author, focusing on what you eat is only half the battle; the timing of your meals is equally crucial. This hormonal-based approach answers the question, 'What does Dr. Jason Fung recommend to eat?' by focusing on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet combined with strategic intermittent fasting to manage insulin levels.

Quick Summary

Dr. Jason Fung advocates for a dietary approach that minimizes refined sugars and carbs, prioritizes whole foods and healthy fats, and incorporates intermittent fasting to control insulin levels and promote metabolic health.

Key Points

Prioritize Whole Foods: Focus on consuming unprocessed foods like vegetables, healthy fats, and quality proteins, while avoiding refined grains, sugars, and processed snacks.
Embrace Healthy Fats: Increase your intake of natural, healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts to promote satiety and reduce insulin spikes.
Practice Intermittent Fasting: Integrate structured fasting protocols like 16:8 or 24-hour fasts to control insulin levels and shift the body into a fat-burning state.
Limit Carbohydrates and Sugar: Significantly reduce your consumption of carbohydrates, especially refined ones and added sugars, which are the primary triggers for insulin secretion.
Moderate Protein Intake: Ensure adequate, but not excessive, protein consumption from sources like fish, eggs, and poultry to support muscle maintenance.
Stop Snacking: Eliminate snacking between meals to prevent continuous insulin release and allow your insulin levels to drop.
Stay Hydrated During Fasts: Drink plenty of water, black coffee, or herbal tea during fasting periods to stay hydrated and manage hunger.

The Core Philosophy: Insulin Control, Not Calorie Counting

Dr. Jason Fung's diet is built on the premise that insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is the primary driver of obesity and metabolic diseases. When we eat, particularly carbohydrates, our insulin levels rise. Chronically high insulin levels due to constant eating and excessive carbs lead to insulin resistance, causing the body to store fat. Fung's strategy shifts the focus from simple calorie restriction to managing insulin levels through both food choices and eating patterns.

What to Eat: A Focus on Whole, Nutrient-Dense Foods

For Dr. Fung, food quality is paramount. He recommends a diet centered around whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods. This means minimizing highly refined carbohydrates and sugars that cause rapid insulin spikes.

Foods to include:

Healthy Fats: These promote satiety and have minimal impact on insulin. Examples include avocados, nuts (macadamia, walnuts, cashews), seeds, olive oil, and coconut oil.
High-Quality Proteins: Moderate protein intake is encouraged to maintain muscle mass. This includes eggs, fish, and poultry.
Non-Starchy Vegetables: Load up on leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale, and peppers.
Bone Broth: Fung specifically recommends bone broth during fasting periods. It provides essential minerals and amino acids without calories, helping with hydration and satiety.
Fermented Foods: Options like Greek yogurt (sugar-free) and sauerkraut can support gut health.
Beverages: Water, black coffee, and herbal teas are recommended. Sugar and sweeteners should be avoided.

What to Avoid: The Insulin-Spiking Culprits

To keep insulin levels low, Dr. Fung recommends avoiding specific food groups and habits.

Foods and habits to avoid:

Refined Grains and Sugars: This includes bread, pasta, pastries, sugary cereals, and anything with added sugar.
Processed Foods: Most processed and packaged foods are high in sugar and refined carbs.
Snacking: Constant snacking, even on small, seemingly healthy items, keeps insulin levels elevated throughout the day. Fung advises against eating between meals.
High-Glycemic Foods: Starchy vegetables like potatoes and white rice should be minimized, though preparing them in ways that lower their glycemic index (like chilling potatoes) can help.

The Role of Intermittent Fasting (IF)

The other key pillar of Dr. Fung's strategy is intermittent fasting (IF), a practice that cycles between periods of eating and fasting. The goal of fasting is to lower insulin levels and allow the body to tap into its stored fat for energy. Fung has popularized several fasting protocols, which can be adapted to individual needs.

Popular Fasting Protocols:

16:8 Method: Fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8-hour window. For many, this means skipping breakfast and eating between noon and 8 p.m..
24-Hour Fast (Dinner-to-Dinner): Fasting for a full 24-hour period, once or twice a week.
Alternate-Day Fasting (ADF): Alternating between days of normal eating and days of fasting (or modified fasting with a very low calorie intake).

Dr. Fung emphasizes that fasting is a tool, not a form of starvation, and should be approached mindfully. It's important to listen to your body and adjust the fasting schedule as needed.

Comparison: Fung's Diet vs. Low-Calorie Diet

To understand the uniqueness of Dr. Fung's approach, comparing it to a traditional low-calorie diet is helpful.


Feature	Dr. Jason Fung's Approach	Traditional Low-Calorie Diet
Core Mechanism	Hormonal regulation, specifically reducing insulin levels.	Caloric deficit, focusing on 'calories in vs. calories out'.
Eating Pattern	Intermittent fasting with restricted eating windows.	Frequent, small meals throughout the day to 'boost metabolism'.
Food Quality	Emphasis on whole, unprocessed, low-carb, high-fat foods.	Can include processed 'diet' or 'low-fat' foods, as long as they fit the calorie budget.
Role of Insulin	Central focus; aims to keep insulin low and stable.	Often overlooked; frequent meals and carbs can cause continuous insulin spikes.
Hunger Management	Promotes satiety through healthy fats and intermittent fasting, leading to reduced hunger.	Can lead to constant hunger and cravings due to frequent, small meals that are not very filling.
Flexibility	Adaptive protocols and food choices allow for customization.	Can be rigid and challenging to sustain long-term due to constant tracking and hunger.

Potential Benefits and Considerations

Following Dr. Fung's dietary principles may offer several health benefits, especially for those with metabolic issues. These include improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss, and enhanced metabolic health. However, it is crucial to consult a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes, especially for individuals with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, those on medication, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Conclusion

In summary, what Dr. Jason Fung recommends to eat is not a simple, restrictive diet but a strategic lifestyle approach that prioritizes hormonal balance through high-quality food and disciplined eating patterns. By focusing on whole, low-carbohydrate foods and integrating intermittent fasting, the goal is to lower insulin levels, allowing the body to heal and tap into its natural fat-burning potential. This method challenges conventional dietary wisdom and offers a pathway for those seeking to address the root causes of metabolic issues rather than merely treating the symptoms. The principles are simple, but the key to success lies in consistency and a deeper understanding of how food and fasting interact with our body's hormones.

To learn more about the science behind Dr. Fung's approach, consider reading his best-selling book, The Obesity Code.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary goal is to lower insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity by controlling carbohydrate intake and using intermittent fasting. This shifts the body from a fat-storing state to a fat-burning state, addressing the root cause of metabolic issues rather than just restricting calories.

No, Dr. Fung recommends eliminating snacks between meals. The constant intake of food, even small amounts, keeps insulin levels elevated. Avoiding snacks allows insulin to drop, which is crucial for fat burning.

Yes, key foods to avoid include refined grains (bread, pasta), added sugars, sugary drinks, and processed junk food. High-glycemic foods like potatoes and white rice should also be minimized.

Intermittent fasting is a core component that works synergistically with low-carb eating. It provides extended periods without caloric intake, allowing insulin levels to drop, which enhances fat burning and metabolic health.

No, it is not suitable for everyone. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, individuals with a history of eating disorders, and those with certain medical conditions should consult a healthcare professional before starting. It is especially important for those on medication, such as insulin for diabetes, to be medically supervised.

During a fast, you can drink water, black coffee, and plain herbal tea. These beverages do not contain calories and therefore will not break the fast. Sugar and sweeteners should be avoided.

Seasonal fruits can be enjoyed in moderation. It is best to choose low-glycemic fruits and pair them with healthy fats or protein to minimize insulin response.