Wellness Nutrition 'The OMD Plan': What To Know About Oprah's 30-Day Challenge You might want to try this simple, sustainable diet. By Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she's Health's contributing nutrition editor and counsels clients one-on-one through her virtual private practice. Cynthia is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics and has consulted for five professional sports teams, including five seasons with the New York Yankees. She is currently the nutrition consultant for UCLA's Executive Health program. Sass is also a three-time New York Times best-selling author and Certified Plant Based Professional Cook. Connect with her on Instagram and Facebook, or visit www.CynthiaSass.com. health's editorial guidelines Updated on January 9, 2023 Medically reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes, RDN Medically reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes, RDN Elizabeth Barnes, MS, RDN, LDN, is a dietitian with a focus on treating clients with eating disorders and disordered eating to help them to mend their relationship with food and their bodies. learn more Share Tweet Pin Email People have been fascinated by all things Oprah, including any diet she recommends, for decades. In 2019, Oprah reported that she had been following a diet called "The OMD Plan," where OMD stands for "one meal a day." But OMD doesn't mean limiting yourself to a single daily meal. Rather, you commit to eating one plant-based meal per day. Plant-based eating helps improve your health while positively impacting the planet. Here's what you should know about The OMD Plan, including how incorporating plant-based eating into your diet can help improve your health and the environment. What Is 'The OMD Diet'? Suzy Amis Cameron, an environmentalist, and co-founder of MUSE, a private school in Calabasas, Calif., created The OMD Plan. MUSE has a plant-based kitchen and previously won the Greenest Restaurant in the World award. Amis Cameron appeared on Oprah's SuperSoul Sunday to discuss the plan and her book, The OMD Plan: Swap One Meal a Day to Save Your Health and Save the Planet. In her book, Amis Cameron includes dozens of her family's plant-based recipes. Later, Oprah began a 30-day OMD challenge, in which she ate at least one plant-based meal daily. Potential Benefits of The OMD Plan According to Amis Cameron, simply making one of your daily meals plant-based has positive effects on the environment, which include: Helps save water and treesReduces greenhouse gasesProtects endangered animals At the same time, the switch improves overall health by reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. While The OMD Plan is not a full-time plant-based diet, some evidence suggests that low-risk interventions can maintain healthy body weight and lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. Diets like The OMD Plan may also reduce the number of medicines needed to treat chronic health conditions and lower heart disease-related mortality. How The OMD Plan Differs From Other Plant-Based Diets A plant-based diet is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. But plant-based eating is similar but not the same as a vegan or vegetarian diet. Instead, plant-based eating means consuming more plants and plant proteins while cutting back on animal products. Some people who follow a plant-based diet might still decide to eat some meat. At the same time, there are no restrictions on wearing or using animal products. After she and her husband, director James Cameron, began vegan diets, Amis Cameron became an advocate for plant-based eating. But Amis Cameron found that many are overwhelmed by the idea of becoming entirely plant-based overnight. In contrast, making just one meal a day plant-based, however, seems doable. What Kind of Recipes Are in The OMD Plan? Amis Cameron's book includes a 14-day meal plan and dozens of recipes, like: Chia puddingSmoothiesSweet potato hummusHomemade falafelSpaghetti Bolognese made with Beyond MeatDesserts, like vegan carrot cake and chocolate mousse Amis Cameron also provides helpful info and resources. For example, Amis Cameron shares that when one person chooses to make one of their daily meals plant-based, that saves approximately 200,000 gallons of water. Also, one plant-based meal daily saves the carbon equivalent of driving from Los Angeles to New York over one year. Additionally, kitchen tips include how to make nut milk, soak beans, and pickled vegetables. Amis Cameron also offers grab-and-go options and explains how to shop for and store several plant foods. Simple, Elegant Solution Oprah called The OMD Plan "graspable." And Amis Cameron referred to the plan as "the simple, elegant solution," stating that one small shift has many health benefits, like: Lose weightImprove energySupport glowing skin and hairImprove healthSave moneyEnhance your sex lifeHelp save the planet Amis Cameron's book includes stories of people who have adopted the plan, with results that include substantial weight loss, better mental focus, decreased bloating, clearer skin, and improved health markers, like lower blood pressure. I believe that The OMD Plan is smart, empowering, and sustainable. And if you choose healthy, whole-food, plant-based meals, you can boost your intake of health-protective vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and fiber. Additionally, the climate crisis is a public health emergency with implications that include the following: Food insecurityWater safety risksAir pollutionDiseases carried by insects According to scientists, the food we eat plays a major role in climate conditions, producing global greenhouse gas emissions. So, The OMD Plan and plant-based eating can help mitigate those adverse effects. A Quick Review The OMD Plan is a simple, straightforward, and easy-to-put-into-action way of eating plant-based meals without the pressure of going fully vegetarian or vegan. I love Oprah's word "graspable" and Oprah herself for spreading the word about this simple approach to improve your future health and support the home we all share: Earth. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Meals 4 The Planet. Day 1 of Oprah's OMD for the planet 30 day challenge. Clem J, Barthel B. A Look at Plant-Based Diets. Mo Med. 2021;118(3):233-238. McMacken M, Shah S. A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(5):342-354. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.009 Ostfeld RJ. Definition of a plant-based diet and overview of this special issue. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(5):315. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.008 Hever J, Cronise RJ. Plant-based nutrition for healthcare professionals: implementing diet as a primary modality in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(5):355-368. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.012 Tulchinsky TH, Varavikova EA. Environmental and Occupational Health. The New Public Health. 2014;471-533. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-415766-8.00009-4 Aleksandrowicz L, Green R, Joy EJ, Smith P, Haines A. The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review. PLoS One. 2016;11(11):e0165797. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165797