Whether you're brand new to the Fix or you're on your tenth round, we all have questions (especially about ingredients) that aren't necessarily answered in the book. Autumn has answered many of our questions already, but she uses many different platforms, so you may find an answer on her facebook page, youtube, her blog, etc. but they're sort of scattered all over the place. Because I love you wonderful people, I thought it would be a great idea to try to put those questions and answers all in one place, so you guys wouldn't have to go nuts looking for them. If you have any questions that I haven't answered here already, contact me here and I'll do my darnedest to figure it out and then I'll add it on this page. 🙂
Is chicken broth allowed and how do I count it? Low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth is allowed! 2 cups is equal to ½ of a red.
Cubed pumpkin is in the book counting as a green, can I used canned pumpkin puree and how would I count it? Canned pumpkin puree is allowed, but we're supposed to count it as a purple because more will fit in that way, so higher calories (as fruits are higher in calories than vegetables). Autumn's full answer.
Butter isn't anywhere in the book, is it allowed? Yes! Natural, organic butter is allowed and counts as an oil teaspoon. Here is a video of Autumn answering this one 🙂
There seems to be a discrepancy about egg whites. What's the deal? The deal is, in older versions of the Eating Plan, 2 egg whites are listed as 1 red. In newer, corrected versions, 8 egg whites equal one red because 2 egg whites do not have the same amount of protein/calories as two whole eggs. Autumn's full answer.
Can I eat PB2 or other powdered peanut butter instead of regular peanut butter? Yes! Here's Autumn's full answer.
Why are tomato sauce and salsa counted as purple instead of green? Jarred pasta sauce (which often contains added sugar) is counted as a purple, homemade, no sugar added tomato sauce CAN be counted as a green! Same goes for salsa. Autumn's full answer.
How much popcorn can I have if I'm not making the treat-swap mix from the book? 3 cups of air-popped, organic, non-gmo popcorn equals 1 regular (as in not a treat-swap) yellow! Snack away, friends! Here are a 5 awesome, easy recipes!
Holy mother of almond milk! Is it a yellow? Is it free? 8 oz? 4 oz? According to the new beverage / treat swap container counts recently posted by beachbody (March 2017 - found here) 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk counts as 1 teaspoon and nothing else! Pretty great, eh?!
How do I go about counting yellows in a baking recipe? I did my best to outline how to do this in my 21 Day Fix Cornbread post. Hope it helps! Btw, ¼ cup of whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour is equal to 1 Yellow. 🙂
Debbie says
Stephanie - ty so much for this! I just got so many REAL LIFE tips out of ur column, and the Q&A. Awesome. So appreciate you, Becca & Nancy. U all r wonderful to dedicate soooo much time and effort to this. [heart]
I struggle to keep it real as I am not so much interested in the "clean eating" side of the Fix (I know - sacrilege!) as the Portion control, although I do tend to avoid a lot of the grocery store processed items. I'm actually using the portion control with 2B Mindset concept, and am eating a lot and dropping wgt continually consistently for the last 9 months. Never hungry. 🙂
Tomato sauce recipe. And it said 2 tablespoons equal one green. Is that what she meant? says
I watched autumn‘s grandma‘s Tomato sauce recipe. And it said 2 tablespoons equal one green. Is that what she meant?
Stephanie says
Hi! There is a LOT of confusion about tomato sauce and through the years Autumn has given many conflicting answers on this. I would say if you're making that specific recipe, just go by her counts. Otherwise, for simplicity's sake, I go by the video that I shared here and call a cup of no-sugar-added tomato sauce 1 Green, and a cup of tomato sauce that includes sugar, 1 Purple. I hope that's helpful!
Janet Etue says
This is a great resource! Thanks so much. Do I measure gluten free pasta the same as regular pasta?
Stephanie says
Yep!
cathy mahar mccormack says
What is the number of yellow for a bagel, a pita and an English muffin.
Stephanie says
Hi! According to the list 1/2 of a bagel, a 4" pita and 1/2 of an English muffin are each 1 yellow. However, a yellow is usually around 100 calories and sometimes you can find brands that allow you to have a whole English muffin or a larger pita for 1 yellow. This container guide might help you!
Marie Roxanne Veinotte says
I am trying the program as a vegan, and can only eat soft foods, so raw salad is a no-no. I can eat a banana but not an apple, applesauce is ok. But I am having trouble finding what vital wheat gluten would be in a recipe for, let’s say, a vegan roast? Is that a carb?
Also, I would like to eat oatmeal, or pancakes, or whatever but want rice with my dinner, or noodles at lunch, I guess I can’t do that as a vegan huh? So difficult to replace meat!
Thank you for your reply!
Stephanie says
Hi! I think there are extra carbs in the vegan plan to help with that but I can't remember for sure! If you click here, you can get the free printables that include the vegan plan from my friend Becca at My Crazy Good Life. It actually includes more carbs than the regular plan to help with that! As far as vital wheat gluten goes, after looking at the nutrition info for it, I would count 1/4 cup as 1 Red! It has a TON of protein and low carbs. Hope this was helpful, I'm here for you if you have any other questions!
Sarah Saunders says
How much pumpkin purée would equal 1 green?! Any ideas?
Stephanie says
Technically we're supposed to count 1 cup of pumpkin puree as a purple. However, in my opinion, stats-wise I don't see why you couldn't count 1/2 cup as 1 green.
Victoria Wallace says
I see we’re able to eat cheese but how can I do cubed cheese?
Stephanie says
I would still just fill your blue container with the cubed cheese 🙂
Linden says
Hey thanks so much for this, it's a really handy resource!
You showed resources for Autumn or Beachbody commenting on every answer for flour. Do you mind directing me to where you found that answer of 1/4 cup for a yellow? It makes sense, but I cant seem to find their answer anywhere! Thanks!!
Stephanie says
Hi! I've never actually seen this addressed anywhere by Autumn, this is based on my calculations of an average yellow. Maybe Autumn will be more specific with things with the new Portion Fix. We can only hope!
Tricia says
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for gathering all this intel into one place! It can be so time consuming to find answers on portion fixes.
Speaking of which, I'm trying to make a recipe with tomato paste and can't seem to find how to account for that. Do you know how it should be calculated?
As a side note: according to the latest program materials published in April 2018 almond milk is once again listed as a treat swap with 1 cup equal to 1 yellow.
Stephanie says
Hey Tricia!
Going by nutrition stats (and because it's condensed), about 1/4 cup of tomato paste equals 1 green.
This is the most current info on drink and treat swaps from Beachbody (it's from October 2018) - https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/21-day-fix-treats-beverages - it's so annoying how they're always changing things up on us, isn't it? I'm wondering how much will change when the new Portion Fix comes out!
Ashleigh Davis says
How would 1 cup of low sodium V8 (the original veggie one) count?
Stephanie says
Hey Ashleigh, I would say that 1 cup = 1 green. 🙂
Shannon Molizon says
What would the 15.5 oz can of diced tomatoes be counted as? also what would a 28oz can of tomato puree be counted as? I always look for the no sugar added cans so can assume that I am getting the no sugar added.
Stephanie says
If I don't drain the 15.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, I count it as 1 1/2 greens. If you drain it, just measure it out and count that as a green (I think it usually yields about 1 cup). According to Autumn, you can count tomato sauce (I'd include puree in that) without added sugar as a green also 🙂
K. Watson says
What amount of butter is equal to the tsp or are we limited toa tsp of butter?
Stephanie says
Yes, it's a literal measuring teaspoon. You get at least 2 per day depending on your bracket. Hope that helps!
Jen says
I see questions on chicken and vegetable broths but not beef broth. Is this counted like chicken broth or is it not even approved?
Stephanie says
Hey Jen, low-sodium beef broth is 8 cups for 1 Red 🙂
Nataly says
Can I use pace picante sauce? And which container do I use?
Stephanie says
Hey Nataly, you can use store-bought salsa and it counts as a purple. If you make your own or even find a store-bought version with no sugar added and low sodium, 1/2 cup counts as 1 Green container.
Maureen says
What would you count Vegetable broth as? I know 2 cups of low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth is equal to 1/2 a red but does that also go for vegetable? Thanks for your thoughts!
Stephanie says
Hey Maureen! According to the updated food list, 2 cups of Vegetable broth equals 1 Green!
Christina says
I am allergic to nuts and therefore find it very difficult to indulge in a lot of the dessert and breakfast options for 21 day fix that require nut butters or almond milk! From what I recall 1% milk can only be substituted as a carb as a snack option. Due to my allergy can it be used in place of the almond milk and not be counted as a carb or am I out of luck?
Stephanie says
Hey Christina, honestly, 1% milk is a lot higher in calories and carbs than almond milk, so you should really count it as a yellow. I'm sorry, I know, it stinks!
Michelle says
Does green tea count as a water?
Stephanie says
No, it doesn't. You can have it, it just doesn't count towards your water intake. 🙂
Meredith says
Hi! I’m struggling with the canned pumpkin. I understand it has to do with quantity of chunks vs purée, but essentially couldn’t you measure it out in chunks and then purée it and then it would count as a green? I planned on using it in an overnight oats recipe but need it to be a green. Thanks.
Stephanie says
Yes! You can absolutely do that, Meredith! Sounds delicious, enjoy!
Leah says
Hi! I am starting a fix about 3 years after purchasing my items and feel like some of it may have been updated. Concerned about my calorie burn compared to the allotment used in the formula to calculate which food plan to follow. The formula says 400 calories for the workout but my Fitbit Alta hr only indicates 156. And trust me it’s not an effort issue. Should i recalculate using that number or stick to the 400?
Stephanie says
Hey Leah, my advice would be to stick to the 400 calories for the workout. I honestly don't know if their number is off or if the fitbit is off, but I do know that their calculations work! My two cents anyway, hope it helps!
Kristen Austin says
How would a serving of collagen powder be counted in the Fix? 1 scoop has around 40 calories and 10 grams of protein.
Stephanie says
Hey Kristen - It's not on any list, but I would count that as half of a Red. 🙂
Alice Wootton says
I've been doing the 21 Day Fix for about a week. I've been switching from the regular meat eaters allowances and the vegetarian allowances. (I don't eat much meat. Just chicken or fish a couple of days a week. The rest of the time, I eat plant based foods.) Is that allowed? I haven't seen anything on this subject anywhere. Thanks a heap!
Stephanie says
Hi, Alice! There aren't really any definitive answers to this from Beachbody or Autumn (as far as I know), but in my opinion it's completely fine. Just know that if you're using beans and legumes as proteins, your progress may be slightly slower than if you were eating more animal proteins because beans and legumes have higher carbs so your overall carb intake may be a bit higher. I hope this helps!
Erika says
Hi Stephanie, This is such a great resource. Thanks for pulling it together for all of us who are just starting out. Your breakdown of how to count the carbs in a baked recipe I found absolutely wonderful.
I just wanted to flag that there are new updates for beverages/treat swaps that would impact your almond milk. 8 oz is now considered a tsp instead of a free or a yellow. 🙂 https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/21-day-fix-treats-beverages (I know, just when I was starting to get a hang of the containers, they switched it up on me!).
Stephanie says
Ah! Thank you, Erika! I was actually working on a post about the new treat and beverage counts and forgot I needed to change it here. Thank you!!
Amanda says
How do I count frozen, chopped spinach? I'm trying to "fix" my homemade spinach bites to make them 21 day fix friendly, but I use (2) 16 oz frozen bag for a recipe, which calls for thawing and draining it, then I mix it in and bake. Each bag says it has 6 cups in the bag when frozen (30 cal a cup 180 for the bag... 360 calories for the recipe....
How many Green cups is this? The recipe yields a lot, but I need to figure out what a serving size is with all the other ingredients.
Stephanie says
Hi Amanda! According to Autumn, you measure it however you're going to eat it. If you're eating raw spinach, measure it raw, eating it cooked? Measure it after cooking. So in this case it's already cooked. After you thaw and drain it, I would probably loosen it up a bit so it isn't packed so tight from draining, and then measure. I'm not sure offhand how many cups would be in a package. I'm assuming that 6 cups of spinach they're talking about is the raw spinach before they cook it. Hope this helps!
Amanda says
Thanks. I'm trying to 21 day fix my "spinach bites" recipe which calls for 32 oz of spinach drained and squeezed. Right now pressed down, its 2 green containers full (but that would be 180 calories per green container).
Should I call it 4 so its 90 cal a container or 8 so its closer to 40?
Stephanie says
I did some googling, and 1 cup of cooked spinach can be anywhere between 40 and 75 calories, so I guess you could count it as either 6 (about 60 calories) or 8. Honestly, the 20 calorie difference isn't much of a difference at all, so you can always just count it whichever way is more convenient.
Katie says
How I supposed to measure rice or pasta cook or uncooked?
Stephanie says
Cooked 😊
Jamie says
I use chicken broth in a few different recipes not just soups. What would one can be counted as? Also I use cheddar cheese soup in a recipe for my husband and kids can I still eat that meal?
Stephanie says
Hi Jamie! No matter how you use it, 2 cups of low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth is equal to 1/2 of a Red container. As far as the cheddar cheese soup goes, if you're following the plan to a "T", you're going to want to avoid it. Unfortunately it's not approved. 🙁 Very few pre-packaged items like that are, due to their high sodium content and processed ingredients. You can always try to make a Fix version of that dish without it or if you'd like, you can send me the recipe using the "contact me" button and I'll "fixify" it for you 🙂