Acceptable Foods

Foods You May Eat Liberally

• All fish, including: tuna, salmon, sole, trout, flounder, sardines, herring.
• All fowl, including: chicken, turkey, duck, goose, poussin, quail, pheasant.
• All shellfish, including: oysters, mussels, lobster, clams, squid, prawns, crab-meat.
• All meat, including: beef, pork, lamb, bacon, veal, ham, venison.
• All eggs, including: scrambled, fried, poached, soft-boiled, hard-boiled, deviled, omelets.

Processed meats such as ham, bacon, pepperoni, salami, hot dogs and other luncheon meats — and some fish — may be cured with added sugar and will contribute carbs. Try to avoid meat and fish products cured with nitrates, which are known carcinogens. Also beware of products that are not exclusively meat, fish or fowl, such as imitation fish, meatloaf and breaded foods. Finally, do not consume more than four ounces of offal a day.

Other Foods Acceptable During Induction

Cheese

You can consume 90–110 g (3–4 oz) daily of full-fat, firm and semi-soft aged cheeses, including: cheddar, cow, sheep and goat cheese, cream cheese, Gouda, mozzarella, Roquefort, Swiss. All cheeses have some carb content; the rule of thumb is to count 30 g of cheese as equivalent to one gram of carb. Note that cottage cheese and other fresh cheeses are not permitted during induction. No diet cheese, cheese spreads or whey cheeses are permitted. Individuals with known yeast symptoms, dairy allergy or cheese intolerance must avoid cheese. Imitation cheese products are not allowed, except for soy or rice cheese — but check the carb content.

Salad Vegetables

You can have 230–340 g (8–12 oz) per day of: alfalfa sprouts, bok choy, celery, chicory, chives, cucumber, daikon, fennel, lamb’s lettuce, lettuce, mushrooms, parsley, peppers, radicchio, radishes, rocket, romaine lettuce, sorrel. These salad veggies are high in phytonutrients and provide a good source of fibre.

Other Vegetables

You can have 140–200 g (5–7 oz) per day, if salad does not exceed 230 g (8 oz). These veggies are slightly higher in carb content than the salad veggies: artichoke, asparagus, aubergine, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, broccoli, broccoli rabe, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery root, chard, courgettes, dandelion greens, French beans, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mange-tout peas, okra, onion, pumpkin, rhubarb, sauerkraut, spring onions, spring greens, spaghetti squash, tomato, turnips, watercress. If a vegetable, such as spinach or tomato, cooks down significantly, it must be measured raw so as not to underestimate its carb content.

Salad Garnishes

Crumbled crisp bacon, grated cheese, minced hard-boiled egg, sautéed mushrooms, sour cream.

Spices & Herbs

All spices to taste, but make sure none contain added sugar. Herbs: basil, cayenne, coriander, dill, garlic, ginger, oregano, pepper, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme. For salad dressing use oil and vinegar (but not balsamic vinegar, which contains sugar) or lemon juice and herbs and spices. Prepared salad dressings without added sugar and no more than two carbs per tablespoon serving are also fine.

Fats and Oils

Many fats, especially certain oils, are essential to good nutrition. Olive oil is particularly valuable. All other vegetable oils are allowed, the best being canola, walnut, soybean, grape seed, sesame, sunflower and safflower oils, especially if they are labeled “cold pressed” or “expeller pressed.” Do not cook polyunsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil, at high temperatures or allow them to brown or smoke. Butter is allowed. Margarine should be avoided — not because of its carb content, but because it is usually made of trans fats (hydrogenated oils), which are a serious health hazard. (Some non-hydrogenated margarines are available in health food shops.) You need not remove the skin and fat from meat or fowl. Salmon and other cold-water fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Trying to do a low-fat version of Atkins will interfere with fat burning and derail your weight loss.

Beverages

Water, spring water, mineral water, soda water, clear broth/bouillon (not all brands — read the label), decaffeinated coffee or tea, herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added). Cream (double, whipping or single): limit to two to three tablespoons a day and note the carb content. Lemon or lime juice (each contains 2–8 grams of carb per oz): limit to 2–3 tablespoons. Excessive caffeine may cause unstable blood sugar and should be avoided by those who suspect they are caffeine-dependent. Grain beverages (coffee substitutes) are not allowed. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted during induction; those low in carbohydrates are an option, in moderation, in later phases.

Artificial Sweeteners

You must determine which artificial sweeteners agree with you, but the following are allowed: sucralose (Splenda), saccharin, cyclamate, acesulfame-K. Natural sweeteners ending in the suffix “-ose,” such as maltose and fructose, should be avoided. However, certain sugar alcohols such as maltitol do not affect blood sugar and are acceptable. Saccharin has been extensively studied; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has removed it from its list of carcinogens, and it can be safely consumed in moderation — no more than three packets a day. We discourage the use of aspartame (marketed as NutraSweet, Hermesetas and Canderel) because of questions about its safety. Our preference is sucralose (Splenda), the only sweetener made from sugar: safe, non-caloric, and it does not raise blood sugar. Note that each packet of sugar substitute contains about 1 gram of carb, so don’t forget to include the amount in your daily totals.

Special Category Foods

To add variety, each day you can also eat ten to twenty olives, half a small avocado, one ounce of sour cream or three ounces of unsweetened whipping cream, as well as 2–3 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice. But be aware that these foods occasionally slow down weight loss in some people and may need to be avoided in the first two weeks. If you seem to be losing slowly, moderate your intake of these foods.

Convenience Foods

Although it is important that you eat primarily unprocessed foods, some low-carb food products can come in handy when you are unable to find appropriate food, can’t take time for a meal or need a quick snack. More and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things:

1. Not all convenience food products are the same, so check labels and carb content.
2. While any of these foods can make doing Atkins easier, don’t overdo it. Remember, you must always follow the Rules of Induction.