Atkins Diet Food list - Your Guide

When considering food on the atkins diet food list, the strictest phase is induction.

The chief differences in the three phases thereafter relate to your sensitivity to carbohydrates in terms of how fast they enter the bloodstream, and your body's production of insulin.

This is measured as the point at which your carbohydrate intake causes you to cease losing weight.

Foods that are the basis of the atkins diet food list are protein and fats. Basically all natural (animal) protein is allowed - turkey, red meat, chicken etc. The only cautions with protein is the case of manufactured meat (it contains carbohydrates like breadcrumbs) and cured meat (it often contains sugars).

All animal fats like butter are on the atkins diet food list, and non-hydrogenated, non-trans vegetable fats. This would rule out margarine (hydrogenated). It would also rule out a lot of the vegetable oils you find on supermarket shelves.

Unless an oil is labelled unrefined or mechanically pressed, you can assume its fully or partially hydrogenated (or degummed, refined, bleached, or deoderized, all of which decrease the health value of the oil significantly). Olive oil labelled virgin or extra virgin does not fall into this category.

All other olive oil does. Conjugated linoleic acid is a trans fat. Flaxseed oil is not if it is processed correctly. The aftertaste (reflux related) of fish oil supplements indicates they are rancid.

The severe carbohydrate restriction of the induction phase leaves on the atkins diet food list salad vegetables (be careful of pre made salads though as the dressings could contain carbohydrates) and non starchy vegetables. This excludes food like potatos, yam and sweet potato.

Other food excluded (in the induction phase) from the atkins diet food list is: all fruit, as well as nuts, seeds, legumes like lentils, chickpeas/hummous, kidney beans, sugar, all processed food like bread, pasta, and junk food, coffee, tea and alcohol, yoghurt and ice cream, chewing gum, breath mints and cough syrup.

With regards cheese, this is considered to have a carbohydrate component, so whilst it is allowed on the atkins diet food list (with some restrictions like cottage cheese and other fresh cheeses), it is calculated as part of your carbohydrate allowance. 1 ounce of cheese is 1 ounce of carbohydrate. Hard cheeses like cheddar are not disallowed.

In the ongoing weight loss phase, the process of carbohydrate reintroduction begins. Depending on your reaction to certain foods, you can begin reintroducing fruit, starting with berries, and nuts, seeds and possibly grains. As you discover how your body metabolises carbohydrates, and as you come closer to your weight loss goals, you will be able to include a greater variety of carbohydrate in your diet. This process continues in the remaining phases.

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