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Our “Acceptable Low Carb Foods List” is an easy guide to Atkins 20, Phase 1. During this phase, you will kick start induction by reducing your daily net carb intake to an average of 20g a day. Of these, 12-15 grams should be in the form of foundation vegetables. Enjoy any of the foods from the below list of acceptable low carb foundation vegetables, proteins, healthy fats, nuts and seeds, and most cheeses. Don’t see your favorite foods on the list? They are likely included in the next phases!**
Use this list of acceptable low carb foods as your guide to serving sizes and net carbs per serving. Aim to eat at least three meals and two snacks every day. Never starve yourself or go more than 3-4 hours during the day without eating. And plan ahead so you aren’t tempted to eat foods not found on the following acceptable list! Visit our recipe page for hundreds of meal ideas using Phase 1 ingredients.
- Fish:
Fish is rich in healthy fats and protein and is a great source of vitamins D and B2, calcium, and minerals like iron and potassium. While all fish are acceptable low carb foods for Phase 1 and do not have net carbs, we recommend sticking to a 4-6 ounce serving of the types listed here a couple times a week.
- Flounder
- Herring
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Sole
- Tuna
- Trout
- Cod
- Halibut
- Fowl:
While there are no net carbs in poultry, eating a variety of foods is important to any healthy diet. Make sure to get your protein from different categories and aim for three 4-6 ounce servings of protein each day.
- Cornish hen
- Chicken
- Duck
- Goose
- Pheasant
- Quail
- Turkey
- Ostrich
- Shellfish:
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Shellfish is another great source of protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, healthy fats, and minerals like zinc, copper, iron, and magnesium. Although shellfish does not contain any net carbs, oysters and mussels are higher in carbs so limit to about 4 ounces per day.
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- Clams
- Crabmeat
- Mussels
- Oysters
- Shrimp
- Squid
- Lobster
- Meat:
Protein plays a key role in weight loss and protects lean muscle mass, so you only lose fat. Meat is an excellent, no net carb source of protein. One serving is approximately 4-6 ounces.
- Bacon*
- Beef
- Ham*
- Lamb
- Pork
- Veal
- Venison
*Some processed meat, bacon, and ham is cured with sugar, which will add to the carb count. Avoid cold cuts and other meats with added nitrates, if possible.
- Eggs:
Eggs are packed with protein, vitamin A, and antioxidants. Get creative with your eggs by adding acceptable vegetables and topping with feta cheese and herbs. Enjoy eggs in any style including:
- Deviled
- Fried
- Hard-boiled
- Omelets
- Poached
- Scrambled
- Soft-boiled
- Fats and Oils:
Consuming a healthy amount of fat is an important part of Atkins. There are no carbs here, but keep in mind that the recommended daily intake for added fats is 2-4 tablespoons daily. Do not allow any oils to reach overly high temperatures when cooking, and use olive oil for sautéing only. Use walnut or sesame oil to dress cooked veggies or salad, but not for cooking.
- Butter
- Mayonnaise – make sure it has no added sugar
- Olive oil
- Vegetable oils – Those labeled “cold pressed” or “expeller pressed” are especially good and olive oil is one of the best:
- Canola
- Walnut
- Soybean
- Grape seed
- Sesame
- Sunflower
- Safflower
- Artificial Sweeteners:
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Limit your sugar substitutes to no more than three packets a day. One packet equals 1 gram of net carbs.
- Sucralose
- Saccharine
- Stevia
- Beverages:
Pay close attention to your beverages, as they are often a major source of hidden sugars and carbs. It is important to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day during Atkins 20, Phase 1. Drinking enough fluid assists with weight loss and is essential to maintaining good health.
- Clear broth/ bouillon (make sure it has no sugars added)
- Club soda
- Cream, heavy or light
- Decaffeinated or regular coffee and tea*
- Diet soda (be sure to note the carb count)
- Flavored seltzer (must say no calories)
- Herb tea (without added barley or fruit sugar added)
- Unflavored soy/almond milk
- Water – at least eight 8-ounce glasses per day including:
- Filtered water
- Mineral water
- Spring water
- Tap water
* One to two cups of caffeinated tea or coffee is allowed as desired and tolerated by each individual.
- Cheese:
Keep in mind that cheese does contain carbs, about 1 gram per ounce, and we recommend consuming no more than 3-4 ounces of cheese per day. An ounce is about the size of an individually wrapped slice of American cheese or a 1-inch cube.
- Parmesan, grated
- Goat, chevre
- Bleu cheeses
- Cheddar
- Gouda
- Mozzarella, whole milk
- Cream cheese, whipped
- Parmesan, chunk
- Swiss
- Feta
- Sour cream
- Low Carb Foundation Vegetables:
These vegetables are the nutrient-dense, higher-fiber foundation for the Atkins way of eating. Aim for 12-15g of net carbs from vegetables per day, which is equivalent to several cups depending on the net carb content of the variety you select. One cup of veggies is roughly the size of a baseball. Measure salad vegetables raw.
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- Alfalfa sprouts (raw)
- Chicory greens (raw)
- Endive (raw)
- Escarole (raw)
- Olives, green
- Watercress (raw)
- Arugula (raw)
- Radishes (raw)
- Spinach (raw)
- Bok choy (cooked)
- Lettuce, average (raw)
- Turnip greens (cooked)
- Heart of palm
- Olives, black
- Radicchio (raw)
- Button mushroom (raw)
- Artichoke (marinated)
- Celery (raw)
- Collard greens (cooked)
- Pickle, dill
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Spinach
- Broccoli rabe (cooked)
- Sauerkraut (drained)
- Avocado, Haas
- Daikon radish, grated (raw)
- Red/white onion, chopped (raw)
- Zucchini (cooked)
- Cucumber, sliced (raw)
- Cauliflower (cooked)
- Beet greens (cooked)
- Broccoli (cooked)
- Fennel (raw)
- Okra (cooked)
- Rhubarb (raw)
- Swiss chard (cooked)
- Asparagus (cooked)
- Broccolini (cooked)
- Bell pepper, green, chopped (raw)
- Sprouts, mung beans (raw)
- Eggplant (cooked)
- Kale (cooked)
- Scallion, chopped (raw)
- Turnip (cooked)
- Tomato, small (raw)
- Jicama (raw)
- Portobello mushroom (cooked)
- Yellow squash (cooked)
- Cabbage (cooked)
- Green beans (cooked)
- Bell pepper, red, chopped (raw)
- Leeks (cooked)
- Shallot, chopped (raw)
- Brussel sprouts (cooked)
- Spaghetti squash (cooked)
- Cherry tomato
- Kohlrabi (cooked)
- Pumpkin, mashed (cooked)
- Garlic, minced (raw)
- Snow peas (cooked)
- Tomato (cooked)
- Salad Garnishes:
- Crumbled bacon
- Hard-boiled egg
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Sour cream
- Grated cheeses
- Herbs and Spices:
Herbs and spices are a great way to enhance the flavor of your food. When shopping for dried or packaged herbs and spices, read the labels closely to make sure they contain no added sugar.
- Basil
- Cayenne pepper
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Oregano
- Tarragon
- Parsley
- Chives (fresh or dehydrated)
- Ginger, fresh, grated
- Rosemary, dried
- Sage, ground
- Black pepper
- Garlic
- Salad Dressing:
Read labels carefully. Any prepared salad dressing without added sugar, and no more than 3 grams of net carbs per serving, is acceptable in phase one. Or make your own!
- Red wine vinegar
- Caesar
- Ranch
- Lemon juice
- Bleu cheese
- Lime juice
- Balsamic vinegar
- Italian, creamy
- Cheese
SERVING SIZENET CARBSParmesan, grated1 TBSP.2Goat, chevre1 oz.3Bleu cheeses2 TBSP.4Cheddar1 oz.4Gouda1 oz.6Mozzarella, whole milk1 oz.6Cream cheese, whipped2 TBSP.8Parmesan, chunk1 oz.9Swiss1 oz1.0Feta1 oz1.2
- Foundation Vegetables
SERVING SIZENET CARBSAlfalfa sprouts (raw)1/2 cup0Chicory greens (raw)1/2 cup.1Endive (raw)1/2 cup.1Escarole (raw)1/2 cup.1Olives, green5, each.1Watercress (raw)1/2 cup.1Arugula (raw)1/2 cup.2Radishes (raw)1, each.2Spinach (raw)1/2 cup.2Bok choy (cooked)1/2 cup.4Lettuce, average (raw)1/2 cup.5Turnip greens (cooked)1/2 cup.6Heart of palm1 each.7Olives, black5, each.7Radicchio (raw)1/2 cup.7Button mushroom (raw)1/2 cup.8Artichoke (marinated)1, each1Celery (raw)1 stalk1Collard greens (cooked)1/2 cup1Pickle, dill1, each1Spinach1/2 cup1Broccoli rabe (cooked)1/2 cup1.2Sauerkraut (drained)1/2 cup1.2Avocado, Haas1/2 fruit1.3Daikon radish, grated (raw)1/2 cup1.4Red/white onion, chopped (raw)2 TBSP1.5Zucchini (cooked)1/2 cup1.5Cucumber, sliced (raw)1/2 cup1.6Cauliflower (cooked)1/2 cup1.7Beet greens (cooked)1/2 cup1.8Broccoli (cooked)1/2 cup1.8Fennel (raw)1/2 cup1.8Okra (cooked)1/2 cup1.8Rhubarb (raw)1/2 cup1.8Swiss chard (cooked)1/2 cup1.8Asparagus (cooked)6 stalks1.9Broccolini (cooked)3, each1.9Bell pepper, green, chopped (raw)1/2 cup2.2Sprouts, mung beans (raw)1/2 cup2.2Eggplant (cooked)1/2 cup2.3Kale (cooked)1/2 cup2.4Scallion, chopped (raw)1/2 cup2.4Turnip (cooked)1/2 cup2.4Tomato, small (raw)1, each2.5Jicama (raw)1/2 cup2.6Portobello mushroom (cooked)1, each2.6Yellow squash (cooked)1/2 cup2.6Cabbage (cooked)1/2 cup2.7Green beans (cooked)1/2 cup2.9Bell pepper, red, chopped (raw)1/2 cup3Leeks (cooked)2 TBSP3.4Shallot, chopped (raw)2 TBSP3.4Brussel sprouts (cooked)1/2 cup3.5Spaghetti squash (cooked)1/2 cup4Cherry tomato10, each4.6Kohlrabi (cooked)1/2 cup4.6Pumpkin, mashed (cooked)1/2 cup4.7Garlic, minced (raw)2 TBSP5.3Snow peas (cooked)1/2 cup5.4Tomato (cooked)1/2 cup8.6
- Salad Garnishes
SERVING SIZENET CARBSCrumbled bacon3 slices0Hard-boiled egg1 egg.5Sautéed mushrooms1/2 cup1.0Sour cream2 Tbsp1.2Grated cheeses(see above carb counts)
- Herbs and Spices
SERVING SIZENET CARBSBasil1 TBSP0Cayenne pepper1 TBSP0Cilantro1 TBSP0Dill1 TBSP0Oregano1 TBSP0Tarragon1 TBSP0Parsley1 TBSP.1Chives (fresh or dehydrated)1 TBSP.1Ginger, fresh, grated1 TBSP.8Rosemary, dried1 TBSP.8Sage, ground1 tsp.8Black pepper1 tsp.9Garlic1 clove.9
- Salad Dressings
SERVING SIZENET CARBSRed wine vinegar1 TBSP0Caesar2 TBSP1Ranch2 TBSP1.4Lemon juice2 TBSP2.0Bleu cheese2 TBSP2.3Lime juice2 TBSP2.4Balsamic vinegar1 TBSP2.7Italian, creamy2 TBSP3[AdSense-A]
