Devising an Atkins Diet Meal Plan

Rather than just launching straight into a long list of Atkins Diet Meal Plan ideas, we thought it would be a good idea to start with some basics so that we're all 'on the same page'.

One of the obvious assumptions that gets made in the field of diets and dietary advice is that everyone knows what a meal plan actually is.

But we know that everyone arriving at this site may have a slightly different understanding and expectation of an Atkins diet meal plan, so let's clear it up.

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Essentially, a meal plan is a guide that can help people make sure that they are getting the optimum amount of nutritional value from their diet. This is achieved by making sure the meal plan balances out the appropriate amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and fibre as well as essential vitamins and minerals.

A meal plan will usually contain suggestions for each of the three key meal times: breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as one or two snacks.

Systems such as the Atkins diet meal plan are a really popular method used to help dieters keep to their regime because as everyone who has ever been on a diet knows, discipline is key to success. And that is where a good meal plan comes in - it can provide the discipline to help you overcome the temptations that will inevitably crop up, especially in the early stages of commencing a diet.

The Atkins diet has been a huge success all around the world, for one simple reason: IT WORKS. However, the old weightlifters saying 'no pain no gain' still applies to the majority of people undertaking the Atkins diet, because most of us are totally accustomed to eating carbohydrates.

In the West we are pretty much a civilisation of carb junkies, and we get our fix by consuming vast quantities of pasta, bread (including favorites like pizza) and potatoes (especially derivative products like french fries and potato chips).

We all see stories on the TV and in newspapers about the mounting obesity crisis in the US, UK and most of the Western world. Our obsession with carbs and sugar based food in general is one of the major contributory factors. The trouble is, without any proper dietary guidance, many people are led by instinct which often comes down to choosing what tastes good - and there's no denying that carbs and sugars in general taste great to large numbers of people.

That's why having a tool like an Atkins Diet meal plan at your disposal is so invaluable - it gives you a strong foundation from which to commence your diet and hopefully will help you keep on the right path with your Atkins diet.

Creating your own Atkins Diet Meal Plan

There are quite a lot of Atkins meal plans out there (we'll come to these later on) but first, have you ever considered creating your own Atkins diet plan?

In order to do so, you need to know the 'rules' of the Atkins Diet. You probably know them anyway, but here is a quick refresher.

The 'Atkins Nutritional Approach' as it's officially known, is centred on the principle that excess intake of carbohydrates causes weight gain, so the Atkins diet solution is to minimize carbs. As well as bread, pasta, potatoes and the big 'heavy' foods, carbs are also in sugar and it's many related products, including of course chocolate and most alcoholic drinks.

The Atkins diet makes it quite easy to follow by listing out a large number of acceptable foods, such as: fish, chicken and other fowl, meat and eggs. Foods that are acceptable in more moderate quantities (as they contain carbohydrates) are cheeses, green vegetables. herbs and some fats and oils.

Acceptable drinks include: water (tap and mineral/spring but not sugared), coffee, tea and smaller quantities of some fruit juices.

This is just an overview, there are far more comprehensive lists of acceptable Atkins foods, but as we said earlier, you probably already know the basics so this is just a recap.

The Atkins diet recommends you take three main meals per day or four-five smaller meals if you prefer. Here are some key rules to aid you in the creation of your own Atkins diet meal plan:

• Eat generous/liberal portions of protein-rich food, such as poultry, fish and red meat
• Enjoy plenty of pure, natural fat in the form of olive oil, mayonnaise and butter
• Limit your daily carbs to 20 grams, of which at least 12-15 grams should be from green vegetables
• Avoid carb-rich foods such as fruit, bread, grains, pasta, starchy veg like potatoes

Now you have a fair idea about what food you should and should not eat when on the Atkins diet, you have the basic knowledge you need to create your own Atkins diet meal plan.

As with most new challenges in life, creating an Atkins diet meal plan should be approached with simplicity in mind. If you try to be too ambitious you run the risk of creating way too much work for yourself and you may just give up.

So, we recommend that you start slowly and set yourself the goal of creating an Atkins meal plan for one day...that's right, just one day. If you can successfully create a plan for one day, then you'll have the confidence to create a plan for 7 days and beyond at a later stage.

The first practical step in creating your meal plan is to make a shopping list. Refer to the acceptable food list when doing this.

For breakfast you might want eggs, perhaps a piece of fish with green salad for lunch and some red meat for dinner. Write the list out, be creative and remember to check the labels of all of your foods to make sure that you are not exceeding the recommended 20 grams of carb per day.

Just to get you started, inspired and filled with a little more confidence, here is an official Atkins meal plan for one day (just to show you that it's not rocket science).

• Breakfast: 2 eggs (scrambled), 3 slices of bacon, 1 slice of bran crisp bread
• Lunch: shrimp salad, 2 cups of spinach salad with olive oil and vinegar, 1/2 small tomato
• Snack: 5 large black olives and 1 ounce of cheese
• Dinner: lamb chops with tomatoes and olives, 1/2 cup of sautéed Swiss chard with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice,1 cup of mixed greens with 2 tablespoons of Italian dressing

The total amount of carbs in that meal plan is around 20. Of course it requires some portion control to keep to that limit, but you can see how, if you stick to the acceptable food guidelines and keep an eye on the carb figure on the food labels, you can eat well and keep nicely to the Atkins diet.

Tips to help you stick to your Atkins Diet Meal Plan

• It's best not to assume that a food has no carbohydrates or is low in carbs. It always pays to check the label because you might be surprised.
• If you do find yourself eating out and therefore unable to stick religiously to your Atkins meal plan, don't panic, but watch out for hidden carbs in food like gravies (that use e.g. cornflour) and dressings.
• Avoid drinking large amounts of coffee and tea as the caffeine in these can trigger sugar/carb cravings.
• Drink plenty of water to help you flush out your system as you'll be burning fat, which creates by-products
• Take a reputable brand of multivitamin and mineral supplements to ensure your body is getting the extras it needs to replace the vitamins that you may be missing out on, such as those found in fruit.
• When you're deciding on portions, aim to serve just enough to feel satisfied, not stuffed!

* Also see our sister site Low Carb Revolution

Comments

[rosalie Foigelman]

bran bread toasted is allowed??????
Where do I but it?
What about sugar free sodas,which brand names?
decaf coffee and tea is ok? for the first weeks,later on?

[rosalie Foigelman]

are miracle noodles ok for Adkins diet foer the first week?