Recommended Atkins Food

What Dr. Atkins has recommended on his Atkins food list may vex someone is that is opposite to what USDA settled in years and tryed to induce to American people.

Unrefined, Unprocessed Foods

The simplest way to learn the recommended foods on Atkins diet menu plan is look at Atkins food pyramid:

  1. Protein sources such as eggs, meat, poultry, fish are the first to eat on Atkins diet
  2. Vegetables such as cauliflower, salad greens, broccoli, spinach, asparagus
  3. Fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, avocado and pears, cantaloupe
  4. Vegetable and seed oils, dairy and cheese, legumes, nuts
  5. Whole grain foods: brown rice, oats, barley, corn.

There are no restrictions in the permitted amounts of food: unlimited quantities can be eaten.

In fact, although many Atkins dieters eat more calories than usual, they still lose weight. They do not need to measure anything or count the proteins, fats and non-starchy vegetables allowed during the diet.

All they need to know is the Atkins diet food list. High-fat foods such as butter, mayonnaise, guacamole, sour cream are allowed and they considerably enrich the taste of meals, making Atkins diet easier.

All dieters should never fail to read the labels carefully, because manufactured meat, for instance, could be processed, thus including hidden carbs.

Differences Between USDA Pyramid and Atkins Food Pyramid

When Dr. Atkins suggested that dieters should eat meat, eggs and fats on a daily basis, it seemed a bit odd. It was exactly the opposite of what USDA recommended.

Since obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart diseases were almost epidemic, Atkins' idea was highly debated then. USDA Food Pyramid insisted on eating a high amount of high-carbohydrate foods daily. The problem was that people wrongly believed that all junk food, fast food especially, were necessary, “good” nutritious carbohydrates.

This seems to be the reason why a lot of Americans became fat, and their children, too: the overweight among children aged 6-17 has more than doubled in the last 30 years.

Dr. Atkins diet seemed more reasonable. Since about 60 percent of adult Americans are overweight (35% suffer from obesity), it is understandable why Atkins diet has been embraced by so many.