The Atkins Diet Program is one of several that restricts carbohydrates to 20g a day for the first 14 days in what it calls an induction stage. Lisa Shea with the website BellaOnline makes the observation that some people think such a diet means existing on hunks of meat. But with a little creativity, you can restrict your diet to 20g of carbohydrates a day without feeling like a caveman.
Breakfast
Eggs are an obvious choice for breakfast. One large egg has 0.6g of carbs. A teaspoon of whipped butter doesn't have any, so you can have two fried eggs using butter and top out at only 1.2g. If you prefer scrambled eggs, 1 oz of nonfat milk has 1.5g for a total of 2.7g using two eggs. Add fresh chives for an additional 0.5 net grams or sliced green onions for 1g. Three slices of bacon will add only 0.1g, one patty of pork sausage the same. All told, you'll come in at no more than 4.4g of carbohydrates for your first meal of the day. Keep in mind that the Atkins Program recommends no more than one serving of bacon per week, but you can substitute a slice of steak or salmon with no carbs at all.
Lunch
Shea suggests rolling up slices of deli meat and cheese with a little mayo or mustard and lettuce in the middle. Turkey breast has zero carbohydrates, pastrami only 0.9, beef salami 0.6, and prosciutto only 1g per slice. You can go with processed American cheese or Swiss cheese for 1g per slice or provolone for only 0.6, but try thinking outside the box and use brie or Gouda. Dijon mustard has zero carbs and mayonnaise is negligible. Lettuce has less than 0.2g of carbohydrates per half cup. You can mix and match any of these ingredients and never total more than 5.4 total grams for lunch.
Mid-afternoon Snack
Think vegetables to get you through the afternoon. Because of their high fiber content, net grams of carbohydrates--total carbs minus grams of fiber--are usually negligible. A stalk of celery has only 0.8 net grams. Half a cup of raw broccoli chunks has only one net gram and the same serving of raw cauliflower has only 1.4 net grams. Six cherry tomatoes come in at 2.8g. Dip in bleu cheese dressing, ranch or Russian dressing for no more than 1.6g per tablespoon. With any of these combinations, your afternoon snack can total no more than 4.4 net grams of carbohydrates.
Dinner
Dinner is the simplest meal of the day for staying under 20 total grams of carbohydrates. Any cut of steak or roast beef will have zero carbs. Even if you prepare in a skillet with a teaspoon of whipped butter, you won't have added any grams to your daily total. Roast pork also has zero carbs. Roast chicken and turkey both have zero carbs, but remember to remove the skin. Cured ham can cost you a minimal 1.5 grams for three and a half ounces. Accompany the meat or poultry of your choice with a salad using a mix-and-match of your snack ingredients, or steam broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus and serve with a dollop of butter. At the end of the day, you will have come in at about 20 total grams of carbohydrates and have eaten a healthy balance of protein and fiber.
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