If you're considering trying the Atkins diet, it's easy to get caught up in all the foods you won't be able to eat. The Atkins diet emphasizes proteins and fat while virtually banning some sources of carbohydrates, and you won't be able to enjoy most cakes, cookies and pastries while following the program. But there are plenty of foods you can eat while following the Atkins diet, including meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts.
Atkins Diet Basics
According to the official Atkins diet website, the diet aims to stop your body from burning glucose for fuel and instead encourage it to burn fat. Carbohydrates turn into glucose fuel for the body, which is why the Atkins diet severely restricts carbohydrates, especially in the beginning phases of the diet. The Atkins diet also claims to moderate your blood sugar levels, ending frequent highs and lows that make you hungry and encourage you to snack.
First Phase
In the first phase of the Atkins diet, known as induction, you'll have plenty of foods to choose from, but practically none of them will contain carbohydrates, according to Atkins.com. In this part of the program, you can enjoy limitless amounts of meat, fish and poultry, eggs prepared almost any way and up to four ounces of cheese every day. You also need to eat some vegetables, and you can choose from green, leafy vegetables like bok choy and arugula.
Middle Diet Phases
As you progress through the Atkins diet program and lose weight, you continue to eat all the protein-based foods you want, and you also can begin to consume more carbohydrate-based foods, according to Atkins.com. For example, in Phase 2, you can consume small amounts of cottage cheese, berries, nuts and low-sugar juices such as tomato juice. In Phase 3, you can eat virtually any type of fruit, including apples and pears, starchy vegetables such as yams and legumes, all of which contain fairly high levels of carbohydrates.
Atkins Maintenance
Once you've reached the final phase of the Atkins diet, known as Maintenance, you should have reached or at least be closing in on your target weight, according to Atkins.com. In this phase, you can eat virtually anything you want, including carbohydrate-rich foods such as breads and pastries, as long as you continue to monitor and regulate your carbohydrate consumption.
Warning
A U.S. Department of Agriculture analysis determined the Atkins diet does work to promote weight loss. However, the American Heart Association warns against following high-protein diets such as the Atkins diet, saying the program doesn't supply all nutrients necessary for proper nutrition. In addition, limiting carbohydrates may raise your blood pressure and cholesterol level, the heart group warns.
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