The Atkins Diet is a low-carbohydrate eating plan that promises weight loss and a plan to prevent yourself from regaining the weight. The suggested meal plan includes plenty of meat every day, but you can follow a vegetarian Atkins Diet if you do not mind having extremely limited food choices. Vegetarian or not, though, remember that a low-carbohydrate diet may lead to nutrient deficiencies, so talk to your doctor before starting one.
Net Carbs
Each day on the Atkins Diet, stay below your limit for net carbs, which you can calculate for a food by subtracting the grams of dietary fiber from the total amount of carbohydrates in a food. You get only 20 daily net carbs during Phase 1 or the Induction Phase, which lasts for at least two weeks or until you are within 15 lbs. of your goal weight. In Phase 2 or Ongoing Weight Loss, increase your daily net carbs by 5 g per day until you lose 2 lbs. per week. Your daily net carbs increase and your weight loss continues to slow on Phase 3, Pre-Maintenance, and you eat about 45 to 100 daily net carbs to prevent regaining your weight during Phase 4, Lifetime Maintenance. Your limits for net carbs do not change whether you are a meat-eater or vegetarian.
Vegetarian Proteins
Each of your three to five daily meals on the Atkins Diet should include 4 to 6 oz. of a high-protein food. The regular Atkins' meal plan would include meats, such as beef and pork, fish, shellfish, poultry and eggs. You can still eat eggs for your protein if you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian, which means that you eat eggs and dairy, even though you avoid meat. Tofu is an alternative protein source for vegans, but remember to count its net carbs. You can have up to two high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins Advantage bars or shakes each day during phase 1, and more vegetarian bars and shakes during later phases.
Other Allowed Foods
On Phase 1, get 12 to 15 of your daily net carbs from nonstarchy vegetables, such as cauliflower, cabbage or cucumbers. You can have some low-carbohydrate foods, such as full-fat cheese or sour cream, and each meal should include some fat, such as butter, oil or salad dressing. During later phases of the Atkins Diet, you add in more carbohydrate-containing foods, such as berries, nuts, seeds, starchy vegetables and more cheese. These foods are vegetarian, but if you are a vegan and you avoid animal products entirely, you will not be able to eat the dairy products.
Considerations
A vegetarian Atkins Diet can be healthier for your heart than a traditional Atkins program, since your vegetarian plan will not include high-fat meats and dark-meat chicken with skin. These foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can both raise levels of bad LDL cholesterol in your blood. However, be careful about getting saturated fat or cholesterol from egg yolks, full-fat cheese or Atkins Advantage Diet products. The potential risks from low-carbohydrate diets include fatigue and light-headedness, or constipation from the lack of fiber.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Low-Carb Diet: Could It Help You Lose Weight?; May 2010
- Atkins: What Are Net Carbs?; 2011
- Atkins: Phase 1: What You Can Eat in This Phase; 2011
- Atkins: Phase 1: How to Do Induction Right; 2011
- Atkins: Phase 2: What You Can Eat in This Phase; 2011
- Atkins: Phase 3: What You Can Eat in This Phase; 2011
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