Sample Menu
Here’s a day of typical meals during two phases. Phase 1 of Atkins, the startup period, usually lasts about two weeks. Phase 4 is the long-term maintenance stage.
Phase 1
Breakfast
4-6 oz. smoked salmon wrapped around
2 tbsp. cream cheese and
½ cup sliced cucumber
Snack
2 celery stalks
2 tbsp. blue cheese dressing
Lunch
Salad—
4-6 oz. grilled chicken
4 cups mixed greens
½ avocado
10 black olives
½ cup alfalfa sprouts
2 tbsp. Italian dressing
Snack
Atkins bar
1 slice cheddar cheese
Dinner
Salad—
4 cups romaine lettuce
4-6 oz. turkey or ham
1 small tomato
2 tbsp. chopped onion
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. French dressing
Phase 4
Breakfast
½ white grapefruit
2 scrambled eggs with
¼ cup sautéed onion
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Snack
Atkins bar
½ cup blackberries
Lunch
Salad—
4-6 oz. grilled chicken
2 cups mixed greens
½ cup corn kernels
1 cup red peppers
½ cup black beans
2 tbsp. parmesan peppercorn dressing
Snack
1 medium carrot
2 oz. walnuts
Dinner
4-6 oz. flank steak
¼ cup mushroom gravy
½ cup mashed potatoes
Salad—
2 cups mixed greens
1 oz. goat cheese
½ cup snow peas
½ cup pickled beets
2 tbsp. raspberry vinaigrette
Nutrition
Here’s a breakdown of the nutritional content of a day’s meals in phases 1 and 4 of the Atkins diet, side by side with recommendations from the government’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Diet figures were supplied by Atkins Nutritionals Inc.
| Phase 1 | Phase 4 | Recommended | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1,527 | 1,958 | Women | Men |
|
21-25: 2,000 26-50: 1,800 51+: 1,600 |
21-40: 2,400 41-60: 2,200 61+: 2,000 |
|||
| Total Fat | 63% | 54% | 20%-35% | |
| Saturated | 17% | 18% | Less than 10% | |
| Trans | 0% | 0% | N/A | |
| Total Carbohydrates | 10% | 24% | 45%-65% | |
|
Sugars (total except as noted) |
3% | 10% | N/A | |
| Fiber | 19 g. | 29 g. | Women | Men |
|
19-30: 28 g. 31-50: 25 g. 51+: 22 g. |
19-30: 34 g. 31-50: 31 g. 51+: 28 g. |
|||
| Protein | 29% | 27% | 10%-35% | |
| Sodium | 1,827 mg. | 1,854 mg. | Under 2,300 mg., under 1,500 mg. for 51+ | |
| Potassium | 3,274 mg. | 3,807 mg. | At least 4,700 mg. | |
| Calcium | 1,060 mg. | 1,030 mg. |
19-50: 1,000 mg. 51+: 1,200 mg. |
|
| Vitamin B-12 | 8.3 mcg. | 17.7 mcg. | 2.4 mcg. | |
| Vitamin D | .5 mcg. | 7 mcg. | 15 mcg. | |
Recommendations apply to adults 19 and older except as noted. Recommended calories assume a sedentary lifestyle. g.: grams. mg.: milligrams. mcg.: micrograms. Because of rounding, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content may not add up to 100 percent.
Last updated by Kurtis Hiatt | January 07, 2013
On this diet, eat 5 Medifast products each day and one self-prepared meal. Medifast aids short-term weight loss, but isn't sustainable enough to last.
South Beach focuses on choosing good carbs and good fats in a 3-phase process. It may aid rapid weight loss, but it may be hard to follow long-term.
The Mayo Clinic diet plan focuses on lifelong healthy eating. It's rated high in nutrition, safety, and diabetes, but only moderately effective for weight loss.
