THE NEW ATKINS FOR A NEW YOU
Page 11
Tofu bulk “sausage”
2 ounces
2.0
Tofu link “sausage”
2 links
4.0
Vegan “cheese,” no casein
1 slice
5.0
Vegan “cheese,” no casein
1 ounce
6.0
Veggie burger
1 burger
2.0
Veggie crumbles
¾ cup
2.0
Veggie “meatballs”
4–5 balls
4.0
Note: Check individual products for exact carb counts. Quorn products contain milk and eggs, making them unsuitable for vegans. soy cheeses that contain casein, a milk product, are also unsuitable for vegans.
CHEESE
Most cheese contains less than 1 gram of Net Carbs per ounce. You may have up to 4 ounces of cheese per day. An ounce is about the size of an individually wrapped slice of American cheese or a bit larger than a 1-inch cube. A tablespoon or two of any grated cheese contains a negligible amount of carbs. Avoid ricotta and cottage cheese in Induction. Also, steer clear of cheese spreads that contain other ingredients—strawberry cream cheese, for example—that may raise the carb count. Also skip “diet” cheese, “cheese products,” and whey cheeses, none of which is 100 percent cheese. Soy or rice “cheese” is acceptable, but check the carb count.
Other than that, you can enjoy most cheeses, including:
Cheese
Serving Size
Grams of net carbs
Blue cheese
2 tablespoons
0.4
Brie
1 ounce
0.1
Cheddar or Colby
1 ounce
0.4
Cream cheese
2 tablespoons
0.8
Feta
1 ounce
1.2
Goat cheese, soft
1 ounce
0.3
Gouda
1 ounce
0.6
Mozzarella, whole milk
1 ounce
0.6
Parmesan
1 ounce
0.9
Swiss
1 ounce
1.0
Note: For a more extensive list of cheeses, see www.atkins.com/tools.
FOUNDATION VEGETABLES
These include both salad vegetables and others that are usually cooked. They’ll continue to be the foundation upon which you will build your carb intake as you move through the phases. The 12 to 15 grams of Net Carbs of foundation vegetables you’ll eat each day are equivalent to approximately six cups of salad and up to two cups of cooked vegetables, depending upon the ones you select.
SALAD VEGETABLES
A serving of raw vegetables is usually a cup, which is roughly the size of your fist. Measure the following salad vegetables raw (except for artichoke hearts). Note that tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers are higher in carbs than are other salad vegetables, so use them in small portions. Also included are other fruits generally thought of as vegetables, such as avocados and olives.
Vegetable
Serving Size
Grams of Net carbs
Alfalfa sprouts
½ cup
0.2
Artichoke hearts, marinated
4 pieces
2.0
Artichoke hearts, canned
1 heart
1.0
Arugula
1 cup
0.4
Avocado, Haas
½ fruit
1.8
Beans, green, snap, string, wax
½ cup, raw
2.1
Bok choy (pak choi)
1 cup, raw
0.4
Boston/Bibb lettuce
1 cup, raw
0.8
Broccoli florets
½ cup
0.8
Cabbage, green, red, savoy
½ cup, shredded
1.1
Cauliflower florets
½ cup
1.4
Celery
1 stalk
0.8
Celery root (celeriac)
½ cup, grated
3.5
Chicory greens
½ cup
0.1
Chinese cabbage
½ cup, shredded
0.0
Chives
1 tablespoon
0.1
Cucumber
½ cup, sliced
1.0
Daikon radish
½ cup
1.0
Endive
½ cup
0.4
Escarole
½ cup
0.1
Fennel
½ cup
1.8
Greens, mixed
1 cup
0.4
Iceberg lettuce
1 cup
0.2
Jicama
½ cup
2.5
Loose-leaf lettuce
1 cup
1.0
Mesclun
1 cup
0.5
Mung bean sprouts
½ cup
2.1
Mushrooms, button, fresh
½ cup
1.2
Olives, black
5
0.7
Olives, green
5
0.0
Onion
2 tablespoons, chopped
1.5
Parsley (and all fresh herbs)
1 tablespoon
0.1
Peppers, green bell
½ cup
2.1
Peppers, red bell
½ cup
2.9
Radicchio
½ cup
0.7
Radishes
6
0.5
Romaine lettuce
1 cup
0.4
scallion/green onion
¼ cup
1.2
spinach
1 cup
0.2
Tomato
1 small (3–4 ounces)
2.5
Tomato
1 medium
3.3
Tomato, cherry
5
2.2
Watercress
½ cup
0.0
COOKED VEGETABLES
Because most of the following foundation vegetables are usually served cooked, we’ve indicated their carb counts as such, unless otherwise noted. Some also appear on the salad vegetable list, but cooking compacts them, which explains the differences in carb counts. A standard serving of a cooked vegetable is a half cup. A number of these vegetables are slightly higher in carbs than the salad vegetables listed above. Unless otherwise noted, be sure to measure them after you cook them. Note that some, such as Brussels sprouts, celery root, kohlrabi, leeks, mushrooms, onions, and pumpkin, are higher in carbs than most, so we have usually indicated smaller portions. You can steam, sauté, stir-fry, or braise most of these vegetables. Boiling destroys and/or removes nutrients (unless you drink the broth). Note: Vegetables not on this list should not be consumed in Induction.
Vegetable
Serving Size
Grams of Net Carbs
Artichoke
½ medium
3.5
Asparagus
6 spears
2.4
Bamboo shoots, canned, sliced
½ cup
1.2
Beans, green, wax, string, snap
½ cup
2.9
Beet greens
½ cup
3.7
Bok choy (pak choi)
½ cup
0.2
Broccoflower
½ cup
2.3
Broccoli
½ cup
1.7
Broccoli rabe
½ cup
2.0
Brussels sprouts
¼ cup
1.8
Cabbage, green
½ cup
1.6
Cabbage, red
½ cup
2.0
Cabbage, savoy
½ cup
1.9
Cardoon
½ cup
2.7
Cauliflower
½ cup
0.9
Celery
½ cup
1.2
Chard, swiss
½ cup
1.8
Chayote
½ cup
1.8
Collard greens
½ cup
2.0
Dandelion greens
½ cup
1.8
Eggplant
½ cup
2.0
Escarole
½ cup
0.1
Fennel
½ cup
1.5
Hearts of palm
1 heart
0.7
Kale
½ cup
2.4
Kohlrabi
¼ cup
2.3
Leeks
½ cup
3.4
Mushrooms, button
¼ cup
2.3
Mushrooms, shiitake
¼ cup
4.4
Mustard greens
½ cup
0.1
Nopales (cactus pads)
½ cup
1.0
Okra
½ cup
2.4
Onion
¼ cup
4.3
Peppers, green bell, chopped
¼ cup
1.9
Peppers, red bell, chopped
¼ cup
1.9
Pumpkin
¼ cup
2.4
Rhubarb, unsweetened
½ cup
1.7
sauerkraut
½ cup, drained
1.2
scallions
½ cup
2.4
shallots
2 tablespoons
3.1
Snow peas/snap peas in the pod
½ cup
3.4
sorrel
½ cup
0.2
Spaghetti squash
¼ cup
2.0
Spinach
½ cup
2.2
Summer squash
½ cup
2.6
Tomatillo
½ cup
2.6
Tomato
¼ cup
4.3
Turnips (white), mashed
½ cup
3.3
Water chestnuts
¼ cup (canned)
3.5
Zucchini
½ cup
1.5
SALAD DRESSINGS
Any prepared salad dressing with no more than 3 grams of Net Carbs per serving (1–2 tablespoons) is acceptable. A better—and lower-carb option—is to make your own. (See recipes in part III.)
Dressing
Serving Size
Grams of Net Carbs
Blue cheese dressing
2 tablespoons
2.3
Caesar salad dressing
2 tablespoons
0.5
Italian dressing
2 tablespoons
3.0
Lemon juice
2 tablespoons
2.5
Lime juice
2 tablespoons
2.9
Oil and vinegar
2 tablespoons
1.0
Ranch dressing
2 tablespoons
1.4
FATS AND OILS
No carbs to worry about here. A serving size is approximately 1 tablespoon. Oils labeled “cold pressed” or “expeller pressed” are preferable because they haven’t been subjected to nutrient-destroying heat. Use extra-virgin olive oil only for dressing salad and vegetables and sautéing and olive oil, canola, or high-oleic safflower for other cooking. Never use specialty oils such as walnut or sesame oil for cooking; instead, use them to season a dish after removing it from the heat. Avoid products labeled “lite” or “low fat” and all margarines and shortening products, which still contain small amounts of trans fats. The term “no trans fats” actually means that a product may contain up to 0.5 gram per serving. (See Chapter 5 for more on selection of oils.)
Butter
Mayonnaise*
Canola oil
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Safflower oil, high-oleic
Flaxseed oil
Sesame oil
Grape-seed oil
Walnut oil
* Most commercial mayonnaise is made with soybean oil. Find a brand made with canola or high-oleic safflower oil and without added sugar. Or make your own with our recipe in part III.
NONCALORIC SWEETENERS
Count each packet as 1 gram of Net Carbs and consume no more than three per day.
Splenda (sucralose)
Truvia or SweetLeaf (natural products made from stevia)
Sweet’N Low (saccharin)
Xylitol (available in health food stores and some supermarkets)
LOW-CARB CONVENIENCE FOODS
Some low-carb food products can come in handy when you’re unable to find appropriate food, can’t take time for a meal, or need a quick snack. More and more companies are creating healthy food products that can be eaten during the Induction phase of Atkins. Just remember two things:
•Not all low-carb bars, shakes, and other convenience products are the same. Check both the list of ingredients and the Nutrition Facts panel to ascertain the number of grams of Net Carbs. (”Sugar free” does not necessarily mean “carb free” or “low carb.”) Products suitable for Induction should contain no more than 3 grams of Net Carbs per serving.
•Such foods can make doing Atkins easier, but don’t overdo them. Don’t substitute them for any of your 12–15 grams of Net Carbs from foundation vegetables.
CONDIMENTS, HERBS, AND SPICES
Hidden carbs lurk in many condiments. Read labels carefully, and be on the lookout for added sugar, flour and cornstarch, and other off-limits thickeners. Most ketchups, marinades, and barbecue sauces contain added sugar (often listed as corn syrup, corn syrup solids, cane syrup, or something else). Salt, black and cayenne pepper, most spices, basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, and other dried herbs contain practically no carbs. But make sure that any herb or spice mixture contains no added sugar. The following products are suitable. Check the list of ingredients of any products that aren’t listed before consuming them.
Condiment, Herb, or Spice
Serving Size
Grams of Net Carbs
Ancho chili pepper
1 pepper
5.1
Anchovy paste
1 tablespoon
0.0
Black bean sauce
1 teaspoon
3.0
Capers
1 tablespoon
0.1
Chipotle en adobe
2 peppers
2.0
Clam juice
1 cup
0.0
Coconut milk, unsweetened
½ cup
1.9
Cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 tablespoon
1.2
Enchilada sauce
¼ cup
2.0
Fish sauce
1 teaspoon
0.2
Garlic
1 large clove
0.9
Ginger
1 tablespoon grated root
/> 0.8
Horseradish sauce
1 teaspoon
0.4
Jalapeño chili pepper
½ cup sliced
1.4
Miso paste
1 tablespoon
2.6
Mustard, Dijon
1 teaspoon
0.5
Mustard, yellow
1 teaspoon
0.0
Pasilla chili pepper
1 pepper
1.7
Pesto sauce
1 tablespoon
0.6
Pickapeppa sauce
1 teaspoon
1.0
Pickle, dill or kosher
½ pickle
1.0
Pimento/roasted red pepper
1 ounce
2.0
salsa, green (no added sugar)
1 tablespoon
0.6
salsa, red (no added sugar)
1 tablespoon
1.0
serrano chili pepper
½ cup
1.6
soy sauce
1 tablespoon
0.9
Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 teaspoon