What Can You Eat On the HCGA Diet
A stringent calorie count is a part of our HCG diet plan and similar HCG diets. The use of HCG drops is combined with a restricted diet to get the full benefit of weight loss. A low calorie count changes the metabolism to burn the stored fat for the energy consumption required for daily activities. Conversely, it burns the flab and stored fat to shed extra pounds. Though the HCG diets are planned out in three phases, only certain foods are allowed during the complete 3 phased HCG diet.
The three phases of the HCG diet consists of:
Phase I
This is the loading phase where high fat diet is eaten and is for the first 3 days.
Phase 2
This is the low calorie phase when the individual only consumes 500 calories a day.
Phase 3
This is the maintenance phase and food guidelines and restriction continue.The HCG diet plan basically consists of a 500 calorie a day and regular dose of HCG drops. The reason behind the 500 calories a day diet is that the HCG stimulates the metabolic rate and the body starts to assimilate and burn the stored fat which counts to about 2000 calories a day. This provides the energy for everyday functioning. However, as per the HCG diet plan, there are clear instructions about the foods that can be consumed and those that are completely restricted. Ranging from organic vegetables and fruits to limited starch, no sugar and carbohydrates, most of the first 21 to 26 days are stringent.To understand the HCG diet plan in more detail, please read the charts below.
Breakfast:
Any non-caloric fluids in any amount. This could be coffee without sugar (non-sugar sweeteners are okay) and a tablespoon of milk.
Lunch and Dinner:
You are allowed these two meals only per day. Each should total around 250 calories each. Each consists of 3.5 oz (or 100 gm) of some type of protein food (see below), enough vegetables and fruit to total 250 calories each. You should record the foods you eat in a food journal and see how easy it is to keep track of your diet. The number of calories in a serving of these foods is listed below. Select from the following foods:
Protein Foods: 3.5 oz. (100 gm) per meal
All visible fat must be removed before cooking, and the portions should be weighed raw. An approximation of the size of a portion is the amount of the foot that would resemble the size of a make-up compact. It must be cooked without additional fat. Avoid eating the same protein foods for both lunch and dinner.
| Veal or ultra lean steak (free-range only). Ground beef using lean steak. | Chicken (chicken breast only, no skin) |
| Fresh white fish (halibut, swordfish, bass, flounder, pike, tilapia, john dory, snapper, crabmeat, lobster, shrimp, scallops. NO salmon, eel, tuna, herring, dried, pickled or smoked fish. | Boiled egg and 3 boiled egg whites (Adapted for vegetarians) |
| Fresh Vegetables: at least 3.5 oz (100 gm) per meal |
For optimum results do not mix vegetables. One choice only per serving.
| Spinach, green salad, tomato, celery, fennel, onion, red radish, cucumber, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, chard, chicory. | No starch or sugar heavy veggies, such as pumpkin, beetroot, potato, carrots, peas, or corn. |
| Fruit: 2 per day, at least 6 hours apart | Apple, strawberries (6 lg/10 small), orange, ½ grapefruit. |
| No substitutes. |
Grain
| One grissini, or one melba toast |
Your daily caloric intake total per day should be 500. If your choices from the above list total is less than 500 calories, and it
will, eat an additional portion of a vegetable and protein.
Fluids
Minimum 2 liters (11 glasses, 8 oz each) of water daily
| Plain Water | Tea/coffee without sugar (any quantity) |
| Soda water, mineral water. | 2 diet soft drinks (up to 2-12 oz. cans) |
| Crystal Lite | Only 1 tablespoon fat-free half and half or milk daily. |
Extras
Juice of 1 lemon daily
| No margarine, butter, oil, or dressing. | Check labels for content of sugar, fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, etc. Anything with these is NOT allowed. You may use artificial sweeteners sparingly and only for Phase 1 and 2. NO SUGAR! |
| Salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, sweet basil, parsley, thyme, marjoram, and other spices are freely available as seasonings. |
Calorie Content of the HCGA Diet Foods
There are many websites that give you calorie amounts of the foods you eat. A good website to determine calories in food is The Calorie Counter website (http://www.thecaloriecounter.com). If you can’t find the calories on the web, check the package for calculations whenever possible. Always remember to record what you eat in a food journal every day. Here are some examples of foods that you can eat on the hCG diet and their respective calorie amounts:
Fish
| White Fish – (3.5 oz) avg 98 cal | Cod (3.5 oz) – 83 cal |
| Crab meat (3.5 oz) – 100 cal | Flounder (3.5 oz) – 90 cal |
| Haddock (3.5 oz) – 88 cal | Lobster (3.5 oz) – 98 cal |
| Red snapper (3.5 oz) – 110 cal | Shrimp (3.5 oz) – 110 cal |
| Tilapia (3.5 oz) – 94 cal |
Beef
| Very lean beef (3.5 oz) (avg 152 cal) | Eye of round (3.5 oz) – 160 cal |
| Top sirloin steak (3.5 oz) – 130 cal | Top round steak (3.5 oz) – 166 cal |
| Bottom round steak (3.5 oz) – 154 cal |
Chicken
| Chicken breast, no skin (3.5 oz) – 87 cal |
Veal
| Veal (3.5 oz) (avg 114 cal) | Veal, sirloin (3.5 oz) – 110 cal |
| Veal, loin chop (3.5 oz) – 117 cal |
Vegetables
| Asparagus (3.5 oz) – 20 cal | Asparagus (2? tip) – 1 cal |
| Asparagus (small spear) – 2 cal | Asparagus (medium spear) – 3 cal |
| Asparagus (large spear) – 4 cal | Broccoli (3.5 oz) – 34 cal |
| Broccoli (1 cup – 88g) – 30 cal | Broccoli (5? spear – 31 g) – 11 cal |
| Celery (3.5 oz) – 15 cal | Celery (medium stalk) – 6 cal |
| Cabbage (3.5 oz) – 24 cal | Cabbage (1 cup shredded) – 17 cal |
| Cauliflower (3.5 oz) – 22 cal | Cauliflower (1 cup) – 28 cal |
| Cauliflower (3 flowerets) – 12 cal) | Cucumber (3.5 oz) – 12 cal |
| Cucumber (small) – 19 cal | Cucumber (medium) – 24 cal |
| Cucumber (large) – 34 cal each | Cucumber (English long) – 60 cal |
| Lettuce, all varieties (3.5 oz) – 20 cal | Lettuce, all varieties (1 cup) – 8 cal |
| Lettuce, all varieties (small head) – 32 cal | Red radishes (3.5 oz) – 12 cal |
| Red radishes (one medium) – 1 cal | Salad (3.5 oz) – 15 cal |
| Spinach, raw (3.5 oz) – 20 cal | Spinach, raw (1 cup) – 7 cal |
| Spinach, frozen (3.5 oz) – 23 cal | Spinach, frozen (1 cup) – 41 cal |
| Spinach, cooked (3.5 oz) – 31 cal | Spinach, cooked (1 cup) – 48 cal |
| Tomato (3.5 oz) – 20 cal | Tomato (cherry) – 3 cal |
| Tomato (plumb) – 11 cal | Tomato (small) – 16 cal |
| Tomato (medium) – 22 cal | Tomato (large) – 33 cal |
Fruit
| Apple (small) – 55 cal | Apple (medium) – 72 cal |
| Apple (large) – 110 cal | Orange (navel) – 69 cal |
| Orange (Florida) – 65 cal | Orange (California) – 59 cal |
| 12 large strawberries – 72 cal | 20 medium strawberries – 80 cal |
| Pink Grapefruit (California) – 92 cal | Pink Grapefruit (Florida) – 74 cal |
Grain
| One breadstick (grissini) – 15 cal | One Melba toast – 12 cal |