What Are Some of the Allowed Foods on HCG Diet?

The HCG Diet is the brainchild of the late British physician, Dr. A. T. W. Simeons. Basically, it involves the intake of the hormone HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) coupled with what is known as the very low calorie diet (VLCD). The hormone is predominantly found in pregnant women and when it is injected, it is believed to trigger the hypothalamus gland to burn stored fat. Participants in the diet program take injections of the hormone and combine it with a 500-calorie per day diet. The requirement for the intake of HCG is straightforward and it is the relatively easy part of the diet. The other part of the plan is the calorie restriction. It is important to know what you can and cannot eat while on this diet so as not to exceed the limits.

There are two phases to the plan. Phase I instructs the dieter to eat whatever he or she wants to eat for the first three days after starting the HCG injections. In fact, it is recommended that the dieter gorge on fatty foods during this phase. This is also called the loading up phase. The idea is build up the fat cells to maximum levels so that the dieter does not feel as hungry during Phase II which is the low-calorie diet phase. You want to minimize hunger as much as possible because it reduces the risk of non-compliance with the 500-calorie per day eating routine. The next phase is the VCLD. Keep in mind that the HCG diet is a very sensitive one and you should pay attention to all additives in foods as well as portion sizes. By paying attention to additives, you can detect if any sugar was used which is something you must strictly avoid during this phase. The remainder of this article covers some of the allowed foods.

You are allowed to eat foods high in protein. These include lean beef, fish, chicken, and boiled eggs. Allowed beef includes veal, London broil, and round steak. Avoid lean hamburger meat as it still contains fat. Fish you can eat includes bass, flounder, pike, snapper, scallops, lobster, and shrimp. It is important to stay away from canned fish like salmon, herring, eel, and tuna. Pickled fish should be avoided as well. Chicken should only be from the breast. All meat and fish should only be boiled or grilled and never fried or cooked in oil. Portion sizes should be no more than 100 grams (3.5 ounces).

You can eat fresh vegetables but only one type per meal. Fresh vegetable portion sizes should be no more that 100 grams also. It is important to note that you can choose only one type of vegetable for lunch and dinner. Allowed vegetables include broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, tomato, zucchini, onion, cucumber, cabbage, and spinach.

The allowed foods are only eaten for lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, the Simeons protocol does not call for anything other than liquids like coffee, tea, or water. Of course, coffee and tea should not contain any sugar sweeteners. Saccharin and one tablespoon of milk is allowed.