Evaluate my menu please!

[LoJ]

I'm eating plenty of vegetables (1.5 cups of broccoli and 2+ cups of romaine lettuce) daily, but my carbs from vegetables is very low (only 6 carbs from the broccoli and romaine)! Is this an issue?

Here is my menu:
Meal 1: Total 2.3 Carbs
-2 Egg Omelet made with Butter (1 Carbs)
-5-7 Pieces of Bacon (0 Carbs)
-3/4 Cup of Romaine (0.3 Carbs)
-1 Tbsp Caesar Dressing (1 Carbs)

Snack 1: Total 2.4 Carbs
-3/4 Cup of Broccoli (2.4 Carbs)

Meal 2: Total 2.4 Carbs
-8 to 10 Thin Slices of Salami (.5 carbs)
-2 oz. Muenster Cheese (0.6 carbs)
-3/4 Cup of Romaine (0.3 Carbs)
-1 Tbsp Caesar Dressing (1 Carbs)

Snack 2: Total 1.8 Carbs
-3/4 Cup of Romaine (0.3 Carbs)
-Caesar Dressing (1 Carbs)
-2 to 3 oz. Pepperoni (.5 Carbs)

Meal 3: Total 2.4 Carbs
-6 to 16 oz. portion of Steak/Salmon/Chicken Breast/Sea Bass/Other Fish (0 Carbs)
-3/4 Cup of Broccoli (2.4 Carbs)
-1 Tbsp Olive Oil (0 Carbs)
-1 Tbsp Butter (0 Carbs)

*Note that I drink at least 10 oz. of water with every snack/meal!


Total Carbs per Day: 11.3 Carbs

Any suggestions/comments will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[LoJ]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

Would tofu be an appropriate protein replacement for the salami in Meal 2?

[Georgiana]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

I'm eating plenty of vegetables

I wouldn't call that "plenty of vegetables". You're only eating 5.7 net carbs from vegetables. That's barely half of your total net carbs. If I were you, I'd add more veggie net carbs to that menu.

Also... I hope you like other vegetables than romaine and broccoli. A varied menu will give you better nutrition than eating the same thing over and over.

16 oz. portion of Steak/Salmon/Chicken Breast/Sea Bass/Other Fish

16 oz is a lot of meat, in my opinion! A serving of meat in DANDR 2002 is 4-6 oz.

Remember that Atkins is not about eating lots of meat. It's a high fat diet and only 25-30% of your total calories should come from protein.

Better take some meat off your plate and replace it with nutritious vegetables.

Would tofu be an appropriate protein replacement for the salami in Meal 2?

Yes, you may eat tofu during Induction. But tofu counts as cheese and cheese is limited to 3-4 oz daily.

[liv]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

I thought this menu was pretty good. Are you losing with it?
I would cut down on some of the salty/sugary meat items like perhaps bacon if your bacon has sugar and salami and pepperoni. The sugar in that stuff can really add up. Use eggs for snack instead or real meat left overs dipped in some mayo. Make sure you have plenty of fat with your meals - that would lower your need for too much protein.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

>>6 to 16 oz. portion of Steak/Salmon/Chicken Breast/Sea Bass/Other Fish (0 Carbs)>>

Is any of this seasoned with anything? If so, then it's not 0 carbs.

How much water a day total are you drinking?

[LoJ]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

Is any of this seasoned with anything? If so, then it's not 0 carbs.

I use only salt and pepper. I usually sear the meat/fish in olive oil (not extra virgin...higher smoke point ) and baste with butter for 10-25 minutes depending on the thickness.

How much water a day total are you drinking?

Easily 10 glasses spread throughout the day.

[LoJ]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

I wouldn't call that "plenty of vegetables". You're only eating 5.7 net carbs from vegetables. That's barely half of your total net carbs. If I were you, I'd add more veggie net carbs to that menu.

Also... I hope you like other vegetables than romaine and broccoli. A varied menu will give you better nutrition than eating the same thing over and over.

16 oz is a lot of meat, in my opinion! A serving of meat in DANDR 2002 is 4-6 oz.

Remember that Atkins is not about eating lots of meat. It's a high fat diet and only 25-30% of your total calories should come from protein.

Better take some meat off your plate and replace it with nutritious vegetables.

Yes, you may eat tofu during Induction. But tofu counts as cheese and cheese is limited to 3-4 oz daily.

Thanks for pointing out the errors in my approach!

I will revise my menu to increase my fat intake, lower my protein intake, and add a greater variety of vegetables.

I've been spending a ridiculous amount of money on my proteins; this approach will save me quite a bit of $$ .

[LoJ]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

I thought this menu was pretty good. Are you losing with it?

It's only been about 4 days. I've lost about 2-3 pounds; however, I feel much more energetic and I look slimmer. Perhaps the excessive protein I've been eating has been fueling my muscle growth .

I would cut down on some of the salty/sugary meat items like perhaps bacon if your bacon has sugar and salami and pepperoni. The sugar in that stuff can really add up. Use eggs for snack instead or real meat left overs dipped in some mayo. Make sure you have plenty of fat with your meals - that would lower your need for too much protein.

None of the cured meats have sugar, but they do have excessive amounts of salt.

Since I'm planning to eat a lot less protein I am planning to use the extra money to get quality mail order bacon . At 2$ a slice I think I'll be compelled to cut down on my bacon consumption!

I am planning to eliminate the pepperoni and salami. Now...I just have to find a fatty, tasty alternative to those cured meats!

Thanks for the advice.

[LoJ]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

Here is my revised menu.

Meal 1: Total 2.4 Carbs
-2 Egg Omelet made with Olive Oil (1 Carbs)
-3 Pieces of Bacon (0 Carbs)
-1 Cup of Romaine (0.4 Carbs)
-2 Tbsp Caesar Dressing (1 Carbs)

Snack 1: Total 5.1 Carbs
-1 Cup of Broccoli (3.2 Carbs)
-1/2 Cup Roasted Red Peppers (2.3 Carbs)
-2 oz. Muenster Cheese (0.6 Carbs)

Meal 2: Total 1.4 Carbs
-1 Cup of Romaine (0.4 Carbs)
-2 Tbsp Caesar Dressing (1 Carbs)

Snack 2: Total 3.5 Carbs
-1 Avocado (3.5 Carbs)

Meal 3: Total 2.6 Carbs
-6 oz. portion of Steak/Salmon/Chicken Breast/Sea Bass/Other Fish (0 Carbs)
-1.5 Cup of Spinach (0.6 Carbs)
-2 Tbsp Olive Oil (0 Carbs)
-2 Clove Garlic (2 Carbs)



A total of 16.2 Carbs. 12.5 of these carbs are from vegetables/fruits.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

>>1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard (0 Carbs)>>

According to the Dr. Atkins New Carbohydrate Gram Counter book, Dijon mustard is 0.5 net carbs per tsp., so 1/2 Tbs. would be 1 net carb.

Other than that, I don't see anything else.

How much water are you drinking per day?

[LoJ]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

How much water are you drinking per day?

At least 10 glasses of water. Each glass is at least 1.5 cups.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Evaluate my menu please!

So that's 120 ounces if you're filling up the glass to 12 ounces.

I presume you've measured the amount of water in a glass ... and that it's empty when you refill it.

That's a good amount of water ... though more seldom hurts!