Atkins 20 Starting Sunday. Help with Free Foods??
 

My wife and I are both going to start in Sunday as we rid our house is junk foods and head to the store tomorrow. We have read online articles and a few other Atkins websites. While we understand the net carbs, was wondering if anyone who has done this could help with some of the free, or 1-2g net carb foods. We have been looking online all night at labels and have found some decent ideas with meats and cheeses. Don’t want to burn out early.

Thanks!!

Hi and welcome. :wave:

I recommend you go with what we have on the sticky thread at the top of this forum, Atkins Induction Acceptable Food List. I've technically never followed Atkins by the book - I started out with Protein Power (by the Drs Eades) - but I find the induction rules really easy to remember off by heart, and I like his use of the word "liberally". It doesn't mean it's a freebie - for a lot of us, water is the only true freebie - but it means go ahead and have as much as you feel you need. Just observe the limits on the other foods - cheese, artificial sweeteners, etc.

I'd also consider green veggies a freebie, although there's technically a limit on them. No one ever got fat because they had 1/2 cup too much of lettuce.

I know if I was starting from scratch, I'd have certain foods considered freebies although they're not:
- coffee/cream/splenda (because it kills my appetite and I really don't drink that much)
- salty broth (helps prevent induction blahs)
- pork rinds (read labels! Here in Canada, there's only one brand available and the only ingredients are pork skin, lard and salt.)
- Diet Pepsi (sue me. It's my one vice.)
- Canned parmesan cheese on a lot of foods over other cheeses, because the saltiness prevents me from overindulging

Best of luck to both of you. Feel free to ask about suggestions based on your lifestyle: do either of you work long hours and/or you don't like cooking? Do you have a shoestring budget? Any other preferences? Guaranteed we can help. :thup:

Simple Girl Dry Bouillon (no sugar, no msg (or yeast extract))

stick with plain pork rinds. the flavored (bbq, vinegar, etc.) are bound to have dextrose, and / or maltodextrin or sugar.

get some good sea salt.

Welcome both :wave: :wave:
Hard boiled eggs, pickles, olives limit 6-10, most any deli meats. There are limits on cheese 3-4 oz, but a deli meat and cheese slice Roll-up is good. The hot broths and essence flavored sparkling waters are filling. There is a visual snack guide in this overview that orders the foods by carb level, so you can decide what fits into your level of Atkins. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto There is no problem staying on Atkins 20 until goal, so sticking with a very limited food list, or counting total carbs rather than net, or other versions of VLC, but trial and error will help you both find a carb level that works you.

Good advice from all, and you are starting with a sound approach. The 1-2g net carb foods seem to be important to you now, at the beginning, and they are and help to stay on track. As time goes by, you'll start to experience fewer cravings between meals, and you'll eat less of these or require them less frequently. Something to look forward to. Great things about olives and pickles (love the dill) is that they promote satiety and supply salt.

Thank you, EVERYONE, for the wonderful advice! We went to the grocery store today and loaded up on hamburger, pork chops, chicken, etc. Found some Oscar Mayer hot dogs
That are 1g of carbs per. Will have with mustard! Those are the types of things I was looking for in the event we have a craving and didn’t want to necessarily cook that moment.

All sounds great. Here is another collection of ideas, Quick keto meals in 20 minutes or less:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb...pes/meals/quick

I like the "Keto Plates" pictured in the first section, 10 minutes or less. For Example, the Italian Keto plate of dried hams and salami, cheeses, olives, fresh tomato. You "compose" a plate of purchased prepared foods and eat.

My go-to snack is mozzarella with a few slices of pepperoni and nuke it. It keeps me from cheating. Good luck. Check out the recipe forum and you don’t get bored. Some amazing ones in there.