Food Choices for the Dukan Diet   by JJ Jenkins

in Health / Weight Loss    (submitted 2011-02-23)

What’s On The Dukan Diet Menu?

Let’s see what we have on the menu at various phases of the Dukan Diet:

Attack Phase:
Consume reduced fat protein only. Drink plenty of water, tea and coffee (unsweetened) and zero calorie/diet soda. The protein can be ingested in the form of meat (low-fat beef, chicken, turkey, fish), but there are also dairy options (e.g. zero-fat yogurt and cottage cheese, etc) and vegetarian/vegan choices (e.g. eggs and tofu). You may season your protein with anything that is zero fat and zero carbs, like salt, vinegar, onions, mustard, normal spices (oregano, basil, pepper, etc.) and so on. Also you add some oat bran (1.5 tablespoons per day) to the mix. In the attack phase, the only thing that should pass by your lips is the protein, the oat bran and the water.

Cruise Phase:
Let’s figure out what’s on the menu in this phase:
You proceed with the oat bran (2 tablespoons per day), the water and the walking (which increases to half hour per day, energetically). In phase 2, the vegetables permitted are restricted because several vegetables contain lots of carbohydrates. Vegetables like carrots, peas, corn and potatoes are out, as a result, green is in. So anything you might typically find in a salad is alright, including: Lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Also permitted are vegetables like green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus and celery. You are able to consume them raw, or steam them, or boil them. Your menu could include soups or stews that incorporate protein and vegetables. The menu will certainly include salads.

Consolidation Phase:
Its time to maintain weight so let’s see what we can eat now:
The consolidation phase adds a little fruit, bread and cheese to the mix, along with one “celebration meal” per week. A Typical menu for the week looks like this:
1) Proceed taking in protein plus vegetables to your heart’s desire. These are always on the menu.
2) You can get one fruit daily, but you are in search of the watery fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, etc.
3) You can get two slices of whole-grain bread. In case you must have butter, make it low-fat. Be stingy with the butter.
4) You are given one offering of carbs weekly. This may be pasta or rice.
5) Your menu expands to add in one “celebration meal” per week, where anything goes. However ,, if you are losing a considerable amount of weight, it's been six or eight months since you've enjoyed real food. Do you really need to blow it now? I suppose if you ever travel, this meal allows people to consume one normal restaurant meal per week. As you proceed to the second part of Phase 3, you will get a couple of these “celebration meals” weekly.

Stabilization Phase:
The program is a bit ambiguous here. It says, “Go back to consuming anything you like, but continue using the essential rules of the Consolidation Phase as a safety platform (eat unlimited protein and vegetables, one piece of fruit each day, two slices of whole meal bread, a portion of cheese, two starchy foods and two celebration meals every week).” There's a huge difference between “having anything you like” and eating the Phase 3 diet. So let’s summarize: Follow a phase 3 diet, except on Thursday. On Thursday you eat nothing-but-protein. You continue walking every day.

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If you would like to learn more about the Dukan Diet click here.