Here is a breakdown of the approximate calories of each food allowed during the HCG diet. As a refresher, HCG, short for Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin is a hormone found in pregnant women that when taken allows a person to survive on a low calorie diet (500 calories a day) and in which case they are able to lose on average about a pound or two a day, all while maintaining a healthy physique and not experiencing the usual hunger pains that accompany many diets. Read “How I Lost 40 Pounds in 40 Days” for more information on this astounding diet.
Need HCG? Click here to buy quality HCG and HCG Diet Supplies
The actual food consumption consists of lunch and dinner (no breakfast) and the following items per meal:
- 3.5 ounces of selected lean meats (see below)
- 3.5 ounces of selected vegetables (see below)
- 1 Grissini Breadstick or Melba Toast
- Selected fruit (see below)
You are encouraged to drink lots of water (I averaged over 100 ounces a day) and you can drink all the coffee and tea you want as well as moderate levels of 0 calorie diet sodas.
And now for the calorie count of allowable foods.
Fish (avg 98 calories)
- Cod (3.5 oz) – 83 calories
- Crab Meat (3.5 oz) – 100 calories
- Flounder (3.5 oz) – 90 calories
- Haddock (3.5 oz) – 88 calories
- Halibut (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
- Lobster (3.5 oz) – 98 calories
- Red Snapper (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
- Shrimp (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
- Tilapia (3.5 oz) – 94 calories
Additional white fish are listed at the bottom of the page.
Very Lean Beef (avg 152 calories)
- 93/7 Lean Ground Beef (3.5 oz) – 150 calories
- Cube Steak (3.5 oz) – 160 calories
- Sirloin Tip Side Steaks (3.5 oz) – 130 calories
- Top Round Steak (3.5 oz) – 166 calories
- Tri-Tip Steak (3.5 oz) – 154 calories
Chicken
- Chicken Breast (3.5 oz) – 87 calories
Veal (avg 114 calories)
- Veal, sirloin (3.5 oz) – 110 calories
- Veal, loin chop (3.5 oz) – 117 calories
Vegetables (avg 18.8 cal)
- Asparagus (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
- Asparagus (2″ tip) – 1 calories
- Asparagus (small spear) – 2 calories
- Asparagus (medium spear) – 3 calories
- Asparagus (large spear) – 4 calories
- Broccoli (3.5 oz) – 34 calories
- Broccoli (1 cup – 88g) – 30 calories
- Broccoli (5″ spear – 31 g) – 11 calories
- Celery (3.5 oz) – 15 cal
- Celery (medium stalk) – 6 calories
- Cabbage (3.5 oz) – 24 calories
- Cabbage (1 cup shredded) – 17 calories
- Cauliflower (3.5 oz) – 22 calories
- Cauliflower (1 cup) – 28 calories
- Cauliflower (3 flowerets) – 12 calories
- Cucumber (3.5 oz) – 12 calories
- Cucumber (small) – 19 calories
- Cucumber (medium) – 24 calories
- Cucumber (large) – 34 calories
- Cucumber (English long) – 60 calories
- Lettuce, all varieties (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
- Lettuce, all varieties (1 cup) – 8 calories
- Lettuce, all varieties (small head) – 32 calories
- Red Radishes (3.5 oz) – 12 calories
- Red Radishes (one medium) – 1 calories
- Spinach, raw (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
- Spinach, raw (1 cup) – 7 calories
- Spinach, frozen (3.5 oz) – 23 calories
- Spinach, frozen (1 cup) – 41 calories
- Spinach, cooked (3.5 oz) – 31 calories
- Spinach, cooked (1 cup) – 48 calories
- Tomato (3.5 oz) – 20 calories
- Tomato (cherry) – 3 calories
- Tomato (plumb) – 11 calories
- Tomato (small) – 16 calories
- Tomato (medium) – 22 calories
- Tomato (large) – 33 calories
Fruit
- Apple (small) – 55 calories
- Apple (medium) – 72 calories
- Apple (large) – 110 calories
- Orange (navel) – 69 calories
- Orange (Florida) – 65 calories
- Orange (California) – 59 calories
- Strawberries, 12 large – 72 calories
- Strawberries, 20 medium – 80 calories
- Pink Grapefruit (California) – 92 calories
- Pink Grapefruit (Florida) – 74 calories
Bread
- Grissini Breadstick (3 g) – 12 calories
- Melba Toast (3 gram) – 12 calories
- Melba Toast (5 gram) – 20 calories
White Fish List
- Ayr
- Cat Fish
- Cod
- Coley
- Dover Sole
- Flounder
- Flying Fish
- Haddock
- Hake
- Halibut
- Hoki
- John Dory
- Kalabasu
- Lemon Sole
- Ling
- Monk Fish
- Parrot Fish
- Plaice
- Pollack
- Pomfret
- Red & Grey Mullet
- Red Fish
- Red Snapper
- Rock Salmon/Dogfish
- Rohu
- Sea Bass
- Sea Bream
- Shark
- Skate
- Tilapia Turbot
- Whiting
Keep in mind that all the above calorie counts on meats and vegetables do not include any sauces, salad dressing or butter. You are in fact encouraged not to us sauces such as barbecue sauce, A-1 Steak Sauce, etc., on meats nor any salad dressings on salads or butter on vegetables.
One trick I learned in phase two of my diet is that I could use Louisiana Hot Sauce on chicken as it has zero calories. That has helped immensely and because it is spicy, you feel fuller. I also use Balsamic Vinegar on Spinach salads which is quite tasty.
Need HCG? Click here to buy quality HCG and HCG Diet Supplies
{ 5677 comments }
← Previous Comments
Jackie,
Yes. My wife and I also discovered that we view food differently. We have also discovered how to stretch a 250 calorie meal out to 30 plus minutes and enjoy every moment of it.
Jason,
I can identify–I really like Melba toast with a cheese sauce. Use carbonated water. The old fashioned “seltzer water” or something similar depending on what you can find.
Congratulations. Looks like you are off to a fine start.
Harvel
Harvel, thank you for the advice/comments.
Another question though. To make your own soda, can you use carbonated water, rather than mineral water?
I was afraid that you were going to say that the Melba toast serving is in fact—-just 1 single little melba toast.! The “old” Jason would have been fine with eating that whole package, ha ha
Day 5, and 5 pounds less of me, so far so good !
Hi Everyone,
I just completed my second week on Phase 3. So far I’m very happy with the weight I’m maintaining even though I am eating generously of the Phase 3 foods. I do stop eating when I feel full and try not to overeat. I do not feel deprived at all. I am 1 pound less than my last dose weight and .8 of a pound more than my lowest weight (after the hcg stopped). If I gain a bit one day, the next day I’ll eat chicken breast or fish without oil (just a bigger portion of what I ate on Phase 2) and I’ll eliminate calories by not having oil on my salad or vegies. When I do this, I’m not hungry but the next day I’ll lose the .2 pounds I may have gained the day before. I am also careful about eating no later than 7 pm. I am even having pizza with my family. I just take a fork and pull the cheese and topping off. I find that it satisfies me just as much as the full high carb version with the crust. The point is, if I have to continue this part of the diet for more than 3 weeks, I would be fine.
I am also getting into making desserts using acceptable Phase 3 ingredients such as almond flour (made 100% from almonds) and fruit with stevia instead of sugar. I made an apple tart that had an almond flour crust (it had the consistency of a graham cracker crust but tasted WAY better) and used stevia with the applies instead of sugar. It was fabulous. My husband and the kids even loved it. I got the almond flour crust recipe off the internet. (If anyone wants the recipe let me know). For a few days I ate the leftovers for breakfast instead of my light omlet. I did not have any weight gain from doing this. In one week I will start introducing starches and sugar. Since I have found so many acceptable replacements, however, I think in many cases I will stick with the healthier alternative. That is my favorite thing about this diet. It has made me look at food in a different way. For example, last night I made the fake mash potatoes (made with cauliflower) and I found I liked them better than the real mashed potatoes. They are lighter, have more flavor and are easier to make. My 13 year old even loved them. If anyone wants the recipe, let me know. They were really good.
Good luck everyone!
Down 3 after my apple day but I’m not as optimistic since I stalled and gained after my last apple day, so we’ll see.
Hi Jason,
I’m on my second round and I have one or two diet cokes every morning. I don’t drink coffee and the caffeine gets me going in the morning. I don’t know if this has slowed my weight loss or not but I’ve lost 35 lbs so far and I’m very happy with this result.
Hi everyone, I have been reading a while on this site but has just decided to post comments. I have been on HCG injections for 7 days including the 3 load days and have lost 10 lbs. I only eat chicken and fish(chicken breast and talapia oven baked) along with apple, tomatoes, cucumbers, brocolli and grissini breadsticks. I have been having so much success with my food choices until I am afraid to switch right now. I will soon!!
Hi Les, your words are ver truthful and motivational. Thanks for the reality checks you give through words of wisdom.
Stacey
Dionne,
Thanks so much. I am dedicated and I am going to tough it out. Good luck on your second round. I said that if I did well this time I’d do a second round after the holidays.
Harvel,
To be honest I haven’t bought any new clothes since I gained the weight. I mostly wear dresses and I’m wearing between an 8 or 10. I’ve always been curvy. I noticed the weight gain when I tries to get into my size 10 jeans and it didn’t work. Most of my weight is in the hips, thigh, butt area. I’ve never had a big stomach. People who see me don’t realize how much I weigh because of how I carry it. The thinnest I’ve ever been was 140 and that was after being ill, and most people said that was too thin. My goal is 150-160. I did decide to do another apple day today so we’ll see. Thanks again Harvel and thank your wife as well.
Jason,
Welcome aboard.
Diet soda: The jury is still out on that question. Personally, I think diet sodas and the stuff in them should be considered hazardous waste. However, other people do not agree with me. A good substitute is to use sparkling mineral water and a few drops (to taste) of liquid stevia to make your own “diet soda.” We, my wife and I, like the Sweet Leaf brand. They have 12 or 13 different flavors including grape, valencia orange and root beer–all three of which make a pretty good soda. I sometimes make lemonade with the juice from the one lemon a day we are allowed and Sweet Leaf liquid Lemon Drop. The glass I drink from holds 1-1/2 cups so you can get a feel for quantity.
Melba toast: One piece. Actually, both the Melba toast and breadsticks are optional. I use the breadsticks if I need to get to 500 calories on a given day and I don’t want any more veggies.
Mineral oil: Kind of messy, but it isn’t absorbed through the skin so it doesn’t mess up the diet. It’t messy because it stays on the surface of the skin. Go through the posts on this site. There are are a number of mentions of oil-free lotions and cosmetics that folks have found to be good. I just don’t remember what they were.
Sounds like you are well on your way. Keep it up.
Harvel
Devrie,
You’re welcome. One of the great points about this website that David put together is the mutual support we give each other. Although I havn’t had any particular problems, my wife has had. People have come forward with good advice for her. I think that the encouragement we give each other is as important as the technical information.
My wife came up with a suggestion for you since we aren’t working with past weights. She asked, “Was there a time when Devrie kept the same sized clothes for a long time?” Her thinking is that would indicate a long-term stable weight–just what we think we might be dealing with.
She also related a story involving one of her co-workers that I think you might find interesting. I’ll call him “Joe” since I am telling his story without his knowledge or permission.
Anyway, “Joe” began the HCG diet somewhere around 354 pounds. He has since lost over 100 pounds, but that isn’t the point of the story. The point is that he hit two previous weight levels. The first one was during the first round of HCG and it lasted about 8 days. He just toughted it out and did not do an apple day. The second one hit during his second round of HCG. This one lasted almost two weeks. He did do an apple day toward the end and things seemed to go better.
If there is a lesson here, it is to trust the process and keep with the program which you have said you are going to do.
I’ll be here for you.
Harvel
Devrie,
I know it can be frustrating to be at a stand still but you said you lost 13 lbs in 21 days. I did a 36 day course (was attempting 40 but ran into HCG immunity) and I only lost 16. I know it seems like it’s not working well enough when you read about other people losing a pound a day but stick with it. YOu have done really well. Think of it this way, with other diets that you’ve tried, which one of them gave you a 13 lbs weight loss in 21 days? I can’t think of any.
I too started around 191 and ended up at 175. I was not able to maintain it on phase 3. After a little more than 3 weeks on phase 3 I decided to go back to the HCG VLCD. Hopefully I can get the rest of my weight off and then try maintenance again.
Anyway, good luck. Keep up the good work. You WILL do this!
Thanks for the words of encouragement Harvel.
Hello all.
First of all, this has been a GREAT page to stumble upon – great work David, and all of those that contribute.
I have a couple questions.
-Is diet soda allowed in meager amounts? Some literature says “in small amounts”, others say “no”
-When the diet says ” melba toast”, does that mean 1 toast, or one serving? One serving on the box I have is 50 calories for 4 toasts
-Can you use mineral oil (baby oil) for skin moisterizer?
I just started HCG sublinguil drops on Thursday at 225.2 pounds, and today (day 4) I weighed 221.2, so I have lost 4 pounds so far.
Any other advice, suggestions would be welcomed.
THank you all – Jason-
Hi Les,
I’d like to email you with the HCG recipe exchange in the subject line, but how do i get your email? mine is rtinozzi@me.com if you happen to see this. thanks! im on day 14 and have lost 14 pounds. looking for some pizzaz in my kitchen– im a mom who cooks for the whole family every night, but need ideas for my lonely little plate.
thanks!
Rina
Devrie,
Good for you. It’ll take guts and determination to stay with it in the face of an extended period of no loss. Frankly, I’m not sure if I could do it. I get thrown for a loop with even one day of no loss.
If we are right about what is going on, I doubt that an apple day would do anything but eliminate some water from your body which you would just replace anyway. You could try it. I don’t see any harm in another apple day.
Harvel
I am willing…do you think I should do another apple day?
Devrie,
I think we’ve eliminated everything else, at least that I can think of. There may be some unusual facet of HCG that we don’t know about, but I think we’ve been pretty thorough.
Let’s assume that your weight was about 175 pounds for a number of years. That would suggest that you simply stay on the HCG-VLCD and see what happens. Do you want to try staying with it?
Harvel
Harvel,
Maybe that is the issue but honestly I wouldn’t know. I’ve always had an aversion to scales and avoided them all the time. I’d only get weighed at my annual physical, which is what led me to try HCG this time. I weighed in at 194 at this years physical and I was SICK. I’m now at 175 and maybe this is where I was for a while, I’m not sure.
Devrie,
If you are not hungry, I don’t have any reason to suspect the HCG. You are storing it properly. You did not say how long the bottle you are using has been mixed, but again, if you are not hungry, I think it still has its potency. Also, if you are not hungry, I doubt that you have developed any resistance to the HCG which, according to what I have read, would be unusual at this stage anyway.
I reread Dr. Simeons’ book, and found what he had to say about reaching a previous weight level that had been stable for a number of years (page 35 in my copy). He said that in this case, it might take as much as two weeks of no loss, in spite of HCG and diet, before further reduction is normally resumed.
Is this what we are dealing with? Are you at a weight that you maintained for a looong time?
Harvel
Harvel,
I am NOT HUNGRY at all. It keep it in a small fridge that I have in my room that doesn’t have a light and I keep it in foil. I don’t get eight hours of sleep but I have NEVER slept eight hours. I works full-time and go to school full-time. Last Sunday was the only day that I handled meat without gloves to cook for my family. I drink about 90oz of water a day. None of my spices have MSG or sugar. DO you think I should mix my other bottle of HCG and discard this bottle?
Devrie,
Since you are following Dr. Simeons’ protocol to the letter, we can eleminate a number of things.
That leaves us with cosmetics and lotions, additives in spices such as MSG, sugar, corn starch, oils, and the like, and then the HCG itself. Check your cosmetics and lotions for oils. Check your spices for additives.
I assume you are drinking plenty of water.
Here’s some other stuff to check:
-Are you doing your injections at the same time every day?
-Are you getting 8 hours of sleep?
-Are you not eating within 3 hours of bed?
-Are you coming into contact with oils some other way? Maybe handling meat without gloves, using furniture polish, etc.
If all tht checks out, we need to look at the HCG itself. How long has it been in solution? Our clinician told us that it has a shelf-life of about 2 weeks even when kept refrigerated and in the dark(limited exposure to light). You didn’t say, but if you are particularly hungry, I would suspect the potency of the HCG or that the dose isn’t high enough.
If none of that seems to be a problem, I am completely flummixed and we need professional help.
Harvel
Harvel,
It’s me Devrie again and I haven’t lost any weight since the apple day. In fact I gained a pound. I am SOOOOO frustrated. I don’t think it’s working for me. I am being VERY honest when I tell you I haven’t strayed from Dr. Simeon’s protocol once. I’ve even stopped eating the breadstick 2 weeks ago. 21 injection days and down only 13 lbs.
KellyR,
Yes, the coffee cream was worth it.
To answer your question: Reading “Pounds & Inches,” I don’t see any prohibition agains eating fruits during Ph3, especially those we have been eating.
Dr. Simeons said, “…the patients are told that they may now eat anyting they please, except sugar and starch… .” I really think he was refering to refined, cane or beet sugar (also honey and anything else that would have sucrose in it). He specifically mentions sugar, rice, bread, potatoes, pastries, etc so far as the starches are concerned.
Yes, fruits have sugar in them, but it is fructose. It is important to eat the WHOLE fruit so you get the pulp along with the juice. Straight fruit juice is a no-no during Ph3, and, from what I have read might not be a good idea at any time.
You will be adding fats and oils to your diet during Ph3 which, when mixed with sugar and starches, makes for a bad combination while your body adjusts its metabolism to the new weight.
Harvel
Maggie,
I did sublingual drops from my Dr. (but not homeopathic). The hcg I took sublingually is the same hcg that could also be injected. It worked great, I lost 30 pounds in about 50 days. My impression from this site is that most people use the drops. It’s a good question. It might be helpful from a knowledge standpoint to have everyone list what kind of hcg they are on, where they buy it, the cost and their success. Maybe the hcg from one place is better than others. Just a thought.
Harvel,
Thank you sooo much for your response. I am reworking my calendar journal. I appreciate the advice. Just one more question…I understand that once phase 3 begins, no sugar or starches does that mean, no fruit consumption (meaning the ones allowed in phase 2?) Thanks again.
I am forever endebted to you for all the help and advice provided.
P.S. awwwww only .2 oz…but, i am sure the cream was worth it…and you are allowed one indiscretion
← Previous Comments