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
{ 5071 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Harvel- I’m confused AGAIN. Actually I did the 23 day plan but didn’t use the vcld – What is that? Was I suppose to use that, I just bought the drops online and went for it. Lost 20lbs while taking the drops then have lost 2 more since then, am I doing everything wrong? Don’t want to mess up any more than I have, Help me, please! I do plan on going on it again after 3 weeks or so, or do I have to wait 6 weeks. Sorry to be such a pain, but you seem to definately have the knowledge. Thanks for all your help. Carol
Harvel – Congratulations on finishing Phase 3, that’s great! Now that you are on Phase 4 what is the rule about introducing the starches and sugars? Can you have so much per day or every other day? I’ve been wondering about the rules for the transition from Phase 3 to Phase 4. I hope to be on Phase 3 soon. I have 4 pounds more to go. Good luck with Phase 4! Also, please keep us posted. I know I am very curious as to weight stability on Phase 4.
Jackie
Harvel- Good for the two of you. I hope you really enjoyed your Hamburger, you both deserved it. Now if it had been me, there would have been fries along with it…lol….Wish you two all the luck, hope this phase is true to it’s word on not gaining back the weight, course I’m sure we all know some common sense has to go along with it. That’s where my brain is fuzzy. lol..learning though! Good Luck and ENJOY.
Carol
If I have only lost 4 lbs. in 30 days, so I still have to mess with the whole maintance things, since the drops did not work for me? I did everything exactly, but apparently my body does not recognize the HCG.
Janell,
You will have to stay off HCG for a total of 6 weeks–3 weeks Ph3 and 3 weeks of a more normal diet (Ph4). The Ph3 will add calories and fats/oils to the diet. The more “normal” diet will slowly add sugar and starches to the diet. After the 6 weeks, you can go back to the HCG-supported VLCD. It would go: HCG-VLCD–Ph3–Ph4–HCG Gorging (first 2 days of HCG)–HCG-VLCD.
Harvel
Atfer completing a 40 day round I know that I have to stay off the diet for 6 weeks but I plan on completing a second 40 day round, my question is, will I stay on phase 3 for the total 6 weeks that I’m off of the VLCD or do I complete 3 weeks of phase 3 amd then complete 3 weeks of phase 4 and then go back to phase 2 when I start the HCG again?
Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.
Jane,
Sorry if I confused you. What I was suggesting is that you continue the higher Ph3 calorie intake but not adding in the starches and sugars while you exercise to get to the 120 pounds. (Your weight may increase as a result of the exercise from water retention and muscle mass build-up.) If you take that course in order to lose weight, the 2 lb rule would not apply after the 3-week Ph3. If you are not taking the HCG, you will need the 1500 or so calories in order not to throw your body into starvation mode. In starvation mode, the body hangs on to every calorie you give it. And, yes, I have heard of 15 day courses. Perhaps you could start the HCG-VLCD again and when you get to 120 pounds, do Ph3 again then be finished.
Remember, I am not a diet specialist. These are only suggestions. If you are working with an HCG diet counselor, see what they have to say.
Lactose? Fructose? No, they are not the same in the way the body utilizes them. Lactose (milk sugar) is quickly and easily digested and utilized. Fructose is not so easily utilized by the body. Except for the small amounts of fructose in the allowable fruits, it’s generally best to avoid anything ending in “-ose.”
Did I just add to the confusion? I hope not.
Harvel
Harvel,
Thanks for helping me out with this. When you talk about getting the last 6 lbs off with increase in exercise and staying with the Ph3. I am confused, do you mean staying with it longer than the 21 days? And If I do then the 2lb rule cant apply? Is there a shorter course than the 23-26 course? I just finished that one. Thanks for the info on the grains. I am confused also about the sugar, isnt lactose in the same family of frutose that is in fruit?
Jane,
You should use the 125.8 as your Ph3 baseline for the + or – 2 pounds. That’s according to Dr. Simeons. My wife wanted to use the lower weight also, and we had a few, loving, discussions on that point. You are 3 pounds under, so bump up the calories to get back within the 2 pound range. It’s important to use the last HCG day’s weight in order to allow your body’s metablolism to reset to the new weight. This thing is a pretty precise “medical” treatment. Even using the 125.8 number, you are very close to your 120 goal. If you did the short course of HCG, you can go back on the HCG-VLCD at the end of the 3-week Ph3. But, you may be able to get the last 6 pounds off with the increase in exercise and staying with the Ph3 diet. It’s hard to tell. One thing for sure, if you do the HCG-VLCD, you will lose the last few pounds and be able to keep it off. It’s worth the time and effort!
FYI, I couldn’t stop losing weight until I got my calories somewhere north of 2100 a day. I am a 230 pound male for comparison. (40 pounds down from the starting point–I’m so proud!)
Let me know how it goes for you.
Harvel
Harvel or anyone with phase 3 experience,
My morning weight of last injection day was 125.8. On day 3 of no Hcg and 500 cal my morning weight was 122.8. My goal weight is around 120. During ph 3 and according to what I have read, when I go 2 lbs under or 2 lbs over 125.8 I have to take action. I want to stay more at 122. Can I use the 122.8 and do the 2 lb thing? Or will it mess up my reseting? And….. If not at what point can I continue my weightloss? I will be starting to work out again and I feel that will make me lose, will I have to up my calories to stay within the 2lb limit?
I appreciate any advice or experience anyone has had.
Thanks so much for your thoughts, and congrats to everyone on this.(I am only 5′ so 120 is not to low for any of you concerned *thanks*)
i need help i am just getting started and i really need to know all the things that everyone else knows email me at jokerzwyld38@yahoo.com thanks what works what doesn’t work . thanks again
Jane,
I looked the starch content of almonds on the following website:
http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Number=146875
They have 2.7 grams of starch per 100 grams. I think that is probably low enough to be OK if you don’t get carried away with it.
Any grains are a starch, sprouted or not. And, lactose is a sugar to be avoided during Ph3.
Harvel
Carol,
We will be going back into the diet in about 3 weeks. We did the long course and have to wait a full 6 weeks before starting again. Today was the first day of “freedom.” (Ph3 ended yesterday.) I enjoyed the first hamburger with a bun that I had eaten in over two months. Sure was good. We’ll see what the effect on my weight is in the morning. We each have about twenty pounds to go.
Thanks for asking, Harvel
Hello to everyone,
I will be starting Ph3 on sunday. I read the weight loss cure and pounds and inches. My question is: Does anyone know if almond flour is considered a starch? Is sprouted grain flour considered a starch? I am really missing a desert and want to bake something. I am confused about lactose in the milk is that considered a sugar? or is it only refined sugars that we need to stay away from? I was glad to hear Les say that 2-3% starch should be our stopping point, I was thinking the same thing. I found some great cookbooks that utilize almond flour I sure hope we can use it. I have lost 19lbs in the 26 day phase. I cannot believe how this loss looks different than other times. Anyone else notice a difference in shape?
Have a great evening, the 2 days without the drops have not been so bad afterall, but very very anxious to eat again.
Jane
Good Luck everyone for the Holiday and remember
You can You do You WILL!!!
So Harvel- Are you going back on the diet after Phs 3 or are you guys done and have lost all your weight? Just wondering what is your next step.
Carol
Here’s a great HCG recipe site there are some cool variations for our limited food choices
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/other-plans/616126-hcg-diet-recipes-only.html
Harvel,
Thank you for the info. I gained .2 today and I think it has to do with all the water that I drunk. I went thru almost 2 gallons of water yesterday. Live and learn….HUH
Mkg,
Squash is a starch. It said that one cup is = to 1 carb. Sorry about the bad news. Jessica
I thought squash was a starch. If it isn’t yahoo! I love squash
Can we have the spaghetti squash on phase 2?
Hello,
I just discovered a pasta substitute. It might have been mentioned here before. I am on Phase 3 and we got some fresh tomatoes from a friend, and made spaghetti sauce with just the tomatoes and Italian herbs, so we could freeze it and have it with pasta when we could have it. However, we decided to try it with Spaghetti squash and it was amazing. I am going to give up pasta and start using spaghetti squash in the future. Try it you will like it. I thought I read on here that you can have sugar free ice cream on phase three? is that correct?
Thanks
Jim
Harvel,
I’m currently doing a 40 day round of the HCG diet. I know that I will have to be off the diet for 6 weeks, so does this mean I will stay on Phase 3 for 6 weeks or will I do 3 weeks of pahse 3 then go to phase 4 and then back to phase 2 for my second round? Hope that makes sense.
Progress: I started the diet 8/27, gained 3 pounds over the gorge days..and as of today I have lost 10.4 pounds which includes the 3 pounds I gained on the gorge days..so I’ve lost 7.4 pounds from my original weight. I’m so excited!!
Les,
Welcome back! Where have you been?
harvel
Jessica,
Yes, it is possible to drink too much water, but the amount is way, way above what you would ever drink voluntarily. The formula I use to figure out how much water to drink is to divide the weight by 2. Then, drink that number of ounces of water in a 24 hour period. For example, if I weigh 200 pounds, half of that would 100. I would then drink 100 ounces, or slightly more than 3 quarts a day.
The phases that are talked about come from Kevin Trudeau’s book “The Weight Loss Cure.” If you don’t have his book, you might consider getting it and reading it. A lot of the stuff he advocates is sort of “over the top,” so far as I am concerned. However, he does lay out the HCG diet in a way that makes sense and his history of who Dr. Simeons was and how the diet was developed makes for good reading.
Anyway, the phases are Ph1-a 30 day cleansing and preparation step, Ph2-the actual HCG Very Low Calorie Diet, Ph3-the three week maintenance phase, and Ph4-resume a normal diet. Dr. Simeons did not label it like that. He just starts with the HCG-VLCD, moves into maintenance and then goes to a normal diet.
Hope this helps,
Harvel
← Previous Comments