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.
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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.
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FYI – I posted the tortilla soup recipe but it’s marked “Your post is awaiting moderation”. Not sure if anyone can see it?
are we suppose to take a vitamin in ph 2…….at 161.6 yipppiiiiee
Sandi,
Yes, I think a steak day will put you back on track. My wife and I are in Ph4 waiting to go back to the diet. My wife has to avoid starches and sugars because of high blood sugar and I am finding that I feel better if I keep my consumption of those things at a minimum.
Harvel
I was at a conference dinner that only had starches and sugars as a prepared meal they brought to everyone. I am in phase 3 and needless to say my weight went up this am. I have to go back today, but will just not eat and do a steak and apple day today. Do you think that will put me back on track? I should have been better prepared as they usually have chicken on rice with a salad, which I could have left the rice, but they had lasagna, breadsticks and cheesecake. I have been so faithful on the food until yesterday. I feel so guilty, not to mention headache, tummy ache and a drug like fatigue. Should have gone hungry yesterday. Starch and sugar not worth the after effects.
jesica and julie thanks i didnt think so but thought i would ask
BJ:
You can have white meat summer squash such as zuchini, but winter squash has yellow meat and is more of a starch or higher carb food. You cannot have the winter squash on Phase 2. You can have it in moderation in Phase 4. If I’m wrong, would someone correct me? Thanks!
BJ,
I really don’t think so because squash is a carb.
does anyone know if we can have yellw squash
Tummy is where I inject no problems keeping it there for 2 1/2 weeks.
One more question…where do most people inject themselves? Also, do you have to inject in the same place all the time?
Greetings all,
I am so glad to have found this website. It’s answered so many questions. I am going to follow Dr. Simeon’s Protocol. Today is my first day on the VLCD. I, like Louisa, am concerned because it doesn’t look like I will hit my 500 calories. Is this ok? Should I add more veggies at dinner? Can someone email me recipes for P2. Also, what are people using on their lips? I don’t wear lipstick and usually use Carmex. I read on a different website that Carmex was ok since it’s not absorbed. dnhobson@gmail.com
Hi Everyone,
I have a good recipe for the people that are on Phase 2 and if you like soup
3 1/2 oz broccoli
3 1/2 oz grilled chicken
2 cups of chicken broth
and then all the different spices that you like
I like garlic powder, soul food seasonning, onion powder, and fresh garlic. And just cook it until the broccoli is done. Hope you enjoy it. Jessica
Chicken Tortilla Soup (this version without tortilla topping, of course. Also without corn and bell peppers and without the other toppings: avocado, sour cream, cheddar cheese)
Makes 10 Servings (remember, there’s protien in the tomato juice and chicken stock as well as the meat).
Ingredients:
-3 large chicken breasts
-1 bunch of fresh cilantro
-32 oz water
-32 oz tomato juice (I like Whole Foods 360 brand)
-32 oz chicken stock (I like Pacific Natural Foods Organic, Free Range, Low Sodium Chicken Broth)
-2 large tomatoes
-2 large onions
-2 cloves garlic
-fresh lime
The following ingredients make it (Medium Hot). If you want more or less spice, adjust amounts.
-3 jalepenos
-1 teaspoon cumin
-1 teaspoon powdered red pepper
-1 teaspoon black pepper
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 Tablespoon hot sauce
Bring water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add salt, chicken and half of the cilantro (tie it in string so it’s easy to remove). Boil for 10 minutes. Remove cilantro and discard. Remove chicken and place on a plate to cool. Turn down heat so that water is just simmering.
Chop tomatoes and onions into large chunks. Chop jalepenos into small chunks (remove seeds if you like it less spicy). Chop garlic into small pices (IMPORTANT – don’t use garlic from a jar, this will have been stored in oil!)
Heat a large frying pan on high. Put enough water in to cover the bottom and add a few shakes of salt and pepper. Throw in onions and jalepenos and saute until the onions start to brown. Then turn down the heat and add in garlic and tomato – heat just long enough to meld flavors together.
Take a ladel or two full of water from the pot and add to the vegetable pan to deglaze, then add all ingredients to the water.
Add tomato juice, chicken stock, red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, salt and pepper.
Chop the remaining cilantro and add it to the pot.
At this point the chicken should be cool enough to handle (and now this is the tedious part). Shread the chicken breasts into small, bite-sized pieces (I usually cut the breast in half first so the shreads aren’t too long) and put the meat into the pot.
Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.
Serve hot with a wedge of lime (trust me, sqeeze it on top and you’ll love it).
A serving is approximately 1 3/4 cups of soup. (I ladel it right into my liquid measure cup to measure.
Enjoy!
(It’s a bit of work, but it will keep in the fridge for a week and also freezes well. My pot only lasted 3 days because my boyfriend ate more than half of it… which is a good thing, because it means people not on the diet will enjoy it too. For those folks, serve the toppings mentioned at the begining of this post along side and they’ll be thrilled)
Stacy,
Please tell us what is your version of Tortilla Soup? Or any other creative foods would be so greatly appreciated!
I finally got through my stall I think down one more pound today. Hopefully everything will keep moving now.
Vicki,
Sounds like you have some background to create fabulous things yourself. I wish you lived close by too… we could cook for each other and try our best to impress! That would be fun! Right now I’m doing that only for my boyfriend (for whom I always give a double/triple portion and add a starch like pasta, rice or bread. He’s been enjoying the concoctions (especially my HCG version of my tortilla soup).
As to your results… I have no idea who put broccoli on the diet, when or why, but so many people seem to have gotten a list with it. Have you tried sticking to just the foods on Simeon’s list for a few days? You never know, it could do the trick for you to get you to a lb. a day.
Stacey,
Thank you for clearing up the Chili’s and eating out question. I will try that for sure. I was hoping you lived in Houston where I just moved to in November. Would love to find folks to eat out healthy with. I see we have a Capital Grill here too.
I must confess I was married to a fabulous chef for 16 years – just divorced 9/4. You are right, when turned loose, they do love to create in the kitchen and do a fine job of it too! So, sadly, the marriage part didn’t work out after owning a restaurant together for the last 10 years. But….I did learn to have some fun cooking and have been experimenting a little with good results on this plan, too.
I bought a basil plant today and will try that roasting till crispy trick. Crispy is one of the things I miss the most. One evening I did rainbow trout on the grill with grilled asparagus & it was a bit crispy and wonderful.
Broccoli was on the list my Dr.’s office provided, so I’ve been doing that. Of course, my results are not as fabulous as yours. Congratulations!
Louisa,
I haven’t noticed any harm in being under the 500 cal. limit. As many here have noted, it’s sometimes hard to get to the 500 cal (especially if you mostly eat chicken and fish). I would say that I am usually between 384 and 430 calories per day. The only days I reach 500 (or close) is when I have beef, which is not more than once a week. I try to get to at least 400 by increasing my portion of vegetables (rather than the meat or fruit portion). I have been very happy with my progress (losing on average between .6 and .8 pounds per day). Even if I don’t lose for a few days (I just had a 3 day stall at the same weight), I feel like I have lost inches. My clothes are looser, etc. I read in one of the HCG books that you will lose weight a bit faster if you have chicken and fish instead of having beef. In any event, I’m thrilled with this diet. I feel great and I am happy with the way I look. So far I have lost 25 pounds and have only a couple more pounds to go. Good luck!
Louisa,
Welcome to the world of true and lasting weight control!
You should be eating close to 500 calories a day. If you consistently fall much below that level, your body will think it is starving and will hold on to everything it can. 500 calories is just on the verge of starvation.
Harvel
Hi everyone,
today is my first day of the vlcd, and thank goodness it was pretty easy for me (I am so excited the loads are over as i was really feeling stuffed to the max). I didn’t feel very hungry today and i actually struggled to eat my meals. thing is i only ate 355 calories(thanks to my 72 calorie apple), should i be striving to eat the full 500 calories in order to lose maximum weight? FYI- i am doing injections at 150iu daily. Tomorrow i will hopefully see some loss as i gained 3 pounds on load days.
im so glad to have found your community here because it will be great to have some people to bounce questions and ideas off of.
Judy,
I had the same question. When I added more vegetables and fruit, I could never get the ketone stick to change. I only lost 6 pounds in 34 days. I want to try again, but am not sure what changes to make to get better results.
Ok – getting ready for VLCD tomorrow- packing my food for work. But I am REALLY confused. It says :
3.5oz of protein – chicken breast 87 cal.
3.5 oz veggie – cucumber 12 calories
one melbe toast – 20 cal
one small apple – 55 cal
that adds up to 174 cal… times 2 =only 348 for the day.
How are you supposed to get to 500 without going over these guidlines?
MKG – I’m in Boston. Come on over… I’ll take you out to restaurants where I’ve already trained the chefs… and I’ll cook a bit myself, too (cooking on this diet can be fun).
This is my 2nd round of the 23 days of injections. Suppose to wait a full 6 weeks but starting on the 5th week. Hope it wont really hurt me that much. during my phase 3 i stayed with in a pound of the LIW and even during phase 4 i went to NY and had pretty much anything i wanted and only gained a pound and was still within my 2 pounds of my LIW. this time around it seems much easier. should be done the first week of oct. cant wait. hope everyone is doing great on the diet.
Stacey where do you live? I want to move there!!!!!!
Vicki – I am on Phase II (Day 29 – 28 lbs lost) and eating at Chili’s. I’m a purist about the foods so I didn’t do the broccoli since it’s not on the list. I got the salad INSTEAD. However, I do put lettuce and tomato together for a salad – I haven’t found a problem with mixing veggies, as long as I don’t have more than 1.5 cups altogether. Also, as Harvel noted, the only dressings I use are straight citrus – in this case, lime.
I’m eating at restaurants a lot, however I’m always very careful and specific about how I want things prepared. The best thing is to go to a very fine restaurant, tell the chef my restrictions and have him create something amazing… For example, I went to my favorite restaurant, The Capital Grill, and the chef created a fabulous onion-crusted chicken (a perfect 3.5 oz serving) topped with whole crunchy basil leaves that he salted and baked in the oven until they turned crispy. He provided a side of very flavorful spinach with fresh lemon and pepper. For dessert it was fresh strawberries with finely ground Kona coffee grounds for dipping.
It’s great to let a fine chef loose – they really do have fun with it.
Stacy,
Are you on Ph 2 and eating at Chili’s? Was it OK to mix the broccoli, lettuce and tomato?
I’m Ph 2, day 31. 16 lbs down!
Judy,
I had the same confusion with the calories and ended up adding more vegetable calories to get it up to 500. It made a big difference and the weight is going off faster that way. Once, I added more shrimp to get there, too.
bj, I don’t have any little ones to munch on, but I have thought the peanut butter dog biscuits looked pretty good!
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