Diet

Atkins Diet

Nonfood Factors

The Atkins program encourages exercise to aid weight loss. The program offers online tools and has an extensive product line including books, software, shakes, bars, and candy.

Is This Diet Vegetarian-Friendly?

No. A plant-based vegetarian diet is naturally higher in carbohydrate than is allowed by the Atkins program. In the induction phase almost all of the example meals are meat-based, and while you can add more vegetables in phase 2, it’s not until phase 3—premaintenance—that you can add whole grains and legumes, the vegetarian mainstays.

Eating Out

The Atkins website offers detailed cuisine-by-cuisine advice on following the diet when eating out. Some examples of their advice include:

  • Ask for green vegetables as a substitution for your starch.
  • Order your burger without the bun, and your enchiladas without the tortillas.
  • Request that sauces be served on the side when eating Chinese food.
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The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.