hcg diet food list

Trying to stick to a strict diet can be hard right? I know it is for me!

In this article I'm going to show you how you can create a super healthy meal plan that is tasty and easy to stick to!

In order to be successful on the HCG weight loss protocol, not only is it important to follow the guidelines set forth by Dr. Simeon, but it is imperative that you follow and maintain a very low calorie diet, consuming no more than 500 calories a day (well there is an 800 calorie version also). More importantly though is how those 500 calories are made up. While most of us eat more than 500 calories in just one sitting at our favorite restaurant, the HCG diet is very specific in just how to spread those calories out through your day. 


While the approved HCG Diet food list may seem short, it is compiled carefully so your body can easily lose weight and you can plan your meals easily. Some of the most successful dieters will tell contribute their success to meal planning and finding recipes that change things up, meaning they don’t get bored with their food choices. 

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) VLCD Sample Menu Day 1

  • Breakfast - Coffee or tea with Stevia and 1 tablespoon of 2% milk.
  • Morning Snack - 1 serving of fruit such as 1 apple, or 1 orange
  • Lunch - 3.5 oz. of any one approved protein, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, and 1 starch. Some people like to eat a heavier protein portion at lunch time, and a lighter one, such as fish, for dinner.
  • Dinner - 3.5 oz. of any one approved protein, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit and 1 starch.
  • Evening Snack - 1 handful of Strawberries, Blueberries or Raspberries
HCG Diet Menu

What Else is on the HCG Diet Menu?

Before we go through the list of foods on the menu you are allowed to eat during the diet, it’s important to take your own dietary needs into account. If you are diabetic, or have food allergies, you and your doctor will need to come up with a complementary diet plan that is tailored to your specific needs. If there are foods on the list that you just don’t like to eat, you cannot replace it with a food you like, unless it is also on the list.

To ensure you are eating the correct amount you may want to invest in a small kitchen scale, especially for your protein. If possible, your proteins should be organic, and look for grass-fed red meats. For all other approved foods, they should be organic as well, and most of your fruits and vegetables can be found at your local farmers market.

While you are making your way through the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin HCG diet phase 2, you’ll find that changing up your daily meals and snacks alleviates the boredom you can sometimes feel when you eat the same menu each day. While a small, grilled chicken breast is easy to make and refrigerate for the week, it might not seem appetizing four days later.

HCG Approved Foods

HCG Approved Protein

For protein, you can eat up to 200 grams per day, but only 100 grams per meal. Trim the fat, and do not cook anything on the bone.

  • White Fish
  • Lobster
  • Crab
  • Shrimp
  • Extra Lean Beef
  • Buffalo
  • 3 Egg Whites
  • Scallops
  • Chicken

HCG Approved Vegetables

hcg vegetables

Vegetables should be on your plate regardless of if you are following phase 2 recipes or not, but you have a bit more variety when it comes to these. Vegetables should only take up one cup of two meals, making it two cups per day. Don’t eat all two cups in one sitting, break them up as the protocol says to.

  • Celery
  • Spinach
  • Fennel
  • Cauliflower
  • Chard
  • Onions
  • Beet Greens
  • Cucumbers
  • Green Salad
  • Cabbage
  • Mixed Greens
  • Red Radishes
  • Shallots
  • Asparagus
  • Tomatoes
  • Broccoli

HCG Approved Fruit

Many of the fruits we enjoy can contain high amounts of sugar, so although they are a part of a healthy daily diet, there are only a few fruits you can safely eat while on HCG phase 2, and even then you can only eat two servings a day.

  • Grapefruit
  • Oranges
  • Apples
  • Lemons
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries

Just about everyone likes a little starch throughout their day, whether it’s a morning bagel or a warm dinner roll. The HCG diet protocol is very limiting in what starches are allowed, so while you might miss that danish from your favorite coffee shop, you won’t miss the weight you lose as a result of taking your HCG drops, your regular injection of HCG.

The only starches allowed on the menu are Melba toast or Grissini breadsticks, and these should be used as sparingly as possible.

For everything else you eat throughout the day, there are rules attached to that as well. While you may not pay much attention the seasonings you use to add flavor, the HCG diet makes you become keenly aware of everything you eat. Although a short list, it does make sense since the diet is trying to keep you from mistakenly eating foods that could sabotage your progress. 

Other Approved Items

These miscellaneous items can be added to your HCG meal plan throughout the diet:

  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Stevia
  • Mustard powder
  • Salt, pepper, or any other natural spices
  • Braggs Amino Acids
  • Herbal Tea
  • Coffee
  • At no time should you ever use oil, butter, or dressing.
  • Avoid seasoning mixes as they often contain sugar and excessive salt.

Instructions for HCG phase 2 can seem limiting, but they work to help your body lose weight quickly, and to not retain fluids. Sounds tough right?

Phase 3 can be even more mentally challenging as you're trying to maintain you weight after you've finished the VLCD phase of the diet. 

Trying to keep all these rules in your head certainly can be!

Although we'll be getting into some more detail shortly you can cut out most of the hard work in remembering all the rules by grabbing a FREE COPY of my Top 7 HCG Diet Recipes. I've even thrown in a little bonus for you. My top list of recipes will help take the hard work out of meal selection and grocery shopping.

Sticking To The HCG Diet Meal Plan

How you consume these foods daily is why meal planning really helps. You’ll already know what you’re eating when, so you can look forward to your favorite meal, and you don’t need to worry about what you can eat later. Most users of the protocol find it best to have two small meals a day at lunch and dinner, and only drinking coffee or tea at breakfast.

hcg recipes

Still, other people find they have better success by spreading their meals out and eating breakfast and dinner, or dividing up their meals and by eating lunch and having a fruit serving at breakfast time. A lunchtime option is especially important to some dieters who may feel pressured to go out to lunch with their coworkers, or don’t want to talk about their lack of lunch with friends.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when following the HCG diet is that you should never combine two of any one category together in the same meal, that means you should not eat your apple and orange at lunch, while having cabbage and celery for dinner. My free Top 7 HCG Diet Recipes takes all of this into account so I highly recommend you check that to make sure you're on the right track.

It is not uncommon, while on the protocol, to find that you do not feel hungry, and you should not feel alarmed. The most important thing to remember about the diet is that you should never exceed 500 calories. So, if you find you’re not as hungry one day, then it’s alright to skip a fruit, vegetable, or starch. However, do not skip your protein, because your body needs it in order to function properly. If you find yourself weak, or feeling hungry, then do not skimp in any way.

We're all only human after all, so try your best not to mess up but if you do find yourself cheating a little I wrote this article on what to do if you do cheat. Just on the topic of cheating, a great hack I found for this is to always have a few shakes handy so if you're out or you don't have time to prepare a real meal you can always get by.

It's also not uncommon to hit a plateau and find that your weight loss has stalled. I've covered exactly how to get around a weight loss plateau using apple days and steak days. These are especially important in the maintenance phase 3 and beyond which is sometimes referred to as phase 4.

The goal is to always eat to your hunger.

It is through this mechanism that your body will begin to breakdown the fat stored in your body, and you will see changes not only in your weight but in your overall shape.

What HCG Phase 2 Recipes Are Available?


If you search online for HCG recipes you’re sure to find hundreds of them. HCG diet recipes are unique in that there are only a few ingredients to work with, you can’t add too many vegetables to one plate, and no starches are allowed either. Although it’s restrictive, the lack of variety means dieters need to be creative, so you’re not likely to run out of HCG recipes anytime during phase 2. Here are a few HCG diet recipes that are most popular:

Main Dishes


Roasted Steak and Onions -100 grams of flank steak seasoned how you like, in a medium sized skillet. Brown your steak on both sides to seal in the juices before putting in a preheated oven set to broil. Add one small sliced onion and a splash of water to the skillet and sauté the onions to desired doneness.

hcg 800 calorie diet

Chicken Apple Wraps – 100 grams diced cooked chicken cooked with a dash of pepper, salt, and smoked paprika, 1 small apple diced, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cardamom, and a sprinkling of stevia.

Whitefish Taco Wraps – 100 grams of whitefish, ¼ c. water, 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 clove crushed garlic, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder, dash of salt, season with cracked black pepper to taste. Bake fish with juice from half a lemon; add the spices until evenly coated. Bake at 350 until fluids run clear. Once the fish has been removed from the baking dish use a fork to lightly break up the fish, spoon into iceberg lettuce leaves and enjoy!

Side Dishes


Roast Tomato Slices – 1 tomato per serving, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 sprig rosemary chopped garlic salt. Slice tomatoes into thin slices, spread out on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with garlic salt and chopped rosemary. Place the garlic between the slices. Roast for 6 hours at 200 degrees.

Cucumber Dill Salad – 1 medium cucumber sliced and quartered, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon dill, black pepper and stevia to taste. Mix vinegar, stevia and dill, pour over cucumbers and stir. Pepper to taste.

Oven Roasted Asparagus – 1 bunch of asparagus. 3 tablespoons water, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, black pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 425 F, toss asparagus in water and lemon juice to coat, sprinkle with dry ingredients, arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 12-15 minutes until desired tenderness is reached.

Beverage Treats


For some tasty treats to break up the monotony, these HCG diet phase 2 recipes for drinks can keep you motivated.

Frozen Strawberry Slushy

hcg 800 calorie diet
  • 1 cup crushed ice
  • 5 fresh strawberries
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Stevia to taste

Blend the ice, strawberries, and vanilla in the blender until a slush forms. Taste, and add stevia to desired sweetness. Pour into a cup and enjoy! Strawberries out of season? No worries! Instead use 4 frozen strawberries and 1 cup of water. Additional alternatives are to use flavored liquid stevia to give yourself some variety and avoid boredom and cravings. Try replacing your vanilla and stevia with Chocolate flavored stevia for a super tasty treat!

Blended Coffee

  • 1 cup strong coffee
  • 2 cups ice
  • Stevia to taste

Blend and enjoy! Once again you can get creative with flavored liquid stevia and use any of these flavors of Stevia, vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, cinnamon, or peppermint! Who needs a coffee shop now?

Grapefruit Spritzer

  • 8 oz. sparking mineral water
  • Crushed ice
  • Juice of one grapefruit
  • Orange stevia drops to taste.

Mix the grapefruit juice and orange stevia drops together, gently stir into sparkling mineral water and pour over crushed ice.

Desserts


If you think you can’t have desserts on the diet, think again. To satisfy chocolate cravings you can use cocoa powder, but it must be sugar free and all natural. Phase 2, or HCG P2 dessert recipes really rely on using the best cocoa powders, so be sure to read your ingredients carefully.

Chocolate Cheesecake - 100g of low/no fat cottage cheese, 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, splash of vanilla extract, liquid stevia to taste. Puree the ingredients together, and then taste to see if you’d like more stevia added. Garnish with strawberry if you’d like, and you can again use flavored stevia for some variety.

Baked Toffee Apples – 1 apple thinly sliced, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1tsp stevia, ¼ tsp. nutmeg, 1 tbsp. water, English toffee stevia. Combine all dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix well. Place the liquids into a small plastic zip bag along with apple slices and seal. Shake well, lay flat in baking dish and bake at 350 for 25 – 30 minutes until desired doneness.

HCG Diet Plan Friendly Chicken Wrap!

Check out the video below for a great recipe for chicken wraps that is HCG diet friendly!

When planning for HCG diet recipes, phase 2, it can seem like you don’t have many options, but you simply need to be a little creative. If you’re not in a particularly creative mood, my free Top 7 HCG Diet Recipes can help you out. The HCG diet can be tough, especially if you’re a foodie, but it’s worth it. Everything you learn from implementing HCG recipes in phase 2 will only help you be more successful as you move into phases 3 and 4. Enjoy and Bon Appetite!

Related Resources

Below I would like to add a few links to posts I've made about specific topics that cover typical questions you may have.

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My Top 7 Super Tasty HCG Diet Recipes You Can Make In Under 30 Minutes!