Oh great, another salad…. NOT!
I know from personal experience just how painful it is trying to adhere to the strict diet requirements on P2 while also trying to be creative. HCG Phase 2 recipes can be super bland, right?
Before We Start: A Note About HCG Recipes
As you surely know already, the HCG diet is complicated. So complicated that many people have different approaches to this rapid weight loss diet. I’ve written these recipes to be in accordance with Phase 2 & 3 of the diet, but you’ll have to double-check to be sure that it matches your specific HCG diet requirements.
The original HCG diet called for 500 calories/day during phase 2, but some choose to have a higher caloric intake during phase 2 (with the 800 calorie version being the most popular alternative). Whatever your diet plan, adjust the following recipes accordingly.
If you haven’t decided on your HCG diet plan yet, then check out our comprehensive guide to the diet. Otherwise, let’s jump into some recipes. We’ll start with soups.
Soups
Basil Tomato Soup
Ingredients
Directions
In a food processor, process all ingredients until smooth. Then, transfer to a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Serve hot garnished with parsley or basil.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 288; Total Fat: 4.8 g; Carbs: 17.2 g; Dietary Fiber: 4.4 g; Sugars:10.7 g; Protein: 44.4 g; Cholesterol: 108 mg; Sodium: 140 mg
Celery Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Cook celery until tender; transfer to a blender and add spices and broth; blend until smooth. Return to the pan and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 81; Total Fat: 2.8 g; Carbs: 2.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g; Sugars:1.6 g; Protein: 9.9 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 1540 mg
Chicken
Garlic Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
Directions
Marinate chicken in wet ingredients; mix Melba crumbs with dry spices and rub into chicken. Place chicken in a baking dish, and add in the marinade. Top with garlic slices and bake in a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve garnished with parsley.
Phase 3 modifications: Drizzle chicken with olive oil before cooking and top with parmesan and bake.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 282; Total Fat: 5.1 g; Carbs: 21.9 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g; Sugars:3 g; Protein: 34.3 g; Cholesterol: 77 mg; Sodium: 458 mg
Mexican Cilantro Chicken
Ingredients
Directions
Brown chicken in a splash of lemon juice; stir in chicken broth, more lemon juice, and spices, then cook until chicken is cooked through; stir in cilantro and tomatoes and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes more.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 210; Total Fat: 4.5 g; Carbs: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g; Sugars:4.8 g; Protein: 33.1 g; Cholesterol: 77 mg; Sodium: 654 mg
Beef
Roasted Beef & Apple Skewers
Ingredients
Directions
Marinate meat in vinegar, broth, and spices and arrange it alternatively on skewers with onion petals and apple. Barbecue until cooked through, basting frequently with the remaining marinade. Heat the remaining marinade until thick and use it as a dipping sauce.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 330; Total Fat: 7.3 g; Carbs: 31.7 g; Dietary Fiber: 5.4 g; Sugars:23.7 g; Protein: 33.4 g; Cholesterol: 89 mg; Sodium: 452 mg
Fajitas
Ingredients
Directions
In a saucepan, brown onions and beef; drain and rinse. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 20 minutes; transfer the mixture to lettuce and roll to wrap. Variation: use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 253; Total Fat: 7.5 g; Carbs: 9.4 g; Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g; Sugars:4.8 g; Protein: 36.2 g; Cholesterol: 101 mg; Sodium: 92 mg
Fish & Seafood
Baked Fish With Asparagus
Ingredients
Directions
Layer asparagus and fish in a baking dish; mix spices and broth and add to the baking dish. Sprinkle with crumbs and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Serve topped with cooking sauce, parsley, and garnished with lemon wedges.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 125; Total Fat: 2 g; Carbs: 15.3 g; Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g; Sugars:3 g; Protein: 21.4 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 565 mg
Sautéed Snapper with Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Mix liquid ingredients with spices and add fish; cook for about 5-10 minutes and serve.
Phase 3 modifications: Add a tablespoon of unsalted butter.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 148; Total Fat: 2.3 g; Carbs: 1.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g; Sugars:1 g; Protein: 27.9 g; Cholesterol: 47 mg; Sodium: 254 mg
Salads
Apple & Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Allow asparagus to marinate in vinaigrette for about 10 minutes. In lemon juice, sauté asparagus until cooked lightly. Mix with spices, onion, and apple; then, add stevia, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes. Serve hot as a side dish or as a salad.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 276; Total Fat: 3.2 g; Carbs: 32.3 g; Dietary Fiber: 6.3 g; Sugars:24.4 g; Protein: 30.7 g; Cholesterol: 77 mg; Sodium: 223 mg
Apple Slaw
Ingredients
Directions
Shred the cabbage and mix with spices and lemon juice. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Add apples and cinnamon.
Phase 3 modifications: Stir in Greek yogurt or mayonnaise.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 156; Total Fat: 1.9 g; Carbs: 32.2 g; Dietary Fiber: 12.1; Sugars:17.8 g; Protein: 2.7 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 245 mg
Dressings
Mustard Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Mix spices with liquid ingredients thoroughly and heat over low heat in a saucepan. Add more vinegar or water to obtain the desired consistency.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 23; Total Fat: 0.3 g; Carbs: 3 g; Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g; Sugars: 1.2g; Protein: 0.6 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 9 mg
Sweet & Sour Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until well blended. Drizzle the dressing over salad greens, stir fry, or spinach.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 5; Total Fat: 0 g; Carbs: 0.4 g; Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g; Sugars: 0.1g; Protein: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 235 mg
Appetizers, Desserts & Snacks
Apple Chips
Ingredients
Directions
Coat apple slices with cinnamon and stevia and bake at 325°F for about 15 minutes or until tender and crispy.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 146; Total Fat: 0.7 g; Carbs: 36.4 g; Dietary Fiber: 6.8 g; Sugars:26.4 g; Protein: 1.6 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 10 mg
Apple Slices With Cinnamon Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Heat apple slices and liquid ingredients in a microwave, stirring, until thick. Serve with apple slices.
Phase 3 modifications: Mix lemon juice and spices and whisk in butter, add vanilla or rum.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 144; Total Fat: 0.8 g; Carbs: 36.1 g; Dietary Fiber: 6.8 g; Sugars:26.4 g; Protein: 1.6 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 10 mg
Drinks
Orange Strawberry Smoothie
Ingredients
Directions
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy!
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories: 87; Total Fat: 0.2 g; Carbs: 21.6 g; Dietary Fiber: 3.2 g; Sugars:15.9 g; Protein: 0.6 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 1 mg
Orange-Ade
Ingredients
Directions
In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
HCG Diet Meal Plan Hacks
We hope that you’ve found plentiful options on our list to enjoy. We know that finding an HCG diet recipe can be tough, which is why I’ve tried to include plenty for you to choose from.
But even when you find the right recipes, sticking to the low-calorie HCG diet is tough. 500 calories per day can seem pretty daunting, and that’s why I’ve written this section. I’m going to give you some hacks for sticking with it and seeing results.
Plan & Prep
Two essential strategies to conquer the HCG diet are effective planning and preparation. It can be quite a difficult diet, especially during phase 2. Planning your meals can be a great way to simplify this complicated process, so you can keep your focus on meeting your goals.
I suggest you plan a week ahead of time. Set aside sometime during the week when you know you have free time (perhaps Sunday afternoon) and make a meal plan for the week. Use my recipes above, and you can get it done quickly.
Effective planning takes the stress out of the day-to-day, and you don’t have the added burden of deciding what you’re going to eat each day. Because let’s face it, you don’t need any added stresses during this time.
You can even supplement your meal planning with meal prepping! Pick up some meal prep containers, and make some of the above recipes in bulk. All these recipes will keep quite nicely if stored properly, and you’ll save a lot of time by making it all at once.
Meal planning & prepping might be your key to success.
Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
No pun intended! The fact is that the HCG diet is difficult, and there isn’t any escaping that fact. For this reason, many find it helpful to slow things down. Try to take your mind off the big picture, and focus on just today. The task is a lot more daunting if you view it as a whole. Get through today, and focus on tomorrow.
The HCG diet is as much mental as it is physical, and gaining this perspective is crucial to meeting your goals.
But, if you’re struggling to the point where you hit a plateau, try to break through it with an apple day. An apple day works quite well for many, as it acts as a sort of “mental reset”. You don’t have to think, plan, and organize, because you only have one food available to you.
Going Forward
Thanks for reading!
If you're a little unsure of exactly what you can and can't eat on plan on the VLCD diet phase of the HCG diet, you can see my list of approved foods you can eat in phase 2 by checking out this post. And for even more HCG recipes, click here.