Atkins Induction means waving goodbye to carb-rich side dishes such as rice or potatoes. Instead, you will be eating vegetables – up to 20g of net carbs a day.
As vegetables are the main source of permitted carbs, many people find that they actually start to eat more of them on Atkins. If you are one of these people who never used to eat anything green, this post lists tips on cooking Atkins Induction permitted vegetables.
The list of permitted vegetables and corresponding carb counts come from Phase 1 page on Atkins website.
1) Best for salads
Chop up any vegetables listed below in any combination. Dressing is the key to making any salad taste nice – for the simplest dressing, combine 1 part oil (preferably olive) with 1 part wine vinegar. It’s better to make your own salad dressings while on Induction, as shop-bought versions are likely to be laden with carbs. New Atkins for New You book has a huge section with dressings and sauces recipes.
Vegetable Serving size Net carbs (g)
Avocados ½ whole (raw) 1.8
Chives 1 tablespoon 0.1
Cucumber ½ cup 1
Daikon ½ cup 1
Iceberg lettuce 1 cup 0.2
Parsley 1 tablespoon 0.1
Radicchio ½ cup/raw 0.7
Radishes 6/raw 0.5
Rocket salad (US name: Arugula) 1 cup/raw 0.4
Romaine lettuce 1 cup 0.4
Tomato ¼ cup 4.3
2) Best for steaming
Steam the vegetables and add some butter (10g / 0.3oz would usually be enough) and/or grated cheese (15g / 0.5 oz). I recommend getting a steamer, you can definitely use it a lot while on Atkins.
Vegetable Serving size Net carbs (g)
Asparagus 6 spears 2.4
Broccoli raw ½ cup 0.8
Brussels sprouts ¼ cup 1.8
Cauliflower ½ cup (raw) 1.4
Green String Beans 1 cup 4.1
Snow peas and snap peas in pod ½ cup with pods 3.4
Spinach ½ cup 2.2
Swiss chard ½ cup 1.8
3) Best for sautéing
Chop and fry gently in a pan with a some butter (10-15g, 0.3-0.5oz) or 1 tbsp of oil, on medium to high heat.
Vegetable Serving size Net carbs (g)
Bamboo shoots ½ cup 1.2
Cabbage ½ cup (raw) 1.6
Chicory greens ½ cup/raw 0.1
Courgettes (US name: zucchini) ½ cup 1.5
Endive ½ cup 0.4
Hearts of palm 1 heart 0.7
Mushrooms ½ cup 1.2
Okra ½ cup 2.4
Onion ¼ cup 4.3
4) Best for stir-fry
Chop up and fry very quickly in a hot wok, with a bit of oil, other vegetables and thin strips of meat or chicken breast.
Vegetable Serving size Net carbs (g)
Alfalfa sprouts ½ cup/raw 0.2
Fennel ½ cup 1.8
Leeks ½ cup 3.4
5) Best for boiling
Chop up if required and boil until soft.
Vegetable Serving size Net carbs (g)
Artichoke 1/2 medium 3.5
Bok choy 1 cup/raw 0.4
Collard greens ½ cup boiled 2.0
Kale ½ cup 2.4
Kohlrabi ¼ cup 2.3
6) Best for roasting
Slice the vegetables, brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-40 minutes at 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.
Vegetable Serving size Net carbs (g)
Aubergine (US name: Eggplant) ½ cup 2
Jicama (Mexican yam) ½ cup 2.5
Peppers ½ cup/raw 2.3
Pumpkin ¼ cup 2.4
Rhubarb ½ cup (unsweetened) 1.7
Spaghetti squash ¼ cup boiled 2
Summer squash ½ cup 2.6
Turnips ½ cup 3.3
7) Best for eating raw on its own
Vegetable Serving size Net carbs (g)
Celery 1 stalk 0.8
Olives green 5 0.1
Olives black 5 0.7
Sauerkraut ½ cup (drained) 1.2
My personal favourites
Some additional thoughts:
- Cauliflower is a hero of the vegetable world, and can stand in for mashed potato and rice amongst many other options. Have a look at my earlier post about low-carb cauliflower dishes.
- Avocado also works well as a dip or a spread, just mash it up and add salt and perhaps a dash of vinegar. You can also make an Atkins Induction dessert by mixing mashed avocado with unsweetened cocoa powder and sweetener.
- Vegetables listed above in the sautéing and roasting lists can also work really well when slow-cooked, combined with meat or poultry. Have a look at my earlier post about slow-cooking low-carb meals.
Further reading on Atkins Induction foods
Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution
Updated edition (2003) of the original book, written by the man himself
Buy this book on Amazon UK | Buy this book on Amazon US
New Atkins for New You
Revised version of the diet (2010), written by Eric C Westman; Stephen D Phinney; Jeff S Volek
Buy this book on Amazon UK | But this book on Amazon US
Atkins Diet Official Website
UK site | US site | Other regions
