Can You Eat Raspberries on Atkins?
The Atkins diet is a well-known low-carbohydrate diet. Following the plan means restricting your intake of grains, cereals, breads, sugars, some vegetables and many fruits. Raspberries are permitted as part of certain phases of the Atkins plan.
The Atkins diet is a well-known low-carbohydrate diet. Following the plan means restricting your intake of grains, cereals, breads, sugars, some vegetables and many fruits. Raspberries are permitted as part of certain phases of the Atkins plan.
Phase One
The Atkins diet is divided into four phases. The first phase is the most restrictive and lasts for approximately two weeks. During this phase, no fruits, including raspberries, are permitted. Your diet is restricted to meats, eggs, small servings of cheese, oils and very low-carb vegetables, such as leafy greens, radishes and broccoli.
Phase Two
Phase two is referred to as OWL, or ongoing weight loss. During this phase, the Atkins plan has you add a few higher-carbohydrate foods back into your diet at the rate of five net carbs daily per week. Net carbs are figured by subtracting the fiber content of a food from its total carbohydrate content. The Atkins plan maintains that this net carb number represents the amount of carbohydrates that negatively affect your blood sugar when dieting. Raspberries' net carbohydrate content, according to Atkins, is 3.6 g per 1/4-cup serving, so very small servings may be added in this phase.
Phases Three and Four
In phases three and four, the pre-maintenance and maintenance phases, you may include slightly more carbohydrates and thus larger servings of raspberries. In phase three, you are instructed to add 10 daily net carbs per week, meaning you could have almost 3/4 cup raspberries over the course of seven days. In phase four, known as maintenance, you will have found your carbohydrate tolerance level, which varies from person to person and is the number of carbohydrates that keeps you from craving sweets and maintains your weight. In this phase, the amount of raspberries you can eat weekly depends on your maintenance carbohydrate level.
Considerations
When choosing which carbohydrates to add to your Atkins plan, consider the nutritional benefits of raspberries. Raspberries contain 15 g of carbohydrates and 8 g of fiber per cup. They also are a source of magnesium and vitamins C and K. Raspberries are relatively low in carbohydrates compared with fruits such as bananas, with 34 g per cup, and guava, with 24 g per cup,