Vegetarians and the HCG Diet Protocol

If you look at what is eaten on the HCG Diet Protocol, you’ll see that meat and seafood play a big part in the daily menu since these foods are high in protein and protein burns fat. But what if a dieter can’t have these high protein items? What can vegetarians eat, and can they be successful on the HCG Diet?

Sixty years ago, when Dr. Simeons formulated the HCG Protocol, he allowed vegetarians to replace meat and seafood with eggs and cottage cheese and the following restrictions. Only one whole egg (egg yolk + egg white) is allowed and it should be combined with the whites of three eggs. Simeons said that while the contents of 100 grams of meat are equivalent to two good-sized eggs, unfortunately the yolk contains a large amount of fat, which is undesirable. Additionally, in countries where cottage cheese made from skim milk is available, 100 grams may occasionally be used instead of the meat, but no other cheeses are allowed.

Regarding vegetarians who don’t eat eggs, Dr. Simeons said: “Strict vegetarians such as orthodox Hindus present a special problem, because milk and curds are the only animal protein they will eat. To supply them with sufficient protein of animal origin, they must drink 500 cc. of skimmed milk per day, though part of this ration can be taken as curds. As far as fruit, vegetables and starch are concerned, their diet is the same as that of non-vegetarians; they cannot be allowed their usual intake of vegetable proteins from leguminous plants such as beans or from wheat or nuts, nor can they have their customary rice. Despite these severe restrictions, their average loss is about half that of non-vegetarians, presumably owing to the sugar content.”

With this history in mind but taking into consideration the availability of many new vegetarian products on the market today, we have participated in some experimentation and had significant success. To determine which vegetarian foods you may eat, you’re going to have to look at the label! The nutritional facts of any specific food products/brands should be analyzed to determine whether the calories, carbohydrates, sugar, fat, and protein fall within the below nutritional ranges. Only those that do can be ranked among the most suitable substitutes available for the very low-calorie phase of the HCG Diet Protocol.

Nutritional Guidelines for Acceptable Vegetarian Protein Options
(One serving at each meal, 2 meals per day)

Calories: 80-130 or lower

Carbs: 0g-8g or lower

Sugars: 0g-1g or lower

Fat: 0g-5g or lower

Protein: 8g-25g (the higher the better)

The following is a small sampling of vegetarian items that meet our guidelines. Keep in mind that none of these foods are on the original HCG Diet Protocol list since they did not exist when Dr. Simeons was developing the protocol.

• GNC Pro Performance AMP Amplified Whey Protein – Vanilla (1 scoop)
• Jay Robb Egg White Protein – Several flavors (1 scoop)
• NaSoya Soft Tofu (160 grams)
• MorningStar Farms Tomato & basil Pizza Burgers (1 burger)

To summarize, “Yes!” vegetarians can achieve success on the HCG Diet Protocol although the results may not be as good as the results of a non-vegetarian dieter. However, the typical results of a non-vegetarian who follows the original protocol explicitly is a loss of 20 to 30 pounds in 30-40 days; losing even half that much is pretty darn good!