Special Occasion Atkins Meal Plan

On many diets, it can be tempting to abandon all hopes of continuing weight loss when special occasions arise. The Atkins plan allows for these occasions, though, and enables you to create a spectacular menu for a special day such as a birthday or anniversary.

Breakfast
Start the day off in style with a very special crab and mushroom omelette. For 2 people, gently sauté 2 finely-sliced shitake mushrooms and 1 tbsp chopped onion in ½ tbsp butter. Add to this ¼ cup or 2-3 oz/50-60 g lump crab meat. Remove from the pan and add to the pan 4 eggs, seasoned with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper, beaten with 2 tbsp double cream. As the eggs begin to set, put the crab and mushroom mixture into the middle of the omelette. Tilt the pan from side to side, lifting the sides of the omelette, so that the uncooked egg can flow to the edges of the pan to cook. Once the eggs are firm, fold omelette and remove to warmed plates for serving. 

Lunch
At lunchtime, enjoy fresh tuna steaks, simply grilled for about 2-3 minutes per side, having been marinated for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight in 100ml vegetable oil, 100ml rice wine (or white wine) vinegar, 40 ml soy sauce, 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger and 2 tbsp sesame oil. This Asian-inspired treat can be accompanied by a simple cucumber salad or a zesty stir-fry of bean sprouts and red peppers, using the tuna marinade to stir-fry the vegetables. 

Snack
At snack time, a Tapas-style spread of preserved meats and olives with maybe a little Manchego cheese adds a sunny feeling to the proceedings.

Dinner
Start your special dinner with an equally special hors d’oeuvres. Marinate large scallops in lemon juice and chopped garlic for at least half an hour before grilling simply and serving with a selection of dressed salad leaves. For your main course, a beautiful roasted pork tenderloin in thyme butter with purple sprouting broccoli rounds off a beautiful day’s menu.

For this delectable but quick and easy to prepare treat, heat your oven to 230°C.  Pat dry one pork tenderloin per person. Combine 2 tbsp vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, some chopped garlic and a tbsp chopped thyme in a small bowl.  Rub this paste over the tenderloins and put into a shallow roasting tray. Roast until done to taste, about 20 minutes for medium rare.

Transfer to a cutting board and let stand while you prepare the sauce. Put a 150 ml low sodium chicken stock into a pan. Cook and stir until reduced by half; about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add a dab of butter and allow to melt while stirring gently. Add another ½ tsp fresh chopped thyme. Slice the tenderloin and serve with the sauce and the broccoli which should be gently steamed in order to maximise its flavour.

In stage 1, a suitable finish to the meal would be a beautiful cheese plate. By stage 2, you could finish the meal with a handful of beautiful fresh strawberries, dipped in a thin layer of low-sugar dark chocolate. 

Shopping list
Shitake mushrooms
Onion
Lump crab meat
Eggs
Double cream
Fresh tuna steaks
Fresh ginger
Rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Cucumber
Bean sprouts
Red pepper
Charcuterie selection (e.g. chorizo, Serrano ham, Basque ham)Machego cheese
Olive selection
Scallops
Lemon
Garlic
Pork tenderloin
Bunch fresh thyme
Butter
Low-sodium chicken stock
Purple sprouting broccoli
Assorted cheese for cheese platter (note portion sizes)
Fresh strawberries (stage 2 onwards)
Low sugar dark chocolate (stage 2 onwards)