Summer Classics Atkins Meal Plan

Summery foods may not be the first thing you have in mind when looking at the Atkins plan but there are plenty of lighter options available with colour and freshness built in. So, what are some of the ideal choices for swimsuit season?

Breakfast
Summer food is all about colour so why not start the day with poached eggs on a bed of wilted spinach? Make this time of day easy and defrost some frozen spinach in the microwave while your eggs poach. The cheeriness of the yellow egg yolks against the green spinach will start your day off with a smile.

Lunch
The classic salad Nicoise is perfect for a summer’s day, and perfect for any stage of the Atkins plan too as long as you are careful with the dressing. Combine a tin of tuna (in olive oil or spring water, not brine) with some lightly steamed French beans, chopped boiled eggs, anchovies if you enjoy them, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes and plenty of lettuce – maybe the firm but mild-tasting leaves of little gem. Toss in a simple vinaigrette made of 2 tbsp olive oil to 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, mixed with ½ tsp mustard and a tsp of dried herbs. In stage 3, you can add a few boiled new potatoes if they are within your carb allowance but this salad has so much sunny flavour that you will barely miss them in the earlier stages.

Snack
For a light summery snack, chop a cucumber into batons and dip as many as you like into a small bowl of good quality, low-carb mayonnaise, maybe a flavoured one such as lemon mayo. 

Dinner
Nothing is more summery than a salad, especially if the weather makes it too hot to cook. Why not enjoy an Atkins-friendly Greek salad to give your evening a holiday-feeling? Combine cubes of feta with black olives, one whole tomato (chopped) per person, black olives, chunky cubes of cucumber, finely-chopped red onion and a generous sprinkling of oregano and thyme, fresh if possible. Dress with a fruity extra virgin olive oil and a little white wine vinegar and you have a colourful dinner, full of summery flavours.

Shopping list
Eggs
Frozen spinach
Tin of tuna (in oil or spring water)
French beans
Cherry tomatoes
Anchovies, fresh or tinned (optional)
Little Gem lettuce
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Dried herbs
Cucumber
Low-carb mayonnaise
Feta
Black olives
Whole tomatoes
Red onion
Fresh herbs (oregano and thyme)