Can a vegetarian be on the Atkins Diet?
Animal proteins are a vital component of the Atkins Diet and the diet cannot be done as successfully without them. They contain many essential fatty acids that cannot be found in any other sources. There are patients, however, for whom we derive a modified ovo-lacto vegetarian diet; they can eat eggs, cheese and tofu for their protein (although it is usually necessary for a person to be able to eat fish, in addition, for the diet to be enjoyable). Our food products, such as Advantage Bars, bake and shake mixes can also be used as meal replacements. A vegan cannot be on the Atkins Diet. A pure vegan diet could never be low enough in carbohydrates, because there are no plants that are carbohydrate free. We seriously urge vegetarians with a serious weight problem to rethink their position.
