Contents
Dairy is one of the most valuable group of foods among all of the Dukan Diet-compliant products. Here are some tips on how to choose the best dairy products that will make your weight loss lightning fast.
Main rules
First, the rules I apply to determine whether a diary product will facilitate or hinder weight loss:
1. Fat contents: a Non-fat product is better than a low-fat one. Low-fat dairy is better than whole milk dairy.
2. Carbohydrate contents: Natural milk sugar (lactose) makes up around 4.5 % of cow’s milk. An acceptable amount of sugar (including lactose) in a dairy product is 6 %. The less the better.
3. Protein contents: the more the better. But more importantly, you should take the ‘protein to carbohydrate’ ratio into consideration (the higher, the better; to calculate the ratio divide the protein contents by sugar contents).
4. Fermented milk products are far more beneficial to you health and diet. Choose it over raw milk / powdered milk products.
5. At the beginning of the diet (Phase I in particular, Phase II if you hit a plateau) apply stricter criteria, as follows:
- choose only fermented products (yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, quark)
- with less fat (preferably 0 %)
- with less sugar (4.5 % rather than 6%)
- with better ‘protein to sugar’ ratio
Dairy in Dukan Diet
Fruit yogurts
Dukan allows artificially flavored yogurts as long as the sugar contents does not exceeds the aforementioned 6 % (= 1.7 g per ounce).
These yogurts are sweetened with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Eating them (in moderation) should not do any harm to the weight loss process. Be warned though, because eating sweet things (even though not containing any real sugar) can deepen your sugar cravings if you are prone to such.
Plain yogurts (natural, drinkable, Greek)
This is the best option in this category. Choose only non-flavored, plain yogurts. Read product label to determine if it meets the criteria I mentioned (no fat, no more than 6% of carbohydrates, good protein to sugar ratio).
The table below presents three most common types of plain yogurts. As you can see, the best choice is non-fat Greek yogurt as it is protein-rich (the best ratio) – it is recommended in all stages of the Dukan Diet and specifically during the Attack Phase.
Yogurts comparison
Different types of skimmed milk (0 % fat) yogurts, nutrition data & protein to sugar ratio.
Kefir, buttermilk, sour milk
Although they are three different kinds of milk products, kefir, buttermilk and sour milk all have similar nutritional value. They are not as effective (in terms of losing weight) as high-protein yogurts but including them in the plan can add some variety to the menu.
You probably won’t find any non-fat versions of buttermilk or sour milk but there’s a 0 % fat kefir available here and there. Let’s have a look at some nutrition data regarding the three products.
Comparison: kefir, buttermilk and sour milk
As you can see there’s nothing spectacular about the three dairy products above but still kefir, buttermilk and sour milk are pretty solid Dukan Diet Safe foods. That said, it is better to introduce them into the menu in Phase II.
Quark, Curd cheese, Pot cheese, Cottage cheese
All of the above mentioned kinds of cheese are not what we usually call cheese. They are made of sour or raw (cottage cheese) milk in a, so called, coagulation process.
What is so good about this type of cheese?
- It contains tons of protein and almost no sugar
- It can be mixed with yogurt or any other liquid dairy product to form a spreading mass
- or some stuffing…
- It can be cut in cubes to add to a salad and so on…
In short, quark is a very nourishing and universal dairy product of some incredible protein to sugar ratio.
The only downside of quark (curd / pot cheese) is that, unless you live in Eastern Europe, it’s not easily available. Some try to make it at home. It’s not that difficult after all. Here’s a guide: Quark – How to Make It and Where to Get It
On the other hand, cottage cheese is quite common in stores.
Let’s have a look at some stats.
Coagulated Cheeses Nutrition Facts
The low-fat cottage cheese has an enormous ratio of 5.07 but note that it contains some fat as well. After including fat in this calculation it appears that the ‘real’ scores are as follows: 3.05 for quark and 1.88 for cottage cheese.
This way or another, those are very nice ratios. I recommend both products for every Phase of the Dukan Diet.
Raw milk
Non-fat milk is ‘officially’ allowed in Dukan Diet but I do not recommend any excessive raw milk consumption. This is because of the raw milk’s high sugar contents that isn’t balanced with enough protein nor by fermentation processes (as in yogurt, kefir, quark etc).
Thus, you can add raw milk to your coffee or tea but that’s it. In my opinion there’s no point in drinking raw milk where there are so many fine dairy products that really help losing weight (see above).
Soy milk, rice milk, almond milk
Those are not even real milk! They are called that because their manufacturers made them resemble milk in look and, sometimes, taste. But not in nutritional value.
In fact, most of such products, while handy on some occasions, do not meet the Dukan Diet criteria for dairy products. Besides, like I said, they are not even dairy.
Nutrition data: soy / rice / almond milk
As you can see, there isn’t much protein in these milkish products above. In the same time, they contain sugars.
If you cannot have any milk because of lactose intolerance, try fermented milk products like yogurt:
The list of forbidden dairy in Dukan Diet
This list of forbidden foods applies mostly to Phase I and II. If you want to know what is allowed in Phase III check out my previous post here: Phase III Menu & Rules.
Hello is arla protein yoghurt allowed? Salted caramel or chocolate orange? Thanks
Is Hazelnut or Coconat Milk sugar free allowed in Dukan diet during attack phase? They are from Brand called rude health.
Also is Match latte powder allowed during attack phase? It’s sugar free, dairy free and gluten free. Sweetened with Monkfruit.
The skim plus fat free half and half is a creamer without corn syrup
Just milk. Would this be allowed in the attack phase?
do you mean that all light cheese( not fat free ) are forbidden even in small amount and even if the carb to protein ratio is favourable? and is this because of the high fat content?
do you mean that all light (not fat-free) cheese are forbidden even in small quantities? is that because of the high fat content? even if the carb protein ratio is favourable?
I was wondering if fat free sherbet is allowed in phase 1? Thanks!!!
Since there’s an allowance to eat fat free dairy – can we have fat free American cheese slices of fat free cheddar?
Can I eat cracklings oat bran cereal by kelloggs?
Can I ever eat Quaker oats oat meal?
Hi there
I’m having trouble registering on your site, specifically to join I the CHAT
Any tips?
yes admin have asked a cpl questions but no reply is this chat still
available?
Am i right to say that its best to look at the nutrition info on the back of food labels.
because on this yoghurt servin per 100g carb is what you said. 4.5% carbs
You are right.
is this the carb to protein ratio? sorry just trying to work stuff out.
Yup.
getting frustrated as cant seem to work it out,
could you say if this yoghurt is ok,
called soleil diet no fat low sugar. its less than greek yoghurt
150g serv
Energy 60 cal
protein 7.2g
fat total less than 0.02g
carb 6.8g
sugar 6.2g
sodium 105mg
this is the lowest of all yoghurts i could find
if anyone has any snack options would be great
Yes, this yogurt is ok. (4,5% carbs).
Thanks so much.
I will stick with pysillium then. To be honest Gluten Free food is stacked with it and I am yet to suffer any ill effect.
Thanks again.
Jane
I cannot eat gluten free oats without a severe reaction. However, I can get hold of whole oats which have had the gluten removed. My question was, can I substitute the whole oats for the bran? Or, is bran the same as whole oats?. I note you are American. In the UK oat bran is a fine powder and is not available gluten free where whole oats are large flakes.
Using (whole) oats instead of bran is pointless here. What we call oat bran here is oats outer husk (sold as… bran, husks). Oats (or oat flakes) are made of husks and germs. Whole oats have very little in common with oat bran as far as the diet properties are concerned. So, if you can’t use oat bran, don’t use it at all. If you’re comfortable with psyllium, go for it. Or find some other low-carb, supplementary source of dietary fiber (seaweed maybe?).
Thanks for your speedy reply.
Physillium is often used in diets for celiacs and appears in most of the foods we eat in the bespoke sections in supermarkets. I had no idea you could have a possible allergic reaction and had only read good things about it.
I can get hold of gluten free oats. Would it be worth milling them instead?
If you can get certified gluten-free oat bran, there’s no need for milling. The official dukan diet site sells some allegedly optimally milled oat bran. I’m not an expert in the field of gluten-related issues but afaik the protein in oat bran, avenin, causes fewer problems than the proteins found in wheat, rue and barley.
Hi, I am coeliac and although you can buy gluten free oats on Free From counters, I have been unable to find any oat bran in the shops or on the internet that is also gluten free,
I have been substituting oats with pysillium which also lowers cholesterol and has expanding properties.
Is this a good alternative?
Should i be using the powdered format (which is much denser and you need less), or should I be using the whole husk instead, which is lighter?
Many thanks
Psyllium powder is much more likely to cause allergic reactions and other adverse effects. I don’t think it is a good alternative to oat bran. If you can’t supplement your menu with oat bran I’d suggest that you include some fiber rich, low-carb vegs into your menu (in both pure protein and protetin/vegetable phase). Good examples are: belgian endive, rucola, parsley leaves, all fresh and dried herbs (chives, marjoram, basil, oregano etc.), some fungi and mushrooms (shiitake, cloud ears).
Ok great !!! Will keep u posted with my up dates !!!
Hi just wanted to know if my aim is to lose 40kg when I am on phase 2 do I stay there till I reach my goal of losing 40kg and then move on phase 3
Basically yes. Keep us posted, I’d like to hear from you on your progress.
It was my day 1 in the attack phase I had fish In morning and then had 3 egg white but I also added a few chops of tomatoes and onions and at night I had oat bran one egg pancake with yougart in it .all I need to know is there No veg allowed in phase 1 beside the herbs
Am I doing it ok ?
You’re doing fine. There are some special veg products allowed in phase 1 (in limited quantities: pickles, sauerkraut, belgian endive, see more in food list section), but as a rule of thumb: no veg allowed.
Thanks u r so helpfull
Hi can you have mayo in phase 1
No commercially prepared mayo. Too much fat.
Thank you!
I’ll hopefully be in the consolidation phase soon!!!
And talking about consolidation, could I possibly have 1/2 a 6inch subway sandwich everyday if its brown bread with grilled chicken, vegetables and no sauce?
I can’t vouch for subwa :). If you prepared such sandwich yourself, it would be diet compliant for sure. You never know what are these commercially prepared foods made of.
I think this would be the best I could do, what do you think?
and I’m not sure if this is relavant but I’m 5 ft 8 currently 67 kg and I am trying to reach my true weight of 63 kg and I’m doing turbulence training and 20 min interval cardio 6 times a week.
Fat (19%) Carbs (20%)
Protein (61%) Alcohol (0%)
Calories
1,522
Fat: (from skinless chicken, and 2 whole eggs)
31.9 g
286 calories
19 %
Carbohydrate (from yogurt and oatbran)
86.3 grams (4.6 dietary fibers)
303 calories
20 %
Protein (from chicken, eggs and yogurt)
220.2 grams
929 calories
61%
Thank you!
The stats look impressive. You are fated to succeed. Good luck!
So does it all depend on my daily carb:protein:fat ratio?
Usually mine is 50% protein 25% fat and 25% carbs.
It’s that good?
It is good. Could be better, but it’s good enough for sure.
Here is the nutrition data for 100g of the yoget I eat.
Calories 41
Sodium 0 mg
Total Fat 0 g
Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 0 g
Total Carbs 6 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Monounsaturated 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Trans 0 g
Protein 5 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Vitamin A 0%
Calcium 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Iron 0%
Decent but not perfect :).
Hi!
Recently I began logging my meals with fitday and I realized that my daily carbohydrate goes upto 100g almost everyday!!
Here is the list of carbs I eat everyday on pp days:
– dukan porridge with 1 tbsp oatbran and 100 ml skim milk.
– dukan bread with 1 tbsp oatbran, 1 tbsp wheat bran and 1tbsp skim milk powder
– 500 g of fat free fresh flavorless yogurt.
My questions are:
– is it rly possible to stay in ketosis with 100g of carbs?
– is there rly no limit to how much fat free yogurt I can have? Because I’d eat the entire 1 kg contain if there is no limit to how much not fat dairy we can have!!
– even if there is no limit, will eating more carb containing food slow down my weight loss?
Thank you :)
1. Is it rly possible to stay in ketosis with 100g of carbs?
Yup, the brain alone needs 125 to 150 grams of pure glucose a day, so no worries :).
2. How much dairy?
Some say, you should limit yourself to 1kg per day. I say, it depends on the carb to protein ratio. The better the ratio, the more you can have. E.g. if you eat non-fat quark that has 0% fat, 4.5% carbs and 15% protein, you don’t have to worry about carbs, cause the ratio is 1:3 (carbs:protein). On the other hand, fresh non-fat milk has 4.5% of carbs and only 3.5% of protein. Here, the ratio is bad, and you should limit drinking fresh milk.
Eating limited amounts of carbs (100-125g per day) won’t slow down your weight loss if you eat enough protein in the same time.
Hi i have been having this cheese coon light.
serving per 25g
energy 85 cal
protein 7.5g
fat-total 5.9g
saturated 3.8g
carb total less than 1g
sugars(lactose) less than 1g
sodium 180g
calcium 215mg
also i have a yoghurt drink i add
ski delite to skim milk as a desert
per 100g
energy 87 cal
protein 5.1g
fat total 1.0g
sat 0.6g
carb 13.8g
sugar 12.6g
sodium 55mg
this is the only dairy i have is this ok or can you please advise on something better
This cheese is absolutely forbidden (25% of fat!). The yogurt drink is too high in carbs too.
Try cottage cheese or quark or non-fat thick greek yogurt as a substitute for the cheese.
Kefir is good for drinking. Also you may dilute regular plain yogurt with some water. Add artificial sweetener and/or flavors if you want it to be sweet. Or a pinch of salt, black pepper, chopped chives, dil weed if you want something that plays well with meat. (the latter is my variation of Ayran http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayran)
Hey!
Could I have 1/2 a serving (2 squares) of this chocolate possible every other day without stopping my weight loss?
http://mobile.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/lindt/extra-dark-chocolate-85%25-cocoa?showFacts=True
Thanks!
Better not. Fatty and rich in carbs.
Hi, when can I start eating dairy products and how much of it a week? im done with Phase 1 … Thanks
You can eat non-fat dairy right from the beginning. Even in phase 1. Just make sure it’s non-fat and as low-carb as possible (no more than 6% of carbs, refer to the rules)
How about this one? It seems to contain 1g of sugar per serving
Ingredients:
Skimmed milk cheese (cultured skim milk, salt, enzymes)
nonfat dry milk, jalapeño peppers, water, sodium citrate, lactic acid, xanthan gum, loctus bean gum, guar gum.
LIFETIME fat free jalapeño jack
Nutrition Fact per 28g
Calories 40
Total Fat 0g (0% of daily value)
Saturated Fat 0g (0% of daily value)
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol 3mg (1% of daily value)
Sodium 220mg (12% of daily value)
Total carbohydrate 1g (1% of daily value)
Dietry Fiber 0g
Sugar 1g
Protein 8g
This one is close to ideal. You can eat it anytime. The only concern is the sodium contents. 10 servings make a regular daily limit for salt. And you should lower sodium consumption while on dukan diet. So, this product is pretty nice, but considering that it is high in sodium, not to be consumed to your heart’s content.
Hello!
I was wondering if the following would be allowed on cruise phase
KRAFT 2% MILK MOZZARELLA
Nutrition Fact per 28g
Calories 70
Total Fat 5g (8% of daily value)
Saturated Fat 3g (15% of daily value)
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol 15mg (5% of daily value)
Sodium 180mg (5% of daily value)
Total carbohydrate <1g (0% of daily value)
Dietry Fiber 0g
Sugar 0g
Protein 7g
KRAFT FAT FREE CHEDDAR
Nutrition Fact per 28g
Calories 45
Total Fat 0g (0% of daily value)
Saturated Fat 0g (0% of daily value)
Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol <5mg (1% of daily value)
Sodium 280mg (12% of daily value)
Total carbohydrate 2g (1% of daily value)
Dietry Fiber 0g
Sugar 0g
Protein 9g (18% of daily value)
THANK YOU :)
The first one is very fatty, You can’t eat it in Phase 2 nor in Phase 3!
The second one is pretty decent but contains some carbs (but not that much) and is high in sodium (salt). You can eat it in moderation (like 5 servings per day = 5 * 28 = 140 g).
in phase 2 do i add wheat bran ? i all ready take oat bran now
Oat bran is strongly recommended throughout all phases. Here’s a list of how much oat bran you should have.
Hi, i am starting dukan diet tommorow, and i want t ask about cheese slices :
Fat Free Amrican : in 1 slice (19 g)
Fat 0%
Cholestrel 1%
Sodium 10%
Carbs 1%
Protein 4g
Is it ok for phase 1 or 2?
Please advise
Hi,
Fat Free American Singles, as described by you are neither suitable for phase I nor II. They are high in carbs and sodium. The nutrition data you presented refer to 1 slice, and the percentage values are based on a recommended daily intakes. Such combination of data can be deceiving. When you denominate the nutrition facts into a unified form you’ll get:
Fat Free American (serving size 100g):
Fat 0g
Sodium 1268mg
Carbs 14.1g
Protein 18.8g
As you can see the protein contents is decent but carbs are too high for either phase I or II. I guess, it won’t hurt you including Fat Free American in phase III though.
I found fat free cheddar cheese at the store and I was wondering if I could have a 20g slice or two a day.
Nutrition facts per 100 g
Energy 145 kcal
Protein 22g
Fat 0.5 g
Carbs 10.5 g
Calcium 725 mg
Save it for Phase III. Do not eat it in Phase I or II. Too much carbs.
can you have mustard with the sauerkraut in PP
Sure you can :). But just not tons of mustard. Moderation is advised :).
I know I read something about sourkraut, is that only in the Cruise phase or can I have it when I do the Attack phase?
Thank you!!!
Yes, you can eat sauerkraut in every Phase. But consider the following things:
1. Sauerkraut is a magnificent delicacy. But be warned, I am not talking here about some supermarket canned sauerkraut. Only home made (or at least home made style manufactured) sauerkraut will do the job.
2. What job? Sauerkraut has virtually no fat, very little carbohydrates (most of which is fiber) and some protein. The job is to make you feel full but not to make you fat. It does the job well.
3. Unfortunately, sauerkraut very high in sodium (salt).
4. The Dukan Diet is about eating protein (this is the beating heart of the diet, this is what makes your weight loss happen) and not just eating low-calorie stuff that makes you satiated. Remember that while including sauerkraut and other non-protein food in your diet. That said, sauerkraut is a perfect addition to the protein rich menu.
Hope this clears things a bit.