Although there is no Ozempic-specific diet, there are important things to consider and eat to make the most out of your time on the drug.
This includes eating the right foods for both health and weight. In particular, certain foods can help you stay full for longer so you naturally reduce your calorie intake.
This is important once you come off the drug. A balanced diet such as the Mediterranean diet can help with this.
This article will cover how to follow a diet to Ozempic and a sample 7 day meal plan to follow, including 20 recipes, a structured meal plan and a corresponding shopping list.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is the brand name for the medication semaglutide. It’s a prescription medication for type 2 diabetics to manage blood glucose levels.
It is part of a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 receptor agonists). They stimulate the release of insulin, helping to lower blood sugar levels.
In the context of dieting, they naturally reduce your appetite, so you naturally eat less. They also slow down the movement of food in your gut, keeping you full for longer.
Tips When Eating a Diet on Ozempic
Even though Ozempic will reduce the amount of food and calories that you eat, you still need to be mindful of exactly what you are eating.
These are some important considerations to factor in:
- Eat a Healthy Balance of Macronutrients: Aim to include all three macronutrients in your diet—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Opt for complex carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes, and vegetables. Choose lean sources of protein such as poultry, fish, tofu, or legumes. Include healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
- Control carbohydrate intake: Since Ozempic helps regulate blood sugar levels, you may still want to be mindful of your carbohydrate intake. Spread out your carbohydrate consumption throughout the day and choose complex carbohydrates that have a lower impact on blood sugar levels.
- Focus on fiber-rich foods: Include high-fiber foods in your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Fiber helps promote satiety, aids digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
- Consider meal timing: Some individuals find it helpful to space out their meals and snacks evenly throughout the day to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Determine a meal schedule that suits your needs.
- Ensure Portion control: Pay attention to portion sizes to prevent overeating. Consider using measuring cups or a food scale to accurately measure your food until you become comfortable estimating portion sizes.
Foods to Eat on an Ozempic Diet
The foods below are important foods to choose to form a balanced, healthy diet that meets all your nutritional needs as well as helps you lose weight.
- Vegetables: All vegetables are healthy, but non-starchy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and bell peppers are even better. These are low in carbohydrates and high in fiber and nutrients, which can help in managing blood sugar levels.
- Fruits: These are healthy foods, but consume fruits in moderation as they contain natural sugars. Opt for fruits with a lower glycemic index like berries, cherries, and apples.
- Whole grains: Whole grains are important to choose over refined grains, as they are more nutritionally complete and don’t spike blood sugar levels as much. Whole grains include quinoa, brown rice, whole-grain bread and oatmeal.
- Nuts and seeds: They are thought of as being a food that is fattening, but many studies find that as long as you don’t overeat, they can help you reduce weight.
- Beans and legumes: These are excellent plant-based sources of protein. This protein helps you stay fuller for longer and helps you naturally reduce your calorie intake. Beans and legumes include chickpeas, lentils, black beans, kidney beans and more.
- Lean Proteins: Include sources of lean protein, such as chicken, turkey, fish, and legumes. These foods do not raise blood sugar levels and are important for muscle maintenance.
- Healthy Fats: Incorporate sources of healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Be cautious with portions as these foods are calorie-dense, but they are very nutritious and are great to eat as part of a balanced diet.
- Fatty Fish: Fatty fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and proteins, which can improve heart health and insulin sensitivity. They include fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring.
- Low-fat dairy: Opt for low-fat or non-fat dairy options when possible, as full-fat dairy can be high in saturated fats. Some people with diabetes also find that yogurt and cheese have a lesser impact on blood sugar compared to milk.
Foods to Limit
These are foods you should generally avoid if you want to lose weight optimally. By all means, treat yourself occasionally – but don’t make a habit of eating these foods regularly:
- Junk foods: fast food and potato chips
- Refined carbohydrates: white bread, pasta, crackers, flour tortillas, biscuits
- Fried foods: french fries, donuts, fried meats
- Sugar-sweetened beverages: soda, tea with added sugar, sports drinks
- Processed meats: bacon, canned meat, salami, sausages
- Trans fats: vegetable oil and margarine
What’s the Best Diet for Someone Taking Ozempic?
The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the best diets to follow, both for health and weight reasons.
Although it is not an extreme diet that will cause you to lose massive amounts of weight in a short period, is it a sustainable diet where the weight loss can be maintained long-term.
This is important, particularly once you come off Ozempic.
Many credible organizations suggest following a Mediterranean diet. These include:
- Harvard Medical School
- Mayo Clinic
- American Heart Association
- Arthritis Foundation
- Osteoarthritis Foundation Internal
It is also a great diet to follow for weight loss. The Mediterranean diet has been ranked as the best diet according to the U.S. News & World Report.
In particular, it comes out on top when it comes to its healthiness and easiness to follow. This makes it a perfect diet to follow if you want to lose weight healthily and sustainably, meaning you keep the weight off long-term.
How to Follow a Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet pyramid below gives a good visual indication of what foods to prioritize.
At the bottom are common staple foods that are to be consumed in large amounts and more frequently. Portion sizes and frequency decline as you go up the pyramid.
The pyramid intentionally does not specify recommended weights of foods or calories. It is only meant to provide an overall look at healthy food choices and their relative proportions.
It does this because good health has been attributed to variations within the overall dietary pattern. The more variety you get within the specified relative allowances per category – the better.
7 Day Mediterranean Ozempic Diet
Sample Menu
In the meal plan are recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
| Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Blueberry Blues Porridge | Greek Salad | Haddock Risotto |
| Tues | Basil & Spinach Scramble | Falafel Wraps | Eggplant & Lentil Bake |
| Wed | Tomato & Watermelon Salad | Carrot, Orange & Avocado Salad | Mediterranean Chicken, Quinoa & Greek Salad |
| Thurs | Blueberry Blues Porridge | Mixed Bean Salad | Grilled Vegetables with Bean Mash |
| Fri | Basil & Spinach Scramble | Panzanella Salad | Salmon & Chickpea Salad |
| Sat | Tomato & Watermelon Salad | Spiced Carrot & Lentil Soup | Chicken Gyros |
| Sun | Blueberry Blues Porridge | Moroccan Chickpea Soup | Spicy Mediterranean Beet Salad |
Snacks are recommended between meal times. Some good snacks include:
- A handful of nuts or seeds
- A piece of fruit
- Carrots or baby carrots
- Berries or grapes
Day 1: Monday
Breakfast: Breakfast Blues Porridge
Nutrition
- Calories – 347
- Protein – 15g
- Carbs – 42g
- Fat – 15g
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- ½ cup (50g) porridge oats
- ⅚ cup (200ml) milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
- ⅛ cup (25g) chia seeds
- ¾ cup (150g) blueberries
- ⅓ cup (25g) flaked almonds
Instructions
- Mix the porridge oats, milk, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt and chia seeds in a bowl and soak for one minute. Once the oats have softened, add some of the blueberries.
- Place the mixture into two bowls and add any remaining berries and almonds.
Lunch: Greek Salad
Nutrition
- Calories – 273
- Protein – 6g
- Carbs – 14g
- Fat – 24g
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- ⅘ cup (120g) cherry tomatoes,
- 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ (60g) or about 16 Kalamata olives
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ⅓ cup (50g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and lightly season. Serve with wholemeal bread.
Dinner: Haddock Risotto
Nutrition