Questions about Rung 2

[7Miriam]

I'm going to move up to Rung 2, but am not sure exactly what I can have on it.

I'm pretty sure I can have fresh cheeses, like cottage cheese.

I've seen posts where people talk about having milk and yogurt on Rung 2. But the Dr. Atkins shopping guide book lists these as not available until pre-maintance. Also, 2002 DANDR doesn't say anything about being able to ear milk and yogurt on OWL as far as I can tell. I'd really like to be able to have these, but I'm not sure if it is really permissible. I'm trying very hard to follow the plan as exactly as I can. Any advice would be very appreciated!

Also, I've seen posts talking about eating low-carb ice cream and sugar free jello pudding. I haven't had any aftificial sweeteners since starting Atkings, b/c I'm afraid they may bring on cravings, but I'm starting to think it may be better to have a small portion of a "legal" dessert on occassion to decrease my risk of going off the plan. I looked at the sugar free jello pudding label and a little cup has sucralose in it. (It also had 12 net carbs and partially hydronated oil, so I'd use it as an occassional treat, maybe one little cup every other week.) Are these ok?

[julirama723]

Fresh dairy is Rung 2. This includes:

cottage cheese
ricotta
mascarpone
yogurt
greek yogurt
kefir
cream (larger amount)
milk
ice cream (atkins-legal)

ETC. (This list is not all-inclusive...)

Milk has lactose, a natural milk sugar. If you get milk with more fat, it has less lactose, and milk with less fat has more lactose. Generally, people might leave milk (as a beverage) for maintenance or pre-maintenance because of the carbs, but on OWL you can still drink small amounts (5g carbs approximately per serving) or use it as an ingredient in recipes.

As far as ice-cream goes, it's FILLED with sugar alcohols or artificial sweetners. Remember, if you feel no effects from sugar alcohols (diarrhea namely) they have been metabolised like regular carbs and need to be counted as such. "Natural" ice cream has added sugar or honey, and is not atkins-legal.

Pre-made pudding is full of crap, namely food starch and artificial sweetener. Personally, I'd stay away from them. You can make your OWN pudding, I think Linda's website has a recipe:

Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes

There are other pudding recipes, here's one to start with!

[liv]

I am guessing pudding probably has starches added so they would not be OK. Now that you are on the dairy rung, you can make some desert like items with yogurt, cream, mascarpone by adding flavored sugar free syrups if you want.
You can make your own ice cream too to avoid some of the artificial crap stuff if you prefer.

Milk and yogurt are fine on rung two but go for full fat variants and watch the portions.

[7Miriam]

Thanks! The jello pudding does have food starch. Don't know why it didn't occur to me I could make my own. I found some receipes on the link to Linda's that you gave me.

I was wondering where the list of what you can eat of the dairy rung comes from? The reason I was confused in that the book Dr. Atkins shopping guide lists milk and yogurt as pre-maintenance and NOT permitted on OWL. Do you know if he said elsewhere it is ok to have them on OWL - or is this just something that lots of people do without any problem?