Dukan Diet Food Focus: Goji Berries
Thanks for stopping by and welcome to the brand new column of the Dukan Diet Meals Blog: Food Focus. I thought it would be helpful to include articles which discuss specific foods that are allowed on the Dukan plan in order to understand how they can aid weight loss, why Pierre Dukan recommends these are included in every phase and we can easily incorporate these super foods into our daily routine.
I’d like to kick-start this column with one of the most discussed Dukan-friendly foods: goji berries. Goji berries are the only fruit allowed during the Attack and Cruise phases of the plan. If this comes as a surprise as you don’t remember reading anything about it on the original book, that’s because goji berries were included in the plan after the original book was first published. Despite their high carb content, goji berries have fantastic health benefits and this is why they are one of the superfoods you should consume during any phase of the Dukan Diet.
What are goji berries?
Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, originally come from China and, as you can see in the picture above, they are sold dried and look a bit like small red-coloured raisins. The taste is not far off from cranberries and, despite being a relatively new health-food trend here in the UK, they have been consumed regularly in China and Far East for many many years.
Health benefits of goji berries
Goji berries are an incredibly nutritionally-rich fruit which contain beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B, anti-oxidants, iron and over 18 amino acids just to name a few. This means that, overall, they are one of the most nutritious foods you are allowed during the Dukan Diet and it’s easy to see how, in the absence of fruit and with a limited allowance of vegetables, they can easily provide lots of nutrients that would otherwise be missing from your routine.
As well as the health benefits above, goji berries also help those suffering from constipation during any stage of the plan.
Goji berries allowance on the Dukan Diet
In the Dukan Diet goji berries are a tolerated food and therefore you should be careful when it comes to quantities. The official instructions from Pierre Dukan are:
- 1 tablespoon during the Attack Phase and PP days of the Cruise Phase
- 2 tablespoons during P+V days of the Cruise Phase
- 3 tablespoons during the Consolidation Phase
How to consume goji berries
The easiest way to consume goji berries is straight out of the packet on their own or mixed with fat-free yoghurt as a Dukan-friendly snack or as a sweet treat after a main meal. However they can also be used for cooking and used in recipes such as oat bran porridge, oat bran galette and muffins.
Where to buy goji berries in the UK
The only problem of eating goji berries on a regular basis is that it can be rather expensive if you buy from them from the supermarket, where only small 100g packets are sold and no organic option is available. You should be able to find goji berries in most health stores such as Holland & Barrett although they tend to be even more expensive; alternatively you can easily order larger quantities from Amazon UK
