Food preparation on the HCG Diet
Shopping for foods you’ll need during the HCG diet ahead of time is a major key to having a successful diet. However, the BIG question is, are you going to shop for the entire protocol or just for a week’s worth of food at a time? Here are the shelf lives of the most popular HCG diet foods for you to plan your meals out a week at a time.
HCG Diet Shelf Life
Fruits and Vegetables
| Produce Items | Stored at Room Temperature | Once Ripened at Room Temperature, Refrigerate | Refrigerate Immediately |
| Apple | 7 days or more | 3-4 weeks | 1-2 months |
| Asparagus | 1-2 days | 3-4 days | |
| Beet-greens | 5-7 days | 2 weeks | |
| Broccoli | 1-2 days | 5-7 days | |
| Cabbage | 7 days or more | 5-7 days | |
| Celery | 7 days or more | 1-2 weeks | |
| Chard | 3-5 days | ||
| Chicory | 3-5 days | ||
| Cucumber | 2-4 days | 1 week | |
| Fennel | 5-7 days | ||
| Grapefruit | 4-6 days | 2-3 weeks | |
| Green Lettuce | 2-4 days | 5-7 days | |
| Lemon | 5-7 days | 2 weeks | |
| Onion | 3-5 days | 2 weeks | |
| Orange | 4-6 days | 1-2 months | |
| Red Radishes | 5-7 days | ||
| Spinach | 3-5 days | 5-7 days | |
| Strawberries | 1-2 days | 2-3 days | 5-7 days |
| Tomato | 3-5 days |
Proteins
Choose fresh protein options as much as possible. Of course, you can purchase frozen one but the quality can be affected. Now, if you can find good sources of organic meat, way much better. Buy the portion that you will need for the duration of your diet. Freeze it so that it will last longer but be sure that you have weight and cut the meat first before throwing them into the fridge.
Also, cooked protein options last longer when refrigerated than the raw one. Otherwise, most raw proteins will only be good for a few days after you purchase them even when refrigerated.
Beef steaks– Sirloin tip, tri-tip steak, and the top round will last for 1-2 days after the printed date. When cooked and refrigerated, can last up to 7 days.
Lean ground beef– Lean ground beef can last for a few days after the printed date. When cooked and refrigerated, can last up to 7 days
Fish– When you buy fresh fish and put them in the refrigerator, most can only last for a few days. If you do not plan to cook them after buying, be sure that you will freeze them. Frozen cod, for example, can be stored for 6-8 month in the freezer when properly sealed. Crab meat, however, will only last for 3-4 months when frozen.
Chicken– You can store fresh chicken breasts in the fridge for 1-2 days. When cooked, they are good for 3-4 days. If you decide to freeze the chicken breast, it will last up to 9 months in the freezer.