Good food is the cornerstone to any diet program, even in HCG diets that also utilise additional hormone supplements to help people lose weight. HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin or human chorionic gonadotrophin, a naturally occurring hormone that is mostly produced by women during pregnancy.
HCG is a chorionic gondatropin that is composed of 244 amino acids, with a molecular mass of 36.7 kDa. HCG is used by people to lose weight, along with specific food intake programs and exercise routines. British endocrinologist A.T.W. Simeons popularised the use of HCG as a weight loss (www.prescriptionhcg.com) hormone, along with the use of an ultra-low-calorie weight-loss diet that consisted of less than 500 calories.

Dr Simeons published a recommended daily weight loss and dietary program, that has since been varied and advanced by a number of modern diet researchers and nutritionists. Good quality food is an important part of any HCG diet, as the use of the HCG hormone alone is not enough to help people lose weight without a low calorie diet. The original diet published by Dr Simeons consisted of a very specific daily food intake, including a breakfast of only tea or coffee and a similar menu for lunch and dinner. While many modern dietitians have changed many of these recommendations, the basic low calorie nature of his diet continues to be the basis of a number of modern HCG based diet programs.

Many people think that going on a diet is going to mean missing out on their favourite foods, but this is not necessarily the case. The standard HCG diet published by Dr Simeons may have had a low intake of fat and sugars, but tasty food could still be eaten on a daily basis. The standard menu of the traditional HCG diet included 100 grams of meat such as veal, chicken breast, fish, beef, lobster, crab, or shrimp, although all meat has to be cooked by grilling or boiling. One vegetable can also be eaten for lunch or dinner, including spinach, chard, beet-greens, green salad, tomatoes, fennel, celery, onions, cucumber, asparagus, or cabbage. Bread is also allowed for lunch, as is a single piece of fruit such as an apple, orange, strawberries, or grapefruit. The original HCG diet, as well as its many modern variations, allow people to enjoy good food while also losing weight at the same time.