What should I eat on Ozempic?

Build every plate protein-first, then vegetables and fibre, then a little starch or fat. Aim for 25 to 40 grams of protein per meal, sip water through the day, and keep portions small since appetite is low. Lean, plainer foods sit better than greasy or very rich ones.

What foods should I avoid on a GLP-1?

Very greasy, fried, or heavy foods tend to trigger nausea and reflux when the stomach empties slowly, so ease off them, especially in the first weeks and after a dose increase. Large portions, fizzy drinks, and a lot of alcohol also feel worse than they used to.

Do I need to count calories on Ozempic?

Usually no. The medication lowers appetite for you, so the risk is eating too little and losing muscle, not too much. Most women do better tracking protein and how they feel than counting calories, which can drift into old diet habits that do not help here.

What to eat on Ozempic: a protein-first plate for women on a GLP-1

The 30-second summary

On a GLP-1 your appetite is low, so the danger is not overeating, it is under-eating protein and losing muscle. Every plate should start with protein.

Aim for 25 to 40 grams of protein per meal, roughly 120 grams a day, then fibre, then a little starch or fat. Keep portions small and eat slowly.

Plain beats rich. Greasy, fried food sits badly when the stomach empties slowly. Lean protein, vegetables, and steady water are the whole game.

The one shift that changes everything

Most eating advice assumes you are fighting hunger. On a GLP-1 the fight is the opposite. Wegovy and Zepbound turn appetite down so far that many women forget to eat until mid-afternoon, then have a few bites and feel full. That is exactly how you lose the wrong kind of weight.

So the rule is simple: protein first, every time. Put the protein on the plate before anything else, and eat it before anything else. When appetite runs out after six bites, you want those bites to have been chicken, eggs, fish, tofu, Greek yoghurt, or a shake, not toast.

The plate, in order

Think of each meal as a sequence, not a pile:

Protein first. 25 to 40 grams. Eggs, chicken, fish, prawns, tofu, tempeh, lentils, cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt.
Fibre and colour next. Vegetables, salad, berries. Fibre eases the constipation that GLP-1s are famous for. (See constipation on a GLP-1.)
A little starch or healthy fat last. A few potatoes, some rice, half an avocado. Not the star, the finish.

If appetite runs out at step one, you have still won.

What tends to sit badly

You do not need a list of forbidden foods, but some things simply feel worse now:

Greasy and fried food. Slowed stomach emptying plus fat is the classic recipe for nausea. (See nausea on day three.)
Very large portions. Your stomach empties slowly. A big plate that felt normal in the past can now mean hours of discomfort.
A lot of alcohol. It hits harder and can worsen reflux and low mood. (See GLP-1s and alcohol.)

None of this is about willpower. It is about working with a slower gut, not against it.

Do not count calories, count protein

The instinct many women bring from years of dieting is to count calories and eat less. On a GLP-1 that instinct is actively harmful, because the drug already cut your intake. Under-eat on top of that and you lose muscle, slow your metabolism, and arrive at your goal weight weaker. (See why muscle is the number that matters and protein on a GLP-1.)

Track protein and water instead. Those are the two numbers that protect your body while the medication does its work.

What Steady does with this

Steady is built around the one number that matters when you can barely eat: protein.

A protein target set to your goal weight sits on the home screen, so you always know what is left to hit.
Food logs in seconds, with a coach that can tell you how to add 30 grams before bed based on what you already ate.
Your water and fibre ride alongside it, the quiet defenders against nausea and constipation.

The scale will move on its own. Steady keeps the plate protecting the parts of you worth keeping.

Sources

Cermak NM, et al. Protein supplementation augments the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to resistance-type exercise: a meta-analysis. AJCN 2012. PubMed
Jastreboff AM, et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for Obesity (SURMOUNT-1). NEJM 2022;387:205-216. NEJM
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Protein and satiety guidance. eatright.org

Medical disclaimer: Articles in the Steady research hub are educational, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber or a dietitian about your own nutrition. See our full medical disclaimer.