A Complete Low-Carb Diet Guide for Beginners - 2
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/low-carb-diet-beginners-guide-food-list-meal-plan-tips/
A Detailed Low-Carb Diet Food List
While the food lists for low-carb diets vary based on the plan, here’s a look at the foods you’d generally eat and avoid when following a traditional low-carb diet.
Foods to Eat
- Nonstarchy vegetables: zucchini (4 g carbs per cup),[9] cabbage (5 g carbs per cup),[10] broccoli (6 g carbs per cup),[11] Brussels sprouts (8 g carbs per cup),[12] leafy greens (like spinach, for example, at 1 g carbs per cup),[13] and tomatoes (7 g carbs per cup)[14]Meat, such as chicken, beef, pork, and lamb (0 g carbs per 3 ounces [oz])Fish and seafood, like shrimp (0 g carbs per 3 oz)[15]Eggs (0 g carbs per egg)[16]Cheese, like cheddar (less than 1 g carbs per 1/2 oz)[17]Olives (2 g carbs for 10 small olives)[18]Oil, such as canola oil, olive oil, and coconut oil (0 g carbs per tablespoon [tbsp])Butter (0 g carbs per tbsp)[19]Cream (0.4 g carbs per tbsp)[20]Greek yogurt (7 g carbs per 6 oz, low fat)[21]Cottage cheese (10 g carbs per 1 cup, low fat)[22]Nuts, like almonds (6 g carbs per 1 oz)[23]Berries, like raspberries (15 g carbs per 1 cup)[24]Melon, like cantaloupe (13 g carbs per 1 cup)[25]Avocado (9 g carbs per half)[26]Dark chocolate (13 g carbs per 1 oz)[27]
Foods to Limit or Avoid
- Processed snack products, like crackers, chips, and cookiesRiceBreadOatmealPastaGrains, such as farro, bulgur, and quinoaMilkHigher-carb fruits, like grapes and bananasBeans and lentilsStarchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes and potatoes, though these may be okay in moderation depending on your carb goal — but watch the portions.High-sugar foods, such as cake, ice cream, candy, and soda
A 3-Day Sample Menu of a Low-Carb Diet
Your choices and portion sizes will depend on your individual carbohydrate goal and calorie needs, but here’s a mock meal plan for a low-carb diet to give you an idea of how it looks to eat this way:
Day 1
- Breakfast Veggie omelet topped with avocadoLunch Burrito bowl (no rice or beans) with extra fajita veggies, extra meat (of choice), cheese, guacamole, and salsaDinner Grilled chicken breast with mixed roasted vegetables (broccoli or cauliflower) and a half of a sweet potato with butterSnack Option Mixed berries with a dollop of almond butter
Day 2
- Breakfast Chia seed pudding topped with nuts and melonLunch Arugula salad with grilled salmonDinner Chicken or steak tacos in lettuce wraps; side salad with tomatoes and vinaigretteSnack Option Snack pack of olives, plus raw veggies
Day 3
- Breakfast Eggs with sautéed greens (spinach or kale); strawberries or blueberries topped with Greek yogurt and chopped nutsLunch Chicken and vegetable soup (without rice or noodles)Dinner Shrimp and vegetable stir-fry over cauliflower riceSnack Option Epic bar (grass-fed meat-based protein bar) with strips of cucumber and red pepper
Resources We Love
Best Book
Low-Carb Diet for Dummies
Because of the trendy keto diet, it’s tough to find new books specifically geared toward eating simply low-carb (not very low-carb and high-fat, like keto). This book, by Katherine B. Chauncey, PhD, RD, goes back to basics with tips on how to choose foods, how to cook with those foods, and how to stick to the diet in the long-term so that you can maintain weight loss and health gains.
Best Website
Atkins is a type of low-carb diet (and a brand itself with ready-to-eat foods). It is not the only way to follow a low-carb diet, but it can be a good starting point when you need guidance before diving into low-carb eating. Plus, some people find that they are more successful on structured diets, and if that’s you, you’ll want to check out their resources and plans.
Best Blogs
Peace, Love, and Low Carb
If you’re new to the low-carb lifestyle, you’ll want to visit low-carb blogs regularly. Peace, Love, and Low Carb is organized in a way that you can target recipes specific to your diet goals and food preferences, and you’ll walk away with some pretty inventive spins on favorite dishes to help you really enjoy eating low-carb.
Little Pine Kitchen
Find delicious inspo for any meal and snack from her large library of IG-worthy recipes, like Pistachio-Crusted Salmon, garlic-parmesan sauce, and pork tenderloin with chimichurri.
Best App
MyFitnessPal
Android, iOS
No one should be counting carbs in their head. To make it all easier — and relieve some stress — sign up for an app where you can easily count your macros (protein, fat, carbs). MyFitnessPal is one of the most user-friendly apps for food tracking.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/low-carb-diet-beginners-guide-food-list-meal-plan-tips/
Summary: Should You Go on a Low-Carb Diet?
While the jury is still out as to if a low-carb diet is superior to other plans for long-term weight loss and overall health, low-carb eating may be a springboard into greater health, especially if you’re used to eating the standard American diet, which is high in processed fare and low in vegetables.[28]
That said, you don’t have to jump in with both feet. Schmidt recommends trying to eat under 200 g of carbs a day initially (a moderate-carb diet) and then adjust lower based on how you feel. “If you start paying attention to the carbs in your diet, you’ll eat fewer processed foods,” she says. And it’s those whole foods that are the basis of good health.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/low-carb-diet-beginners-guide-food-list-meal-plan-tips/
