Low Carbohydrate Foods – The term indicates the concept behind it: “low carb” is made up of the two English words “low” and “carb,” the abbreviation of “carbohydrates” (carbohydrates). Eating low carb then means consuming minimal carbohydrates. Depending on individual goals, a diet is considered low in carbohydrates when carbohydrates are between 20g and 150g of carbohydrates per day.
Carbohydrates are individual of the three macronutrients that provide the body with energy. The other two are lipids (fat) and protein. Carbohydrates provide the body with energy faster than fat and protein. The main reason for a low-carb diet is to lose weight. By reducing the carbohydrate intake, the calorie intake is automatically lower. The body then draws its energy from the two macronutrients: proteins and fats, losing fat mass.
“Low carb” is not a fixed name, so there is no single, unanimous definition to categorize a portion of food as low in carbohydrates. However, to arrive at a list of suitable foods, we have set ourselves the following limit: maximum 10 g of carbohydrates per 100 g of food. It is a relatively low quantity if we look at bread (50 g per 100 g) or pasta (60 g per 100 g), for example, but a high enough limit to find many foods that respect it!
The 10 Best Low Carbohydrate Foods
The best low-carb foods on our lists are deficient in carbohydrates and exceptionally high in nutrients (carbohydrate (g) / 100 g). These foods have their place on your shopping lists:
- Fish (0 g)
- Meat (0 g)
- Vegetable oil (olive, rapeseed, sunflower, coconut) (0 g)
- Eggs (0.3 g)
- Tofu (0.7 g)
- Lean white cheese (4.2 g)
- Mushrooms (<5 g)
- Green vegetables (<10 g)
- Red fruits (<10 g)
- Citrus (<10 g)
What foods are allowed?
- If you are starting to take an interest in low-carb eating, you should be wondering which foods are allowed. To help you with this transition and guide you as best as possible, we’ve compiled an exhaustive list of the best low-carb foods in a PDF for you to download for free and print. Also, check out the best low-carb fruits and vegetables below.
Fruits and Veggies – Low Carbohydrates Foods
Fruits are not necessarily all high in sugars and carbohydrates! Some fruits contain less than 10g of sugars per 100g and are just as delicious as others. Here is the list of the 10 fruits low in sugar and carbohydrates (carbohydrates (g) / 100 g) *:
- Rubharbe (1 g)
- Lemon (2.9 g)
- Redcurrants (5 g)
- Melon (6 g)
- Grapefruit (6 g)
- Blackberries (6.2 g)
- Watermelon (6.3 g)
- Strawberry (7 g)
- Raspberry (7 g)
- Mandarin (9 g)
The energy for virtually all types of fruit comes primarily from carbohydrates, more precisely fructose and glucose. Still, you shouldn’t stop fruit even on a low-carb diet: since 80-90% of the fruit is water, the absolute carbohydrate content of fresh fruit is still relatively low. Even greater carbohydrate varieties like mangoes, grapes, cherries, or persimmons contain only about 15g of carbohydrate per 100g.
This law does not apply to dried fruits, however: since a large part of the water has been removed from dried fruits, their carbohydrate content increases significantly: on average, 100 g of dried fruits contain not only 280 calories but also 60 g of carbohydrates. The same goes for fruit juices on a low-carb diet. 100ml of fruit juice has an average of 12g of carbohydrate, which admittedly doesn’t seem like much at first glance. But a 300 ml glass brings you 36 g: an amount that should reserves for consuming fresh fruit during a low-carb diet since all the nutrients and minerals are preserved.
Which vegetables are low in carbohydrates?
Almost all vegetables are shallow in carbohydrates, making them perfect for a low-carb diet! Therefore, your low-carb diet will be very green, rich in plants, and therefore in vitamins and minerals! Here are our top 10 low-sugar vegetables (carbohydrates (g) / 100 g):
- Chicory (0.7 g)
- Spinach (0.8 g)
- Mushrooms (1.1 g)
- Chinese cabbage (1.2 g)
- Celery branch (1.5 g)
- Sauerkraut (1.7 g)
- Cucumber (2 g)
- Zucchini (2 g)
- Radish (2.1 g)
- Cauliflower (2.3 g)
What foods are prohibited in the low carbohydrate diet?
As low carb strongly limits carbohydrates, all foods rich in carbohydrates prohibited :
- Bread
- Cakes
- Pasta
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Peas, beans (except greens), and lentils
- High fructose fruits
- Ready meals
- Sweet foods
- Fruit juices and sodas
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