What Is Low Carb
A low-carb diet means that you eat fewer carbohydrates and a higher proportion of protein and fat. This can also be called a keto diet.4 However, not all low-carb diets result in ketosis.
For decades weve been told that fat is detrimental to our health. Meanwhile, low-fat diet products, often full of sugar, flooded supermarket shelves. This coincided with the beginning of the obesity epidemic and, in hindsight, was likely a major mistake. While the proliferation of low-fat products doesnt prove causation, its clear the low-fat message didnt prevent the increase in obesity, and we believe that it has contributed.5
Studies now show that theres little reason to fear natural fats.6 Instead, on a low-carb diet you dont have to fear fat. Simply minimize your intake of sugar and starches, make sure you are getting adequate protein or even high amounts of protein and you can eat enough natural fat to enjoy your meals.7
When you avoid sugar and starches, your blood sugar tends to stabilize, and the levels of the fat-storing hormone insulin drop, which may make it easier to burn fat stores in the body.8In addition, the higher protein intake and presence of ketones may make you feel more satiated, thereby naturally reducing food intake and promoting weight loss.9
Studies show that a low-carb diet can make it easier to lose weight and to control your blood sugar, among other benefits.10
The Health Benefits Of Shirataki Noodles
Replacing any high-carb food like pasta with a virtually zero calorie and zero carb food like shirataki noodles will obviously have a profoundly positive impact on health, but this isnt the only reason why we should include shirataki noodles in our diet.
Studies have found that glucomannan a soluble fiber that comprises 40% of the dry weight of the konjac plant has many properties that can help us lose weight and improve health. Here are some examples of what this fiber can do for us:
- It has been shown to promote satiety via several mechanisms, keeping us fuller with less food for longer.
- It improves several important risk factors for heart disease, including total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and fasting blood sugar.
- It improves gut health by feeding friendly gut bacteria.
- It reduces carb, fat, and protein absorption .
One important caveat, however, is that glucomannan expands rapidly, and it can absorb up to 50 times its weight in water. This can help trigger satiety, but it can also cause digestive issues as well.
Peak Triple Cream Plain Yogurt
According to Vox, “Peak, a Portland, Oregon-based keto yogurt brand, has gone one step further, producing a vanilla yogurt with 16 percent fat and a plain variety with 17 percent.”
In other words, this is as creamy and fatty as you can get with yogurt, making it ideal for high-fat, low-carb diets like keto.
Per serving: 270 calories, 24g fat, 4g net carbs, 8g protein
You May Like: Sugar Tablets Side Effects
What Can You Drink On Keto
Staying hydrated on keto is crucial, especially as your body sheds excess water weight during your first week of carb restriction. Your go-to options will be water , black coffee*, unsweetened tea*, and bone broth.
If you want something with more flavor to it, stick with zero-carb options, such as diet soda, flavored sparkling beverages, and water flavor enhancers.
When choosing a flavored drink, however, pay close attention to ingredients and the nutrition label. Opt for zero-carb choices that feature natural sugar-free sweeteners.
Regarding alcohol, the lowest carb alcoholic drinks will be dry wine, low-carb beer, unsweetened spiked seltzers, and unflavored hard liquor. Despite being low in carbs, these should only be consumed in moderation because alcohol consumption impairs our ability to lose fat.
For a complete list of keto-friendly drinks and what to avoid, check out our comprehensive guide to what you can drink on keto.
*Caffeine caveat: As long as you consume less than 500 mg of caffeine per day, the caffeine will not have a dehydrating effect.
Total Carbs Vs Net Carbs
The carb content for a standard serving and the number of carbs in a 100-gram portion are listed at the end of each chapter.
However, keep in mind that some of these foods are high in fiber, which may lower the digestible net carb content even further.
Eggs and all types of meat are close to zero carb. Organ meats are an exception, such as liver, which contains about 5% carbs .
Read Also: High Blood Sugar What To Do
Consider The Fat And Protein Content
After youve found a food that is low enough in carbs, lets figure out its fat and protein ratio:
For example, lets take a closer look at bacon:
- According to the USDA, one slice of cooked bacon has 3.3g of total fat.
- 3.3g fat x 9 calories = 29.7 calories from fat
- 29.7 calories from fat divided by 43 total calories in a slice = 0.69
- 0.69 x 100 = 69% fat
- Since keto requires around 70% calories from fat per day, bacon is a great fit for keto.
Note: If youd like to find the specific protein percentage as well, multiply the grams of protein by 4 . This will give you the calories of protein per serving, which you can then divide by the total calories per serving and multiply by 100 to get the percentage of protein.
For a more in-depth look at how to find out what foods are keto-friendly for you, check out our comprehensive guide to the best and worst foods for keto.
Coconut & Chia Cereal
Cereal is a British breakfast staple, but its rarely low-carb friendly. The good news? This homemade coconut & chia take on breakfast cereal from Stone Soup is low-carb, super nutritious and far tastier than any shop-bought cereal. Serve it up with Greek or coconut yoghurt and a handful of berries, or your favourite milk if youd prefer it to be more cereal-like.
How to make it: Put a cup of sliced almonds on a baking tray and toast at 180°C for 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven, give them a quick stir and cook for 5 more minutes or until golden. Let the almonds cool, transfer to an airtight container and add 1 cup desiccated coconut and 3 tbsp chia seeds. This should make enough for 2 servings, so feel free to double-up and batch cook if youd prefer.
Read Also: How To Control Urine Sugar
Almost Zero Carb Snack Options
This list will expand your snack options without net carb intake climbing too high. Just make sure you eat them in moderation or else the carbs and calories will accumulate quickly.
If you are looking for keto-friendly condiments and dressings in the grocery store, make sure you read the nutrition facts and ingredients label carefully. You will find that most of these products have sugars and carbs in them.
Watch Out For These Drinks
As the keto diet grows in popularity, there are more low-carb and no-carb beverages coming to market. While this is wonderful, its essential to understand where the flavors of these beverages is coming from.
For instance, Diet Coke has zero carbs, but its sweet flavor comes from a chemical sweetener called aspartame. Aspartame has been indicated as a potential carcinogen and should be avoided on a ketogenic diet.
Also Check: When To Take Sugar Tablet
Celery And Canned Salmon
Celery is primarily water and fiber and is very low in carbs.Eating a high-fiber diet can help make you feel full and even lower cholesterol, Gariglio-Clelland states. Topping celery with salmon provides heart-healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids which can help lower blood fat levels and reduce inflammation.
Other Foods With Zero Net Carbs
You wont find any vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds or grains without carbs, but many leafy greens offer less than a gram per serving. However, you will find a few zero net-carb condiments, flavorings and herbs that you can add to your diet worry-free.
Vinegars like cider, red wine, ume plum, unsweetened rice and white have zero net carbs, so sprinkle them freely on your salad greens. A number of spices and seasonings, including fresh basil, celery salt, chili powder, curry powder, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, Thai chili paste and spicy brown mustard contain no net carbs.
In addition, artificial sweeteners and some of the sugar-free products made with them, like certain spreads and syrups, add no net carbs to your diet.
Recommended Reading: How To Reduce High Sugar Level Immediately
What To Watch Out For With Zero Carb Meat
Its important to source your meat from a quality producer. Depending on your preference, there are quality options within the different categories of grain-fed, grass-fed, organic, and all-natural. They all offer unique flavor profiles and nutritional benefits. The key is to work with a producer that focuses on quality.
What To Watch Out For With Fats And Oils
While all oils and fats will be 100% fat and zero carbs, not all fats are created equal. Some oils use chemicals in their processing, or the fatty acid profile is suboptimal.
Most vegetable oils, for instance, are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can become inflammatory when consumed in excess. These fats may also inhibit the anti-inflammatory activity of other fats like omega-3s.
For this reason, its best to avoid oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids like:
- Soybean oil
- Canola oil
- Peanut oil
Another variable to be aware of is the quality of fat from animal products. When looking for lard, butter, and ghee, try to focus on organic, 100% grass-fed, or pastured varieties.
These products will not only contain fewer hormones and antibiotics but may also have a superior fatty acid profile.
You May Like: Can Diabetics Eat Banana
How To Eat Enough Protein
Many low-carb diets are also higher in protein as compared to what most people are accustomed to eating. Since numerous studies show higher protein diets are beneficial for weight loss, metabolic health, muscle maintenance, and increased satiety, prioritizing protein is an important part of any eating plan.36
You can learn much more about higher protein diets and how to add more protein in our main protein guide
Make A Healthy Meal With Carbs
You can easily reduce your “free sugar” intake by switching to a healthier, high-fiber diet.
We like to follow the dietary guidelines by the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine. They suggest we eat the rainbow, and incorporate at least five portions of vegetables and two fruit per day in many different hues and colours.
| Type of food |
Recommended Reading: Reduce Sugar Level Instantly
Zero Carb Cocktail Recipes
That sounds good, right? The ingredients are lime, salt, tequila, low carb simple syrup, and orange extract. Easy!
If you’re a gin fan, try this Low Carb Singapore Sling it’s 0.3g net carbs per drink plus I’ve suggested an option to make it truly low carb!
And how about a Moscow Mule: traditionally it contains vodka, ginger beer and lime, but switch out the ginger beer for diet ginger ale, and you have yourself a zero carb Moscow mule! Well, the lime contains a TEENY amount of carbs but hardly worth counting! And don’t forget to get a traditional copper mug for serving! Scroll down for a printable recipe card for this wonderful cocktail!
Note: You could also try the ginger beer flavor of Zevia instead of the ginger ale available at Netrition!
Remember that Walden Farms strawberry syrup I mentioned? Here’s a quick and easy cocktail for you: equal parts syrup and vodka , shake together with ice, pour into a glass, then top up with seltzer water. I’m going to call it zero carb strawberry cooler. The syrup is available in different flavors, too, so you could get very creative with your cocktails!
You can find all my low carb cocktail recipes HERE or check out how to host a low carb cocktail party!
And as promised, here’s that recipe card for the Zero Carb Moscow Mule!
The Nutritional Value Of Shirataki Noodles
Shirataki noodles have almost no calories and virtually no carbs, making them perfect for any diet especially the ketogenic diet. They are 97% water, 3% fiber and have traces of protein, fat, and calcium.
More specifically, there are four calories and roughly one gram of net carbs in every 100 g / 3.5 oz of shirataki noodles. The reason why the packaging may say zero calories or zero carbs is because the FDA allows products with less than five calories and/or less than 1 gram of carbs, protein, and fat to be labeled as zero.
At first glance, it may seem that these noodles have no health benefits at all. However, just because they are virtually calorie and micronutrient free doesnt mean that they dont have other health-promoting components. Perhaps, the best thing about shirataki noodles is that they provide us with a unique type of fiber that is rarely found in westernized diets.
Read Also: Sugar Increase Symptoms
Catching Hidden Carbs: Using Thin Slim Foods Zero Carb Bread As An Example
When looking for keto-friendly foods to add to your diet, youll find some products labeled as having zero net carbs or zero carbs. However, this doesnt mean that there are absolutely no carbs in the product. What this really indicates is that it has less than one gram of net carbs per serving.
Although this is a small difference that wont have a significant impact on your weight loss, these hidden net carbs can add up and reduce ketone production if you are eating multiple servings.
To help illustrate my point, lets take a look at a popular zero-carb bread product made by ThinSlim Foods:
This product is marketed as having zero net carbs, and by using the net carb equation we learned earlier , their claims seem to hold up.
However, if we take a closer look at the label we find five ingredients that have trace amounts of net carbs in them. Also worth noting is that the serving size is relatively small, being one slice of a one-ounce piece of bread.
Altogether, this means that one slice of this bread is going to have between 0 and 1 grams of net carbs in it. If you are being cautious with your net carb intake, you may want to count each slice as having one gram of net carbs to play it safe.
The Top Of The Pyramid: Natures Keto Candy
To cap off our keto food pyramid, we feature low-carb fruits .
Though these arent necessary for a successful keto diet, they are often used to add flavors and health benefits that you cant get from other low-carb foods.
That being said, it is crucial to keep your servings sizes in mind because their net carbs can add up quickly.
The best low-carb, low-fat fruits for keto include:
- Starfruit
- Lime
- Melon
You can typically fit a palmful or less of these fruits into your keto diet daily. However, I highly recommend reading through our guide to low-carb fruit before adding them in.
Read Also: How To Control Pp Sugar
Using The Almost Zero List
Technically speaking, fats are the only foods that are completely zero carb. Even meats and seafood have trace amounts.
What You Must Know:
The foods on this list have very minor amounts of net carbs fractions of a gram. These foods are so close to zero, most low carbers consider them no carb foods.
The almost zero carb foods are a bit higher, but a single serving from the list is still under 1 net carb.
One Warning:
Track your servings. Trace amounts of carbs really add up.
Effects Of Low Carb Foods
A healthy range of carbohydrates for diabetics could be anywhere between 20-90 grams per day. There is no set limit and it changes from person to person. While having foods with low carbs can be helpful, it can have a few drawbacks as well. Here are some of the effects to look out for when making low-carb foods your staple diet.
- Constipation
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- A restrictive diet that might lack nutrients.
You could consider consulting a nutrition expert before deciding to switch to a low-carb diet.
Also Check: Blood Sugar Increase Symptoms
Sardines And Seed Crackers
First on the snacks with no carbs listis Sardines. These are small oily fish that have a lot of nutrients.
A can of sardines with around 92 grams has zero grams of carbs and 23 grams of proteins.
They are also a good source of calcium as 27% of their serving contains this mineral.
For a crunchy and nutritious zero carbs snack, prepare sardines with low-carb chia seeds and flaxseed crackers.
Sweet Bell Peppers With Guacamole
The name of these snacks implies high sugar and hence high carb content, right? Well, not at all!
Sweet bell peppers have fewer carbohydrates. Half a cup of chopped peppers will contain only 3 grams of carbs.
On top of the low carbohydrate content, bell peppers are also rich in vitamin C. The mineral is known to boost immunity, heart and skin health. One green bell pepper has more of this vitamin than a whole orange .
Make a quick healthy snack by dipping sweet bell peppers in smashed avocados mixed with onion, garlic, salt, and lime juice.
You May Like: Can We Control Sugar Without Medicine