What You Should Eat - And What You Shouldn’t

Following a low carb diet? Great.

If you leave out the carbs, you have two other macros you can eat without guilt, fats and proteins such as:

Meat

Meat, such as poultry, grass fed beef, lamb and pork are some of the richest sources of protein. Chicken breasts and legs are the leanest choices, if your meal needs to be low in fat.

Try your best to have red meat moderately because low carb diet or not, red meat still contains saturated fats, which can be harmful if consumed in high amounts.

Fish

Any kind of fish, be it salmon, herring, mackerel or tuna, is an excellent source of muscle-synthesizing protein but make sure you avoid breading.

Tuna, white fish and seafood are the leanest choices.

Low-fat fish provides a quality replacement for fatty meats.

Nuts and seeds

If you’re a frequent snacker, cutting down on chips and having a handful of nuts and seeds can curb your nasty carb cravings.

Raw almonds are the best choice for a tasty high-protein snack. Try it!

Enjoy your daily diet with nutritious nuts!

Eggs

Hard-boiled, fried, omelettes… Have eggs any way you like and don’t throw away the yolks!

Non-starchy vegetables

Any vegetable that grows above ground such as kale, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cucumber, asparagus etc. will do. Tubers such as sweet potatoes are acceptable.

Avoid potatoes, carrots, corn and beets, which are high in carbs.

Dairy

Low-fat dairy such as Greek yogurt, low-fat milk and cottage cheese are great choices.

Natural fat sources

Some healthy choices include olive oil, avocado, and cottage cheese. A few high fat diets would also recommend using butter and sour cream in most of your dishes but I would put those aside for my cheat meals if I were you.

What about fruit?

When you eat carbs, try to stick with ones that are less sugary and more dense, like oats.

We recommending eliminating sugar and most starch. Fruit is more likely to raise your glycemic index and plead to fat gain.

The best types of fruits are berries (paleo friendly) and apples (high in fiber). Try to reduce your fruits to one serving after workouts when other sources aren’t available, or on cheat days.

Vegan-friendly protein

It’s important that you consume more protein because it is vital for almost every function in your body, including muscle synthesis and strength.

In addition to the sources mentioned above, remembe that beans, lentils, tempeh and quinoa are excellent sources of proteins, which are vegan-friendly too.

Try to limit fats to good fats as much as possible.

Foods to avoid

Here are some foods you shouldn’t eat:

Sugar

Avoid candy, packaged fruit juice, soft drinks, sports drinks, cakes, pastries, ice cream, pies, breakfast cereals (especially Froot Loops) and just plain sugar. Ideally, you should reduce artificial sweeteners as well.

When in doubt, read the nutritional label. Sugar can appear listed as corn syrup, fructose, honey, lactose, maple syrup, molasses, sucrose or cane juice.

Grains and starch

Anything that came into your mind when I said starch should be eliminated. Avoid bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, buns, pies, etc.

Since you are on a low carb diet, you can have whole grains in moderation, such as oats, barley, quinoa, chia seeds and bulgur. Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes are fine because they are rich in antioxidants your body needs.

Beer

Beer is like liquefied bread.

Actually, it’s much worse because at least, bread has fiber that helps with your bowel movements. Beer on the other hand, is rapidly absorbed in the body and can wreak havoc in your digestive system. Who likes a beer belly anyway?

What about drinks?

Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.

Tea and coffee without sugar are great, and caffeine in moderation can help you reduce your food cravings. Artificial sweeteners are safe in moderation.

Avoid any kind of sweetened drinks or soda, like Coca Cola. Zero-calorie sodas are fine. Try club soda with lime, it’s a great zero-calorie drink.

Milk and juice?

Most fruit juices and many types of milk are both high in carbs and provoke sugar spikes in blood. If a beverage is high in sugar, try to reduce or avoid it in your diet.

What about alcohol?

If you’re going to drink, limit your drinking to once or twice a week. Drinking can really mess up with your goal, so practice it in moderation!