what foods are beat to use for a low carb diet

water chick

hey guys

i really need help on what foods i should and shouldnt use in a low carb diet

thanks

metamorphosis

I think if you are as unsure as you are it's best to go out and read a book on it.'the idiot proof diet' by Neris and Indina is a good one to read (esp for females) - easyily readable in a few hours as its short and makes it all really easy to understand. You can then decide if its for you. A reason not to go low carb is because you read everybody else doing it - educate yourself on it first on what such a diet entails and then you may decide whether you want a LOWER carb diet than your current diet or to go the whole hog on low carb which has 3 different phases generally.

water chick

ULstudent wrote: »

I think if you are as unsure as you are it's best to go out and read a book on it.'the idiot proof diet' by Neris and Indina is a good one to read (esp for females) - easyily readable in a few hours as its short and makes it all really easy to understand. You can then decide if its for you. A reason not to go low carb is because you read everybody else doing it - educate yourself on it first on what such a diet entails and then you may decide whether you want a LOWER carb diet than your current diet or to go the whole hog on low carb which has 3 different phases generally.

thanks

EileenG

Real food.

A good low carb diet should be based on fresh whole foods. Lots of eggs, oily fish, fresh meat and chicken, lots and lots and LOTS of green vegetables, olive oil, cheese and butter, nuts, seeds, berries and whole fruit (local rather than imported exotics), small amount of wholegrains.

No sugar, flour, processed fats, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, ready meals, cereals, food with lots of additives, deli meats, anything with best-by dates that are a year in the future.

hug0

EileenG would you say you could eat porridge on a low carb diet, or sugar free muesli. Would find it hard to eat eggs in the morning.

Breakfast Porridge/muslie
Lunch tuna,egg/avocado/chicken salad with olive oil
Dinner Regular dinner without rice/pot/pasta etc

What do you think of the homemade protein bars that transform and others recommend as a treat? Made with oats, sugar free peanut butter, honey, nuts, raisins?

EileenG

It raises the carb count, but porridge is generally a good breakfast. The other food looks fine.

Just remember that those bars generally replace a meal.

hug0

Thanks EileenG, yeah the protein bars when made can become very tempting for a snack! Think when I drink the diet can go out the window. Hard to be good when you live in Ireland!

Lantus

I would just ask why do you feel you need to go on a low carb diet?

While it has a few advantages it also has a number of disadvantages.

Like a few other people have stated read about this first and also be aware that (IMHO) there is pro low carb attitude around so you may not a totally balanced view depending on who contributes.

silverharp

EileenG wrote: »

Real food.

A good low carb diet should be based on fresh whole foods. Lots of eggs, oily fish, fresh meat and chicken, lots and lots and LOTS of green vegetables, olive oil, cheese and butter, nuts, seeds, berries and whole fruit (local rather than imported exotics), small amount of wholegrains.

No sugar, flour, processed fats, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, ready meals, cereals, food with lots of additives, deli meats, anything with best-by dates that are a year in the future.

re the cheese, I sort of cut out cheese as I normally had it with bread for lunch or as a snack in the evening. So as part of a salad for example its fine?

How to you rate tinned fish or pickled herrings? I was thinking of using them more for lunch

EileenG

Cheese is a good low carb food. Like any high calorie food, don't go mad on it. (but remember that most cereals, gram for gram, has the same calories as cheese). Try having it as a cheeseplate, which you eat with a knife and fork. Eating cheese on its own allows you to really appreciate it, but also to stop after a certain amount. Someone eating a toasted cheese sandwich always eats far more cheese than I'd eat with a knife and fork.

Tinned fish is fine, extra calcium from the bones! Pickled depends on how it is pickled.

merengueca

ULstudent wrote: »

I think if you are as unsure as you are it's best to go out and read a book on it.'the idiot proof diet' by Neris and Indina is a good one to read (esp for females) - easyily readable in a few hours as its short and makes it all really easy to understand. You can then decide if its for you. A reason not to go low carb is because you read everybody else doing it - educate yourself on it first on what such a diet entails and then you may decide whether you want a LOWER carb diet than your current diet or to go the whole hog on low carb which has 3 different phases generally.

+1 on that advice. I bought that book earlier today and already red it through and decided it will work for me. Low carb isn't really a diet, there isn't an end date in sight. It really is a re education in how you approach food.... so true about assessing which way to go 'low or lower'.... what ever you choose - GOOD LUCK

Sapsorrow

I don't follow a particularly low-carb diet, I don't carb count or anything but the low GL/ lowish carb foods that I base most of my diet on are;

Frozen mixed berries (very cheap in Aldi)
fresh strawberries and blueberries
Smoked mackeral fillets
smoked salmon
Tinned tuna and mackeral
Macadamia nuts (1.99 in tesco now!)
85% dark chocolate
Apples
Baby leaf spinach and rocket leaves
Cherry tomatos, red peppers, red onions, cucumber etc
Masses of olive oil and butter
fresh basil, chives and parsley
Balsamic vinegar
Stewing beef (it's cheaper)
Sliced ham and bacon
coconut milk
*unholy amounts fo strong coffee with cream*

Just eat very simply and 99% fresh unprocessed 'ingredients' and you should be fine as long as you go easy on the fruit and root veg and avoid potatos and sweet potatos. You've got to eat plenty of protein and fat instead though so don't skimp on the olive oil or butter!

Iristxo

Sapsorrow wrote: »

Just eat very simply and 99% fresh unprocessed 'ingredients' and you should be fine as long as you go easy on the fruit and root veg and avoid potatos and sweet potatos. You've got to eat plenty of protein and fat instead though so don't skimp on the olive oil or butter!

Why do you avoid sweet potatoes? I always thought they were very nutritious for the amount of carbs in them.

Sapsorrow

They're nutritious enough but also very starchy and the OP wanted low carb food suggestions. I eat them myself in the autumn and winter but I don't try and keep my carbs too low, any where around 100g a day is fine by me but for someone wanting to enter or maintain ketosis they wouldn't be ideal.

Iristxo

Sapsorrow wrote: »

They're nutritious enough but also very starchy and the OP wanted low carb food suggestions. I eat them myself in the autumn and winter but I don't try and keep my carbs too low, any where around 100g a day is fine by me but for someone wanting to enter or maintain ketosis they wouldn't be ideal.

Oh, I know what you mean Ta

Iristxo

Found this, in case it's any use to the OP, or anyone

http://www.lasting-weight-loss.com/low-carb-vegetables.html

Dotcomdolly

I am reading The Idiot Proof Diet at the moment, it really is a great read, apart form the diet there is really great stuff on emotional eating.

fatmammycat

Lantus wrote: »

I would just ask why do you feel you need to go on a low carb diet?

While it has a few advantages it also has a number of disadvantages.

Like a few other people have stated read about this first and also be aware that (IMHO) there is pro low carb attitude around so you may not a totally balanced view depending on who contributes.

I am curious about this statement and wonder why you did not elaborate. Such as?
I eat as clean as I possibly can, I get the bulk of my carbs from veg and fruit and the occasional bowl of porridge, my energy is good, I am carrying less body fat than before, I am gaining muscle, I never get bloated or have massive insulin spikes any longer. I exercise 4/5 times a week and feel terrific. So if you would not mind, what are the disadvantages I ought to be looking out for? Because so far it seems cutting empty carbs out of my diet has only improved my over all health.