Here’s a list of some simple food ideas and tips for those getting started on a low carb diet. This list does not contain potatoes, pasta, noodles, bread, rice, wheat, or other grains.
By the way, I’m starting to experiment with wheat-free, gluten-free recipes and will share them with you in a future post, so stay tuned!
❤ lulu
LOW CARB FOODS
**TIP: Always pair protein with veggies! This will give you the fiber and balance you need for your diet. Also, be sure to include healthy fats in your low carb diet to keep you feeling full longer and to help you avoid snacking, binge eating, and cheating on your diet! Healthy fats come from foods like avocado, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel), shrimp and shellfish (oysters). (Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/424313-low-carb-foods-with-good-fats/#ixzz2NN9c3Fni)
PROTEIN
Poultry/White Meat
- Chicken (breasts, thighs, legs, wings, whole) can be baked, grilled, boiled, steamed, roasted, stir-fried. Can be seasoned with teriyaki sauce, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce, cayenne pepper and paprika, rosemary, lemon or lime, or just salt and pepper. Baked chicken with veggies.
- Turkey breast, oven-roasted (just like it’s Thanksgiving!)
- Pork chops grilled, baked, or pan-fried. Served with cheese and mushrooms, or wine gravy (! cornstarch).
**TIP: Avoid fried chicken. Chicken wings (e.g. buffalo wings), sweet n’ sour chicken, and popcorn chicken contain carbs in the breaded skin and sauces. On top of that, when oil is used to fry, it becomes damaged which can be worst for your body and health than trans fats.
Red Meat
- Beef (ground beef, steak, loin, chuck) can be baked, grilled, stewed, stir-fried. Steak with veggies. Beef stew with veggies (no potatoes).
Burgers, sandwiches, meatballs, etc.
- Beef, chicken or turkey burger (no bread! Wrapped in lettuce)
- BLT (bacon, lettuce, tomato) protein-style (no bread! Wrapped in lettuce)
- Homemade beef or turkey meatballs (no breadcrumbs), served with tomato marinara sauce.
- Homemade chicken and spinach meatballs (no breadcrumbs)
- Homemade beef or turkey chili
Fish/Seafood
- Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, tilapia, whitefish, trout, halibut) can be baked, pan-fried, steamed, sautéed, or used in soups and stews. Can be seasoned with just soy sauce or lemon, or salt and pepper.
- Shrimp can be boiled, grilled, stir-fried. Boiled and served warm with soy sauce (with hot chili peppers). Boiled and served cold with cocktail sauce.
Tofu
- Tofu (hard) can be stir-fried or added to soups. Or boil and serve cold with soy sauce, green onion, red chili flake.
- Tofu (soft) can be added to miso soup and other dishes.
**TIP: Tofu should not be eaten in large quantities. Soy-sensitive people should avoid tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, edamame, and other soy-based products. Also, avoid eating tofu and honey together (some believe this may have poisonous effects).
VEGGIES
- Veggie stir fry (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, string bean, mushroom, cabbage, eggplant, asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers)
- Steamed or grilled veggies (broccoli, carrot, string beans, asparagus, lima beans, brussels sprouts)
- Veggies cooked with butter (zucchini, corn)
- Leafy green veggies cooked Asian-style with garlic, oil, and salt or hoisin sauce (baby bok choy, gai lan, romaine lettuce, asparagus)
- Wilted lettuce or spinach with bacon crumbs (hardboiled egg optional)
- Baked veggie casseroles (eggplant, tomatoes, etc.)
**TIP: Limit high carb veggies such as corn (also considered a grain), peas, beets, water chestnuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains, etc. (Read more: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/whatveg.htm)
SALADS
Make your own:
- Spinach, Spinach/Arugula mix, Spring Mix lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or romaine lettuce
- add: protein (chicken, steak, ham, turkey, hardboiled egg), cheese (feta, cheddar)
- add: fruit (apple, pear, tangerine, strawberry), nuts (almonds, walnuts), seeds (sunflower)
- add: cucumber, avocado, corn, beans (kidney, garbanzo, black), black olives, bell peppers, etc.
- simple dressings**: lime juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, homemade dijon dressing, homemade miso dressing
**TIP: Try to avoid dressings, as they have hidden carbohydrate content.
Popular salads:
- Caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil)
- Salade Nicoise (tuna, green beans, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, onion, capers; skip the potatoes)
- Other salad ideas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_salads
LETTUCE WRAPS
Romaine lettuce filled with your choice of meat and seasonings:
- Shredded chicken (or canned chicken), salt, pepper, sesame seeds
- Cooked Tuna (canned), mayo, onion, salt, pepper, celery (optional), olives (optional)
- Steak (sliced)
- Ground chicken, turkey or beef (e.g. Larb, one of my favorite Thai dishes)
- Cooked Shrimp
SOUPS
- chili (all bean, or meat and beans)
- chicken seafood gumbo (no roux, which is flour-based!)
- tomato soup
- miso soup
- clear chicken soup with veggies
- beef/veggie soup (Mexicali soup, Russian borsch, etc.)
**NOTE: Some Asian soups (and many sauces) are thickened with cornstarch such as Hot n Sour soup or Egg drop soup (Egg flower soup). However, the quantities are small…usually about 1 tsp (2g carb) per cup of soup. (Read more: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/eatingout/a/chineserest.htm)
BREAKFAST
- Omelet w/ Ham, Bacon, Cheese, Onion, Spinach, Mushroom, Herbs)
- Protein shake (whey protein)
- Scrambled egg cooked with:
- butter and herbs
- Tomato, Green Onion
- Chinese sausage
- Soy sauce (instead of salt)
SNACKS
- Edamame (! soy) boiled or microwaved, with garlic salt or cayenne pepper
- Celery with peanut butter
- Celery with tuna salad
- Baby carrots
- Bell pepper slices
- Boiled egg
- Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashews (or other nuts)
- Sunflower seeds
- Low-carb trail mix
- Apple slices with peanut butter
- Fruit (apple, grapes, orange, berries, kiwi, banana, etc.)
- Salami chips (! sodium) …just microwave a few salami slices for 10 seconds
- Kale chips
- String cheese
- Turkey slices
- Dill pickles and cheddar cheese
- Cottage cheese with berries or other fruit
SPICES, HERBS, SEASONINGS, OILS
- Salt, pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, cayenne (chili), paprika, chili flakes, curry (red, green, yellow)
- Garlic
- Fresh lemon, lime
- Extra virgin olive oil, Virgin coconut oil**
- Tabasco sauce
- Limit intake of following (! sugar, sodium, carbs): hot sauce, soy sauce (! soy), hoisin sauce, plum sauce, BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce
**TIP: Consider using coconut oil, which can be found at Trader Joe’s and wherever you can find organic food products. Virgin coconut oil is one of the few oils that is not damaged when heated to temperatures used in cooking, frying, and baking. It is said to help improve thyroid function, lower cholesterol and control blood sugar. However, it is a saturated fat so should be used in limited quantities. (Learn more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health and http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/surprising-health-benefits-coconut-oil)
BEVERAGES
- Water (by itself or with lemon)
- Hot/iced lemon tea (no sugar)
- Hot/iced coffee (no sugar)
- Vegetable juice (low sodium) (! check carb content)
- Fresh orange juice (no sugar)
- Homemade juices with kale and other veggies, fruit
- Green juice
- Coconut water
- Almond milk
- Soy milk (! soy)
DESSERTS
- Sugar-free Jello
- Fruit salad
- Fruit sorbet
- Flourless chocolate cake
- Almond flour-based cakes and cookies
- Quinoa flour-based cupcakes
**TIP: Be wary of meal replacement bars, ice cream, and other “treats” labeled low-carb or sugar-free. They often contain ingredients such as maltitol (the worst offender) which are just as bad as sugar in a lot of bodies. In general, products that talk about their “net carbs” or “impact carbs” deserve close scrutiny of the ingredients, and careful experimentation. (Source: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/lowcarbmistakes.htm)
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