A low-carb diet may help you lose weight, at least in the short term, reports the Harvard School of Public Health. In general, a low-carb diet calls for less than 39 percent of your daily calories to come from carbohydrate sources. This amounts to about 50 to 150 g of carbs total per day. Preparing menus for a low-carb diet takes some planning and may involve eliminating foods you are most accustomed to eating.
Types of Foods
Low carb diet menus emphasize proteins like meat, fish, poultry and eggs as well as watery, non-starchy vegetables. Foods like cereal, rice, grains, pasta, bread and sugary sweets are not permitted. Depending on the strictness of your low-carb plan, dairy products, some nuts and some fruits and vegetables are also severely limited.
Considerations
A study published in the September 7, 2010 issue of the Annals of Medicine found that over 26 years, low-carb dieters who emphasized plant sources of protein had a lower rate of cardiovascular disease and death than those whose diets were based on animal sources of protein. Include vegetarian protein options for several meals during the week. Foods like black beans and rice, lentil soup, tofu, seitan and nuts offer protein.
Misconceptions
A low-carb diet menu does not have to shun all carbohydrates. Eating 150 g of carbs per day gives you room to enjoy 2 cups of brown rice, a package of instant oatmeal and a medium-sized banana daily. All carbohydrates are not dieting enemies--whole grains provide fiber and nutrients that give you energy, provide nutrients and fiber and help fight disease.
Creative Substitions
A low-carb diet menu might include some of your favorite foods, with a low-carb twist. Instead of potatoes, use shredded cauliflower or zucchini to create hash browns. Make pancakes using almond meal or soy flour in place of regular flour. Wrap tacos or burritos in large lettuce leaves instead of a tortilla. Crust chicken or fish in crumbled pork rinds rather than bread crumbs.
Sample Meal Plan
A low-carb day might begin with a breakfast of scrambled egg whites with 1 cup spinach, a diced tomato and an ounce of feta for a total 6 g of carbs. At lunch, have a grilled breast of chicken with 3 cups of romaine lettuce, two canned artichokes, 1/2 cup of chopped cucumber, five black olives and 2 tbsp. of lemon juice with a tablespoon of olive oil for a total of 11 carbs. At dinner, enjoy broiled salmon, a cup of steamed broccoli and a cup of brown rice for a total of 53 carbs. Snacks might involve an apple with an ounce of part-skim mozzarella for 23 carbs, a 1/4 cup of almonds for 6 carbs or sliced deli turkey on a low-carb tortilla.
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