Shopping for foods that fit your low-carb eating plan offers is key when starting a low-carb diet or using low-carb foods to manage blood sugar in consultation with your doctor. MayoClinic.com explains that the low-carb diet premise is that limiting carbohydrates encourages your body to burn fat. Choosing whole foods that contain nutrients and fiber over processed and sugar-laden products offers a healthy approach to low-carb shopping. The South Beach Diet, a modified carbohydrate approach, emphasizes healthy carbohydrate choices and heart-healthy fats that help you to feel satisfied as you diet. Consult with your doctor to choose what's appropriate for you.
Step 1
Make a shopping list. Low-carb diet books include lists of recommended foods. Use a low-carb food list as a starting point, and customize it to create a list of foods you enjoy for each meal and for snacks. Basically, low-carb diets limit starches and grains and emphasize proteins and high-fiber, low-starch fruits and vegetables.
Step 2
Choose low-carb recipes to try from a low-carb cookbook or diet book, and add the ingredients to your shopping list.
Step 3
Shop for a variety of low-carb vegetables that you like, such as zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower to use as a mashed potato substitute and salad greens. Try jicama, a crunchy root vegetable to eat with dips or on salads, and pick out fresh herbs to enhance your healthy meals. Choose some pre-washed and pre-cut vegetables and salad mixes for convenient meals.
Step 4
Shop for low-carb bread products, such as low-carb tortillas for Mexican dishes and wrap sandwiches, low-carb pasta and low-carb baking mix.
Step 5
Select fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for desserts and breakfast smoothies. Buy some whey protein powder for low-carb smoothies, as an alternative to egg and meat-based breakfasts.
Step 6
Shop for sauces and dressings with as few carbs as possible. For example, buy mustard instead of ketchup, Thousand Island dressing instead of seafood cocktail sauce, creamy salad dressings instead of sweet dressings made with fruit or corn syrup. Check for low-carb or sugar-free barbecue sauce, pancake syrup, and other products--some stores carry these in a section of foods designed for diabetics.
Step 7
Pick out low-carb treats, if allowed by your diet and your doctor, such as cocoa powder without sugar, half-and-half to mix with water to use in place of milk, almonds, macadamia nuts, low-carb snack bars and low-carb chocolates or frozen treats.
Tips and Warnings
- Read labels as you shop so you don't end up with products that have hidden sugars. Sauces can be high in carbs due to sugar content. Juices, jams and jellies and most snack foods such as chips, cookies, crackers and products labeled "low-fat" and "diet" tend to be high in carbs. When you shop for crackers or snacks, choose whole-grain products. These are healthy products, and the fiber helps to keep you full longer. In diets that count carbs, you subtract fiber grams from the carbohydrate count from the food because fiber doesn't raise blood sugar.
- Check for sugar alcohols on the food labels of low-carb products. Look for ingredients with an -itol ending, for example, xylitol and malitol. These may cause diarrhea and stomach upsets for some people. Avoid cutting out entire food groups, such as grains. Harvard University's School of Public Health's website discusses the importance of fiber and whole grains in maintaining health and protecting your body from disease.
Things You'll Need
- Low-carb diet book
- Low-carb diet cookbook
References
- MayoClinic.com: Low-Carb Diet
- "The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide"; Arthur Agatston, M.D.; 2004
- "The Everything Low-Carb Cookbook"; Patricia M. Butkus; 2003
- Harvard University School of Public Health: Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way
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