Low Net Carbohydrate Foods With A Low Glycemic Index

Many low carbohydrate diets allow you to eat foods that are low in net carbohydrates. To determine the net carbohydrates of a food, subtract the fiber from the total carbohydrates. This new number is the net carbohydrate count for your food. According to "Protein Power Lifeplan," fiber is considered a carbohydrate, but it doesn't factor into carbohydrate counts because the body doesn't absorb it. Fiber has no impact on blood sugar. Blood sugar management is an essential component of low carbohydrate diets. The glycemic index measures the impact that foods have on blood sugar. According to "Good Calories, Bad Calories," maintaining steady blood sugar through managed carbohydrate intake and glycemic load decreases the amount of insulin released into the bloodstream. This, in turn, allows the body to use stored fat for fuel instead of burning dietary sources of fuel. Many foods are low glycemic, low net carbohydrate foods that are compatible with low carb diet plans.

Avocados

According to the Self Nutrition Data website, one avocado has 17g of carbohydrates and 13g of dietary fiber. When you subtract the fiber from the total carbohydrate count, avocados only have 4g of net carbs for an entire fruit. Avocados are a source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and heart-healthy fats. If you are watching calories as part of your low carbohydrate diet, then limit the amount of avocados you eat because they are high in calories, weighing in at more than 300 calories for a whole fruit. Avocado has no glycemic load.

Almonds

According to the Carbs Information website, 1 oz. of almonds has a glycemic load of zero. Out of the 5.6g of carbohydrates in an ounce of the nuts, 3.3g are fiber. Almonds have 2.3g of net carbohydrates per ounce. Almonds supply vitamins E and A. They are also a source of folate, magnesium and phosphorus. Due to the fat content in almonds, they are quite caloric. You may want to limit your intake to 1 to 2 oz. per day.

Coconut

The Carbs Information website lists the carbs in an ounce of unsweetened coconut as 6.9g with a full four grams of fiber. This leaves a net carbohydrate count of 2.9g. Coconut and coconut-derived products like coconut flour and coconut milk are low glycemic foods with minimal impact on your blood sugar. This makes coconut a favorite among low carbohydrate dieters, who use coconut flour for low carbohydrate baking. Coconut is a source of lauric acid, iron and vitamin C.