Low-carbohydrate diets may seem like a fairly new craze, but they've actually been around for a long time. The first incarnations of the famous Atkin's diet emerged in the 1970s. These diets work by kicking your body into ketosis, a state in which your body burns its own fat for energy. You don't have to be on a low-carb diet to benefit from choosing more low-carb foods. In fact, even the American Heart Association recommends some facets of low-carb dieting, like eliminating sweets and cutting back on simple sugars and starches, to help prevent heart disease or to lower cholesterol.
Proteins
Proteins are the main "go to" food for people on low-carb diets. Most minimally processed animal proteins have few to no carbohydrates. Chicken, beef and pork are examples. Processed animal proteins, like hot dogs, bacon and deli meats are generally low in carbs, but may also contain added sugars, so it's important to read labels. Vegetarian proteins, like tofu, do contain carbohydrates because they are plant-based. You can still make them part of your low-carb diet. According to Nutrition Data, one serving of tofu has about 2g of carbohydrates.
Vegetables
It's a common misconception that vegetables cannot be part of a low-carb diet. In fact, Atkins, perhaps the most popular low-carb diet, suggest pairing proteins with low-carb vegetables at every meal. Choosing green vegetables as opposed to starchy or root vegetables will help control carbohydrate intake. Also, many plans allow you to subtract the fiber count from the carb count. For example, a 1/2 cup of broccoli contains 4g of carbohydrates and 2g of fiber, giving it 2g that count toward your totals. Cabbage is another low-carb favorite with 3.6g of carbohydrates and 1.8g of fiber per 1/2 cup. Other low-carb vegetables include lettuce, mushrooms, greens, cauliflower, eggplant, radishes and celery.
Most cheese contains about 1g of carbohydrates per ounce. Examples include blue cheese,cheddar, goat cheese, cream cheese, feta, Gouda, Swiss, mozzarella and Parmesan. Dr. Atkins recommends limiting cheese consumption to 3 to 4 oz. per day to avoid getting too many carbohydrates from dairy and not enough from vegetables. Other dairy products, like heavy cream, sour cream, unsweetened yogurt and cottage cheese have moderate amounts of carbs. Some people do well with these foods, while others do not, due to the natural milk sugars. Milk is not a low-carb food.
Convenience Foods
Because low-carb diets gained popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many food manufacturers began producing low-carb versions of their most popular products. Foods generally not allowed on low-carb diets, like pasta, bread, milk and candy were given carbohydrate makeovers. These products usually get their sweetness from sugar alcohols and their texture from flours lower in carbs and higher in protein than wheat.
Products like shakes, protein bars and cookies specifically targeted at dieters use patented combination of fiber, protein and sugar alcohols. Like milk sugars, sugar alcohol and grains of any kind affect every person's weight loss differently. Many people report that they stop losing weight when they consume these products. Use them in moderation and closely monitor your results. There are no guidelines for labeling foods as "low carb," so read labels carefully.
Fats
Fats like canola oil, butter and olive oil are important sources of calories for those on a low-carb diet. Getting calories from fat makes you less likely to get your calories from carbohydrates. According to Dr. Atkins, your body uses these fats right away for energy, and therefore, they're not harmful in amounts higher that you're used to eating. Most low-carb diets do not restrict the amount of fats you can consume, with a few exceptions, like combination low-carb, low-fat diets.
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