Menu Plans For Low Carbohydrate Diet

Low-carbohydrate diets focus on consuming proteins and low-starch vegetables for nutrition. The diets allow fats such as olive oil and butter, but restrict carbs well below the 45 to 65 percent of daily calories recommended by the USDA. Most low-carb diets suggest eating four or five small meals per day using menu plans such as the ones specified on two popular low-carb diets, Atkins and South Beach.

History

Modern low-carb meal menus began with the publication of Dr. Robert Atkins' book, "Diet Revolution," in 1972, followed later with "New Diet Revolution" in 1995. Other low-carb diets followed, such as "The South Beach Diet," by Dr. Arthur Agatston, in 2002. Each diet provided follow-up cookbooks in the 2000s, with recommended menus and food preparation guides.

Function

Menu plans for a low-carb diet seek to provide sufficient satiety from meals to discourage hunger and snacking while providing adequate nutrition. Menu plans during Phase 1 of South Beach and the Induction phase of Atkins suggest severe carbohydrate restrictions to diminish or eliminate the cravings for sweet or starchy foods that sabotage low-carb dieters. Menu plans in later stages of both Atkins and South Beach strive to offer a variety of foods, tastes and textures to offset boredom and encourage low-carb eating.

Types

Menu plans for low-carb diets cover breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Atkins in his "New Diet Revolution" book offers only one single suggested menu for each diet phase, but providing more meal plans in his complementary "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Cookbook." Agatston provides two weeks of menu plans for each of the diet's three stages in "South Beach Diet."

Considerations

Boredom with food choices rather than hunger often sabotages a dieter's resolve. You should select menu plans that offer a variety of food types, tastes and textures. Use no-carb spices to enhance flavor. Do not skip meals. If you skip a meal, you may feel justified in eating a bit more during the next meal or treating yourself to a prohibited food. Plan meals that meet low-carb requirements and can be enjoyed by the entire family. Most low-carb diet proponents, including Atkins, recommend supplementing meal plans with vitamin and mineral supplements.

Warning

Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian writing for MSNBC, cautions that following a high-protein, low-carb diet may cause weight loss too quickly, and she is wary of any diet that completely removes or severely limits healthy grains, fruits and legumes. She stresses that low-carb diets do not correspond with the Department of Health and Human Services' "Dietary Guidelines for Americans."