Carbohydrates, along with protein and fat, are macronutrients. When you eat them, they are converted to glycogen and used for immediate energy or stored for later energy. Ketosis is a stage that the body goes into when carbohydrates are severely reduced. The theory is that when your body becomes deprived of carbohydrates for energy, it goes to the next available source, which is stored fat. If you are following a low carb diet, there are many foods you can choose.
Meat
Beef is high in iron, protein, fat, and it has zero carbs. Specific examples include sirloin, London broil, chipped beef, beef patties, veal and beef tips. Chicken, turkey, pork, duck, lamb, venison, bison and any other type of game meat is low in carbs. Processed versions of these meats are also low in carbs. These include sausage, porketta, hot dogs, ribs, bacon, ham and cold cuts.
Fish
Similar to meat, fish is high in protein and low in carbs. Tuna, sardines, salmon, trout, tilapia, mackerel, herring, cod and halibut are all great examples. Shellfish is also low in carbs. Examples include shrimp, clams, oysters, lobster and mussels. If any of these types of fish were to become breaded, however, their carb contents would go up.
Eggs
Eggs are a high-protein food that is also high in vitamin B12, choline, amino acids, fat and cholesterol. But they are also low in carbohydrates. One large egg has less than 3 grams of carbs. This also goes for egg whites and any preparation of eggs such as fried, scrambled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled or poached.
Dairy Products
Dairy products are high in calcium, protein and fat. All dairy products are low in carbs, but some are lower than others. Sour cream, heavy cream, butter, half-and-half, cream cheese and all forms of sliced cheese have 1.3 grams of carbs or less. All forms of milk, from skim to whole, have less than 14 grams of carbs.
Vegetables
Vegetables are high in minerals, vitamins, water, fiber, and most are low in carbs. Examples of these are eggplant, sprouts, all types of lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, watercress, tomatoes, mushrooms, celery, cucumbers and asparagus. All of these vegetables have 3 grams of carbs or less.
Alcohol
Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, is low in fat, low in protein, and some forms are low in carbs as well. Light beer, gin, vodka, white wine, red wine, whiskey, rum, sherry and port are all types of alcohol that have 6 grams of carbs or less.
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