A low-carb and high-protein diet does not necessarily mean you have to eat fried eggs and greasy sausage. Select lean cuts of protein and low-fat dairy products to keep your fat consumption to a minimum. A low-carb food or diet has up to 42 percent of the calories from carbs, according to a 2002 article by G. Gregory Haff, Ph.D., and Adrian Whitley, published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal."
Seafood and Rice
Tilapia, shrimp and scallops are quite low in fat and high in protein. Scallops have a minimal amount of carbohydrate. Season 4 oz. of tilapia, 6 oz. of shrimp and eight large scallops with your favorite dry spices. The tilapia has 110 calories, 23g of protein, 0g of carbs and 2g of fat. The shrimp have 168 calories, 36g of protein and 1.5g of fat. Scallops come in at 104 calories, 20g of protein, 4g of carbs and 2g of fat. If you eat your protein with a ½ cup of cooked brown rice, your total caloric intake will be 492 calories; 66 percent of the calories will come from protein, 22 percent of your calories will come from carbs and 12 percent will come from fat. If you replace the brown rice with 10 asparagus spears, you will eat 418 calories; 79 percent of the calories will come from protein; 9 percent of the calories will come from carbs and 12 percent from fat.
Chicken Breast, Beans and Corn
Chicken breast meat by itself is 83 percent protein, 17 percent fat and no carbs. While it is a high-protein, low-fat and no-carb food, chicken breast alone does not make a satisfying meal. You can buy cooked chicken breast or a whole rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, leaving the dark meat for family members. Portion out 6 oz. of chicken breast. Mix a ½ cup of black beans with a ½ cup of canned, sweet corn. The beans provide an additional 7g of protein and only 19g of carbs while the corn adds 2g of protein and 15g of carbs. In total, this meal has 402 calories in which 57 percent of the calories come from protein, 34 percent come from carbs and 9 percent are from fat.
Blueberries and Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese with 1-percent fat has a hefty supply of protein at 28g per 1 cup. Eaten alone, 70 percent of its calories are from protein, 10 percent from carbs and 20 percent from fat. Enhance the taste of cottage cheese by adding a ½ cup of blueberries for 10g of carbs. This meal has a total of 200 calories, of which 56 percent of the calories come from protein, 28 percent come from carbs and 16 percent from fat.
References
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Low-Carbohydrate Diets and High-Intensity Anaerobic Exercise; G. Gregory Haff, Ph.D., and Adrian Whitley; August 2002
- "The NutriBase Complete Book of Food Counts"; NutriBase; 2001
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