Following a low-carbohydrate diet enhances your capacity to lose stored body fat compared to the traditional diet of cutting calories and eating less fat, according to a 2010 article by Jeff Volek, Ph.D., published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal." The fewer carbs you eat, the less insulin is produced by your body. This means your body will produce more glucagon, the hormone that helps break down body fat.
Fish
Tilapia and salmon have 0g of carbs. However, salmon has much more fat compared to tilapia. A 3-oz. serving of Atlantic salmon has 175 calories, 19 g of protein, 10.5 g of fat, 52 mg of sodium and 54 mg of cholesterol. A 3-oz. serving of tilapia has only 83 calories, 17 g of protein, 1 g of fat, 45 mg of sodium and 48 mg of cholesterol.
Shellfish
Scallops and shrimp have plenty of protein for very little carbs and fat. Eight, large scallops have 104 calories, 20 g of protein, 4 g of carbs, 1 g of fat, 192 mg of sodium and 40 mg of cholesterol. A 3-oz. serving of shrimp has 90 calories, 18 g of protein, 0 g of carbs, 2 g of fat, 190 mg of sodium and 166 mg of cholesterol. This small serving of shrimp takes up slightly more than half of the recommended daily intake of cholesterol. The American Heart Association advises you should limit your cholesterol intake to no more than 300 mg.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese has few carbohydrates but packs plenty of protein. A ½ cup of whole-milk cottage cheese has 120 calories, 14 g of protein, 4 g of carbs, 5 g of fat, 370 mg of sodium and 20 mg of cholesterol. The same serving size of 1% fat cottage cheese has 80 calories, 14 g of protein, 4 g of carbs, 1 g of fat, 370 mg of sodium and 10 mg of cholesterol. While both types of cottage cheese have similar carb and protein content, if you are watching your saturated fat and cholesterol intake, you should opt for the low-fat version.
Nuts
Close to 80 percent of the calories in nuts come from healthy fats. The remaining percentage is about equally divided between protein and carbs. Nuts do not have cholesterol. Choose whole, unsalted nuts whenever possible, refraining from unnecessary sodium. If you need to increase your fiber intake, select a single serving of whole almonds for 4 g of fiber. One ounce of pecans has 201 calories, 3 g of protein, 4 g of carbs, 21 g of fat and 3 g of fiber. A serving of whole almonds has 172 calories, 6 g of protein, 6 g of carbs, 14 g of fat and 4 g of fiber. An ounce of unskinned, shelled walnuts has 196 calories, 5 g of protein, 4 g of carbs, 19 g of fat and 2 g of fiber.
References
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Low-Carbohydrate Diets Promote a More Favorable Body Composition Than Low-Fat Diets; Jeff Volek, Ph.D., RD, et al; February 2010
- "The NutriBase Complete Book of Food Counts"; NutriBase; 2001
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol: Common Misconceptions About Cholesterol
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