Low-carb foods are a popular choice in 2011, appearing in grocery stores and on restaurant menus in response to the demand for low-carb diets. Diets which limit carbohydrates vary in the amount of allowable carbohydrates as well as the choices in proteins and fats. Some allow more saturated fats than others and are considered less healthy by some experts. Check with your doctor before beginning any diet program and make sure you have no health conditions which would conflict with your choice of diet.
Low Carb Diets
Food is made up of protein, carbohydrate and fat. A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates and emphasizes proteins and fats. Starchy vegetables, fruit, bread, rice, grains and pasta are examples of carbohydrates usually eaten sparingly or not at all on a low-carb diet. Examples of these diets include the Atkins diet, Zone diet, Sugar Busters, Protein Power and South Beach. These diets vary in their approaches to low-carb dieting, but all limit carbs to some degree.
Atkins "Safe" Low Carb Foods
Foods which are allowed on the Atkins diet, and considered "safe" due to their low-carb compliance, include meats such as bacon, beef, chicken, duck, ham, kielbasa, pork, sausage and steak. In the fish category anchovies in oil, salmon, snapper, trout, tuna and catfish are some of the choices. Shellfish options are clams, crab, lobster, mussel, oysters, scallops and shrimp. Butter, cheese, cream, eggs, mayonnaise, coffee and tea are allowed daily. Allowed salad vegetables are lettuce, celery, cucumber, fennel, mushrooms olives and peppers. Low-carb vegetables include asparagus, avocado, broccoli, collard greens, okra, onion, pumpkin, tomato, summer squash and others. All these foods contain 10 percent or less carbohydrate content.
Guidelines for Low-Carb Diets
The Diet Channel emphasizes some of the advantages of a low-carb diet such as reducing calories, encouraging the inclusion of healthful fruits and vegetables and lean proteins, and being high in healthy monounsaturated fats and omega 3s. The website encourages snacking every four to five hours, drinking plenty of water and cutting back on caffeine. Rather than suggesting the high saturated fat choices found on Atkins, it encourages very lean meats such ground sirloin and turkey breast and egg whites for eggs. It advises eating five to nine servings of fruits and non-starchy vegetables daily and choosing those high in fiber. Cereals should have less than 3 g of sugar per serving. The website warns not to go too low with carbohydrates, since they are the brain's only fuel, and to consume at least 40 percent of daily calories from carbs.
American Cancer Society Guidelines
The American Cancer Society, in its cancer prevention guidelines, emphasizes fish, poultry and beans for protein choices, and warns against the inclusion of beef, pork and lamb. It recommends at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and including them at every meal and snack. Further recommendations include the addition of whole grain carbohydrates instead of refined carbohydrates and sugars. The guidelines conflict with some of the suggestions of some low-carb diets like Atkin and Protein Power, which encourage red meats and few whole grains, even on maintenance.
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