What Is The Definition Of A Low Carbohydrate Diet?

Most Americans consume an average of more than 225 to 325 g of carbohydrates a day, which corresponds to 45 to 65 percent of their calorie intake as recommended in the "2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans." The standard American diet can be described as a high-carb diet and proponents of the low-carb approach claim that this way of eating may be responsible for the increased rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Low-carb diets constitute a safe and effective way to lose weight, improve your blood cholesterol levels and better manage your blood sugars.

Carbohydrate Intake

A low-carb diet provide considerably less carbohydrates compared to the standard American diet. Most low-carb eating plans suggest a daily carbohydrate intake corresponding to less than 20 percent and sometimes even less than 10 percent of your calorie intake. This level of carbohydrate intake usually corresponds to less than 50 to 100 g of carbohydrates a day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. However, most low-carb plans first recommend a very low-carb intake, which can be as low as less than 20 g a day or about 4 percent of your calorie intake based on a 2,000-calorie diet, during the initial phase to jump-start weight loss and get rid of carbohydrate cravings more quickly.

Foods to Avoid

High-carbohydrate foods need to be eliminated on a low-carb diet to allow low-carb dieters to stay within their carbohydrate budget. Foods with the highest carb content, such as sugar-containing foods and grain-based foods, are usually off-limits. These foods include soft drinks, fruit cocktails, candies, desserts, baked goods, pasta, rice, bread, breakfast cereals, oatmeal, granola bars, pretzels and crackers. Starchy vegetables, especially potatoes, also need to be cut out. Depending on the degree of carbohydrate restriction, fruits, milk and yogurt may have to be limited as well.

Foods to Eat

When following a low-carb diet, most of your calories come from protein and fat. For example, low-carb sources of protein include meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, cheese and tofu, while low-carb sources of fat can be found in butter, vegetable oils, bacon, cream, mayonnaise, avocado, coconut, nuts and nut butter. Nonstarchy vegetables should also be included in large amounts at most meals because they constitute one of the best sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals on a low-carb diet. If low-carb dieters need to increase their fiber intake, psyllium, wheat bran and flaxseeds are good low-carb options that can be added to your diet.

Typical Low-Carb Meals

A typical low-carb breakfast could be composed of scrambled eggs cooked with spinach and mushrooms in olive oil and sprinkled with cheese. Salads make a great and convenient low-carb lunch and can be prepared with large servings of leafy greens and nonstarchy vegetables, protein from a chicken breast, canned tuna or cheese served with a full-fat salad dressings. Dinner can be as simple as a generous serving of nonstarchy vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli or asparagus, served with steak or a pork loin served in a cream-based sauce. If low-carb dieters feel the need for a snack, the best options are nuts, nut butter, cheese, a piece of meat and nonstarchy vegetables.