A high-carbohydrate diet may be low in fat, and foods to help you lose weight on this diet are low in calories. They may be high in fiber and protein. Choose healthy foods, especially when you are on a diet, so that you can meet your nutrient needs while staying within your calorie limits. A nutritionist can help you develop a healthy, high-carbohydrate diet plan.
Vegetables
Vegetables are good high-carbohydrate diet foods because they are so low in calories, so you can fill up on them without going over your calorie limit. Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes are examples of vegetables with almost no fat, and no more than 3 g protein per serving. The rest of their calories come from carbohydrates, and they are high in dietary fiber. Starchy vegetables, such as acorn squash and carrots, are higher in calories, but they are nutritious high-carbohydrate foods.
Fruits
Most fruits are high in carbohydrates and nearly free from fat and protein, and they make good diet foods because they can help you reduce your overall calorie intake. Whole fruits, such as apples, oranges, tangerines and pears, make convenient high-carbohydrate snacks. Save calories by substituting high-calorie desserts with lower-calorie fruits, such as berries, cut melon, grapes or apricots. Avocados and olives are healthy because of their monounsaturated fats, but they are low in carbohydrates and high in calories.
Beans and Lentils
Each cup of cooked beans or lentils has about 40 g total carbohydrates, and only about 1 g total fat. Lentils and beans, such as garbanzo, lima, pinto, navy, black and kidney, make good diet foods because they are low in calories and high dietary fiber, with about 12 to 20 g dietary fiber per cup. Beans and lentils are cholesterol-free sources of protein, and each cup has about 13 to 18 g protein, which can help you lose weight because it reduces your hunger, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Meal Replacements
Many meal replacement diet products, such as bars or shakes are high in carbohydrates. For a weight loss diet, bars or shakes with a high amount of dietary fiber and protein may be good choices because these are filling nutrients. A bar may be more filling than a shake because calories from liquid sources are not as filling as calories from solid foods. Choose a meal replacement bar or shake, which is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Fruits and Fruit Juices
- Harvard School of Public Health: Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Legumes and Legume Products
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Vegetables and Vegetable Products
- MayoClinic.com: Cutting Liquid Calories More Effective for Weight Loss?; Jennifer Nelson and Katherine Zeratsky; April 2009
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