The average American's diet is high in carbohydrates. On average, adults consume 200 g to 350 g daily, according to the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A low-carb diet allows far fewer carbohydrates. The best way to reduce your carbohydrate intake is to eliminate carbohydrate-rich foods from your diet or reduce their serving sizes. Carbohydrates are mainly found in grains, such as bread, rice and pasta, starchy vegetables, like mashed potatoes, french fries and corn and sugar.
Carbohydrates
There are different low-carb plans, such as the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, the Paleo diet and the Zone diet. Each recommends its own level of carbohydrates. If your low-carb program is very strict, you may have to keep your carbs below 20 g, which means you would get them primarily from nonstarchy vegetables. You have more flexibility if your plan allows 50 g to 100 g of carbohydrates daily. Read food labels and count your carb intake to stay on track. For example, each of the following has about 15 g of carbs: one slice of bread, 1/3 cup of cooked rice, 1/3 cup of cooked pasta, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1/4 of a large baked potato, a small piece of fruit, 1/2 cup of beans, 2/3 cup of plain yogurt, 1 tbsp. of jam, syrup or sugar or two small cookies.
Nonstarchy Vegetables
To ensure that your low-carb meal plan has enough fiber, fill up on nonstarchy vegetables. In addition to having few carbohydrates and lots of fiber, nonstarchy vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes and asparagus are rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that will help you stay healthy. Aim for about 1 to 2 cups at each of your meal. For example, add spinach to your morning omelet, serve your lunch with a big salad of leafy greens and accompany your dinner with a stir-fry of onions, broccoli and cauliflower.
Protein
Each of your meals should contain a source of protein. Protein will help you stay satisfied while following your low-carb meal plan. The best sources of protein are eggs, cheese, poultry, pork, beef, fish and seafood. Each of your meals should have at least 30 g of protein, which corresponds to at least 4 oz. of meat. For example, your breakfast could have two to three eggs and 1 to 2 oz. of cheese; your lunch could have a 4- to 6-oz. can of tuna, and your dinner could include a 4- to 6-oz. pork chop. Vegetarians could have tofu or other soy-based protein alternative, as long as the carb content is low.
Fat
Fat is very important on a low-carb diet and is the nutrient that provides you with the energy your require while keeping you satisfied. Although some low-carb diets advise you to stick with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, others hold that no fat restrictions are necessary. Among those arguing against the need for any fat restrictions are Drs. Jeff Volek and Cassandra E. Forsythe of the University of Connecticut, whose paper was published in August 2005 in "Nutrition & Metabolism." The Atkins diet allows bacon, beef and lamb but advises limiting servings of fats such as butter and mayonnaise.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Low-Carb Diet
- DietaryGuidelines.gov: 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Protein, Weight Management, and Satiety; Douglas Paddon-Jones, et al.; 2008
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; The Case for Not Restricting Saturated Fat on a Low Carbohydrate Diet; Jeff S. Volek, et al.; August 2005
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Nutrient Intakes from Foods: Mean Amounts and Percentages of Calories from Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat and Alcohol, One Day, 2005-2006; 2008
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