Not all carbohydrates are the same, so finding the right foods for your low-carb diet depends on the specific diet plan you are following. The two main types of carbs are simple and complex carbs. Complex carbs include starches and dietary fiber, while simple carbs include both natural and refined sugars. Avoid foods with added sugar or sweeteners on your low-carb diet, but don't necessarily avoid everything that tastes sweet just because you're avoiding carbs.
Vegetables
Most vegetables are low in carbohydrates, except for starchy veggies like corn, green peas, potatoes and other tubers. Regardless of your diet plans, vegetables are an important part of your diet, as they supply essential vitamins and minerals. The USDA recommends that women ages 19 to 50 eat 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day, while men in the same age range should eat 3 cups per day. Starting at age 51, reduce your daily veggie intake by 1/2 cup. Vegetables are cholesterol-free and usually low fat, with some exceptions, such as avocados.
Berries
Fruit is higher in carbohydrates than vegetables, and some low-carb diets prohibit eating any kind of fruit, at least at certain stages of the diet. However, fruit contains dietary fiber, and certain berries balance this with a low simple carb count. If you are counting carbs due to blood sugar issues such as diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends subtracting the fiber carbs from high-fiber foods--meaning those with over 5 grams of dietary fiber per serving--and counting only the carbs from other sources. By this method, a cup of fresh blackberries would count as only 6.24 carbs once the 7.6 grams of dietary fiber were subtracted from the total carbs. A cup of raspberries would count as 6.69 grams of carbs after subtracting the 8 grams of dietary fiber.
Proteins
Meat proteins have no carbs on their own; carbs are only added from other sources, such as breading, marinades or sauces. Fish is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your body. The USDA recommends consuming fish, nuts and seeds as part of your protein intake each week to ingest these healthy oils. You also can substitute beans for some of your protein requirements if you are counting carbs without dietary fiber. Black beans contain 23 total grams of carbs, but after subtracting the 15 grams of fiber, you're left with only 8 grams of carbs, making the beans a good low-carb food choice.
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