No-Carb-Diet Eating Plan

Going on a no-carb diet can be overwhelming at first because most Americans are used to building their meals around carbohydrate-containing foods, such as rice, pasta, potatoes, pizza dough, tortillas, breads and breakfast cereals. A no-carb diet should be based on protein and fat, with some non-starchy vegetables according to your carbohydrate budget, to allow you to have all the energy you need and feel satiated with your diet. With a little bit of imagination, you will soon come up with a lot of new ways to prepare your favorite meals sans the carbs.

Breakfast

The most common breakfast for no-carb dieters is an egg-based breakfast. You can serve eggs any way you like -- scrambled, fried or in a frittata, with spinach and tomatoes, a few slices of bacon, sausage or cheese. If you need something other than eggs for breakfast, you can eat leftovers from your no-carb meal from the previous night or, for a fancy breakfast, roll slices of smoked salmon with cream cheese and a few slices of avocado. Add a sheet of nori if you like, and these sushi-free salmon rolls will give you less than 3 g of carbohydrates.

Lunch

For lunch, instead of preparing a traditional sandwich, sub or panini, have a wrap made with lettuce leaves. You can put some chicken, roast beef or pulled pork in a lettuce leaf with grated cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, salsa or any of your favorite toppings, roll and enjoy. You can also prepare a tuna or chicken salad by mixing small cubes with diced celery and full-fat mayonnaise. Prepare a cucumber boat by slicing a cucumber lengthwise, scooping out the seed and serving your chicken or tuna salad in the cucumber boat.

Dinner

For dinner, you can grill steak and serve it with cooked mushrooms, drizzled with cream and seasoned with plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper. Accompany your steak with leafy greens, broccoli or green beans and a dollop of butter, if desired. Depending on the amount of vegetables you include, your carb intake will vary between 5 and 10 g. Alternatively, you can serve a fillet of fresh salmon spread with a mixture of full-fat sour cream and mustard seeds and accompanied with red bell peppers and asparagus drizzled with plenty of olive oil for about the same amount of carbs.

Snacks

For your snacks, avoid the traditional high-carb snacks like pretzels, rice cakes, energy bars, yogurts and fruits. Keep your carbs low by opting for a few ounces of cheese, cottage cheese mixed with almond butter, a handful of walnuts, raw non-starchy vegetables, and a few slices of chicken, roast beef or smoked salmon.