Carbohydrates are abundant in the American diet and are found in grains, starchy vegetables, sugar, legumes, fruits and some dairy. More than 50 percent of the calories consumed by Americans are provided by carbs, while low-carb diets suggest limiting them to less than 20 percent of your calorie intake. If you want to experiment with a moderate carb approach, which is reported to be a successful way to lose weight in a study published in 2005 in "The Journal of the American Medical Association," aim to get about 30 to 40 percent of your calories from carbs, or about 150 to 200 g a day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Breakfast
A moderate carb diet should include slightly more protein and fat than a standard low-fat, high-carb diet. To stay within your budget of 150 to 200 g a day, your breakfast should contain between 50 and 60 g of carbohydrates a day. For example, you could have a bowl of 1/4 cup of dry steel-cut oats cooked in water and served with 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp. of almond or peanut butter and 1 tsp. of maple syrup, honey or brown sugar for 50 g of carbohydrates. Add 2 tbsp. of dry steel-cut oats or a small piece of fruit to get to 60 g of carbohydrates.
Lunch
For lunch, aim for the same amount of carbohydrates, or about 50 to 60 g. Start counting to make sure you stay on track and use food labels because they are your most accurate source of information. For example, your lunch could be a big salad of leafy greens with a chicken breast, a handful of walnuts or some crumbled goat cheese, 2 tbsp. of dried cranberries, slices of avocado and a vinaigrette made from extra-virgin olive oil and raspberry vinegar. Complete your meal with a slice of whole grain sourdough bread and a banana for a total of 60 g of carbohydrates. If you aim for 50 g a day, only have half of the banana.
Dinner
For dinner, you could have either 1 cup of cooked whole grain pasta served with a tomato and meatball sauce sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a side salad, or 1 cup of cooked brown rice with a generous serving of broccoli and a serving of lean meat cooked in olive oil, each providing about 50 g of carbohydrates. You could also replace the whole grain pasta or brown rice with 3/4 cup of mashed potatoes or homemade oven-baked french fries made with about one and a half sweet potatoes. Add two to three squares of dark chocolate or a small piece of fruit to reach 60 g of carbohydrates.
Snack
If you limit your carbs to 150 g a day, you may already have used all of your carbs for the day and you should choose low-carb snacks, including raw vegetables such as baby carrots or cucumber dipped in 2 tbsp. of hummus, celery sticks spread with 2 tbsp. of almond butter, a handful of macadamia nuts or 1 to 2 oz. of cheese. If you still have carbohydrates left in your budget, you could have about 20 g of carbs from either 1/2 cup of cottage cheese mixed with 1 cup of strawberries and 2 tbsp. of peanut butter; 1/2 cup of plain yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce and a handful of grilled walnuts or 3/4 cup of grapes with 1 to 2 oz. of cheese.
References
- Mayo Clinic; Low-Carb Diet; May 1, 2010
- Zone Diet Free Recipes: Zone Diet Plan Guide: How It Works?
- "The Journal of the American Medical Association"; Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone Diets for Weight Loss and Heart Disease Risk Reduction; Michael L. Dansinger et al.; January 2005
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