Low-Carb Diet Food List: Stay Healthy While Eating Fewer Carbs

Demonizing carbs isn’t completely fair. We all need carbs – they’re nutrients that give us energy (1). Yet, this article is about the low-carb diet food list: stay healthy while eating fewer carbs. So, what’s the catch? 

The reality is simple: if you want to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories, and for some people, reducing their carb intake is the easiest way to do that.

A low-carb diet comes into play – an eating pattern in which a person consumes fewer carbs. In this review, we’ll discuss certain foods you can eat on your low-carb diet, and what products to avoid. 

Keep in mind that we don’t stress full carb elimination; this may be detrimental to your health. To learn more about the effects on your body after the complete “no-carb” policy, continue to read this article. 

What Is a Low-Carb Diet Food List?

A low-carb diet food list involves all kinds of meals and products that are mostly made of fats and protein and few carbohydrates. Typically, this diet involves a person getting less than 26% of calorie intake from carbs, but it can vary based on personal preferences (2). 

This list can be personalized based on your health needs and preferences. It also doesn’t always mean the person needs to reduce the volume of meals. Prioritizing low-carb foods is the key. In the next section, you’ll find a detailed list of low-carb foods. 

What Foods to Eat on a Low-Carb Diet List

In the following low-carb foods list for weight loss and overall health promotion, we decided to place foods in certain categories, including: 

1. Meats
2. Eggs
3. Seafood
4. Vegetables
5. Fruits
6. Nuts and Seeds
7. Fats and Oils
8. Milk and Dairy
9. Beverages

Meats

Most meats naturally have no or negligible carbs (1). Here are some examples of meats you can enjoy on your low-carb diet: 

• Chicken
• Pork
• Turkey
• Beef
• Lamb

Eggs

Interestingly, eggs have almost no carbs at all. A large egg contains less than half of a gram of carbs (3). Adding eggs to your eating regime can be positive for your physical health. They’re great sources of protein and other nutrients, such as choline, which is difficult to get elsewhere. One review suggests that consuming eggs may help with body composition by lowering fat mass and increasing muscle mass (4).

Seafood

Naturally low in carbs (5), seafood can be complementary to a variety of meals, adding a fresh twist to your masterpieces. 

The list of seafood and fish examples looks like this: 

• Clams
• Trout
• Mackerel
• Tuna
• Catfish
• Cod
• Shrimp
• Perch
• Pike
• Pollock
• Halibut
• Tilapia
• Whitefish
• Lobster
• Salmon
• Crab
• Oyster

Vegetables

Many vegetables are low in carbs and even if the vegetable has some carbs, they include a good amount of fiber. Low-carb vegetables include: 

• Broccoli 
• Onions
• Cauliflower
• Cale
• Cucumber
• Asparagus
• White mushrooms
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Zucchini
• Swiss chard
• Bell peppers
• Green beans
• Eggplant
• Celery

All of them have around 3-9 grams of carbs per 100 grams of raw, unprocessed vegetables. 

Read more:Low-Carb Diet Vs. Vegan Diet: Which Is The Ultimate Weight-Loss Diet

Fruits

Unlike low-carb vegetables, fruits have a few more carbs. However, they include essential fiber and some of them have still fewer carbs compared to other foods (6).

These fruits include: 

• Lemons
• Blackberries
• Star fruit
• Strawberries
• Watermelon
• Avocados
• Plums
• Kiwis
• Apricots
• Oranges
• Raspberries
• Peaches

On average, they include 6–15 g of carbs per 100 g in their raw forms.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are low in carbs. As they’re packed with healthy fats, protein, and fiber, they make nutritious additions to your snacks or main dishes. The following options contain around 4 to 15 grams of carbs per ounce: 

• Dried chia seeds
• Hazelnuts
• Pumpkin and squash seeds
• Peanuts
• Walnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Pecans

Fats and Oils

Fats and oils are naturally no-carb foods. The list includes: 

• Avocado oil
• Butter
• Canola oil
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil

Milk and Dairy

Milk and dairy contain carbs, but they’re still mostly considered low-carb foods. Dairy products include: 

• Cheddar and other cheeses
• Cow’s milk or other milks
• Plain, Greek, or regular yogurt
• Cottage cheese

Read the labels to avoid dairy with added sugars, as this increases the carb content significantly. 

Beverages

Sugar-free drinks are most acceptable on a low-carb diet. Ideal ones are water, coffee, and tea without added sugar or cream – they contain virtually no carbs. Drinking carbonated or flavored water is also fine, as long as it’s sugar-free. 

If a keto diet is something you’re more interested in right now, feel free to check the keto comfort foods. We designed a special article where we discussed special meals suitable for the keto diet. 

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What Foods Are Filling But Low in Carbs?

Before we get to the short list of filling low-carb foods, it’s essential to highlight that there are two main categories of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbs are found in refined grains and sugary foods, such as white rice, white pasta, candy, sodas, or breakfast cereals. They provide a quick burst of energy, but lack important fiber, minerals, and vitamins. 

Complex carbs can be found in legumes, starchy vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. 

Such foods help you feel fuller longer as they’re digested more slowly and give you energy over a prolonged period (7). As you should be eating some carbs even on a low-carb diet, try to get most of them from complex carb sources. 

Foods that are filling but low in carbs will be rich in protein and/or fiber. These include meats and seafood, eggs, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. 

What Are 5 Foods to Avoid on a Low-Carb Diet?

When discussing the low-carb food list, we need to stress products to limit or avoid on the low-carb diet. This list of foods you need to limit or avoid on the low-carb diet includes 5 products: 

• Refined Grains: white bread, white rice, white pasta, tortillas, buns.
• Ultra-processed foods and trans fats: these include shelf-stable packaged snacks and meals, industrially processed baked goods, sugary breakfast cereals, and similar foods, which tend to be high in salt, unhealthy fats, and added sugars. 
• Added Sugar: Including candy, sodas, ice creams, honey, energy drinks, and refined sugar.
• Beer: Beer is high in carbs. It also lacks important nutrients. 
• Juice: even though juice contains some valuable minerals and vitamins, it’s high in sugar and carbs. Plus, it’s low in fiber. Therefore, prefer eating whole fruits instead of drinking juices.  

What Foods to Eat Instead of Carbs

As previously mentioned, you shouldn’t fully eliminate your carb intake as complex carbs are healthy for you. You should aim to get your carbs from moderate amounts of whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables. A low-carb diet plan has nothing to do with a complete no-carb eating regime. 

Top-notch low-carb foods you can enjoy daily include meats, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and oils, fish and seafood, nuts and seeds, and dairy products. 

What Snacks Are Low Carb?

Healthy snacks become a part of our daily lives: we grab them during work, take them on a trip, or enjoy them on movie night. Choosing the right snacks for a low-carb diet also matters. Here’s a short list of snacks to use as healthy alternatives to processed chips or fries.

• Apples and cheese
• Crispy avocado
• Cucumber and yogurt
• Turkey roll-ups
• Berries with cottage cheese
• Peanut butter and celery
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Beef jerky
• Nuts
• Kale chips
• Hummus with red bell peppers
• Edamame
• Tuna-stuffed tomato (8)

What Is an Example of a Low-Carb Diet Food List for a Week?

Here’s a great example of a low-carb diet food list for a week. This high-protein, no-carb foods list is not surprising and includes everything we’ve already discussed: 

• Meat: chicken, beef, lamb, pork,
• Eggs: whole eggs, egg whites, egg yolks
• Fish: salmon, trout, tuna, haddock
• Lower carb fruits: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, oranges, blackberries
• Non-starchy vegetables: carrots, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes
• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, chia seeds
• Dairy: cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir
• Fats and oils: avocados, olive oil, avocado oil, other vegetable oils

A sample daily low-carb meal plan: 

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and red bell peppers; you may also prepare shakshuka

Snack: Protein shake: berry and spinach smoothie or an apple

Lunch: chickpea salad, or chicken breasts with brown rice and salad, curried fish with red bell peppers and broccoli

Snack: air-fryer carrot sticks, vegetable salad, almonds, red grapes, cheddar cheese

Dinner: grilled salmon with quinoa and salad, vegan burrito bowls, pork chops with broccoli

We’ve also shared a 7-day keto meal plan in another article where you can explore the top recipes for specific keto diets. 

What Happens if I Eat No Carbs for a Month?

Using a no-carb diet plan for 2 weeks or longer may impact your body in a few ways.

Many people use low-carb diets for weight loss. One recent cohort study suggested that the quality of food on low-carb diets is essential for modulating long-term weight change (9).

This means a person who prioritizes high-quality protein, fat, and carbs from whole grains and other plant-based foods may be less likely to gain weight over time. In the short-term, low-carb or very-low-carb diets sometimes result in weight loss, although this may initially be more water weight than actual fat. If you were to go back to a normal diet, the water weight would come back along with your glycogen stores.

Furthermore, depriving yourself of carbs completely may provide extra pitfalls: 

• You may feel low in energy
• You may feel dizzy and suffer with headaches
• You may experience constipation
• Your belly may bloat
• You may increase your health risks in the long term: one 2022 study highlighted the adverse effect of a low-carb diet that it could potentially increase “bad cholesterol” in some individuals, possibly due to the lack of fiber or increased saturated fat intake (10). However, more studies are required to determine the long-term effects of a low-carbohydrate diet.

Read more: No Sugar Diet Food List To Keep Your Carb Intake Reined In

How to Start a Low-Carb Diet for Beginners

Essentially, there are four basic steps you can take to safely integrate a low-carb diet into your lifestyle, but you should talk to your healthcare provider first to discuss whether it’s a good idea for you.

Step #1: Make Sure You Eat Whole Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables

Having vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in your diet can help you feel satiated for longer. As direct sources of fiber, they’re well-digestible and provide you with energy and other health perks. 

Step #2: Reduce Unhealthy Carbs Instead of Cutting Them out Completely

You already know that completely avoiding carbs is unhealthy. However, cutting down on refined carbs or those that are found in added sugars can actually be good for you. You should limit the consumption of cookies, soda, white pasta, white bread, fast food, and other ultra-processed foods, but still include whole grains, pulses, fruits, and vegetables. 

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Step #3: Don’t Forget About Healthy Fats

Healthy fats keep a person feeling full for longer and can make up for the carbs your body lacks. They can be found in oily fish, avocados, seeds and nuts, olive oil, and other vegetable oils. 

Step #4: Pull off an Eating Plan for a Week

Your plate for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast (why not?) should include a meal that consists of four components: lean protein (a quarter of your plate), healthy fats (a garnish), fruits or non-starchy vegetables (half of your plate), and whole grains or other complex carbs (a quarter of your plate).  

Creating a plan for one week can visually help you through your low-carb journey. You won’t need to spontaneously search for recipes and preparing them beforehand will save time.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is an example of a carb-free meal?

Good examples of no-carb meals include scrambled eggs with avocado and red bell peppers, roasted chicken and vegetables, sauteed shrimp with zucchini noodles, and roasted chicken wings with cauliflower rice. No foods or meals have absolutely zero carbs, but these are low enough to suit any low-carb diet.

• What foods block carbs?

There are no foods that block the absorption of carbs. Some dietary supplements claim to do this, but there isn’t sufficient evidence to support these claims and supplements are not well-regulated, so be very cautious. 

• What is the most successful low-carb diet?

There is no one diet that will be the most successful for everyone. People tend to see success with weight loss when they make changes that are easy for them to incorporate into their lifestyle, that don’t make them feel deprived, and that they can stick with in the long term. This can look different for different people. Talk to your healthcare provider to get more personalized advice. 

• What is the number one carb to avoid?

The number one carb to limit or avoid is probably added sugars. These can be found in sugary drinks and foods: candies, cookies, cakes, sodas, and chocolates. They don’t provide enough nutritional value or satiety despite containing a significant number of calories. Most health authorities recommend limiting added sugars to 10% or less of your total calories.

The Bottom Line

We’ve reached the end of the article on a low-carb diet food list: stay healthy while eating fewer carbs. The list encompasses meats, eggs, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, fats and oils, milk and dairy, and some beverages. 

Foods to limit or avoid on a low-carb diet include refined grains, ultra-processed foods, and foods with added sugars. 

It’s preferable not to exclude carbs completely and to consume meals containing healthy complex carbs. These come from foods such as whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables.

Anyone who wants to start a low-carb diet should consult their healthcare provider to ensure this diet is safe and suitable for them.