A low carb diet is a diet that restricts carbohydrates, such as those found in sugary foods, pasta and bread. It is rich in proteins, fats and healthy vegetables.
There are many different types of low carb diets, and studies show that they can cause weight loss and improve health.
This is a detailed meal plan for a low carb diet. It explains what to eat, what to avoid and includes a weekly low carb menu suggestion.
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Low Carb Food – Basics
Your food choices depend on a few things, including your health, your exercise and your weight loss.
Consider this meal plan as a general guideline, not a definitive one.
- Eat: meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, dairy products with a high fat content, fats, healthy oils and maybe even some tubers and gluten-free grains.
- Don’t eat: sugar, HFCS, wheat, seed oils, trans fats, “diet” and low-fat products and highly processed foods.
Foods to avoid
You should avoid these six groups of foods and nutrients, in order of importance:
- Sugar: Soft drinks, fruit juices, agave, sweets, ice cream and many other products that contain added sugar.
- Refined grains: Wheat, rice, barley and rye, as well as bread, cereals and pasta.
- Trans fats: hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
- Diet and low-fat products : Many dairy products, cereals or cookies are reduced in fat, but contain added sugar.
- Highly processed foods: if it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it.
- Starchy Vegetables: It is best to limit starchy vegetables in your diet if you are on a low carb diet.
See too:
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Low Carb: Beginners Guide + Menu | Nutrition
The main characteristic of a Low Carb diet is that it is low in carbohydrates, that is, the main nutrient in sugary foods, pasta and bread. During this diet, you should consume healthy foods, including proteins, fats and natural vegetables.
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You should read lists of ingredients even in foods labeled as healthy foods.
For more details, check out this article on foods to avoid with a low carb diet .
Low Carb Food List
You should base your diet on these real, unprocessed, low-carb foods.
- Meat: Beef, lamb, pork, chicken and others; grass fed is the best.
- Fish: Salmon, trout, haddock and many others; fish caught in the wild is the best.
- Eggs: eggs enriched with omega-3s or pastures are the best.
- Vegetables: Spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and many others.
- Fruits: Apples, oranges, pears, blueberries, strawberries.
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
- High-fat dairy products: cheese, butter, sour cream, yogurt.
- Fats and oils: coconut oil, butter, lard, olive oil and fish oil.
If you need to lose weight, be careful with cheese and nuts, as it is easy to overeat. Do not eat more than one piece of fruit a day.
Foods to maybe include
If you are healthy, active and don’t need to lose weight, you can eat a few more carbs.
- Tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes and some others.
- Unrefined grains: brown rice, oats, quinoa and many others.
- Legumes: lentils, black beans, beans, etc. (if you can tolerate them).
In addition, you can have the following in moderation if you want:
- Dark chocolate: choose organic brands with at least 70% cocoa.
- Wine: choose dry wines with no added sugar or carbohydrates.
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and can provide health benefits if you eat it in moderation. However, be aware that both dark chocolate and alcohol will hinder your progress if you eat / drink too much.
Drinks
- Coffee
- Tea
- Water
- Carbonated beverages without sugar, such as sparkling water.
Weekly Low Carb menu suggestion
This is a sample menu for a week on a low carb diet plan.
It provides less than 50 grams of total carbohydrates per day. However, if you are healthy and active, you can eat a little more carbohydrates.
Monday Menu
| Meal | Foods |
| Breakfast | Omelet with assorted vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil. |
| Lunch | Grass yogurt with blueberries and a handful of almonds. |
| Dinner | Cheeseburger without bread, served with vegetables and parsley sauce. |
Tuesday Menu
| Meal | Foods |
| Breakfast | Bacon and eggs. |
| Lunch | Leftover hamburgers and vegetables from the night before. |
| Dinner | Salmon with butter and vegetables. |
Wednesday Menu
| Meal | Foods |
| Breakfast | Eggs and vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil. |
| Lunch | Shrimp salad with a little olive oil. |
| Dinner | Grilled chicken with vegetables. |
Thursday Menu
| Meal | Foods |
| Breakfast | Omelet with assorted vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil. |
| Lunch | Smoothie with coconut milk, fruits, almonds and protein powder. |
| Dinner | Steak and vegetables. |
Friday Menu
| Meal | Foods |
| Breakfast | Bacon and eggs. |
| Lunch | Chicken salad with a little olive oil. |
| Dinner | Pork chops with vegetables. |
Saturday Menu
| Meal | Foods |
| Breakfast | Omelet with various vegetables. |
| Lunch | Grass-fed yogurt with fruit, coconut flakes and a handful of nuts. |
| Dinner | Meatballs with vegetables. |
Sunday Menu
| Meal | Foods |
| Breakfast | Bacon and eggs. |
| Lunch | Smoothie with coconut milk, a pinch of sour cream, chocolate-flavored protein powder and wild berries. |
| Dinner | Grilled chicken wings with raw spinach on the side. |
Include lots of low-carb vegetables in your diet. If your goal is to stay below 50 grams of carbohydrates a day, there is room for lots of vegetables and a fruit a day.
Again, if you are healthy, lean and active, you can add some tubers, like potatoes and sweet potatoes, in addition to some healthy grains, like oats.
Healthy, low-carb snacks
There are no health reasons to eat more than three meals a day, but if you feel hungry between meals, here are some healthy, easy-to-prepare, low-carb snacks that can serve you:
- A piece of fruit
- Fat yogurt
- One or two boiled eggs
- Mini Carrots
- Leftovers from the night before
- A handful of nuts
- Some cheese and meat
Eating at restaurants
In most restaurants, it’s easy to make your meals low carb.
- Order a meat or fish main course.
- Drink plain water instead of sugary soda or fruit juice.
- Get extra vegetables instead of bread, potatoes or rice.
A simple Low Carb shopping list
A good rule of thumb is to shop around the store, where it is more likely that all food will be found.
Focusing on whole foods will make your diet a thousand times better than the standard Western diet.
Organic and grass-fed foods are also popular choices and are often considered healthier, but are generally more expensive.
Try to choose the least processed option that still fits your price range.
- Meat (meat, lamb, pork, chicken, bacon)
- Fish (fatty fish like salmon is best)
- Eggs (choose omega-3 enriched eggs or pastures if you can)
- butter
- Coconut oil
- Lard
- Olive oil
- Cheese
- Milk cream
- Cream
- Yogurt (fat, without sugar)
- Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- Walnuts
- Olives
- Fresh vegetables (vegetables, peppers, onions, etc.)
- Frozen vegetables (broccoli, carrots, various mixtures)
- Condiments (sea salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, etc.)
Clean your pantry of all harmful temptations, if you can, such as chips, candies, ice cream, soft drinks, juices, breads, cereals and baking ingredients like refined flour and sugar.
Low-carbohydrate diets restrict carbohydrates, such as those found in sugary and processed foods, pasta and bread. They are rich in proteins, fats and healthy vegetables.
Studies show that they can cause weight loss and improve health.
The above meal plan provides the basics of healthy eating and low carb.
Of course, you can also browse the Internet for even more low-carb or paleo recipes.