Low Carbohydrate Foods to Enjoy

Low carbohydrate diets have become increasingly popular, and many have found weight loss success with these low carb diet plans. For those new to low carb dieting, choosing the right foods can seem difficult at first; however, the list of foods with low levels of carbohydrates is long and includes foods from nearly every food group.

While all vegetables, herbs and spices contain some carbohydrates, a number of delicious and nutritious chooses exist in this food category for low carb dieters. The vegetables with the lowest levels of carbohydrates are likely to be greens, including lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, bok choy, collards, kale, chard, and cabbage. Popular veggies celery, radish, mushrooms, avocado, asparagus, cucumbers, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and all types of peppers are low in carbohydrates. Overall, the carb count of any of these foods depends on the serving size, but these vegetables are the best bets for low carb dieters.

Many low carb diet plans differ on the inclusion of fruit. While all fruits have carbohydrates, and some can be high in carbs, fruits provide much-needed nutrients. The fruits with the lowest carbs include figs, kumquats, passion fruit, peaches, plums, Prunes, rhubarb and tangerines, which all have 10g of carbs or less. Fruits with less than 20 grams of carbs include Apples, pineApple, strawberries, watermelon, Oranges, papayas and blackberries. Most of these fruits can be enjoyed in moderation.

The dairy food category includes foods with a range of carbs. Most milk products, including soy milk and almond milk, fall in the moderate carb category with between 10 and 15 grams of carbohydrates. Only unsweetened milk substitutes are truly considered low carb. Other dairy products are low carb, such as creams, cheeses and eggs. Butter is a carb-free food.

Most proteins in the form of foods and seafood are great low-carbohydrate foods. Meats like bacon, chicken, game hen, duck, goose, pork, beef steak, veal and turkey are actually carb-free. Kielbasa, sausage, bologna, ham, roast beef and salami are low-carb foods. Very low-carb seafood items include lobster, crab, mussel and fish, including salmon, halibut, flounder and cod.