Doctors may recommend a low-carb diet for many reasons, such as weight loss or managing health problems like diabetes and high cholesterol. Depending on the individual's health goals, they may limit their daily intake to 100 grams or as little as 20 grams of carbohydrates. Knowing which high-carb foods to avoid is essential for those on a low-carb diet. Eliminating bread, grains, and pasta from your diet can be difficult, but there are plenty of recipe and cookbook websites that can help you find low-carb meals.
Your doctor or nutritionist can also provide helpful suggestions. Vegetables are generally a good choice for those on a low-carb diet, but corn and root vegetables like potatoes, yams, and beets are high in starch and should be avoided. Non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, pumpkin, bell peppers, and asparagus are better options. Salad is usually a great choice for those on a low-carb diet, but low-fat or fat-free salad dressings are surprisingly higher in carbohydrates than full-fat varieties.
Creamy, full-fat dressings are better for minimizing carbohydrate intake. Alternatively, you can mix olive oil and vinegar for a healthy and tasty alternative. Beer should be avoided since it contains 13 grams of carbohydrates per can - comparable to a slice of white bread. Additionally, consuming carbohydrates in liquid form makes it more likely to gain weight since fluids cause a weaker compensatory response than solid foods. Dry wines are very low in carbohydrates and liquor contains no carbohydrates at all.
Mixers with a low sugar content can be used to prepare low-carb cocktails. Milk is high in carbohydrates and sugar, so dairy-free milk substitutes like almond milk or coconut milk should be used instead. A little milk in coffee is unlikely to be a problem for most people on a low-carb diet. When following a low-carb diet, it's important to talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet. With Meritage Medical Network's network of more than 700 specialist and primary care physicians, we provide excellent healthcare to our patients in Marin, Sonoma and Napa Counties.
Our doctors are passionate about helping you improve your wellbeing through dietary modifications or other lifestyle changes. Fruit is generally high in sugar when following a low-carb or ketogenic diet. Low-carb vegetables like bell peppers, asparagus, and mushrooms are great options. You can also enjoy some low-carb drinks if you feel like it. Foods that should be avoided on a ketogenic diet include bread, grains, pasta, corn, root vegetables like potatoes and yams, fruit juice, sweetened yogurt varieties, beer, and milk. To sweeten foods or beverages without adding carbohydrates, choose a low-carb sweetener like stevia or monk fruit.
Comfort foods like pasta, pizza, baked goods, desserts should also be avoided while on the keto diet. Very low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet have been shown to increase weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity. It's important to remember that while some low-carb drinks are OK in moderation, consuming alcohol in excess is risky for your health. Low-carb diets like ketogenic and Atkins can be too restrictive and unsustainable in the long term. To maintain a healthy diet while reducing carbohydrate consumption it's important to talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet.
