10 low-carb foods you should know about

Choosing a low carb lifestyle is a big decision. One of the best things about it is that people generally don’t need to count calories.

As carbohydrate intake is kept low, appetite tends to decrease . This causes people to automatically start restricting calories, without having to consciously regulate their food intake.

Note: This simple method has been shown to lead to significant weight loss, about 2-3 times greater than a low-sugar, low-calorie diet.

Interestingly, there are numerous foods that are incredibly delicious and low in carbs, and they are foods that most people would only consider an occasional indulgence.

These foods can be eaten regularly on a low-carb diet until you feel full, while still reaping all the metabolic benefits.

Some of these foods are even very beneficial, at least in the context of a low-carb diet (although adding them on top of a high-carb diet could be a problem).

Likewise, they can help you replace foods such as bread, milk derivatives, pasta, fruits such as bananas, among others , which are not excessively beneficial for the well-being of the body.

For these reasons, here is a list of 10 low-carb foods that you can add to your ketogenic or keto diet to lose weight naturally.

1. Butter and other dairy products

Butter is usually a staple. Then it was listed as being high in saturated fat and people started eating margarine instead.

However, butter has been making a comeback as a health food, especially among those who want to dabble in a low-carb diet, also known as the keto diet.

Important: Be sure to choose quality, grass-fed butter, which is higher in heart-friendly nutrients like vitamin K2.

Keep in mind that butter should be the side of a meal, not the food itself. Other high-fat dairy foods like cheese (fat and protein) and dairy cream (mostly fat) are also perfect on a low-carb diet.

Calorie Breakdown:  99% Fat, 1% Protein.

2. Nuts and nut butter

It is a mistake to assume that low-carb diets can only include protein from meat and fat. In addition to all the vegetables, there are multiple plant foods that can be eaten on the ketogenic diet for weight loss.

A great example is tree nuts, including almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and other types. Walnuts are incredibly nutritious, containing many beneficial fats for the body and important nutrients such as vitamin E and magnesium.

Note: People who eat nuts have a lower risk of various diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes in addition to other health benefits.

Nut butters are fine to eat as well, as long as they’re only made with the nuts and salt and aren’t loaded with some unhealthy oil.

Tip: You can include nuts in your breakfast, along with other cereals and a little coconut flakes, this will benefit you so that you will maintain energy for the rest of the day with low carbohydrate content.

The only problem with nut butters (and sometimes the nuts and seeds themselves) is that they are so dense and flavorful that it can be easy to eat excessive amounts, which is not conducive to weight loss .

Calorie breakdown of almonds:  74% fat, 13% protein, 13% carbohydrates. One ounce (28 grams) contains only 5 grams of carbohydrates, 3 of which are fiber.

3. Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is a super food. It is loaded with nutrients, fiber and powerful antioxidants. In fact, it contains even higher antioxidant activity than blueberries.

Important: This food leads to many very important benefits for heart health. It can lower blood pressure, raise HDL (the “good”) cholesterol, protect LDL from oxidation, and reduce insulin resistance.

Chocolate often contains a little sugar , but if you choose one with a high cocoa content (70-85%), the amount of sugar will likely be minimal and most of the calories will be from fat.

Calorie Breakdown:  64% Fat, 5% Protein, 31% Carbs. A 1-ounce (28-gram) piece can contain around 10 net carbs, depending on the brand and sugar content.

4. Pork rinds

It is about fried pork skin. They are high in protein, but different in nature than the protein in muscle meats.

Some proponents of the Paleolithic diet have argued that eating too much muscle meat can cause people to develop a deficiency in the amino acid glycine .

This amino acid is found in large amounts in other parts of the animal, including organ meats and gelatinous cuts like tendons and skin.

Notable : Pork rinds are also considered one of the foods rich in monounsaturated oleic acid , the same fatty acid found in abundance in olive oil.

The problem is that pork rinds can also be quite high in Omega-6 fatty acids and are not as nutritious as other parts of the animal, so I wouldn’t eat too much of them.

Calorie breakdown:  52% fat, 48% protein, no carbohydrates, its consumption should not be excessive, but it can help you as part of a snack when cooked in healthy oils , this reduces your carbohydrate intake and promotes loss of weight.

5. Avocados

Avocados are another great, healthy, low-carb food. They are technically part of the fruit group even though they are confused with vegetables, and they happen to be very rich in certain nutrients, especially fiber and high in potassium.

Note: Most of the fats (greater than 60%) are monounsaturated, with small amounts of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Avocados are fruits that can be beneficial for metabolism and heart health , and this makes perfect sense given the nutrient breakdown, so it’s recommended that you add them to your keto diet.

Calorie Breakdown:  This fruit contains 77% healthy fats, 4% protein, 19% carbohydrates. Most of the carbohydrates in avocados are fiber.

6. Bacon

People often refer to bacon as the “caramel of meat.” This is not surprising, given how incredibly delicious it is.

Note: Bacon has been classified as one of the unhealthy foods for two reasons: because it is rich in saturated fat, as well as because it is a processed meat.

Aside from the fact that saturated fat is completely harmless, what most people don’t realize is that most of the fat in bacon (about 2/3) is unsaturated.

That being said, most store-bought bacon is processed meat, which has been linked to increased risk of cancer and other diseases.

You should know: It’s important to try to find quality raw bacon, preferably from grass-fed pigs. Buying bacon that is truly nitrate and/or nitrite free is best.

The bacon that I eat is basically just the belly of the salty pig, it is also called the side pork.

While I definitely wouldn’t call bacon (or any other processed meat) a “health food,” it can be eaten regularly on a low-carb diet with no problem.

Calorie Breakdown:  70% Fat, 29% Protein, 1% Carbs.

7. Spinach

Spinach is a green leafy food, known for being part of the vegetables with a high iron content and its versatility in different recipes when cooking and especially in the diet to lose weight low in carbohydrates.

Note: According to data reviewed in the Nutrition and Health magazine (1) , spinach is part of the vegetables with a low level of carbohydrates and rich in omega 3, energy and vitamins , making them the ideal food for weight loss.

Calorie Breakdown:  1% Fat, 2.9% Protein, 1% Carbs.

8. Salmon

Salmon is a fish rich in monounsaturated fats, omega 3, vitamin D and E, phosphorus, potassium, iodine , among other essential nutrients for the health of the body.

You should know: The Spanish Food Book (2) , details that salmon does not contain carbohydrates, also considered one of the most complete fish in terms of the proportion of its nutrients .

In addition, oily fish contain a large amount of vitamin B12 , which is especially necessary to maintain healthy muscles.

Calorie Breakdown: 36.8% Fat, 63.2% Protein, 0% Carbs.

9. Pollo

Chicken is usually part of diets to reduce weight since its versatility to cook and accompany it with other foods, together with its non-existent amount of carbohydrates , make it an ideal food for people who suffer from heart disease or want to have better weight.

Calorie Breakdown: 14.60g Fat, 19.40g Protein, 0.2g Carbs (per 100g)

10. Eggs

Eggs are one of the most complete foods in terms of nutrients , they contain a large amount of protein and are easy to integrate when preparing a recipe, as part of a breakfast with different cereals or whole wheat bread, among other forms of consumption. .

Important: Eating eggs will help you reduce your carbohydrate intake in a healthy way , since it is not recommended to completely reduce carbohydrate consumption, as this can trigger a condition known as ketosis.

Ketosis is the metabolic condition that occurs in the body when it has a dangerous carbohydrate deficit , this condition can lead to certain problems that can affect your metabolic state.

Calorie Breakdown: 66% Fat, 34% Protein, 1% Carbs.