4 Tips for Eating Fewer Carbs

by - 3/12/2019 12:00:00 AM



Reducing the number of carbohydrates in your diet can help you lose weight and gain overall health, so it’s worth knowing which foods to cut out or eat more of.

Tip 1. Know Where Your Carbs Come From

We’re all so used to eating carbohydrates that at first glance a list of the things you can’t eat can make it seem like all food is off the menu. What are you supposed to eat if you can’t eat carbs? Foods with a high carb count include bread and pasta, some veg such as potatoes and beets, grains (rice, oats, wheat), some fruit such as bananas, dates, and mangos. And breakfast cereals? Even one bowl of breakfast cereal without milk would be too many carbs on a low-carb diet.

Here are some low-carb foods you can eat:
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Lean meats
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Fruit such as apples, strawberries or blueberries
  • Unsweetened dairy such as plain yogurt or cream.
Tip 2. Beginning a Low Carb Diet

It can be a challenge, but if you’re up for it you’ll soon build new eating and shopping habits. You don’t have to do it all at once. Try cutting out one or two sources of high carbs, then move on to eliminate a few more. To follow a step-by-step plan, try:

Cutting out fizzy or fruity beverages along with flavored milks. Instead, drink water (add your own lemon for a twist of flavor), tea or coffee without sugar, almond or coconut milk. Once you’re comfortable with not drinking your carbs, move on to cutting out confectionery, baked products, and pastries, then cereals and finally flours. For a visually strong picture of a low-carb diet, try making your diet as colorful as possible by including lots of vegetables and salads.

Substitute low carb alternatives where you can. You could, for instance, replace mashed potatoes with a creamy cauliflower mash. Or eat a handful of pecan or Brazil nuts instead of a pack of potato chips.

Tip 3. Plan Ahead for Meals

Nothing ruins a good diet faster than when you don’t have the right foods at home. You’re much more likely to reach for foods you should avoid if you run out of all else when hunger strikes.

Map out your meals through the week before you go grocery shopping. It takes the guesswork out of cooking or packing a workday lunch, and can help you avoid fast-food top-ups during the day.

You can also hunt down tasty low carb recipes and meal ideas online, and draw up your shopping list as you plan your meals.

Tip 4. Read Ingredient Labels on Packaged Foods

Eating fewer carbs doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t eat any processed or pre-prepared foods. Just read the ingredients list on the back of the package to check for carb-rich ingredients or the total carbohydrate count of the dish or sauce. The ingredients list is more helpful than the marketing information on the front of the package.

Riced vegetables and similar foods are a positive boon when you’re trying to reduce your carb intake, with the bonus of being really fast to prepare and not needing refrigeration to stay fresh. They’re an excellent store cupboard staple, as you can use them to replace the rice portion of many meals or bulk out healthy salad dishes.

Look for hidden sugars in packaged food ingredients. A quick way is to look for words ending in -ose, such as fructose, maltose, glucose, lactose, dextrose. They’re all sugars, but this list isn’t exhaustive as syrups and fruits are also sugars, and sugars contain lots of carbs.

It’s absolutely possible to successfully adopt a low-carb diet all at once, but most people find it less challenging to take it step by step and learn which foods to avoid as they progress. Also, forgive yourself for mistakes. We all make them. Just move forward and start again.

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18 comments

  1. These are all really good tips. I think planning ahead can be important to help avoid / reduce the amount of carbs eaten in the day.

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  2. I eat a very low in carb diet and for me, it's super easy. Probably because I love my veggies honestly ;)

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  3. My big weakness is carbs so this post really hit home. Your ideas are so good and I will try and get some of those low carb foods pronto.

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  4. I am aware select the low-carb ideas. Everything you mentioned here makes perfect sense. I am trying to eat lower carb and this is definitely going to help.

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  5. Planning out meals really helps you see what to eat everyday and get rid of the extra carbs. Reading the labels is always something we do.

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  6. I love my carbs, so I doubt I'll do this. I probably shouldn't eat as many carbs as I do, but eh, I can never turn down bread. Or pasta. But I know the keto diet is popular and people are watching their carbs these days.

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  7. Thank you for educating me about the key word ose to look for in packages, I didn't know that. I learned something new today.

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  8. I really need to cut out carbs. Problem is, it’s a huge portion of my diet!! I love me some pasta. ;)

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  9. I've tried the low carb thing so many times and I fail every single time. I have cut down though, so that's good.

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  10. I have PCOS so low carb is highly recommended for it. I try to eat a lot of naturally low carb veggies.

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  11. I know that I need to change my diet drastically, but so far I haven't had much success. I'm going to give these tips a try.

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  12. Beginning a low carb diet is really a challenge. The most important part is to plan meals in advance.

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  13. I love the fact that cauliflower is on that list because I swear, I am hooked on cauliflower! Carbs are definitely my weakness but I really do have to cut back.

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  14. Cauliflower is one of my favorite subs for carbs. I actually really like it and sometimes I like it more than the carbs it is replacing.

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  15. I have been craving healthier foods lately and believe your body will tell you what it needs. I could never give up carbs. When I listen to my body and it is craving broccoli or a certain fruit I know that my body must need that particular vitamin or nutrient from the food that I'm craving.

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  16. Thank you for these tips! I need to lose weight and I'll start from cutting down carbs from my diet. I love bananas but will now eat apple more.

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  17. I’m so trying to eat less carbs! This is a perfect article for me.

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  18. I am all about the carbs, but the good kind :) But cutting out processed foods is definitely key to feeling your best.

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