Foods to Eat on a Low-Carb Diet
Low-carbohydrate diets are a popular way to lose excess weight. There are low-carb versions of just about every manufactured food, but for natural choices there are almost as many choices. Living your life on a low-carb diet is not a short-term choice; it's more of a whole change in eating habits. This means you give up some things that you enjoy, adapt recipes to include the things you can't live without and learn to shop smart.
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Meats
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All meats are allowed on a low-carb diet, including beef, chicken, pork and seafood. The only thing to avoid in the meat category is artificial crab meat. Meats provide a great deal of vitamins and proteins that your body needs. A low-carb diet is ideal for natural meat eaters.
Veggies
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Fresh green vegetables including green beans and spinach provide iron and vitamins while being low-carb foods. Cauliflower, broccoli and zucchini are also popular low-carb, fresh veggie choices. Veggies bought for a low-carb diet must be fresh.
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Fruits
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The selection isn't quite as large for low-carb fresh fruits. Due to the amount of natural sugar in fruit, most of them aren't designated as low-carb. The main choices with the lowest carbohydrates and sugar are cantaloupe, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. Lemons and limes are occasionally a good choice.
Dairy
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Cheeses and milks, whipping cream, yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs are all low-carb choices. This food group gives a great deal of variety to the low-carb diet, as well as providing calcium and vitamins that are good for your body.
Desserts
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Sugar-free gelatin, sugar-free pudding, low-carb cake recipes and low-carb cinnamon rolls are all good desserts. Many low-carb dieters substitute Splenda brand sweetener for sugar in their recipes.
Breads
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Breads are generally frowned upon as a low-carb food choice. However, there are many low-carb products and recipes that provide you with at least a small amount of bread so you don't feel deprived. The Atkins diet bread makes for a good low-carb sandwich.
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