The word already indicates the concept behind it: “Low Carb” is made up of the two English words “low” and “carb” as an abbreviation for “carbohydrates”. Those who follow a low carb diet therefore consume only small amounts of carbohydrates. Depending on the diet, this is between 20 and 150 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Many people follow a low carb diet to lose weight. In this case, you reduce not only the carbohydrates, but also the calories consumed. Their sum must be lower than the consumed calories even in a low carb diet, so that there is a reduction of body fat. However, it is possible to eat a low carb diet permanently even with a balanced calorie intake, if this type of diet suits you well.
Low carb is not a rigid concept. So there is also no standard definition of a low carb food — it just has to contain “few carbohydrates”. So, in order to make a selection of the best low carb foods, we had to set a limit ourselves. We decided on a maximum of 10 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of the food. On the one hand, this is a relatively small amount, considering that bread provides just under 50 grams and pasta even around 60 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. On the other hand, 10 grams is not so little that it is hard to find foods to add to the list.
More about how low carb works incl. free diet plan here.
Which foods are allowed?
Especially those who are just starting with low carb ask themselves, “What foods am I allowed to eat at all? And what is not allowed to eat?” We also introduce you to the best low carb fruits and vegetables below.
The 10 best low carb foods
The best low carb foods on the top ten list combine particularly many important nutrients in themselves (carbohydrates / 100 grams). These low carb foods belong on your shopping list:
Fish (0 g)
Meat (0 g)
Vegetable oil (0 g)
Eggs (0.3 g)
Tofu (0.7 g)
Low-fat curd cheese (4.2 g)
Mushrooms (< 5 g)
Green vegetables (< 10 g)
Berries (< 10 g)
Citrus fruits (< 10 g)
Which fruits are low in carbohydrates?
Even with fresh fruit, there are those that are particularly low in carbohydrates (10 grams of carbs per 100 g or less). Here is the top 10 list low carb fruits (carbs/100 grams):*.
Rhubarb (1 g)
Lemon (2.9 g)
Red currant (5 g)
Blackberry (6,2 g)
Quince (6,3 g)
Watermelon (6,3 g)
Strawberry (7 g)
Raspberry (7 g)
Cranberry (7,1 g)
Black elderberry (7.4 g)
The energy of practically all types of fruit comes predominantly from carbohydrates — more precisely, from fructose and glucose. Nevertheless, low carbers do not have to do without fruit: Because fruit is 80 to 90 percent water, the absolute carbohydrate content of fresh fruit is always relatively low. Even rather carbohydrate-rich varieties such as mangos, grapes, cherries or persimmons only provide around 15 grams of carbs per 100 grams.
The situation is different with dried fruit: Since a large part of the water has been removed from it, the carbohydrate content increases significantly: on average, 100 grams not only provide a stately 280 calories, but also 60 grams of carbs. Fruit juices are also problematic for low carbers. Although an average of 12 grams of carbohydrates per 100 milliliters does not seem very dramatic. However, a glass with 300 milliliters already provides 36 grams — a me
Which vegetables are suitable for low carb?
Almost all vegetables contain only very small amounts of carbohydrates, but all the more micronutrients and fiber. So eating low carb means eating lots of vegetables. This is the top 10 list low carb vegetables (carbohydrates/100 grams):
Chicory (0.7 g)
Spinach (0.8 g)
Mushrooms (1.1 g)
Chinese cabbage (1.2 g)
Celery (1,5 g)
Sauerkraut (1,7 g)
Cucumber (2 g)
Zucchini (2 g)
Radish (2,1 g)
Cauliflower (2.3 g)