4 Meal-Planning Rules for Low-Carb Dieting

Eat fewer carbs, lose weight. You’ve probably heard the advice before on TV, in a magazine, online, or from a friend at the gym who lost a bunch of weight. Right?

It works. Research shows eating fewer carbs can help you tip the scale in the right direction. In fact, in a recent study researchers found that following a low-carb diet helped people lose weight and keep it offer better than following a low-fat diet.

So what does a Low-Carb diet look like? What should you eat? How many carbs per day can you eat on a Low-Carb diet and get results?

Health professionals recommend consuming about 120g of carbohydrates per day to achieve positive results from a Low-Carb diet. Read food labels, and keep track of what you eat. Follow these four meal-planning rules for a Low-Carb diet:

1. Eat lean protein

It’s no secret that the typical American diet includes a ton of carbs (candy, cookies, soda, pasta, pizza, burgers, fries, etc.). If you’re going to eat fewer carbs, you’ll need to eat a lot less of these foods, and more lean protein. Chicken, turkey, and fish are great options.

2. Choose healthy fats

One of the problems in the low-carb, vs. low-fat study was an increase in bad cholesterol levels. Researchers think that may be a result of eating low-carb foods high in unhealthy fats. Make sure your meals and snacks include healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

3. Include fruit or non-starchy vegetable

Sure, fruits and vegetables contain some carbohydrates. But they’re low in calories and high in nutrients. On a low-carb diet, include some fruit and non-starchy vegetables like broccoli and kale.

4. Eat some whole grains or starchy vegetables

Believe it or not, you should eat some foods high in carbohydrates even when you’re following a Low-Carb diet. Why? Your body uses carbohydrates for energy. Go too low, and you’ll feel tired and fatigued. You might even get crazy cravings for high-carb foods, sweets and snacks.

Instead of blowing your Low-Carb diet, include some whole grains and starchy vegetables in your diet like corn, peas, and potatoes or legumes.

Follow these four meal-planning rules to go Low-Carb. Need a little help making the switch to Low-Carb dieting easier? Check out our complete selection of Low-Carb meals.