Low-carb foods include meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and natural fats, like butter.1 It’s possible to eat delicious, real food until you are satisfied…and still lose weight.2
On this page, you can learn how to make low carb simple. You get a guide to what to eat and what to avoid. You can also use our 1,000+ awesome low-carb recipes and our free 2-week get started challenge. This guide is for adults with health issues, including obesity, that could benefit from a low-carb diet. Low-carb foods
– what to eat
, medical review by Dr. Michael Tamber, MD
Evidence basedVisual low-carb guides
1. Low-carb foods list
Foods to eat
Drink
Vegetables 
Fruits 
Nuts 
Snacks 
Alcohol 
Fats & sauces 
Drinks 
How many carbs? 
Sweeteners 
Dairy Recipes
For ideas and inspiration for appetizing meals that we think you and your family will love, take a look at our more than 1,000 low-carb recipes. Every week, we add more. You will find some of the most popular recipes below, but we have recipes to suit almost any taste.
Meal plans
Do you want to try low carb? Sign up for the free 2-week low-carb challenge or use our free 30-day low-carb meal plan.
Special events
Invited out? Celebrating? You don’t have to derail your diet. While too much celebrating can slow down weight loss, after a special event, just get right back to the diet and progress will resume.14
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- Alcohol: You can drink the following in moderation: dry wine, champagne or sparkling wine (extra dry or brut), whisky, brandy, vodka and gin.15 Vodka and soda water with a wedge of lime makes a great, crisp drink. See our guide to alcoholic beverages.
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- Dark chocolate: Above 70% cocoa, preferably only in small amounts.16 Full low-carb snacks guide
2. Do not eat high-carb foods
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![Avoid sugary foods on keto]()
Sugar: The worst choice, period.17 Soft drinks, candy, juice, sports drinks, chocolate, cakes, buns, pastries, ice cream, breakfast cereals – avoid them all. Although controversial based on scientific definitions, many find sugar to have addictive properties.18
Read our complete guide to sugar
Preferably avoid or limit artificial sweeteners as well.19 Check out our full low-carb sweeteners guide
![keto-avoid-starch]()
Starch:Flour, wheat products or other refined cereal grains, even if labelled “gluten free.”20 This means bread, buns, pasta, crackers, porridge, muesli. Whole grains are included here too – on a low-carb diet they are just less bad.21
Also avoid potatoes (sweet potatoes too), potato chips, French fries, corn products and popped corn, and rice. Do check out, however, some of the low-carb versions of these foods:
– Low-carb bread
– Low-carb “mashed potatoes”
– Low-carb “rice”
– Low-carb porridge
– Low-carb “pasta”Beans and lentils are also relatively high in carbs, so they’re not good low-carb options. Moderate amounts of certain root vegetables may be OK (unless you’re eating extremely low carb).
- Beer: Made from fermented grain and hops, beer is basically bread in liquid form. We recommend avoiding it altogether. Lower-carb beers (typically called “lite beer” in the US) are available, but keep in mind that they still contain more carbs than dry wine or pure liquor.
- Fruit: While berries like blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are fine in small to moderate amounts, be careful with other fruits. They are fairly high in carbs and sugar, which can raise blood sugar, slow down weight loss, and possibly worsen metabolic issues.22 Consider it nature’s candy: fine for a special treat, but probably not something to consume daily on a very low-carb diet.23 Learn more
Starch:Flour, wheat products or other refined cereal grains, even if labelled “gluten free.”20 This means bread, buns, pasta, crackers, porridge, muesli.
Watch out
Be very skeptical of special “low-carb” products, such as pasta or chocolate.24 They’re often full of carbs once you see through the creative marketing.
There are many companies that use deceptive advertising to entice you into buying their “low carb” products that are full of starch, flour, sugar alcohols and other sweeteners, and strange additives.25
One of the largest of such companies was fined 8 million dollars for lying about the carb content of their products.
Two simple rules to avoid this junk:
- Don’t eat “low carb” versions of high-carb stuff – like cookies, bars, chocolate, bread, pasta or ice cream – unless you are SURE of the ingredients (ideally by making it yourself).
- Avoid products with the words “net carbs” on them. That’s usually just a way to fool you, and they are rarely good low-carb foods.
Read more about fake low-carb products
Also, preferably avoid margarine. It’s a solid form of industrial seed and vegetable oils that contains trans fats. Why eat imitation butter when real butter is probably tastier and better for you?26
3. Make it real
Eat high-quality, minimally-processed, low-carb foods.27 Shop the rim of the store and avoid packaged goods. Buy at local farmers’ markets. No list of ingredients? Great. That means it’s not processed.
A good strategy is to eat only low-carb foods that were available hundreds or even thousands of years ago. If it has a long list of ingredients and words on its label you’ve never heard of, don’t eat it.
Handy brochure
Take this simple print-out-guide of which low-carb foods to eat and which to avoid to the store, or give it to interested family and friends.
How low to go?
How many grams of carbs can you eat in a day and still be low carb? Many people on the Standard American Diet (SAD) consume more than 250 to 350 grams of carbs a day.28 So when you adopt a low-carb diet, anything below about 100 grams a day — especially if you cut out added sugars — may reap weight loss and metabolic benefits.29
However, the more weight you want to lose, or the more your health has suffered from the SAD way of eating, the fewer carbs you may want to consume when beginning a low-carb diet.30 If you stay under 20 grams of carbs a day, you will be eating a very low-carb or ketogenic diet, in which your body converts from burning carbs (glucose) to burning fat and ketones for fuel.31 Ketogenic diets can also suppress appetite, so you end up eating less without getting hungry.32
Learn more about the ketogenic diet.
Some people can do very well consuming slightly more carbs — about 30 to 50 grams a day — as long as those come from healthy, real low-carb foods, devoid of added sugars or refined carbohydrates. Once people reach their weight loss or health goals, some find they can add a few more carbs back into their diets from time to time.33
You may need to experiment to see where you feel your best and are able to easily maintain your weight and control cravings.34 Many people find that if they add carbs back in, their cravings for higher carbohydrate foods return.35
Here are three visual examples of various levels of carbs on a dinner plate. Learn more about how to determine the right amount of carbs for you.
Ketogenic 0-20 
Moderate 20-50 
Liberal 50-100 Important: Don’t fear fat!
After years of being told to avoid fat and eat low-fat foods, many people find the hardest part of adopting the diet is adding more fat. A low-carb diet needs fat, especially in the beginning. Fat adds taste and calories. Get it from using butter, coconut oil, high fat cheese, olive oil, avocado oil — even beef and bacon fat. Just don’t overdo it, since eating too much fat can prevent you from burning your stored body fat.37
How do you know how much fat you should eat?
At the start, do not deny yourself fat. Eat enough so that you are satisfied and you do not feel hungry. Reducing your carb intake is what helps you become “fat adapted” — burning fat for fuel efficiently. Eating fat helps you make the transition without being hungry or having intense cravings.38 You will know that you are fat-adapted when you do not need to eat every few hours and you no longer feel the highs and lows (“hangry” episodes) that can accompany a high-carb diet.39
Once your body is fat-adapted, you can then consume a little less fat at every meal and let your body burn what it needs for energy from your fat stores. This can help you lose weight.40 If at any time you feel deprived, unsatisfied, or have cravings, you can add fat back into your diet. Listen to your body. If you consume more fat than your body needs, it may slow down your fat loss. If you eat too little fat, however, you may feel tired, grumpy, or have cravings.
In short, start by reducing your carbs, eating enough protein, and adding fat for taste. You don’t need to count calories.41 Eat when you are hungry.42 Stop when you are satisfied. Easy peasy!
4. Low-carb breakfasts
Here are some of our low-carb breakfast favorites, followed by other fantastic options:
Top 30 low-carb breakfasts 
Quick & easy low-carb breakfasts 
Low-carb pancakes 
All low-carb breakfasts Other basic low-carb breakfasts
- Leftovers from last night’s dinner
- Coffee with cream
- A can of mackerel and boiled eggs
- Avocado, salmon and sour cream
- Cheese with butter
- Boiled eggs mashed with butter, chopped chives, salt and pepper
- A piece of brie cheese and some ham or salami (or a full breakfast tapas plate)
- High-fat yoghurt with nuts and seeds (and perhaps berries)
The no-breakfast option
Do you need breakfast on a low-carb diet? No.43
On a low-carb, high-fat diet you’re likely not as hungry and you don’t need to eat as often.44 Skipping breakfast is perfectly fine if you’re not hungry. Perhaps you’ll only have a cup of coffee.
In fact, skipping breakfast is often a component of time-restricted eating, a popular version of intermittent fasting. This may speed up weight loss and improve the control of type 2 diabetes.45 As a bonus you can save time and money.
Are you feeling brave enough to skip breakfast?
5. Low-carb lunches and dinners
Suggestions for low-carb lunches and dinners:
- Meat, fish or chicken dishes with vegetables and a rich full-fat sauce. There are many alternatives to potatoes, such as mashed cauliflower.
- Stews, soups or casseroles with low-carb ingredients.
- You can use most recipes in cookbooks if you avoid the carbohydrate-rich ingredients. Or check out our full low-carb recipe site.
- Drink water with your meal or (occasionally) a glass of wine.
Recipes
Top 30 low-carb meals 
Top low-carb casseroles 
Top low-carb lunches 
All low-carb meals
Other simple sides
- Salads made from above-ground vegetables, perhaps with some kind of cheese. Try out different kinds.
- Boiled broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.
- Vegetables au gratin: Fry squash, aubergine (eggplant) and fennel (or other vegetables you like) in butter. Add salt and pepper. Put in baking dish and add grated cheese. Bake at 225° C (450° F) until the cheese melts and turns golden.
- Vegetables stewed in cream, e.g. cabbage or spinach.
- Avocado
- Vegetable spaghetti can be used instead of pasta. Try it
Dining out or meals with friends
- Restaurants: Usually not a big problem. You can ask to replace potatoes or fries with a salad or low-carb vegetables.
- Fast food: Doner kebab or other meat or chicken kebab can be a decent option (avoid the bread). At hamburger chains the hamburgers (without the bun) are usually the least bad option. Avoid soft drinks and fries, obviously. Drink water or unsweetened iced tea. Pizza toppings are usually OK. Simply remove from the crust and enjoy.
- Nuts or cheese are good “emergency food” when there are no other low-carb options to be found. Remember to ask they leave the crackers out, possibly substituting walnuts or almonds — you may even get more cheese!
- If you eat strictly, every day, it’s less of a problem to make a few exceptions when you are invited out. If you’re not sure what will be served, you can eat something at home before you leave.
Full dining out guide 6. Low-carb snacks and desserts
Snacks
Olives and nuts may replace potato chips as snacks. Here are more low-carb snack options:
- Mixed nuts Learn more
- Sausage: Cut it in pieces, add a piece of cheese and stick a toothpick through them. You may want to check the nutrition label for the carb content of the sausages. Some are made cheaper by adding in starchy carbs instead of meat.
- Vegetables with dip, Try cucumber sticks; red, yellow or green peppers; cauliflower; etc. More
- Cream cheese rolls: Spread some cream cheese on a piece of salami, prosciutto/cold cuts or a long slice of cucumber; then roll it up.
- Olives
- Parmesan cheese crisps: On a baking tray, form small piles of grated Parmesan cheese. Heat in oven at 225°C (450°F). Let them melt until they turn a nice color (be careful – they burn easily). Serve as chips, perhaps with some dip.
Visual low-carb guides
Snacks 
Fruits 
Nuts Snack recipes
All low-carb snacks Dessert recipes
Ice cream 
Chocolate 
Fruits & berries 
All low-carb desserts Note
Please note that eating when you are not hungry – e.g. when snacking in front of the TV – will slow down weight loss.48 The options above may simply be less bad for your weight than regular high-carb snacks — provided you don’t over-consume them.49
Learn more about the benefits of only eating when hungry7. Low-carb bread
Do you miss bread? There are good low-carb options, but unfortunately it’s hard to find them in stores. “Low carb” bread from stores is often far from low carb:
- The problem with low-carb bread
- Another low-carb bread company lying through their teeth
- Why you should never trust a low-carb label
Recipes
Low-carb bread is fairly easy to do at home, though. Here are our top options.
8. Q&A
Here are common questions about low-carb foods. For other low-carb questions, feel free to refer to our full low-carb FAQ.
I don’t eat meat, or I don’t eat dairy. Can I still eat low carb?
Yes. Just eat other low-carb foods. You can even eat a vegetarian low-carb diet, or a dairy-free low-carb diet, so it’s absolutely possible.
Can I eat fruit on a low-carb diet?
You can eat fruit in moderation, and your best bet is berries. Fruit contains a lot of sugar (it’s nature’s candy).How much fruit you can eat mainly depends on how many carbs you’re aiming for. If you’re targeting below 20 grams daily, for a strict low-carb diet (probably the most effective version for weight loss and type 2 diabetes reversal), you will have to enjoy fruit in smaller amounts and only occasionally.
On a more moderate or liberal low-carb diet, let’s say 75 grams of carbs per day, you could eat a serving or two of fruit most days. Learn more in our full low-carb fruits guide
Can I drink alcohol on a low-carb diet?
Yes. But make sure to drink low-carb choices, like dry wine or whiskey. Full low-carb alcohol guideMore
More recipes
Meals
Breakfasts
Snacks
Desserts
Bread
All low-carb recipes
Advice on low-carb foods in 40 languages
We have written advice on a low-carb, high-fat diet in 40 languages. Note especially that we have two more Diet Doctor sites in other languages, with this guide in Spanish or Swedish.
More
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Keep reading about how low carb works
Low-carb foods - the evidence
This guide is written by Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD and was last updated on November 2, 2022. It was medically reviewed by Dr. Michael Tamber, MD on February 18, 2022.
The guide contains scientific references. You can find these in the notes throughout the text, and click the links to read the peer-reviewed scientific papers. When appropriate we include a grading of the strength of the evidence, with a link to our policy on this. Our evidence-based guides are updated at least once per year to reflect and reference the latest science on the topic.
All our evidence-based health guides are written or reviewed by medical doctors who are experts on the topic. To stay unbiased we show no ads, sell no physical products, and take no money from the industry. We're fully funded by the people, via an optional membership. Most information at Diet Doctor is free forever.
Read more about our policies and work with evidence-based guides, nutritional controversies, our editorial team, and our medical review board.
Should you find any inaccuracy in this guide, please email andreas@dietdoctor.com.
Do you worry about eating saturated fats or cholesterol? There is evidence to suggest that longstanding dogma about the dangers may have been overstated:
A user guide to saturated fats
While still controversial, modern systematic reviews find no benefit from avoiding saturated fats or replacing them with unsaturated fats:
Open Heart 2016: Evidence from randomised controlled trials does not support current dietary fat guidelines: a systematic review and meta-analysis [strong evidence]
This meta-analysis asserted that prior meta-analyses likely found a benefit of replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat due to the inclusion of inadequately controlled trials (e.g. the Finnish mental hospital study):
Nutrition Journal 2017: The effect of replacing saturated fat with mostly n-6 polyunsaturated fat on coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [strong evidence]
Here are two examples of older meta-analyses that showed a small reduction in cardiovascular events from eating more unsaturated fats. Thus, the issue is still considered controversial:
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015: Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease [strong evidence]
PLoS Medicine 2010: Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [strong evidence]
Here’s a study investigating if eating eggs for breakfast every day has any negative effects on cholesterol levels. They found none, but the egg-eating group reported greater satiety:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2015: The effect of a high-egg diet on cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes: the Diabetes and Egg (DIABEGG) study-a 3-mo randomized controlled trial [moderate evidence] ↩
Scientific studies now prove that compared to other diets, low-carb diets are at least equivalent to — and often more effective — for weight loss and improving certain health markers.
This has been demonstrated in several meta-analyses of all top studies:
PLOS ONE 2015: Dietary intervention for overweight and obese adults: comparison of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. A meta-analysis [strong evidence]
Obesity Reviews 2016: Impact of low-carbohydrate diet on body composition: meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies [strong evidence]
↩Health effects of unprocessed red meat are controversial. But it’s clear that it’s nutritious and satiating, and that humans have been eating it for millennia. If you’d like to explore the controversy further, read: Guide to red meat – is it healthy?Studies that look at quality of evidence generally find no convincing reason to avoid meat.
↩Open Heart 2016: Evidence from randomised controlled trials does not support current dietary fat guidelines: a systematic review and meta-analysis [strong evidence]
For more detailed information about the potential health impact of eating more fat, read: A user guide to saturated fats ↩
While there are good arguments why grass-fed meat could potentially be better for overall health, there is no clinical evidence to support that claim.
Grass-fed meat tends to be higher in omega-3 fat and vitamins, per gram, which should be a good thing. These animals may also be raised in a more ethical way.
It’s largely unknown if improved nutritional content of meat results in better health, but it makes sense that it could. From an evolutionary perspective, eating grass-fed rather than grain-fed meats should more closely match the environment of our ancestors, which some people view positively when talking about health.
The available evidence shows that grass-fed meats can have a slightly different nutritional profile, which may have a number of effects on the humans eating it:
British Journal of Nutrition 2011: Red meat from animals offered a grass diet increases plasma and platelet n-3 PUFA in healthy consumers [moderate evidence for a different nutritional effect]
Nutrition Journal 2010: A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef [overview article; ungraded]
People who consume meat, eggs, and dairy from animals raised on their natural diets may experience lower levels of inflammation compared to those who eat conventionally raised animals:
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2018: Meat, eggs, full-fat dairy, and nutritional boogeymen: Does the way in which animals are raised affect health differently in humans? [overview article; ungraded]
↩This is somewhat controversial, but some studies suggest that omega-3 fats may have health benefits, or at least improve certain health markers:Metabolism 2014: A fish-based diet intervention improves endothelial function in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized crossover trial [moderate evidence]
British Journal of Nutrition 2012: Dietary inclusion of salmon, herring and pompano as oily fish reduces CVD risk markers in dyslipidemic middle-aged and elderly Chinese women [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
Nutrition Research 2010: Inclusion of Atlantic salmon in the Chinese diet reduces cardiovascular disease risk markers in dyslipidemic adult men [randomized trial; moderate evidence] ↩
There is no scientific support for the idea that pasture raised eggs are healthier.However, from an evolutionary perspective eating pastured eggs might more closely match the environment of our ancestors, which could potentially have some positive health effects.
According to some studies (like the one below), organic or pastured eggs have higher nutritional contents. But studies do not consistently show a large difference and there is no evidence that this translates into a clinical benefit.
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 2010: Vitamins A, E and fatty acid composition of the eggs of caged hens and pastured hens [moderate evidence for different and possibly improved nutritional profiles]
↩Studies suggest that consuming dairy products may help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight by promoting satiety and reducing overall food intake:Clinical Nutrition 2017: Dairy products, satiety and food intake: a meta-analysis of clinical trials [strong evidence]
Nutrients 2016: Regular-fat dairy and human health: a synopsis of symposia presented in Europe and North America (2014-2015) [overview article] ↩
A cup of milk (240 ml) contains about 12 grams of sugar. ↩
Nuts contain several micronutrients and may have generally positive health effects:Nutrients 2017: Nuts and human health outcomes: a systematic review [strong evidence]
Be careful when using nuts as snacks, as it’s very easy to eat far more than you need to feel satisfied. ↩
Studies show that when consumed in low-to-moderate doses (around 3–4 mg per kg of body weight) caffeine may help increase your metabolism and reduce your appetite. Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology 2017: The effect of caffeine on energy balance [overview article; ungraded]
↩100 ml of milk (less than half a cup) contains about 5 grams of sugar or about one teaspoon. ↩
If weight loss stalls, cut back on the cream or fat in your coffee. More on this here:
Is drinking coffee with butter and oil the key to weight loss? ↩
All alcohol contains at least some calories, even when avoiding sugary mixers like juice. Further, studies show drinking alcohol tends to increase the amount of food subsequently eaten:
Appetite 2015: Moderate alcohol consumption stimulates food intake and food reward of savoury foods [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
Appetite 2010: Short term effects of alcohol on appetite in humans. Effects of context and restrained eating [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
Health Psychology 2016: Alcohol’s acute effect on food intake is mediated by inhibitory control impairments [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
British Journal of Nutrition 2019: The effect of alcohol consumption on food energy intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis [strong evidence]
Physiology & Behavior 2004: Dose-dependent effects of alcohol on appetite and food intake [non-controlled study; weak evidence]
British Journal of Nutrition 2004: Effects of alcohol on food and energy intake in human subjects: evidence for passive and active over-consumption of energy [overview article; ungraded]
↩“In moderation” could mean up to two standard drinks per day for men and one for women. ↩
The majority of digestible carbs in chocolate come from sugar, and they can quickly add up.Low-carb snacks: Chocolate
Of note, some studies suggest that chocolate might have benefits for heart and gut health:
Journal of Nutrition 2016: Cocoa flavanol intake and biomarkers for cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [strong evidence]
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2011: Prebiotic evaluation of cocoa-derived flavanols in healthy humans by using a randomized, controlled, double-blind, crossover intervention study [moderate evidence]
↩All types of sugar contain glucose, which raises blood sugar, as well as fructose, which has been linked to obesity, diabetes and other diseases when consumed in excess: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2012: Consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages for 10 weeks reduces net fat oxidation and energy expenditure in overweight/obese men and women [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
Journal of Nutrition 2015: Consumption of honey, sucrose, and high-fructose corn syrup produces similar metabolic effects in glucose-tolerant and -intolerant individuals [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007: Potential role of sugar (fructose) in the epidemic of hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease [overview article; ungraded]
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2018: Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review [overview article; ungraded] ↩
We recommend minimizing the use of non-caloric sweeteners due to the potential for maintaining a preference for sweet tastes or stimulating over-consumption.
Nutrients 2018: The impact of caloric and non-caloric sweeteners on food intake and brain responses to food: a randomized crossover controlled trial in healthy humans [moderate evidence]
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2015: Effects on weight loss in adults of replacing diet beverages with water during a hypoenergetic diet: a randomized, 24-wk clinical trial [moderate evidence]
However, research remains inconclusive regarding the effects of sweeteners on appetite, cravings, and overeating:
Nutrition Journal 2017: Health outcomes of non-nutritive sweeteners: analysis of the research landscape [scoping review; strong evidence]
↩Starch is just joined-up sugar molecules that are liberated as sugar by enzymes during the process of digestion:
Carbohydrates on a keto or low-carb diet
When it comes to the effect on blood sugar there’s no significant difference between gluten-free and other sources of starch:
Food & Function 2017: Commercially available gluten-free pastas elevate postprandial glycemia in comparison to conventional wheat pasta in healthy adults: a double-blind randomized crossover trial [moderate evidence] ↩
Wholegrain products are also full of carbohydrates, and thus not suitable for a low-carb diet.
Do you need whole grains for health? Probably not.
“Healthy” whole grains: What the evidence really shows
This Cochrane review of of randomized trials found no evidence that whole grain cereal lowers cholesterol or blood pressure, or that it is likely to improve cardiovascular risk:
Cochrane reviews 2016: Whole grain cereals for cardiovascular disease [strong evidence for lack of any proven effect on heart health] ↩
Note that restricting fruit might be more important for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes (insulin resistance), where studies have demonstrated that a low-carb diet can be helpful:PLOS ONE 2015: Dietary intervention for overweight and obese adults: comparison of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. A meta-analysis [strong evidence]
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 2018: Effect of dietary carbohydrate restriction on glycemic control in adults with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis [strong evidence]
↩This is based on consistent clinical experience of low-carb practitioners. [weak evidence] ↩
For instance, maltitol – a very common sweetener in low-carb products – has the highest glycemic (35) and insulinemic (27) indexes of all sugar alcohols.
Nutrition Research Reviews 2003: Health potential of polyols as sugar replacers, with emphasis on low glycaemic properties [overview article; ungraded]
About 50% of maltitol is digested and absorbed in the small intestine, like other carbs. It also provides about three-quarters as many calories as sugar, which is more than most low-carb sweeteners.
Gastroenterology 1990: Digestion and absorption in the human intestine of three sugar alcohols [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
Gastroentérologie Clinique et Biologique 1991: Clinical tolerance, intestinal absorption, and energy value of four sugar alcohols taken on an empty stomach [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
↩Many people feel that margarine tastes worse than butter:
Consumer Reports 2017: Spreads are dead: no one likes eating margarine anymore
Fairly robust correlation between margarine intake and eczema or allergies:
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 2006: Margarine and butter consumption, eczema and allergic sensitization in children. The LISA birth cohort study. [observational study with HR>2; weak evidence]
Strong correlation between margarine intake and asthma:
Annals of Epidemiology 2005: Margarine consumption, asthma, and allergy in young adults: results of the German National Health Survey 1998. [observational study with HR 2.3 – 4.8; weak evidence] ↩
Unprocessed and minimally processed whole foods is what our ancestors have been eating for millions of years, so we are evolutionarily adapted to this eating pattern. By introducing extensive processing, e.g. refining carbohydrates in a way that increases the speed of absorption and reduces the amount of nutrients and fiber, we change the food into something our bodies may not be adapted to and therefore introduce an unknown risk of adverse effects.
Learn more: What are you designed to eat? ↩
Adults in the US consume about 50% of their calories from carbohydrates, or about 250 grams of carbs per day if eating 2000 calories:
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 2018: Effect of dietary carbohydrate restriction on glycemic control in adults with diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis [strong evidence]
↩This is mainly based on the consistent experience of experienced practitioners, and stories from people trying different levels of carb restriction [weak evidence]
The only small intervention study – to our knowledge – that compared different levels of carb restriction found trends towards a larger effect with fewer carbs — for weight loss and cardiometabolic risk factors. However, these trends did not reach statistical significance:
PeerJ 2019: Low-carbohydrate diets differing in carbohydrate restriction improve cardiometabolic and anthropometric markers in healthy adults: a randomised clinical trial [moderate evidence] ↩
Current Nutrition Reports 2018: Nutritional ketosis for weight management and reversal of metabolic syndrome[overview article; ungraded] ↩
Obesity Reviews 2015: Do ketogenic diets really suppress appetite? A systematic review and meta-analysis[strong evidence] ↩
This is based on consistent clinical experience of low-carb practitioners. [weak evidence] ↩
How low you want to keep your carb intake may also depend upon other health effects, e.g. if you need to stay low carb to control your blood sugar. If in doubt check with your doctor. ↩
This is mainly based on the consistent experience of experienced practitioners, and stories from people trying different levels of carb restriction [weak evidence]
Clinical Chemistry 2018: Food addiction, high-glycemic-index carbohydrates, and obesity [overview article; ungraded] ↩
The newsletter arrives once a week with unbiased information free from ads or industry influence. Your email is kept 100% private. To unsubscribe just press “unsubscribe” at the bottom of any newsletter. ↩
Like a hybrid car engine, the body can burn two fuels for its energy needs: 1) glucose, from the breakdown of carbohydrates and 2) fats. It will either burn the fat you have eaten or the fat stored in your adipose tissue (e.g. belly fat). However, the body will only switch to fat as the primary fuel when its carb supply is low.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007: Low-carbohydrate nutrition and metabolism [overview article; ungraded]
Some tissues, like the brain, can not burn fat directly. However, it can do so indirectly through the conversion of fat to ketones in the liver. Ketones are then burned by the brain and other organs.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007: Low-carbohydrate nutrition and metabolism [overview article] ↩
This is based on consistent clinical experience of low-carb practitioners. [weak evidence] ↩
This is based on clinical experience. [weak evidence] ↩
While calories count, you probably don’t have to count them for good results. Low-carb diets tend to result in equivalent or more weight loss than other diets, even though most studies of it do not advocate counting calories:
British Journal of Nutrition 2016: Effects of low-carbohydrate diets v. low-fat diets on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. [strong evidence for more weight loss]
New England Journal of Medicine 2008: Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, mediterranean, or low-fat diet [randomized trial; moderate evidence]
Learn more here: Should you count calories on a low-carb or keto diet? ↩
The old idea that breakfast is important for health or weight control is mainly based on observational studies, a notoriously weak form of evidence.
When tested, this idea does not appear to hold up, at least not for weight loss. A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials found that people assigned to skip breakfast ate less overall and lost more weight than those assigned to eat breakfast daily:
British Medical Journal 2019: Effect of breakfast on weight and energy intake: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [strong evidence]
Even the observational data is inconsistent. For example, the study below found: “Compared to breakfast eating, skipping breakfast was significantly associated with better health-related quality of life and lower perceived stress.”
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2018: Eat or skip breakfast? The important role of breakfast quality for health-related quality of life, stress and depression in Spanish adolescents [observational study; very weak evidence] ↩
Low-carb diets tend to reduce feelings of hunger:
Obesity Reviews 2014: Do ketogenic diets really suppress appetite? A systematic review and meta-analysis [strong evidence]
Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases 2015: The effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on appetite: a randomized controlled trial [moderate evidence]
Many people only feel the need to eat twice a day on a low-carb diet (often skipping breakfast), and some just once a day. This is mainly based on consistent experience from experienced practitioners and a very common report from people trying this diet. [weak evidence] ↩
British Medical Journal 2019: Effect of breakfast on weight and energy intake: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [strong evidence]
To our knowledge, there are still no randomized trials exploring the effect of true (zero calorie) intermittent fasting on type 2 diabetes. Here are the best existing studies:
BMJ Case Reports 2018: Therapeutic use of intermittent fasting for people with type 2 diabetes as an alternative to insulin [case series; very weak evidence]
JAMA Network Open 2018: Effect of intermittent compared with continuous energy restricted diet on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized noninferiority trial [moderate evidence]
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 2016: The effects of intermittent compared to continuous energy restriction on glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes; a pragmatic pilot trial [moderate evidence]
↩This is mainly based on consistent experience from experienced practitioners and a very common report from people trying a low-carb diet. [weak evidence] ↩
Eating enough fat is not the only thing that contributes to increased satiety on a low-carb diet. You may also want to make sure that your diet is based on nutritious low-carb foods and contains enough protein.
Eating enough protein might be even more satisfying than eating more fat. In addition, there is no convincing evidence that moderate protein intake is harmful.
Advances in Nutrition 2015: Controversies surrounding high-protein diet intake: Satiating effect and kidney and bone health [overview article; ungraded]
Read more in our guide to protein intake.
↩Studies demonstrate that eating when distracted may increase food intake somewhat:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2013: Eating attentively: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of food intake memory and awareness on eating [strong evidence] ↩
There’s no good evidence that eating more often than three times a day (or snacking) has any benefits, and it may be bad for weight loss or metabolic issues:
Diabetologia 2014: Eating two larger meals a day (breakfast and lunch) is more effective than six smaller meals in a reduced-energy regimen for patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomised crossover study [moderate evidence]
British Journal of Nutrition 2010: Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet [randomized controlled trial; moderate evidence]
Hepatology 2014: Hypercaloric diets with increased meal frequency, but not meal size, increase intrahepatic triglycerides: a randomized controlled trial [moderate evidence]
PLOS One 2012: Effects of meal frequency on metabolic profiles and substrate partitioning in lean healthy males [randomized controlled trial; moderate evidence]
Obesity (Silver Spring) 2012: Effects of manipulating eating frequency during a behavioral weight loss intervention: a pilot randomized controlled trial [moderate evidence]
British Journal of Nutrition 1997: Meal frequency and energy balance [overview article; ungraded]
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