What to eat that will help improve your HEALTH and WEIGHT...♥...♥...♥
Focusing on whole, fresh ingredients, trying new recipes and planning meals ahead of time can help you stay on track and prevent boredom.
SUMMARY friendly foods include eggs, meats, fatty fish, avocados, nuts, non-starchy vegetables and healthy oils.
A Sample Meal Plan for One WeekThe following menu can help set you up for success when beginning an diet.
The carbohydrate content of the meals varies to accommodate more dieters.
Monday
There are countless low-carb, high-fat recipes to experiment with, so you can always enjoy a new, tasty meal or snack.
SUMMARYYou can enjoy many healthy recipes
- Eggs: Eggs are high in healthy fats and essentially a carb-free food.
- Oils: Olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil are healthy choices.
- Fish: All fish, but especially those high in fats like salmon, sardines and trout.
- Meats and poultry: Red meat, chicken, venison, turkey, etc.
- Full-fat dairy: Cream, full-fat plain yogurt, butter, cheeses, etc.
- Non-starchy vegetables: Greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms, etc.
- Avocados: These high-fat fruits are versatile and delicious.
- Berries: Berries such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries can be enjoyed in moderation.
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.
- Condiments: Fresh herbs, pepper, spices, etc.
Focusing on whole, fresh ingredients, trying new recipes and planning meals ahead of time can help you stay on track and prevent boredom.
SUMMARY friendly foods include eggs, meats, fatty fish, avocados, nuts, non-starchy vegetables and healthy oils.
A Sample Meal Plan for One WeekThe following menu can help set you up for success when beginning an diet.
The carbohydrate content of the meals varies to accommodate more dieters.
Monday
- Breakfast: Two whole eggs with spinach and broccoli sautéed in coconut oil.
- Lunch: Tuna salad made with smashed avocado atop a bed of non-starchy vegetables.
- Dinner: Salmon cooked in butter served with roasted Brussels sprouts.
- Breakfast: Full-fat plain yogurt topped with sliced strawberries, unsweetened coconut and pumpkin seeds.
- Lunch: Turkey burger topped with cheddar cheese served with sliced non-starchy vegetables.
- Dinner: Steak with sautéed red peppers.
- Breakfast: A shake made with unsweetened coconut milk, berries, peanut butter and unsweetened protein powder.
- Lunch: Grilled shrimp served with tomato and mozzarella skewers.
- Dinner: Zucchini noodles tossed in pesto with chicken meatballs.
- Breakfast: Sliced avocado and two eggs fried in coconut oil.
- Lunch: Chicken curry made with cream and non-starchy vegetables.
- Dinner: Cauliflower crust pizza topped with non-starchy vegetables and cheese.
- Breakfast: Spinach, onion and cheddar frittata.
- Lunch: Chicken and vegetable soup.
- Dinner: Eggplant lasagna.
- Breakfast: Blackberry, cashew butter and coconut protein smoothie.
- Lunch: Turkey, avocado and cheese roll-ups served with flax crackers.
- Dinner: Trout served with roasted cauliflower.
- Breakfast: Mushroom, feta and kale omelet.
- Lunch: Chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and caramelized onions.
- Dinner: Large green salad topped with sliced avocado, shrimp and pumpkin seeds.
There are countless low-carb, high-fat recipes to experiment with, so you can always enjoy a new, tasty meal or snack.
SUMMARYYou can enjoy many healthy recipes
Foods to Maybe Include If you're healthy, active and don't need to lose weight, you can afford to eat a few more carbs.
- Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes and some others.
- Unrefined grains: Brown rice, oats, quinoa and many others.
- Legumes: Lentils, black beans, pinto beans, etc. (if you can tolerate them).
- Dark chocolate: Choose organic brands with at least 70% of cocoa.
- Wine: Choose dry wines with no added sugar or carbs.
Beverages
- Coffee
- Tea - Green is better
- Water
- Sugar-free carbonated beverages, like sparkling water.
A Sample Low-Carb Menu for One Week This is a sample menu for one week on a low-carb diet plan.
It provides less than 50 grams of total carbs per day. However, if you’re healthy and active you can eat slightly more carbs.
Monday
- Breakfast: Omelet with various vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil.
- Lunch: Grass-fed yogurt with blueberries and a handful of almonds.
- Dinner: Bunless cheeseburger, served with vegetables and salsa sauce.
- Breakfast: Bacon and eggs.
- Lunch: Leftover burgers and veggies from the previous night.
- Dinner: Salmon with butter and vegetables.
- Breakfast: Eggs and vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil.
- Lunch: Shrimp salad with some olive oil.
- Dinner: Grilled chicken with vegetables.
- Breakfast: Omelet with various vegetables, fried in butter or coconut oil.
- Lunch: Smoothie with coconut milk, berries, almonds and protein powder.
- Dinner: Steak and veggies.
- Breakfast: Bacon and eggs.
- Lunch: Chicken salad with some olive oil.
- Dinner: Pork chops with vegetables.
- Breakfast: Omelet with various veggies.
- Lunch: Grass-fed yogurt with berries, coconut flakes and a handful of walnuts.
- Dinner: Meatballs with vegetables.
- Breakfast: Bacon and eggs.
- Lunch: Smoothie with coconut milk, a dash of heavy cream, chocolate-flavored protein powder and berries.
- Dinner: Grilled chicken wings with some raw spinach on the side.
If you want to see more examples of go-to meals, check out this article on 7 healthy low-carb meals in under 10 minutes.
Again, if you’re healthy, lean and active, you can add some tubers like potatoes and sweet potatoes, as well as some healthy grains like oats.
Healthy, Low-Carb Snacks There is no health reason to eat more than three meals per day, but if you get hungry between meals, here are some healthy, easy-to-prepare, low-carb snacks that can fill you up:
- A piece of fruit
- Full-fat yogurt
- One or two hard-boiled eggs
- Baby carrots
- Leftovers from the previous night
- A handful of nuts
- Some cheese and meat
Eating at Restaurant At most restaurants, it’s fairly easy to make your meals low-carb friendly.
- Order a meat- or fish-based main dish.
- Drink plain water instead of sugary soda or fruit juice.
- Get extra vegetables instead of bread, potatoes or rice.
A Simple Low-Carb Shopping ListA good rule is to shop at the perimeter of the store, where the whole foods are more likely to be found.
Focusing on whole foods will make your diet a thousand times better than the standard Western diet.
Organic and grass-fed foods are also popular choices and often considered healthier, but they’re typically more expensive.
Try to choose the least processed option that still fits into your price range.
- Meat (beef, lamb, pork, chicken, bacon)
- Fish (fatty fish like salmon is best)
- Eggs (choose omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs if you can)
- Butter
- Coconut oil
- Lard
- Olive oil
- Cheese
- Heavy cream
- Sour cream
- Yogurt (full-fat, unsweetened)
- Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- Nuts
- Olives
- Fresh vegetables (greens, peppers, onions, etc.)
- Frozen vegetables (broccoli, carrots, various mixes)
- Condiments (sea salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, etc.)
The Bottom Line Low-carb diets restrict carbs, such as those found in sugary and processed foods, pasta and bread. They're high in protein, fat and healthy vegetables.
Studies show that they can cause weight loss and improve health.
The above meal plan gives you the basics of healthy, low-carb eating.
If you need a comprehensive list of low-carb recipes that are both simple and delicious, check out this article on 101 healthy low-carb recipes that taste incredible.
Of course, you can also browse the Internet for even more low carb or paleo recipes.