Having a low carb diet food list can make sticking to your diet a lot easier since you know what you can and can’t eat on the diet plan. Low carb diets are not usually based on calories but are instead based on the number of carbohydrates that you are consuming. Foods that have a higher carbohydrate level are not allowed on the diet or only allowed in a very small moderation.

There are several different low carb diets that have been popular over the past years. Some of them include the Atkins diet, The South Beach diet, and the Sugar Busters diet. Each of one these diets will have different specific foods that can be eaten or should be avoided but most of them are pretty much the same when it comes down to the basics. You will find that some are stricter such as the Atkins diet when you compare it to the South Beach diet and fewer carbohydrates are allowed, especially in the beginning.

The low carb diet food list below will give you a good idea of the foods that you should be eating on a low carb diet if you want to lose weight.

Proteins

When following a low carb diet, proteins will make up a large portion of the foods that you can eat. This is because most pure proteins have very few carbs in them, making them perfect for this type of weight loss diet. With some of these proteins you should watch the sodium levels as some of them such as lunch meats and pork can have high salt levels, which should be avoided as well. Here are the main proteins to choose from on this diet.

Eggs
Chicken
Ground meats
Fish
Red meat – beef, lamb, and venison
Pork including ham, bacon and sausage
Shellfish
Cured meats that have no added sugar such as lunch meat or hot dogs
Tofu
Beans

Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables will also play a big role in your low carb diet. In fact vegetables will account for most of the carbs you do eat, but these are natural and healthy carbs that your body needs. Below are just some of the vegetables that are acceptable for a low carb diet food list.

Spinach
Lettuce
Cucumber
Peppers
Onion
Mushrooms
Eggplant
Celery
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Radish
Green beans

On certain low diets you may also be allowed to eat some starchier vegetables as well as some fruits that are low in carbohydrates. Most of the time you can add in these vegetables and fruits slowly after a beginning detox phase to gradually add more carbs to your diet.

Cabbage
Carrots
Sweet potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Blueberries
Strawberries
Pumpkin
Cantaloupe

Fats, Dairy, and Other Foods

Unlike other diet plans, low carb diets actually encourage the consumption of some fatty foods to help you stay full longer as well as help your body absorb the carbs as energy and not store it as fat. When it comes to eating fatty foods, this is where many diets differ from low carb diets and often times they are criticized for allowing this much fat. There are some low carb diets, such as the South Beach diet that do restrict some fatty foods so you do need to look into this if you are following a certain type of low carb diet plan. Here are just some of the fats, dairy, and other foods that you can eat on this diet plan.

Butter
Mayonnaise
Hard cheeses
Soft cheeses
Sour cream
Olives
Salad dressings that are low in sugar
Heavy cream
Mustard
Ketchup – low sugar
Milk

This low carb diet food list is definitely not all encompassing as there are other foods that you may be able to eat as well depending on the specific diet plan you are following. This gives you a general idea of the foods that you can eat if you choose to follow a low carb diet for weight loss.