11 Low Carb Foods You Will Fall in Love with!

These days, everywhere we turn all we hear is that low carb foods are good for us. I’m sure that’s true ~ but what do we do when there are carbs, carbs, carbs tempting us at every turn?

What are the low carb foods that I will actually enjoy?

What low carb foods should I eat that I might actually love?

Everything I read about living a healthy lifestyle also includes living a low carb lifestyle and choosing low carb foods.

And that’s where I had a problem. A big problem.

Friends, I am a self-proclaimed “Carb-ivore”. Yes, I love carbs in all shapes and sizes. I am naturally attracted to them, it’s like they seek me out, call my name, and taunt me. I would fall for them every single time.

Carbs are like that super cute ex-boyfriend that just won’t. go. away.  

Before I understood the concept of proper eating and nutrition, I ate whatever the heck I wanted. Literally, mac n cheese and I were tight.

I ate like an unsupervised 5-year-old at a birthday party. Each day was another party. My plate was always made up of, yes, carbs. Every meal. Every day.

When, one day, I woke up weighing almost 200 lbs!

I kept blaming the excessive, overflowing muffin top on the “baby weight”. I kept reassuring myself that the weight was all going to just disappear.

I was legitimately “trying”… so why wasn’t the weight disappearing as quickly as that bagel on my plate just did? 

Time to get real.

My “baby” was 3 1/2 years when I looked at that very overweight and incredibly unhappy woman staring back at me in the mirror.

I looked at her and said, “how much longer can you blame this on someone else?”

These are what I affectionately call “Mirror Moments”. Ya know, the time when you decide to get real with you. The time you decide to get in your own face.

Yup, those moments are when I make the biggest life decisions. This one was no different. 

I started researching and researching. I was scouring the internet and Barnes & Noble for info on how to actually, really, truly lose weight.

And there it was. This one sentence has forever changed my life:

“Your abs are made in the kitchen.”

Mind. Blown.

“You cannot outwork a bad diet.”

Double Blown.

This was the moment I finally accepted that I wasn’t a victim of my circumstances. It wasn’t anyone else’s fault that I looked the way I did. I made the decisions to put those foods in my mouth, no one forced me to eat that. I chose every single bite.

Stop the madness!!

I needed to finally make a quality decision. People make decisions all of the time. Every single day, we are making decisions.

This time HAD to be different. Not only did I need to make a real quality decision but I had to finally, once and for all, FOLLOW. THROUGH.

I found an incredible program that changed the game for me. I took the challenge and dropped 27 lbs in 90 days!

For information on this program and challenge go HERE!

The first question people always ask me is, “how much time did you spend in the gym?”

My answer was… very little.

My success was mainly due to retraining my brain and body on how to properly eat. My body is a machine and needs to be fueled as one.

If I want it to work at an optimal level, then I need to feed it optimal foods. If I want it to be run down, tired, and sickly then I need to feed it foods that will give me that result.

How do I know what all that means? What foods do I choose?

Before we get too far… I would like to send some good news…

NOT ALL CARBS ARE BAD!

Cue the happy dance

Good carbs vs. bad carbs

Here’s a great breakdown to help differentiate the two, from the LiveScience website:

“Carbohydrates are found in foods you know are good for you (vegetables) and ones you know are not (doughnuts). This has led to the idea that some carbs are “good” and some are “bad.” According to Healthy Geezer Fred Cicetti, carbs commonly considered bad include pastries, sodas, highly processed foods, white rice, white bread, and other white-flour foods. These are foods with simple carbs. Bad carbs rarely have any nutritional value.

Carbs usually considered good are complex carbs, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and legumes. These are not only processed more slowly, but they also contain a bounty of other nutrients.

Simple vs. Complex Carbs

Here is an excellent breakdown from Healthline comparing the two carbs. Here’s what they suggest:

Simple carb foods to avoid

Try to avoid some of the most common refined sources of simple carbs and look for alternatives to satisfy those sweet cravings:

1. Soda ~ Sugary soda is bad for your health in several ways. Check out the benefits of water and different ways to drink it!

2. Baked treats ~ Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit, rather than baked goods full of simple carbs and added sugars.

3. Packaged cookies ~ Bake your own goods using substitutes like applesauce or sweeteners, or look for other mixes that contain more complex carbs.

4. Fruit juice concentrate ~ An easy way to avoid fruit concentrate is to look closely at nutrition labels. Always choose 100 percent fruit juice or make your own at home.

5. Breakfast cereal ~ Breakfast cereals tend to be loaded with simple carbohydrates. If you just can’t kick the habit, check out our rundown of breakfast cereals, from the best to the worst for your health.

Complex carbs you should eat more of

Be sure to include the following complex carbohydrates as a regular part of your diet:

1. Whole grains ~ Whole grains are good sources of fiber, as well as potassium, magnesium, and selenium. Choose less processed whole grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, and whole-wheat pasta.

2. Fiber-rich fruits ~ Some of these are apples, berries, and bananas. Avoid canned fruit since it usually contains added syrup.

3. Fiber-rich vegetables ~ Eat more of all your veggies, including broccoli, leafy greens, and carrots.

4. Beans ~ Aside from fiber, these are good sources of folate, iron, and potassium.

Now that we know what carbs to eat and what to stay away from… what about foods that are naturally low in carbs?

Here are my 11 favorite low carb foods that you will fall in love with:

1. Ground Turkey (112 g serving)

• 170 calories
• 21 g protein
• 8 g fat
• 0 CARBS

Typically ground turkey is seen as a healthier alternative to beef. This is mainly based on fat content. If you are watching your fat intake then definitely choose the low-fat ground turkey option.

Check out my favorite Ground Turkey Recipe.

2. Chicken Breast (3.5 oz / 172 g serving)

• 284 calories
• 53 g protein
• 6 g fat
• 0 CARBS

Check out how the rest of a chicken compares here!

Check out my favorite Chicken Breast Recipe

3. Salmon (4 oz / 124 g serving)

• 185 calories
• 31.7 g protein
• 5.5 g fat
• 0 CARBS

Loaded with good for you Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D… this fish does much more for you than just taste good.

Check out 11 health benefits of Salmon here!

Favorite Salmon Recipe:

In case you’re picky about your fish… here is a list of 18 healthy salmon recipes.

4. Shrimp (3 ozs / 85 g)

• 76 calories
• 15 g protein
• 1 g fat
• 1 g CARBS

Loaded with Selenium, Vitamin B12, and Iron these little guys an excellent high nutrient, low carb food

Check out my Favorite Shrimp Recipe

5. Almond Butter (1 Tbsp serving)

• 98 calories
• 3.4 g protein
• 8.9 g fat (healthy fat)
• 3 g CARBS

Since almond butter is high in monounsaturated fats, it can be part of a heart-healthy diet. Monounsaturated fats help to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and raise HDL cholesterol (the good kind).

Wondering which is better for you, Almond Butter or Peanut Butter? Check it out here.

Favorite way to use Almond Butter:

• with an apple for a super delicious snack
• In a blender with your shake for extra protein and healthy fat.
• or just straight up for those days I need to up my healthy fat intake. I grab a spoon and just take it straight!

6. Egg (1 large)

• 77 calories
• 6.3 g protein
• 5.3 g fat
• 0.6 g carbs

The incredible, edible egg! Check out those stats. High protein, good fat… low carb!!

Favorite ways to use Eggs:

• Hard-boiled and eaten straight up as a snack
• Fried with some ham and cheese
• Hard-boiled smashed up with avocado ~ healthier version of egg salad
• Hard-boiled chopped up in a salad
• Use in a healthy breakfast frittata. My husband loves to make this one.

7. Zucchini (1 large / 323 g)

• 55 calories
• 3.9 g protein
• 1 g fat
• 10 carbs

Check out my favorite way to use Zucchini with this recipe.

8. Cauliflower (1 cup / 3.8 ozs)

• 27 calories
• 2.1 protein
• 0.1 fat
• 5.7 carbs

Now I know looking at this the carb count looks high… but cauliflower truly is a wonder food!! It literally can turn into anything.

• Pizza crust
• Tater Tots
• Mashed Potatoes
• Rice
• Mac n Cheese

You name it and cauliflower can become it!!!

So though it may look high in carbs when left alone, what it can substitute drastically reduces your carbs.

Imagine making those things above with cauliflower, you would be taking in so many fewer carbs than if you were to make it as usual.

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Check out this Pinterest board full of cauliflower recipes.

9. Avocado (3.55 ozs / half of the fruit)

• 161 calories
• 2 g protein
• 14.7 fat
• 8.6 carbs

Check out that healthy fat content! So though this may look like it’s high in carbs due to its incredibly high healthy fat content, it’s by far my favorite way to get my healthy fats for the day.

Favorite ways to use avocado:

• I can slice up an avocado and add it pretty much any meal for my healthy fat count
• Can you say Guacamole?? Yes!
• hard-boiled egg and avocado mashed up – delish
• Not a fan of avocado plain – then throw half into a blender with your shake. The avocado makes your shake extra creamy and delicious!

10. Berries (strawberries 1 cup / 5.4 ozs)

• 49 calories
• 1 g protein
• 0.5 g fat
• 11.7 g carbs

Again, these may seem high in carbs but they are much less than the 23 g of carbs in one small banana or the 25 g of carbs in one medium apple! Wow!

Fruit is considered nature’s candy. If you have a sweet tooth this is the place to turn.

Berries contain the least amount of sugar and carbs than all other fruit.

Your berries are your superfruits… blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries.

Favorite ways to use berries:

• Straight up of course – they are the best that way. I never understood why in the world people would put sugar or any sweetener on a strawberry?!? They are so good as is.
• You can throw them in a blender with your shake for extra flavor and superpowers.
• Put berries in a bowl and add some coconut whipped cream to them for an extra delicious, healthy treat

11. Cheese (babybel 1 piece / 0.7 0z)

• 70 calories
• 5 g protein
• 6 g fat
• 0 g carbs

Saving the best for last.

I love cheese. My family loves cheese. Maybe it is because we are from Wisconsin. Does the cheese state really turn you into a cheesehead?

Either way, I’m just so happy it is one of the low carb foods I can enjoy without worrying.

There are so many cheeses and so many ways to use them. The options are truly endless.

But my favorite way to use cheese is straight up.

Mid-afternoon snack craving? Babybel to the rescue! These little guys are just my favorite. I eat them every single day!

So that’s it… my 11 top favorite low carb foods that I hope you will love!

Here’s a fantastic Pinterest board loaded with great tips, ideas and recipes for Low Carb Living!

And, of course, a major important part of living a low carb life is… WATER!!

Check out this post where I cover the super important topic of water and hydration, in-depth!

Tell me, friend, what are your favorite low carb foods?

What do you love that is not on my list?

What recipes do you have to share with me?

I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for low carb recipes and snacks.