Note: I realize that some of these foods aren't 100% lacking in carbs - but I consider under 1g net carbs per serving to be almost as good as zero. If this idea doesn't fit with your way of eating, please disregard this list. Please check nutritional data labels on food before purchasing.All these foods do not naturally contain carbohydrates, apart from those in the vegetable list which contain between 0 and 1g net carb per serving. For meats and seafood, the key is to go for unprocessed food. As soon as someone processes it (think ham, bacon, jerky, burgers) there is a higher chance that they have also added some carbs!
Meat
- Chicken
- Beef
- Turkey
- Duck
- Veal
- Lamb
- Pork
- Organ meats
- Goose
- Pork rinds (an exception to the processed rule!)
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Mollusks
- Butter
- Margarine
- Most types of cheese
- Heavy cream (very very low carbs)
Oil
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Sunflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Avocado oil
- Safflower oil
- Corn oil
- Peanut oil
Comment: If you value your health, vegetable oils are a terrible choice
- Mainstream nutritional science still getting it wrong, but recognize some 'healthy' vegetable oils may actually increase risk of heart disease
- Cooking with vegetable oils releases toxic cancer-causing chemicals, say experts
- Pass the butter: Replacing butter with vegetable oils does not reduce heart disease risk or overall mortality
- Animal fats are better for you than vegetable fats
Vegetables (most contain between 0 and 1g net carb per serving)
- Leafy greens (lettuce, arugula, spinach, swiss chard, kale, turnip greens, bok choy etc)
- Cucumber
- Radish
- Fresh herbs
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Chicory family (endive, escarole, radicchio)
- Celery
- Vinegar (NOT balsamic)
- Mustard (avoid honey varieties)
- Salt
- Many types of hot sauce
- Regular (full fat) mayonnaise
- Water
- Tea (no milk or sugar)
- Coffee (no milk or sugar)
- Diet soda
- Herbal tea
- Drink mix powders (eg Crystal Light)
Comment: While diet soda maybe low carb, it is really evil!
- Diet Soda, the Silent Killer
- The Facts, Statistics and Dangers of Soda Pop
- Review finds diet soda to be health destroyer
- Aspartame in diet soda linked with premature death in women
- Diet drinks 'lead to greater risk of heart attacks and strokes'
- Toxic chemical-laden diet drinks linked with heart disease, death
- Aspartame linked to leukemia and lymphoma: only one diet sodaper day significantly increases risks
- A can of soda a day can increase the risk of cancer for men by 40 percent?
And as an extra bonus, here are some zero carb recipes:
- Pepperoni Chips
- Homemade Chipotle Beef Jerky
- Parmesan Crisps
- Zero Carb Gummy Candies
- Lettuce Steak Wraps
- Italian Baked Chicken Thighs
- Pork Rind Crusted Bacon
- Potted Crab
- BBQ Pork Rinds
And just a quick note about these zero carb foods and recipes - just because they lack carbohydrates doesn't mean you should eat unlimited amounts of them. Moderation, my friends. Moderation.
Seems dark chocolate should be on this list, no? And if not, maybe we should make an exception? Don't we need such an exception to prove the rule?