Trying out a new diet isn’t simple. Adjusting your whole way of eating around foods you’re not used to takes time. For some people, it’s difficult to remember what they can and cannot eat.
If you’re on the keto diet, you’re getting used to following a new routine, and likely enjoying the many benefits that come with keto. But you’re left unsure about what are the best low carb fruits and veggies to eat.
Finding healthy snacks isn’t difficult when you know what’s on the safe list. Learn more about picking the best fruits and vegetables all while keeping within the guidelines of your diet.
Understanding How the Keto Diet Works
If you’ve heard about the keto diet but aren’t sure how it works, you’re not alone. Many people use keto as a way to change how their body thinks and the types of fuel it uses.
The keto diet focuses on using low carb foods in everything you consume while increasing your fat intake to around 80% of your calories. Because your only focus is eating low carb / high fat food (generally), this puts the body into a state of ketosis.
Once this happens, your body starts using fat as the main source of providing fuel. On the keto diet, you’ll eat mostly fats and proteins. Carbs get cut dramatically in order to help your body adjust and find a new fuel source.
This means you’ll have the chance to enjoy a meal of steak, high-fat foods such as avocado, and low carb fruits and vegetables, along with plenty of butter. You’ll just skip the brown rice, rolls, and other forms of carbohydrates for it to work.
Many people agree this is a reasonable and healthy payoff. So, they’ll decide to give the keto diet a try.
Not All Low Carb Fruits & Vegetables Are Created Equal
If you’re just starting out with a new diet, you might think that just about anything that’s a fruit or vegetable is safe. This isn’t necessarily true, but it’s a misconception many people have about dieting.
Even with other products, such as MCT oil, not all products are created in the healthiest way possible. At the same time, not all offer the lowest amount of carbs, sugars, or fat.
When seeking low carb fruits and vegetables, there are certain ones to avoid in order to keep your diet in line. Make time to learn about what’s acceptable for your diet. It’s easy to create bad habits and start snacking on something you thought was approved for your diet, only to discover that it isn’t.
The more educated you are going into your keto diet plan, the more success you’ll find.
Determine If You’re on a Strict or Moderate Low Carb Diet
Because there are so many diets used today, all with their own degree of popularity, it’s important to understand each diet, what it entails, and how it affects you. This gives you the chance to make sure you’re on a diet that meets your needs the most.
If you’re on a strict diet that involves low carbs, you’ll need to greatly reduce and even eliminate many low crab fruits to stay within the guidelines of your diet. If you plan on following a moderately low carb diet, you’ll have a greater variety of foods to eat all while achieving weight loss goals.
For those on a strict diet, limiting fruits as a desert is your best option. You’ll get the feeling of being satisfied while still snacking on favorite foods. This keeps you from feeling deprived of the foods you love. This will help you to keep you on track with your diet.
Review what your weight loss goals are and how having a low carb diet fits into your lifestyle. This helps you feel confident that you’re on the best path for your dietary needs. It will also help to ensure that you aren’t missing out on any important nutrition details on the goal to a better body.
Understand How Many Low Carb Fruits & Veggies You Can Have Each Day
Just like everything in your daily diet, there’s a limit on how much of any particular item you should have. When you’re planning this out, take into account how often you’re active and what your lifestyle is.
- Do you have a job that is sedentary?
- Do you work out twice in a day?
- What are your typical go-to foods and do you have any bad diet habits you’re working on?
Once you know the answers to these questions, you’ll have a better sense of planning what types of low carb fruits and vegetables to eat. For example, if you work out multiple times in one day, having a little extra of a fruit or vegetable that isn’t low carb isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since you’re burning off so much.
Now that you’ve assessed your lifestyle needs, get ready to plan out which choices are the best for you, and maintain your healthy body.
Enjoy the Best Low Carb Fruits
As we mentioned earlier, not all fruits and vegetables are necessarily low carb. Stay on track with your diet by following these preferred fruits for those watching their carbs.
Berries are generally the safest when it comes to low carb fruits. Look for strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
If you’re on a strict diet, these work in small amounts. For those on a moderate diet, enjoy them as often as you need to feel full and to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Lemons, plums, oranges, and watermelon are other low carb choices to enjoy whenever they’re in season. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can find recipes that involve using these fruits in a low carb dessert dish, such as these low carb berry recipes.
Avoid High Carb Fruits
If you’re looking for low carb fruits, it’s important to avoid those that run on the higher level of carbohydrates. Tropical fruits are a common culprit.
Among them are pineapples, mangoes, bananas, and grapes. These are especially sweet, but if you’re on the moderate diet, these are fine to have, even though they aren’t technically considered low carb fruits.
Apples and pears are on the lower end of high carb fruits. You can enjoy those a little more often, without worrying about how they’ll impact your goals.
You won’t have too many fruits to avoid, but knowing what to snack on and make the most of your meals when you grab something to eat.
Discover These Low Carb Vegetables
Vegetables are easier to negotiate with than low carb fruits. That’s because many vegetables tend to have a bitter taste, and aren’t as sweet with all the sugar that fruit has.
Different foods have health benefits, so it’s crucial you include vegetables in your daily diet and don’t merely rely on fruit to get you through the day. Try a wide variety of veggies while dieting, and discover new tastes and combinations that you never imagined before.
Among some of the best veggies for both low and moderate carb diets are:
- Zucchini
- Swiss Chard
- Mushrooms
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Peppers
- Cabbage
These are some of the most commonly used vegetables in making salads, shakes, and other typical power food combinations. You’ll have plenty of variety no matter what you’re in the mood to eat.
Take a Break from These Vegetables
Since there are so many vegetables that make the hit list for low carb vegetables, you might be wondering if there’s anything on the no-no list? It’s interesting to learn, but root-type vegetables have higher carbs.
High carb vegetables include carrots, both regular and sweet potatoes, beetroots, parsnips, and onions. Below ground vegetables are fine to enjoy in moderation, but make sure you incorporate leafy green items for optimal weight loss and dietary health.
Adjusting to a new diet isn’t easy, but with a little work, you can quickly learn what compliments your needs and what you’re better off avoiding. Knowing the difference between low carb fruits and vegetables and those that have high carbs enables you to make informed decisions before eating.
No matter what your needs are, you’re sure to find the right foods to help you hit your goals. This enables you to watch what you’re eating, and get the most out of each meal.