The food with no carbs and no sugar is the new concept of diet. It’s an effective way to lose weight quickly. It can be difficult to find foods with no carbs or sugar. True no-carb options include animal products like meat, poultry, seafood and eggs. These can be great for weight loss because they are full of protein, which keeps you satiated and boosts your ability to burn calories.
Food With No Carbs Or Sugar
Low-carb diets limit the number of carbohydrates a person eats. Instead of carbs, people focus on eating proteins, healthful fats, and vegetables.
Carbohydrates or carbs are one of three main food types that the body needs to work properly. The other two are protein and fat. Carbs give the body energy. The body breaks carbs down to use immediately or later.
If the body does not need to use the carbs for energy as soon as a person eats them, it stores them in the muscles and liver to use later. However, if the body does not use these stored carbs, the body converts them to fat.
Ten low-carb diet tips
Many people find following a low-carb diet challenging, particularly at the beginning of the diet. The following low-carb diet tips might help people stick to their diet and may help them lose weight successfully.
1. Knowing what foods are low-carb
Low-carb foods include:
- lean meats, such as sirloin, chicken breast, or pork
- fish
- eggs
- leafy green vegetables
- cauliflower and broccoli
- nuts and seeds, including nut butter
- oils, such as coconut oil, olive oil, and rapeseed oil
- some fruit, such as apples, blueberries, and strawberries
- unsweetened dairy products including plain whole milk and plain Greek yogurt
2. Know the carb counts and serving sizes of foods
Most low carb diets only allow for 20 to 50 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day. Because of this, it is essential that people following low-carb diets choose foods that have a lower carb count but a high nutritional value per serving.
The foods in the quantities listed below all contain approximately 15 g of carbs:
- 1 tennis ball sized apple or orange
- 1 cup of berries
- 1 cup of melon cubes
- ½ medium banana
- 2 tablespoons of raisins
- 8 ounces of milk
- 6 ounces of plain yogurt
- ½ cup corn
- ½ cup peas
- ½ cup beans or legumes
- 1 small baked potato
- 1 slice of bread
- 1/3 cup of cooked rice
While the foods listed above all contain roughly equal amounts of carbohydrates, they are not all nutritionally equivalent. The dairy products on the list contain protein and vital nutrients, such as Vitamin D and calcium in addition to the carbohydrate content.
The fruit and vegetables also contain essential vitamins and minerals. Choosing whole-grain varieties of bread and rice will provide more nutrients than white varieties, even though the carb content is similar.
3. Make a meal plan
A meal plan can help make things easier.
Anyone trying to follow a low-carb diet could try mapping out their week and plan all meals before heading to the grocery store.
Planning meals in advance can help people stick to the diet.
Knowing what they are going to eat for lunch and dinner can help a person avoid making unhealthful food choices, such as stopping at a fast food restaurant.
Meal planners are available for purchase online.
4. Meal prep
Planning is one thing, but preparing meals ahead of time can also help. Meal prep can help a person:
- avoid making unhealthful food choices
- save time during busier times of the week
- save money
Some people like to prepare a week’s worth of breakfasts and lunches ahead of time and store the meals in containers, so they are convenient and ready to go. It is possible to freeze some meals too, meaning people can prepare even more food in advance.
Having lots of pre-prepared meals on hand can help people avoid choosing less healthful options.
Popular low-carb meals to prepare in advance include:
- egg muffins
- Greek yogurt bowls
- protein pancakes
- chicken lettuce wraps
- protein and vegetable stir fry with no rice
5. Carry low-carb snacks
Low-carb snack options for between meals include:
- hard boiled eggs
- unsweetened yogurt
- baby or regular carrots
- handful of nuts
- cheese
It is essential to regulate portion size of any snacks to avoid overeating.
6. Consider carb cycling
Carb cycling involves eating very low-carb foods for a set amount of days, followed by one day of eating higher carb meals. This helps the body avoid fat-burning plateaus that can develop after weeks of low-carb dieting.
Carb cycling is not for everyone, and anyone considering it should talk to their doctor or nutritionist first.
7. Not all carbs are created equal
Carbs come in different forms.
Simple carbs consist of easy to digest sugars. Refined and processed carbs, such as white sugar and white flour, are simple carbs.
People who are starting on a low-carb diet need to think about reducing their intake of refined and processed carbs. Avoiding these carbs will be beneficial for reaching an ideal weight and for health in general.
However, not all simple carbs are created equal. Fruits include fructose, which is a simple carb, but eating fruit is recommended in a low-carb diet, as it is loaded with nutrients and is a whole-food source of carbs.
Complex carbs take longer to digest than simple carbs, as they need to be broken down into a simpler form. Complex carbs are found in more nutrient-rich foods, such as beans, whole-grains, and fiber-rich fruits, such as bananas.
Complex carbs also have the added benefit of making a person feel full faster, which might prevent them from overeating. Complex carbs also make people feel full for longer, which might help them avoid snacking between meals.
8. Be aware of alternatives
Substituting low-carb or no-carb foods for high-carb foods can help reduce carb intake.
Some low-carb substitutions include:
- lettuce leaves instead of taco shells
- portobello mushroom caps instead of buns
- baked butternut squash fries
- eggplant lasagna
- cauliflower pizza crust
- spaghetti squash instead of noodles
- zucchini ribbons instead of pasta
9. Exercise appropriately
Exercise is an important part of overall health. People should avoid a sedentary lifestyle but refrain from excessive exercising.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source recommend that adults do moderate exercise for 150 minutes a week for a minimum 10 minutes at a time for moderate health benefits. For optimal health benefits, the CDC recommend 300 minutes of exercise. The CDC also suggest that people lift weights or do other strength training exercises to improve overall health.
Those on low-carb diets may want to avoid long periods of intense activity such as distance running. This is because people who are doing a form of exercise that requires extra endurance, such as marathon training, will need extra carbohydrates to fuel their bodies.
10. Use common sense
People should know about potential health risks before starting a low-carb diet.
Short-term health risks caused by a low-carb diet may include:
- cramping
- constipation
- palpitations
- high cholesterol
- headaches
- brain fog
- lack of energy
- nausea
- bad breath
- rash
- reduced athletic performance
Long-term health risks caused by a low-carb diet may include:
- nutritional deficiencies
- loss of bone density
- gastrointestinal problems
Some people should not follow a low-carb diet unless instructed to do so by a doctor. These groups of people include those with kidney disease and teenagers.
Not everyone will benefit from, or should even consider, a low-carb diet. Anyone thinking about doing a low-carb diet should speak with a doctor before starting.
Zero Carb Food List
Keeping carbs low is the key to keto diet success. When carb intake is too high, we simply cannot enter ketosis and experience the unique benefits of keto.
However, this doesn’t mean that you have to rigidly track your carb intake at all times. In fact, many keto dieters are able to stay in ketosis by using one simple strategy: Eating mostly keto-friendly foods that have little to no net carbs (i.e., digestible carbs that reduce ketone production).
Although it may seem like carbs are hiding around every corner when you first start your keto weight loss journey, there are hundreds of delicious options that have zero or almost zero net carbs as well. To help you figure what these foods are and make keto as easy as possible, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of zero carb and almost zero carb foods for your convenience.
Food With No Sugar Added
If you want to cut back on your added sugars, then check out this list of the best sugar-free foods. Add these to your next shopping list so you can stock your kitchen full of these healthy foods.
1. Fruits
Fresh fruits like berries and green apples will have the lowest natural sugars. Tropical fruits and dried fruits have the highest levels of natural sugars. But, there are no added sugars in any fresh fruits.
- Apples
- Apricots
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Green Apples
- Kiwi
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mango
- Melons
- Nectarines
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Pineapples
- Pitted prunes
- Plums
- Pomegranates
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tangerines
- Watermelon
2. Vegetables
Vegetables of all types are low in sugars. Some starchy vegetables like white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots are higher in natural sugars. All vegetables are part of a sugar-free diet.
If you purchase any canned vegetables, read the labels to make sure there are no added sugars.
- Artichokes
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Butternut squash
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Cucumbers
- Fennel
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Green beans
- Kale
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Onions
- Peas
- Peppers
- Pumpkin
- Radishes
- Romaine lettuce
- Spaghetti squash
- Spinach
- Sweet Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Yams
- Zucchini
3. Beans, peas, and legumes
While beans, peas, and legumes are high in carbohydrates, they are low in natural sugars and have no added sugars.
Be sure to read the labels on any canned cooked beans to make sure there are no added sugars (such as in baked beans).
- Adzuki beans
- Black beans
- Black-eyed peas
- Cannellini beans
- Edamame
- Garbanzo beans
- Great northern beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Mung beans
- Navy beans
- Peas
- Peanuts
- Pinto beans
- Red beans
4. Animal & Plant Proteins
Cooked proteins can be very satiating and can help with reducing sugar cravings (see all of my tips for a sugar-free diet).
- Beef
- Bison
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Fish and shellfish
- Game meats
- Pork products including bacon (look for sugar-free versions)
- Soy products including tofu and tempeh
- Turkey
No Sugar, No Carbs
For the past three months I’ve been busy with implementing the principles of the “Slow Carb Diet” into my life.
In the first four weeks, I lost 20 lbs (10kg) and have in general experienced much more energy and less fatigue.
I’m usually not a big fan of diets. You invest all your willpower in starting them. And then, four weeks later you go back to your normal life and things are exactly the same as before. There are hundreds of diets that don’t work, and there is a huge bullshit business around them.
Luckily, the core principles of the Slow Carb Diet are more than just a diet. They serve as a good base for more of a lifestyle change rather than a rapid fat loss diet.
I first read about the diet in Tim Ferris’ book “The 4 hour body.” But below I like to offer a quick summary with little tips & tricks of how I implemented it myself.
I don’t like complicated diets, and I don’t like to count calories. I always need someone who explains it to me in a simple & stupid way. No bullshit, just plain English.
IMPORTANT: Before you continue reading, please note the following: I’m not a doctor and I in general have very little dietary restrictions or allergies. If you have doubts, consult your doctor before starting any diet. Otherwise you do it at your own risk.
How does it work?
The diet helps you to burn fat by avoiding food that promotes fat storage. That means, no sugars (including fruits), no white foods (bread, pasta etc.) and no dairy (no milk, cheese etc).
Think of it this way: Your body needs to burn something in order to generate energy. Because your body is also lazy, it has a few things it can choose from. Burning sugar to produce energy is the easiest way for your body.
Now that we take away sugar, your body aims for the second easiest resource, carbohydrates (carbs are essentially sugars as well). Now that we take away carbs, your body aims for the third option: Your actual body fat.
This is pretty much the simplest explanation. If you’re an expert, please don’t be offended by my simple language.
Starting a diet is often the hardest part, but here are the basic rules:
1. No sugar, no fruits, no bread, pasta, potatoes – Just avoid carbs in general. You might think it’s hard, but there are so many recipes and a variety of foods out there, you can easily get creative.
2. No alcohol (red wine is fine, one or two glasses) – I opted for NO alcohol without exception. I actually stopped drinking alcohol exactly 12 months ago.
3. No dairy, no cheese, no milk – If you love milk in your coffee, you can go for a little bit of unsweetened almond milk. I personally stopped drinking milk more than 2 years ago, so that’s fairly easy for me.
4. One cheat day every week where you can go crazy and eat whatever you want – I usually have mine on weekends due to social pressure. OK FINE I ADMIT, IT’S FOR THE PANCAKES!!
5. Consume 30g of protein within 30 min of waking up everyday – That can either be a protein shake, or it equals to 3 eggs and half a cup of beans.
Why? Essentially this is just to trick your body, since we’re usually craving something like a bagel or toast in the morning. It’s a bad habit and resisting the urge can be difficult. But if you replace the bad habit with consuming 30g of protein within 30 minutes after waking up, the craving will be gone until lunch. (And your body starts burning fat immediately, rather than bagels.)
6. Drink at least 2 liters of water everyday.
Tricks for sticking with the diet
1. Put a piece of paper next to your mirror where you get ready everyday in the morning. Put a scale next to it and make it a habit to measure & write down your weight every single morning. Once you’ve done this for just seven days, there is some excitement in continuing tracking your weight. Don’t use an app, put it on a piece of paper. I promise you it will work better.
2. For the first week, sit down for just 10 minutes and plan every meal for one week. And please, do NOT get overly creative. Just eat the same fucking thing everyday. The less room you have to think about what you want to eat, the easier it will be to just stick with it.
3. Get a diet buddy. I have Sam, a friend & colleague. You can push each other and share weird pictures of your dinners, because no one else will appreciate your madness.
4. Just be antisocial for the first 2-3 weeks. Try to eliminate any distraction while you establish your new habits.
5. When you cook something, cook too much and put it in the freezer. Every time I did that, I immediately answered the question “What’s for lunch?” for the next two days.
6. Find your little cheats to survive. Coke Zero tastes sweet, isn’t really healthy but can help if you’re craving something sweet. It has zero sugar and zero carbs. But again it’s not good for you. Only use in emergency.
I also ate a lot of QuestBars. They have almost zero carbs, and zero sugar. Probably the only protein bar that you are allowed to eat on this diet. I always have a few of those with me. They’re very filling and taste good if you feel hungry or you’re craving something sweet.
You are also allowed to eat a handful of nuts or 1-2 spoons of peanut butter each day. Try to avoid it, but if you feel exhausted and low on energy, a spoon of peanut butter will work wonders.
7. Go crazy on your cheat day. Eat as much as you can. Pancakes, ice cream, sandwhiches, pizza. Celebrate it! Two things will happen because of this:
a. Your body will be like WTF and start burning fat immediately. But since you take it all away again the next day, your body still expects more to come and keeps burning at a faster rate. It essentially pushes your metabolism.
b. At the end of the cheat day, you will feel the weight of all the shit you ate, and may feel a bit sick. You will look forward to the next day when you are 100% on the diet again. Every cheat day is a celebration, but it’s also a reminder how bad you can feel by not sticking to the rules.
My weekly meals
I kept my meals very simple to give myself as little room as possible to cheat. For the first four weeks I essentially ate almost the same thing everyday.
And remember, you don’t need to count calories. You can eat as much as you want from the allowed food.
Breakfast options:
1. Three eggs (any style you want) with half a cup of black beans and steamed broccoli. I usually add some spicy sauce on top so it doesn’t get boring.
2. If I’m not in the mood for food, I just have a protein shake. (Any protein shake you want, as long as it has no sugar in it.)
Lunch options:
1. Green salad with beans, chicken or steak. Or tuna + guacamole. I’d just rotate the choice of protein every day, but stick with the basics. You can also use tofu and seitan, which are great protein sources for vegetarians.
2. Curry lentils with salad and steamed broccoli
3. Pretty much any burrito bowl (minus the rice and corn) is perfect. Mexican restaurants will become your go to choice.
Dinner options:
1. Steak with steamed vegetables (broccoli most of the time). Or replace steak with seitan or tofu.
2. Chicken breast or seitan with lentils or white beans
3. Burrito bowl
Drinks:
1. Usually water
2. Unsweetened ice tea
3. One diet soda drink a day, max!
This is pretty much the food I stayed on for the first four weeks. Just make sure you get enough protein and enough vitamins through vegetables. If you feel weak and know you need more vitamins, you can go for supplements, but I avoided them as much as possible.
Eating out:
Eating out is actually easier than you think, you don’t have to become complicated and avoid restaurants. You can order pretty much anything on the menu and either not eat the things you want to avoid, or ask upfront to swap it.
Some classics for example:
Order a burger! Just don’t eat the bun. Swap the fries with salad and you’re done.
Order a steak! Swap the fries with salad and you’re done.
Order any salad you like! Most salads work perfectly fine for this diet. Some might have cheese on them. Just say you want it without cheese and done.
I don’t like fish very much (I’m picky) but everything that is fish or seafood you can eat, as long as you don’t have carbs on the side. You like sushi? Fine, just go with sashimi (without the rice).
PS: If you’re a vegetarian, just replace the meat with your usual protein source.
Making it a lifestyle, rather than a diet.
My first goal was to reach a certain weight. I wanted to lose 20lbs (10kg) as quickly as possible without working out and just changing my eating habits. It was my personal challenge.
During the process I learned that there are many more benefits than just losing weight with this diet. I felt much more healthy and productive. After two months, I slowly started to open it up and make it less restrictive.
Instead of having a cheat day, you can have a cheat weekend as long as you don’t go too much overboard. You can slowly mix things in you really missed, such as dairy or a little drink here and there.
In general, what I learned from the diet is that I like to stay away as much as possible from anything that is highly processed food, such as bread, pasta, sugar heavy goods etc. In return, I suddenly have much more energy, feel less tired and sleep much better.