What foods should you limit or avoid on a low-carb diet? Of course there are a number of foods that are bad for health because they are rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrate-rich foods can cause many health problems including diabetes and excess blood sugar. So in a low-carb diet there are a number of foods that you should avoid or limit.
Low-carb diets are good for preventing various diseases such as diabetes, and can lose weight naturally. Some foods rich in carbohydrates should be avoided. You do not need to limit it but should be avoided because it can cause bad things for health. Among the high-carbohydrate foods that you should avoid are sugary drinks, cakes, and candy.
Well, if you don’t know what foods are rich in carbohydrates and should be limited, then here we will explain about this. At least we will mention 14 high-carbohydrate foods that should be avoided or limited. However, some high-carb foods are actually healthy for consumption, but are not suitable because they are high in carbohydrates. So, this is a challenge for you.
See too: Fruits to Avoid for Weight Loss
To be clear, whether you should limit a food or should avoid it altogether, you must know how much you need carbs daily or how much of your target carbs are. A low-carb diet doesn’t mean you avoid carbohydrates, but you need to limit them. In a low-carb diet usually contains 20-200 grams of carbohydrates daily. Here we will share 14 foods that you should avoid or limit if you are on a low-carb diet.
14 Foods to Avoid or Limit on a Low-Carb Diet.
1. Bread and grains
Bread is a staple in many countries such as the Middle East, there are many different types of bread offered as a staple or as breakfast. There are loaves, rolls, bagels, tortillas, and flatbreads. These are all carb-rich foods that you should pay attention to at every turn.
These foods also include those consisting of whole grains or very fine flour. Indeed, the amount of carbohydrates varies between each bread and the portion. Here we list the amount of carbohydrates for bread which are commonly used in food.
- Bagel (3-inch): 29 grams of carbs, 1 of which is fiber
- Whole-wheat bread (1 slice): 17 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber
- White bread (1 slice): 14 grams of carbs, 1 of which is fiber
- Flour tortilla (10-inch): 36 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber
It also depends on how your body tolerates carbohydrates. If you eat sandwiches, burritos, or eat bagels, these can all lead to excess carb intake on your low-carb diet.
Well, if you still like to enjoy bread, then make your own low-carb bread, so you don’t go over the limited amount of daily carbohydrates.
Not only bread is rich in carbohydrates, but most grains are also high in carbohydrates and you should limit them. Among them are rice, wheat, and oats. Well, all these bread and grain foods are carbohydrate-rich foods and you should limit them in this low-carb diet.
See too: Foods That Contain Complex Carbs VS Simple Carbs, Which Is Better?
2. Some fruit
Basically eating lots of fruits and vegetables is good for health and this can reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
However, not all types of fruit can be eaten just like that, for those of you who are on a low-carb diet, there are also many fruits that are high in carbohydrates so they are not suitable for consumption.
Typically, one serving of fruit (one cup) or 120 grams, for example one small apple, contains 21 grams of carbohydrates, 4 of which come from the fiber present in the apple. If you are on a low carb diet, then there are some fruits that you should avoid, especially sweet and dry fruits. Usually a fruit with such a character is rich in its carbohydrate value.
Some fruits are rich in carbohydrates such as:
- Mango, sliced (1 cup/165 grams): 28 grams of carbs, 3 of which are fiber.
- Raisins (1 ounce/28 grams): 22 grams of carbs, 1 of which is fiber
- Banana (1 medium): 27 grams of carbohydrates, 3 of which are fiber
- Dates (2 large): 36 grams of carbs, 4 of which are fiber
If you like fruit, then just eat berries. Berries are usually low in sugar compared to other sweet fruits. However, berries are rich in fiber which is good for health. If you are on a low carb diet, consuming half a cup of berries is about 50 grams, this is very good even for those on a strict carb diet (very low carb diet).
3. Starchy vegetables
Vegetables there must also be taboos or foods that you should avoid on a low-carb diet. You don’t need to eat high-starchy vegetables, just eat fiber-rich vegetables as a daily meal. These foods can actually lose weight and can control sugar levels.
There are several types of carbohydrate-rich vegetables that you should avoid, especially if you are following a very low-carb diet. Automatically, vegetables with carbohydrates should be avoided. Here are some carbohydrate-rich vegetables that you should limit and even avoid.
- Corn (1 cup/175 grams): 41 grams of carbs, 5 of which are fiber
- Sweet potato/yam (1 medium): 24 grams of carbs, 4 of which are fiber
- Potato (1 medium): 37 grams of carbs, 4 of which are fiber
- Beets, cooked (1 cup/150 grams): 16 grams of carbs, 4 of which are fiber
4. Pasta
Pasta is also included in the list of food to avoid due to high-carb foods that you should avoid or limit during a low-carb diet.
Pasta is a delicious, inexpensive and versatile staple but it is very high in carbohydrates.
How many carbohydrates are in pasta? One cup, about 250 grams of cooked pasta, contains 43 grams of carbohydrates, and only 3 grams of which is healthy fiber.
If you are on a low-carb diet, eating pasta and spaghetti is something bad and something you should avoid. But if you only consume one very small portion, this may still be tolerable, but this amount is very unrealistic for someone. If not, then you can pass the target of daily carbohydrates.
See too: Honey vs Sugar: Which one is The Best?
5. Beer
Beer is an intoxicating drink that also contains quite a lot of carbohydrates. So, this is included in the list of drinks that you should avoid considering you are on a low-carb diet.
Beer is very high in carbohydrates, a can of 12 ounces or 356 ml, beer contains an average of 13 grams of carbohydrates. Meanwhile, light beer contains an average of 6 grams of carbohydrates in each can. Not only that, drinking beer also has more bad values, where research shows that liquid carbohydrates are worse for health because they can increase weight, and this percentage is more than solid carbohydrates.
Why is that? This is because liquid carbohydrates do not cause a person to feel full like solid carbohydrates. So, a person will drink more because carbonated drinks do not eliminate appetite.
6. Cereal
Cereal is a sweet food that is widely consumed in general. However, refined cereals are foods rich in carbohydrates. Want to know how many carbohydrates are in cereal, you might be surprised, let’s look at the following.
1 cup with the size of 90 grams of regular cereal, or instant oatmeal provides 32 grams of carbohydrates, while the fiber content is only 4 grams of that.
There are oatmeal that are not as rigorously processed as Steel-cut oats, compared to other oats that are usually considered healthier. Where in 1/2 cup (45 grams) of cooked steel-cut oats contains 29 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of which is fiber.
While whole wheat contains more carbohydrates where in half a cup with a size of 61 grams contains 37 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of fiber.
While Grape Nuts also include carbohydrate-rich foods, in the same amount as before, at 61 grams or half a cup, it provides 46 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of fiber. If you are on a low-carb diet then these foods are very abstinent for you to eat.
These are all carbohydrate-rich foods that can cause you to gain weight (gain fast) and ruin your diet. In addition, consuming high-carbs foods also has the potential for several health problems such as obesity and diabetes.
7. Juice
Juice is a sweet drink that is rich in carbohydrates. It is one of the worst drinks on the list of low-carb diet foods and you have to avoid it or limit it.
While juice provides some nutrients, some sweet fruits will cause your blood sugar to rise quickly. Usually fruit that is rich in carbohydrates that are quickly digested will cause an increase in blood sugar (this fruit is referred to as a fruit with a bad glycemic index).
Moreover, fruit or fruit juices with added sugar in it, this is very bad for health in any diet. In fact, most of the fruit’s nutrients are lost due to added sugar when juiced. If you want to get nutrition from fruit, you should consume fresh fruit in limited quantities, especially if you are on a low-carb diet.
One 12-ounce or 355 ml apple juice contains 48 grams of carbohydrates. This is more carbohydrate content than soda which only contains 39 grams of carbohydrates. 355 ml of grape juice provides 60 grams of carbohydrates.
How about vegetable juice? It’s true that vegetable juice contains fewer carbohydrates, but for a 12-ounce serving, vegetable juice also provides 16 grams of carbohydrates and only 2 grams of which comes from fiber.
Juice is a carbohydrate-rich drink, it is a liquid carbohydrate that the brain does not process as it does carbohydrates from solid foods. It means; you will not lose your appetite when consuming it can even increase your hunger every time you consume juice. So, avoid juice in your healthy diet, especially those who are on a low-carb diet.
See too: 9 Healthy Substitutes for Butter Worth Trying
8. Beans and legumes
What’s with beans and legumes, aren’t they both healthy foods? True, both are nutritious foods that are good for the body.
This food contains many health benefits even as a source of anti-inflammatory and can prevent heart disease or reduce the risk of heart disease because it is included in high-fiber foods.
However, even though they are high in fiber, beans and legumes are also high in carbohydrates. It depends on how one’s body tolerates it. Maybe you can still consume it but only in small quantities so that it does not meet your carbohydrate consumption target.
So, how many carbohydrates are in beans and legumes?
- 1 cup of beans and legumes with a size of 160 to 200 grams already provides as many carbohydrates as:
- Lentils: 40 grams of carbs, 16 of which are fiber
- Kidney beans: 40 grams of carbs, 13 of which are fiber
- Peas: 25 grams of carbs, 9 of which are fiber
- Pinto beans: 45 grams of carbs, 15 of which are fiber
- Black beans: 41 grams of carbs, 15 of which are fiber
- Chickpeas: 45 grams of carbs, 12 of which are fiber
9. Sweet yogurt
In the list of foods to avoid is sweet yogurt that consider as a high-carbs foods. Sweet yogurt has a delicious taste and is delicious and tantalizing to the taste buds. Plain yogurt is indeed very low in carbs, but most people consume fruit flavored yogurt, low fat sweet yogurt and this already provides a lot of carbs in it.
Sweet yogurt provides a lot of carbohydrates, usually made as a dessert. One cup (245 grams) of nonfat sweetened yogurt contains 47 grams of carbohydrates. This is a large amount and if you eat just a few, it is already over the limit of carbs levels that are allowed on a low carbs diet.
Also see: Heart Healthy Diet: 25 Foods You Should Eat
But there are lower-carbs yogurt options. You can consume plain Greek yogurt topped with blackberries, or raspberries. 1/2 cup of this yogurt contains about 10 grams of carbohydrates or under 10 grams.
10. Low-fat and fat-free salad dressings
Salad is a healthy food that you can enjoy every day on a low-carb diet.
But not everything you can eat. Commercial dressings, either fat-free or low-fat varieties, often make for a meal that is higher in carbohydrates than you might think.
For example, with just 2 tablespoons of fat-free French sauce, this already contains 10 grams of carbohydrates. Even the same serving of fat-free sauce also provides about 11 grams of carbohydrates, in just a small size (one tablespoon).
Imagine if you use two tablespoons, or three tablespoons, how many carbohydrates have you put in your body. Without realizing it, you have consumed a lot of carbohydrates. In fact, it started as a healthy salad, but ended up with a dressing that is rich in carbohydrates.
To minimize carbohydrates, you should pack or mix your salad with olive oil, a splash of vinegar. It’s healthier, good for the heart and can help you lose weight.
Others Foods to Avoid on a Low-Carb Diet
In addition to the 10 foods that should be avoided or restricted in a low-carb diet above, there are still several other foods that should be avoided. Among the high-carb foods that should be avoided on a low-carb diet are:
11. Honey or sugar in any form
12. Milk
13. Chips and crackers
14. Gluten-free baked goods
The bottom line
Indeed, running a low-carb diet is a challenge in itself. Where you must consume foods rich in nutrients but must be low in carbohydrates. So by knowing some of these foods to avoid, we hope to help those of you who are on a diet to maintain a stable weight or diet to lose weight by taking a low-carb diet.
Some you should avoid and some foods you should limit. Well, your concern and your passion and your patience in limiting carbohydrate-rich foods will determine the success of your diet.
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