Top Tips for Cutting Carbs 

First of all why cut carbs?  I’m not going to get into a big spiel, just a quick overview, I want to get right to the tips!

Eating carbohydrates has the largest impact on our blood sugar and insulin levels. By lowering carbohydrate intake, blood sugars are controlled and insulin levels are minimised, and hunger/cravings are noticeably lessened. Low carb and Ketogenic diets have been proven to be incredibly beneficial for those with diabetes (type one or two), fires up weight loss and increases energy!

15 Tips to Cut Your Carb Intake

1. Eliminate Sugar-Sweetened Drinks

A 12-ounce (355-ml) can of Ginger Ale contains 32 grams of carbs! Also watch for hidden sugars in Milk.

Hydrate, hydrate!  Water is your best friend but if you get bored and want to drink something refreshing with a taste, try adding some lemon or lime to club soda or plain water. If needed, use a small amount of low-calorie sweetener.

2. Cut Back on Bread

Bread is a staple food in many diets. Unfortunately, it’s also high in carbs and usually low in fibre. Even nutritious breads such as rye contain about 15 grams of carbs per slice and only a couple of those are fiber, the only component of carbs that isn’t digested and absorbed.

3. Stop Drinking Fruit Juice

Juices may provide some vitamins and minerals, but it’s no better than sugar-sweetened beverages in terms of sugar and carbs. It’s best to avoid juice all together. Instead, try flavoring your water by adding a slice of orange or lemon.

Limit fruit and choose fruits that are lower in carbs .

4. Choose Low-Carb Snacks

Having a low-carb snack that contains protein is the best strategy when hunger strikes between meals.

• Almonds: 6 grams of carbs, 3 of which are fiber.
• Peanuts: 6 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber.
• Macadamia nuts: 4 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber.
• Hazelnuts: 5 grams of carbs, 3 of which are fiber.
• Pecans: 4 grams of carbs, 3 of which are fiber.
• Walnuts: 4 grams of carbs, 2 of which are fiber.
• Cheese: Less than 1 gram of carbs.

5. Eat Eggs or Other Low-Carb Breakfast Foods

Eggs are an ideal breakfast when you’re trying to cut back on carbs.

One egg contains less than 1 gram of carbs. They’re also a great source of high-quality protein, which can help you feel full for hours and eat fewer calories during the rest of the day.

6. Use Sweeteners Instead of Sugar

Enjoy the natural flavor of foods without adding any sweetener is ultimately best.  However, here are a few safe sugar free sweeteners:

Stevia, Swerve, Erythritol, Xylitol

7. Ask for Veggies Instead of Potatoes or Bread at Restaurants

Starches can add 30 grams of carbs to your meal or more. It depends on the portion size, which is often large.

Instead, ask your server to substitute low-carb vegetables in place of rice, potatoes (starchy vegetables) and bread.

8. Substitute Low-Carb Flours for Wheat Flour

Flours made from nuts and coconut are a great alternative to wheat flour.

100 grams of almond flour contains less than 11 grams of digestible carbs, and 100 grams of coconut flour contains 21 grams of digestible carbs.

9. Replace Milk with Almond or Coconut Milk

An 8-ounce (240 ml) glass of full-fat or low-fat milk contains 12-13 grams of carbs.

The most popular are coconut and almond milk, but there are also types made from other nuts and hemp. These beverages are mainly water, and the carb content is usually very low. Most have 2 grams of carbs or less per serving.

Make sure to buy unsweetened.

10. Emphasize Non-Starchy Veggies

Like I said before select non-starchy vegetables to keep your carb intake down.

Certain root vegetables and legumes, such as carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, peas, lima beans and corn, are moderately high in carbs.

This is a fantastic link :The 21 Best Low-Carb Vegetables.

11. Choose Dairy That is Low in Carbs

Some dairy foods are bad choices on a low-carb diet. Fruit-flavored yogurt, frozen yogurt and pudding are often loaded with sugar and very high in carbs.

Here are a few good dairy choices, along with carb counts per 100 grams (3.5 oz):

• Plain Greek yogurt: 4 grams of carbs.
• Cheese (brie, mozzarella, cheddar, etc.): 1 gram of carbs.
• Ricotta cheese: 3 grams of carbs.
• Cottage cheese: 3 grams of carbs.

12. Eat Healthy High-Protein Foods

Make sure to include at least one serving from this list of high-protein, low-carb foods at each meal:

• Meat.
• Poultry.
• Fish.
• Eggs.
• Nuts.
• Cheese.
• Cottage Cheese.
• Greek Yogurt (unsweetened)
• Whey Protein Powder.

13. Prepare Foods with Healthy Fats

Some healthiest choices are virgin coconut oil, butter, ghee and extra-virgin olive oil and avocado oil.

14. Start Reading Food Labels

Looking at food labels can provide valuable information about the carb content of packaged foods. Try to eat real whole food instead of packaged and processed foods.

15. Count Carbs With a Nutrition Tracker Apps

Some of the most popular nutrition tracking programs are:

My Fitnesspal

Carbs Control

Atkins

Keto Diet App

My Net Diary

These programs calculate your nutrient needs based on your weight, age and other factors, but you can customize your daily carb goal and change it when you like.

My last top tip….Carbs and sugar are sneaky little things hiding in foods you would never suspect! Check nutrition labels before buying packaged foods.

-Tina