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 contains 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!)
Seafood:
Fish
Shellfish
Mollusks
Dairy:
Butter
Margarine
Most types of cheese
Heavy cream (very very low carbs)
Eggs
Oil:
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Sunflower oil
Sesame oil
Avocado oil
Safflower oil
Corn oil
Peanut oil
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
Condiments:
Vinegar (NOT balsamic)
Mustard (avoid honey varieties)
Salt
Many types of hot sauce
Regular (full fat) mayonnaise
Drinks:
Water
Tea (no milk or sugar)
Coffee (no milk or sugar)
Diet soda
Herbal tea
Drink mix powders (eg Crystal Light)
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 don’t forget about Shirataki Noodles!
Six Tips for Eating Zero Carb
1) Eat only from the animal kingdom. Meat, eggs, and dairy. No carbs.
2) Stay full. Eat meat/eggs/dairy until you are full and you won’t be as tempted to eat other things.
3) Eat enough fat. Fat will keep you full and will you give you plenty of energy.
4) Avoid all sweet tastes. It will be the quickest way to kill the cravings that you may have for sweets.
5) Drink water when you’re thirsty. Seltzer waters, unsweetened tea, and unsweetened coffee work for plenty of zero carbs, as well. Each individual has to determine for themselves what works best. But regular water will definitely work for everyone, every time. And I have found no benefit to forcing down gallons of water each day. Just drink if you’re thirsty. And stop when you’re not.
6) No need to count calories. Eat when you’re hungry. Stop eating when you’re not.
And if you’re only interested in reducing (not eliminating) the sugar and carbs in your diet, that’s great, too! Any little bit of sugar that you can keep out of your diet is a win! But, eating a zero-carb diet is the quickest way to eliminate your sugar cravings, give you the energy that needs, and help you to lose weight.
