Low-Carb Vegetable Diet

When it comes to your health, think low-carb vegetable diet!

When you first started your low-carbohydrate diet, the idea of scrambled eggs and bacon dripping with cheese for breakfast made your mouth water. However, after a few months of eggs in the morning, the afterglow is fading. If you are ready for a change, try incorporating low-carb vegetable diet meals and snacks into your daily menu.

Low-carb does not mean just meat and eggs. It is a fallacy that you cannot eat vegetables on a low-carb diet. All of the popular low-carb diet plans emphasize good carbohydrates and discourage eating bad – or empty carbohydrates or those that are made with refined white flour, white sugar and trans fats.

There are lots of healthy, low-carb vegetable diet choices. Fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and whole grains are nutrient-dense, fiber-rich carbohydrate foods that fit into the low-carb mix.

Ounce for ounce, vegetables – the greener the better – weigh in as the low-carb vegetable diet superstars. Low in carbohydrates and packed with fiber and phytonutrients, vegetables are smart-carb choices.

In addition to the tried-and-true romaine lettuce, try mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, green beans, parsley, bok choy, snow peas, bell peppers, celery, chives, cucumber, artichoke, asparagus, scallions, bamboo shoots, collard greens, egg plant, bean sprouts and spinach – all budget “buys” at less than seven net carbohydrates per serving.

To soothe your sweet cravings, two of the best low-carb vegetable diet or rather fruit choices are berries and melons. At less than five grams of carbohydrates per quarter cup, you can enjoy strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, honeydew melon and cantaloupe and still meet your carbohydrate quota with room to spare.

High-fiber crisp breads are generally the lowest carbohydrate grain choices, not counting the wide array of low-carb bread, muffin and cake mixes. Other specially prepared low-carb whole grain snacks and treats are also available.

So if you cannot face another egg for breakfast – or if you just want to cut down on saturated fat and boost your fiber intake - here are some suggestions to zip up your food plan with a low-carb vegetable diet twist:

1 – To take the edge off an appetite or add a little taste to a salad or vegetables, try two tablespoons of nutritious and tasty nuts or seeds. Good options are pumpkin seeds (2.4g), macadamia nuts (0.9g), almonds (1.4g), and pecans (0.6g), chopped walnuts (1.1g) – all under three net carbohydrates.

2 – Make an easy guacamole by mashing 1/2 medium avocado (3g) , season with a touch of salt, one tablespoon of tomato salsa (1g) and a sprinkle of lemon juice (0g). Have it with raw vegetables or a few low-carb tortilla chips. This fiber-rich snack is also high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, with only 4g net carbohydrate s (just the guacamole).

3 – Top 1 1/2 cup slightly steamed broccoli (5.8g) with one tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese (0 carbohydrate and only 1.5g of saturated fat). This comes up to a total of 5.8g net carbohydrates.

4 – Make a vegetable-bacon BLT by placing four vegetable bacon strips (4g), one leaf of romaine lettuce (0.1g), and two slices of tomato (1.3g) on one slice high-fiber low carbohydrate bread (3g). Spread with a tablespoon of soy mayo (0g). You will be consuming a total of only 8.4g net carbohydrates.

5 – Whip up a double-berry tofu shake for breakfast. Blend 1/2 cup blueberries (8.2g) and 1/2 cup strawberries (3.6g) with six ounces soft tofu (4.7g), two ice cubes, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract (0g). Sweeten with one teaspoon of Splenda (0g). This comes up to a total of 16.5g net carbohydrates.

6 – Spread two tablespoons of peanut butter (4.3g) and two table spoons of sugar-free apricot jam (3.2g) on two slices of crisp bread (10g). This gives a total of 17.5g net carbohydrates.

7 - For a light snack, enjoy the natural sweetness of fresh fruit:

one cup raspberries (6g), 1/2 cup honeydew melon (7.2g), 1/2 cup pineapple (8.6g), one cup watermelon (10.4g) , one cup papaya (11.2g), 1/2 cup mango (12.6g), one medium orange (12.9g), one cup cherries (16.8g), one medium apple (17.3g) and one cup green grapes (26.8g).

They are delicious. Try out these low-carb vegetable diet meals and snacks. Enjoy healthy eating!