List Of Low Carb And Low Calorie Foods For Weight Loss

Non-starchy vegetables, seafood and eggs are low in both calories and carbohydrates.

Image Credit: OatmealStories/RooM/GettyImages Foods that are low in carbs aren’t necessarily low in calories, too (hello, avocado). But understanding which foods best fit into both categories can help you stick to your low-carb diet and lose a bit of weight.

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 Because of their significant carbohydrate content, large servings of grains and starchy vegetables are off the table for low-carb diets.

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Want to Easily Count Carbs? Track your daily nutrients by logging your meals on the MyPlate app. Download now to fine-tune your diet today!

When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s cutting calories that matters the most — not cutting carbs — although both may be helpful.

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 Non-Starchy Vegetables

When you’re looking for foods that are low in both carbs and calories, your best choices are low- and non-starchy vegetables. They often have a high water and fiber content, so they are low in energy density (or calories) per gram. This makes it easier to eat a large portion and fill up on them without going over your daily calories.

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 Here are some non-starchy veggies to add to your plate — all contain less than 6 grams of carbs per 1 cup raw:

Romaine lettuce: 8 calories, 1.5 g carbs Spinach: 7 calories, 1.1 g carbs Arugula: 5 calories, 0.7 g carbs Radishes: 19 calories, 3.9 g carbs Kale: 8 calories, 1.4 g carbs Zucchini: 21 calories, 3.9 g carbs Summer squash: 18 calories, 3.8 g carbs Celery: 16 calories, 3 g carbs Asparagus: 27 calories, 5.2 g carbs

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 Related Reading How to Make Sure Your Low-Carb Diet Is Actually Healthy

Low-Sugar Fruits Fruits tend to be higher in both carbs and calories than vegetables, but still lower in calories than many other low-carb foods. For fewer than 10 grams of carbs and 50 calories, reach for the following fruit:

Clementine (one fruit): 35 calories, 8.9 g carbs Grapefruit (half a small fruit): 32 calories, 8.1 g carbs Raspberries (half-cup): 32 calories, 7.3 g carbs Apricot (one fruit): 17 calories, 3.9 g carbs

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 Meat, Poultry and Seafood

Meat, poultry and seafood typically have very few carbohydrates, but they can be high in calories. Fish is usually lower in calories than meat. Options with fewer than 100 calories and less than 1 gram of carbs per 3-ounce serving include:

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Canned light tuna Pork tenderloin with the fat trimmed Chicken breast Turkey breast Crab Mahi-mahi Bass Cod Shrimp

Eggs and Dairy Eggs and certain dairy products can be very low in carbs, but at the same time high in calories. Opt for these low-carb foods:

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One large egg: 72 calories, 0.4 g carbs Soft goat cheese (1 oz.): 75 calories, 0 g carbs Brie (1 oz.): 95 calories, 0.1 g carbs Camembert (1 oz.): 85 calories, 0.1 g carbs Mozzarella (1 oz.): 85 calories, 0.7 g carbs Low-fat Swiss (1 oz.): 70 calories, 0 g carbs Plain nonfat Greek yogurt (half cup): 110 calories, 4.5 g carbs Skim milk (one cup): 83 calories, 12.2 g carbs

Nuts Because nuts are high in fat, they also tend to be high in calories.

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 If you're including nuts and nut butter in a low-calorie, low-carb diet plan, stick to eating one-ounce servings of nuts and one-tablespoon servings of nut butter.

Nuts that are closer to 200 calories and 4 grams of carbs per ounce include:

Walnuts Hazelnuts Pecans

Nut butters under 5 grams of carbs and under 100 calories, including:

One tablespoon of sunflower seed butter One tablespoon of cashew butter

Although almonds and pistachios have fewer than 200 calories per ounce, they have 6 and 8 grams of carbs, respectively. Related Reading Why This Dietitian Wants You to Stop Counting Carbs and Start Tracking Net Carbs Instead

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  references
  
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Vegetables and Vegetable Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Dairy and Egg Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Meat, Poultry and Seafood"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Nut and Seed Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Fruits and Fruit Juices"
       




  references
  
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Vegetables and Vegetable Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Dairy and Egg Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Meat, Poultry and Seafood"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Nut and Seed Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Fruits and Fruit Juices"
    




Non-starchy vegetables, seafood and eggs are low in both calories and carbohydrates.

Image Credit: OatmealStories/RooM/GettyImages

Want to Easily Count Carbs?

Track your daily nutrients by logging your meals on the MyPlate app. Download now to fine-tune your diet today!

How to Make Sure Your Low-Carb Diet Is Actually Healthy

Why This Dietitian Wants You to Stop Counting Carbs and Start Tracking Net Carbs Instead

      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Vegetables and Vegetable Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Dairy and Egg Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Meat, Poultry and Seafood"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Nut and Seed Products"
    
      USDA Nutrient Lists: "Fruits and Fruit Juices"