Let me say up front that you should never go down to zero carbs. It's like going down to zero food. It'll cause your body to go into famine mode and cling to fat. You have to give your body a steady diet of GOOD, adequate carbs so it feels comfortable allowing the fat you have to burn.

That being said, what are zero carb foods?

Water
Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Keep a glass of water next to you. You'll be surprised how much you drink without really thinking about it. Water fills you up, it is really good for you, and it is completely carb / calorie free.

Meat
Meat does not have ANY carbs in it. Grill up a chicken breast for lunch. Grill that swordfish steak for dinner. Slice up some circles of pepperoni. Note that there are MANY problems with just eating an all-meat diet. You should never try to just eat meat. You need your veggies and all the nutrients! But in your calculations, know that meat = zero carbs.

Vegetables
Some veggies - like potatoes - are very high in carbs. Other veggies are EXTREMELY low in carbs but still have tons of nutrients. Here are ones to keep in mind!

Spinach - 0.2g per half cup
Lettuce - 0.5g per half cup
Radish - 0.5g per half cup
Bok Choy - 0.7g per half cup
Celery - 0.8g per half cup

Cheese
Some cheeses are extremely low in carbs. You can have a few slices without much impact on your carb count at all. That makes them perfect for adding to a salad or layering on meat!

Gruyere - 0.1g per 3 slices
Monterey Jack - 0.1g per 3 slices
Cheddar - 0.2g per 3 slices
Fontina - 0.2g per 3 slices
Muenster - 0.2g per 3 slices

Work these foods into your daily meal plan! But remember, you should be eating SOME carbs every day, to keep your basic metabolism in motion. If you eat too few, your body will stop processing fat loss properly. If you make those healthy carbs - fresh vegetables are key - then you will do quite nicely!

Be sure to post in our forums if you have any questions, and we'll provide even more ideas to match your taste buds!


Lisa Shea's Library of Low Carb Books