Which foods should you avoid when following a low-carb diet?

A low-carb diet—or keto diet—is a diet restricting carb consumption. Instead, it focuses on ingesting proteins and healthy fats. The idea is to eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day, thus making your body break down proteins and fats for energy. This could, in turn, lead to weight loss. It’s a short term diet (good for a few months) rather than something to do over the years.

Carbs being everywhere in our food, it does take some time at first to remember which foods are to be avoided to follow this diet. Luckily, we are here to help! Here are the most common ways carbs are found, and how to replace them.

1 Starchy foods

Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes… what do they have in common? They are all starchy carbs. A healthy alternative to traditional pasta is vegetable noodles, which are simple to make. If you are desperate for bread, don’t worry! You can easily make your keto bread.

2 Milk and dairy products

Milk and dairy products hide carbs, surprisingly. We’re talking cow milk here, but also soy milk. Instead, consider switching to unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk for your needs.

3 Sugar in any form

You may think this one is obvious, but we’re not just talking refined sugar here. We’re talking avoiding honey, maple syrup and agave nectar too! All these sweeteners have little nutritional value. If you must sweeten your food or beverage, try using stevia or sucralose instead.

4 Cereals

When it comes to cereals, we’re not just talking about sugary ones. Healthy cereals like whole-grain cereals are high in carbs as well. They should be eaten in small portions, if not avoided in a low-carb diet.