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Weโre in the middle of a fun Low Carb Challenge, and if you havenโt joined us yet, itโs not too late to jump right in! Week One was all about โgetting set up for successโ, so Iโll share some helpful links with you on that just in case you missed some of those:
- LCHF Explained: Why You Need FAT
- Getting Started With Low Carb (Checklist)
- How To Set Up MyFitnessPal To Track Net Carbs (Free)
- Understanding Your Macronutrients: Use Ratios vs Grams!
- Healthy Fats & Super Foods
- Feel Yucky? Learn About Ketosis & Low Carb Flu
- Not Losing Weight? Check These 4 Points First
- Nutrient Database: Research Foods Without Labels
This week, weโre going to focus on โHealthy Swapsโ โ or how to make healthier low carb choices. I strive to eat as much โreal foodโ as possible, but Iโm not perfect and I certainly donโt expect you to be either. We can be perfectly IMperfect, together! ๐
My motto is โKeep It Super Simpleโ and simply eat 20 net carbs a day max, with at least 70% of your daily calories in healthy fats. In the beginning, thatโs ALL you need to worry about. But as you go, and as you get better at reading labels, youโll naturally start making healthier food choices. Thatโs what our mini-challenge is all about this week: making Healthy Swaps to improve your โdietโโฆ
Making Healthy Swaps In Your Low Carb Diet
Once youโre set up to track carbs, and know how to monitor your macronutrients, you start learning A LOT about the foods that you eat. Itโs very eye opening! The more you become aware of what youโre putting into your body, the more you want to make healthier choices. Itโs just a natural progression.
1. STOP DIETING
First, I want you to stop dieting. That may sound crazy, I realize โ because we all want to lose weight, right? But in order to become the healthiest, happiest (leanest!) version of yourselfโฆ you have to get your head in the right place.
โDietingโ will cause you to make unhealthy choices. โDietingโ can become a total obsession. โDietingโ can take over your life. Just STOP.
Instead, vow to make a healthy lifestyle change and โeat for your healthโ. Youโll lose weight as a result. There will be weeks you wonโt lose pounds or the scales wonโt move. If youโre โdietingโ, this makes you want to throw in the towel. Donโt. Those are the weeks you say to yourself, โEat for my health.โ There are days I repeat that over and over, and force myself to make mindful and intentional healthy food choices โ regardless of what my fickle scales are saying.
By the way, if youโre participating in the challenge, you should know this:
Itโs typical to experience a brief โholdโ or even slight fluctuations in your weight during Week 2 and/or Week 3. This is totally normal.
Itโs just your body adjusting to the initial weight loss. This is NOT the time to throw in the towel, or try something drastic. Thatโs what a โdieterโ would do. Just keep doing what obviously worked during that first week or so when the weight was melting off. Prove to your body that youโre serious, stay consistent โ ride it out.
2. Start Exploring NEW Low Carb Foods
I donโt do Atkins or Phases, but simply eat 20 net carbs a day max, with at least 70% in healthy fat. I keep it that simple. That said, the list I started with, and what I recommend to you, is to go to Atkins website and look at the Acceptable Foods List for Phase One of their program:
Acceptable Low Carb Foods List
Go over this entire list, including the low carb vegetables, and create your own Low Carb Food List based on YOUR personal preferences. I donโt want to hear, โbut I donโt like this or that.โ It doesnโt matter. You donโt have to eat anything you donโt like. There are TONS of beautiful low carb foods to enjoy, so simply pick those that you do like and start there.
Use that list to expand your menus and add in new meats of vegetables to try, or new combinations.
There are a few things I eat that are not on Atkinsโ โphase oneโ list, but still fit within my โ20 net carbs a dayโ limit. Examples include: berries, pecans, walnuts and cottage cheese โ all in moderation, and all within my carb limit.
Youโre homework:
Print out the Acceptable Foods List, cross off things you KNOW you donโt like, make a list of things you do like, and make a list of things youโd like to try.
Start exploring labels more at the grocery store as well. Keep in mind that Total Carbs minus Fiber equals Net Carbs. Youโll find all kinds of fun new low carb foods to try!
3. Improve Your Diet With Healthy Low Carb Food Swaps
Do you tend to grab shakes or bars on the go? Swap those out for pecans or walnuts. Pecans and walnuts are the lowest carb / highest fat of the nut group.
That makes them an easy โreal foodโ snack or meal to eat on the go, or when you just donโt feel like cooking. I often eat pecans, green olives & slices of cheese for a quick (filling!) meal. Or for breakfast I like 1/4 cup Daisy Brand cottage cheese with 1/3 cup pecan halves and a sliced strawberry (4 net carbs):
Daisy Brand cottage cheese is the only one on the shelf with only THREE (real) ingredients. Compare those labels! ๐
On the topic of cheese, buy it by the block. Shred, cube or slice your own cheese. It stays fresher, has less additives, and itโs a healthier option. Not to mention itโs cheaper.
Ribeye Steak is better than Sirloin for fat content, and for flavor. Salmon is a healthy fatty fish, and a better choice over Tilapia or Whitefish (which are both all protein, with no healthy fats). Chicken thighs & wings are fattier and juicier (they taste better!) than chicken breast โ and they are TONS cheaper!
Crisp cucumber slices make a great โcrackerโ for your favorite salads, dips or spreads. Theyโre great for egg salad, tuna salad, herb cheese spreads, and theyโre great for dipping.
Not a big fan of fresh veggies? Get creative with them!
I like to hide spinach in hamburger steaks for example, and at that same link youโll see how I make โfried squashโ โ which is delicious! I do the same thing with avocado: slice or cube it, salt it & brown it in butter or olive oil. Itโs almost like french fries. ๐
Itโs a super food, very rich in potassium and magnesium.
Did you know that avocado has more potassium than a banana?
I was never a fan of avocado before, but I do love it now. And itโs especially good โfriedโ (browned in butter). I also love it mixed into chicken salad or other salads.
Check out this Avocado Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe for example. Delicious!
Sick of broccoli? Try it LOADED. Just like you would load a baked potato: top your broccoli with butter, sour cream, chopped bacon & cheese.
4. Pay Attention To Nutritional Value
Eat the highest quality foods you can to make each of your 20 net carbs and each of your calories โreally countโ toward good nutrition. The goal of being on a LCHF diet is to become HEALTHY. Not just to lose weight, but to also get HEALTHIER in the process. Make smart food choices, and make each of your carbs & calories count toward a healthier leaner YOU.
On that note, donโt eat โempty caloriesโ just to increase your fat intake.
BPC (Bullet Proof Coffee) for example, or just pats of butter, are empty calories with no real nutritional value to your body. Instead, enjoy a handful of pecan halves or some fresh avocado slices with your meal!
5. Analyze Your Food Diaries For Improvements
Go over your low carb food journals for the last week, and consider ways you can make improvements to make your low carb diet even healthier. Are you getting enough vegetables? What should you eat less of, or more of?
What healthy swaps could you make this weekโฆ for your health?
If you have questions about food swaps, alternatives for some of your favorites, or healthy low carb diet foods in generalโฆ leave a comment and letโs discuss it! Or simply join us in the group and post your questions there. ๐ *cheers*
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. You can see MY healthy meals by following along on your favorite social channel if you need some fresh (EASY) low carb food ideas:





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The way I first found your site was while searching for fat bombs and I found and loved your peanut butter fudge. Iโve been drinking bullet proof coffee for a year or so now but you mention that they are empty calories. Is there enough nutritional value in coconut oil that I can continue to drink my coffee? I donโt put the butter in there, just the coconut oil.
That peanut butter fudge is amazing, isnโt it? ๐ Hereโs the recipe for anyone that wants to try it: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6247/low-carb-peanut-butter-fudge/ For me, this is a healthy sweet treat. I enjoy it as a healthy โdessertโ. The peanut butter does actually have nutritional value.
Unrefined MCT Grade Coconut Oil has some unique benefits. For that, see: http://rebootedbody.com/health-benefit-mct-oil/ He explains it better than I can. ๐ That said, I donโt eat it or add it to things โjust for the heck of itโ. It is a healthy way to make candy, for sure โ and a much better alternative in your coffee than cream or artificial sweeteners.
Thatโs the key. Itโs all about โmindful eatingโ. About making deliberate choices for your health โ not just to โhit the numbersโ โ and not just because โitโs trendyโ. If you love your BPC, it doesnโt affect your weight loss progress, and you find it gives you a nice energy boost, thatโs reason enough to keep enjoying it!
YES! That peanut butter fudge is amazing. I wholeheartedly recommend it!. In my family we are big believers of having something sweet after any meal, that may be part of my weight issue! But luckily Iโm not big on sweets, but once in a while after dinner I get a craving for something sweet and just one piece of this fudge takes care of that craving and leaves me totally satisfied.
I do love my BPC with coconut oil, it just gives it such a great flavor and like you say itโs a better alternative than artificial sweeteners. Thanks for the feedback Lynn!
Youโre welcome, Alicia. ๐ Great question!
I should have mentioned too, my main reason for making that fudge is because I *love* peanut butter. This is a great way for me to enjoy it โ while cutting the carb count way down (combining it with coconut oil). lol. ๐ *cheers*
Lynn, what type of peanut butter do you use? Regular, natural, powdered?
I use Peter Pan Natural Creamy. Itโs the lowest carb that I actually LIKE. Itโs very creamy. Delicious. ๐
p.s. Itโs a no-stir version, which I like. I canโt hack the ones with oil on the top. ๐ lol
I got some but was a little surprised when I got home and compared to my regular Peter Pan and all the nutritional info was the same, fat, carbs, sugar. The actual ingredients were a little different but not a lot. So is there a benefit to the natural that I am not seeing?
Hmm, good question Lacey! I have no idea, lol. Itโs just the peanut butter Iโve always used โ and when I compared it to others it was the same or lower in carb count, so I stuck with it. ๐