Low Carbs

Low carbs: Do foods that are labeled as having low carbs really contain what they claim to?

Low Carbs: Dedicate Yourself To Them Today

Foods You Think Have Low Carbs

Think you know which foods have low carbs and which ones don't? Rely on your carb counter, not food labels. This is especially true if you've hit a plateau or you aren't seeing the desired results as quickly as you had hoped.

If you're a serious carb counter, you probably rely on food labels. But a lot of foods, even some that are marked as low carbs, have hidden carbs. Some of these might surprise you, others might not. However, they are all good for you because they DO, indeed, contain a lot of low carbs.

Seafood: (4 oz.)

Clams - 5.8 grams
Crabmeat (natural) - 0 to 1.0 gram
Crabmeat (imitation - 12.0 to 15.0 grams
Lobster - 1.5 grams
Mussels - 8.4 grams
Oysters - 8.0 grams
Scallops - 2.5 grams
Shrimp - 1.0 gram

Eggs:

One large chicken egg - 0.6 gm carbs.
Cholesterol-reduced egg substitutes - 1.0 gram per 1/4 cup liquid

Dairy: (per Tablespoon)

Half & Half - 0.6 grams
Regular table cream - 0.5 grams
Heavy whipping cream - 0.4 grams
Non-dairy creamer (per level teaspoon) - regular - 1.0 gram; light - 2.0 grams
Cheese (per ounce) Cheddar or Swiss, - 1.0 gram
Process slices - 2.0 grams
Light process slices - 3.0 grams
Grated parmesan (per Tablespoon) - 0.4 grams
Cream cheese (per Tablespoon): Regular - 0.6 grams; light - 1.0 gram; no fat 2.0 grams
Sour cream - per Tbsp : regular 14% - 0.6 gm; light 5% - 1.0 gm; ulta-low fat - 2.0 gm
Cottage cheese - per 1/2 cup : 4% - 4.0; 2% - 5.0 gm; 1% - 6.0 gm; non-fat - 7.0 gm
Ricotta - per 1/2 cup : regular - 3.8 gm; light - 6.0 gm
Yogurt, plain - per 1/2 cup : 3.5% - 6.0 gm; 2% - 7.0 gm; fat-free - 8.0 gm

Since you would think that most of these foods have no carbs, it might surprise you that they do, in fact have carbs. Especially when low carb diets tout the fact that you get to have meat, cheese and eggs.

And speaking of meat, steer clear of the pre-packaged deli meats. Those usually have fractional amounts of carbs in the preservatives too. Instead, go straight to the deli counter. It might cost a little more, but the meat tastes better and you don't get carbs, so it's worth it!

"Low Carbs" on Food Labels

Another thing to watch for in the grocery store is foods labeled "low carbs." FDA regulations state that nutrients like fat, saturated fat, total carbohydrates, sugars, and dietary fiber must be rounded to the nearest whole gram. So a food that has a serving size of one tablespoon might have .4 grams of carbs, so legally the manufacturer can list the total carbohydrate count as 0. That might not sound like much, but even fractional carbs count when you're only allowed to have 20 grams of carbs a day.

In the later stages of your diet, when you're allowed to have more carbs, you might be eating out more too. But sometimes menu items that say they're low carb aren't really a lot different from the full carb versions. Some only have as little as 2 grams of carbs less than the original. The same holds true on food labels.

Foods you know have low carbs are meat from the deli or meat like steaks, chicken, etc. But when you're looking for other low carb foods, don't blindly trust products labeled as having low carbs or your diet might not work as well as you want it to.