40G Carbohydrate Diet

Any diet that restricts your calorie intake can help you lose weight, but the trick is to find a diet you can follow for the rest of your life. The low-carbohydrate diet limits your intake of foods like bread, starches, starchy vegetables and fruit, while including mostly meats, fats and low-carbohydrate vegetables. If you enjoy eating meats, then a low-carbohydrate diet is an appropriate weight loss diet choice for you. Because a 40 gram-carbohydrate diet is very low in carbohydrates, you should consult your physician before following it.

Breakfast

Your breakfast meal on a 40g carbohydrate diet should be limited to 12g of carbohydrates. When following a low-carbohydrate diet, read food labels to find hidden sources of carbohydrates, especially foods like condiments. For example, 1 tbsp. of catsup contains 4g of carbohydrates and 1 tbsp. of low-sodium soy sauce contains 1g of carbohydrates. A low-carbohydrate breakfast meal on a 40g carbohydrate diet may include three scrambled eggs with three slices of turkey bacon and one tomato roasted in the oven with olive oil. You can also make a three egg omelet with 1 oz. of Swiss cheese and 1 cup of raw spinach cooked into the omelet.

Lunch

Breakfast Ideas With 15 Grams of Carbohydrates

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Choose leaner cuts of meat to limit your intake of saturated fat. High intakes of saturated fat increase blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Lean cuts of meat include skinless poultry, fish, shellfish, pork tenderloin, beef eye of round, lamb chops and veal. Limit your lunch meal to 12g of total carbohydrate. A lunch meal may consist of grilled chicken breast on 3 cups of romaine lettuce leaves with one whole tomato and 2 tbsp. of Italian dressing. Another lunch meal for a 40g carbohydrate diet may consist of canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise stuffed into a tomato and served with 2 cups of mixed iceberg and romaine lettuce with 2 tbsp. of ranch dressing.

Dinner

When preparing your meals, use heart-healthy fats such as olive oil, canola oil and vegetable oil. These types of oils contain more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that help keep blood cholesterol levels within acceptable ranges. Your dinner meal on a 40g carbohydrate diet should be limited to 12g. A sample dinner meal may include grilled extra lean ground hamburger meat with a 1 oz. slice of mozzarella cheese and served with 1 cup of steamed broccoli and cauliflower and a salad with 2 cups of mixed greens and 2 tbsp. of Caesar dressing. Another sample dinner meal on a 40g carbohydrate diet may include broiled salmon with 18 asparagus spears and 1/2 cup of mushrooms sauteed in olive oil.

Snacks

What Can I Eat on a No Carb Diet?

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You can have one snack a day on a 40g carbohydrate diet containing less than 4g of carbohydrate. Snack ideas include two stalks of celery with 1 oz. of cream cheese, a hard boiled egg, peeled shrimp, slices of roast beef wrapped in iceburg lettuce and 1 cup of raw broccoli with 1 tbsp. of ranch dressing.