Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by

Start your weight loss journey with this free guide outlining a meal plan for weight loss based on a low-carb diet. This plan targets both beginners and those more advanced in their weight loss journey.

Lots of us know that sugar is bad, and we understand what cholesterol is; but if you’re already fit and healthy, you might not know that there are still simple things you can do to help ‘untap’ your body’s potential.That’s why I created this meal plan for weight loss low carb challenge – to help you burn fat, boost your brain power and improve the strength in your body all at the same time. After all, if you want to take control of your weight, then this is the way to go. Here is why: I’m going to talk about Meal Plan For Weight Loss Low Carb, make sure you read this article.

Meal Plan For Weight Loss Low Carb

From Atkins to the ketogenic diet, low-carb eating has some serious staying power in the diet world. Check out this guide if you’re curious about how this eating approach may aid diabetes management, weight loss, and other purported health benefits.

What Is a Low-Carb Diet?

For starters, know that what’s low carbohydrate for one person isn’t for another. “There’s no medical definition of what low-carb is,” says Columbus, Ohio–based Kelly Schmidt, RD.

Basically, it’s reducing the number of carbs you eat from your norm. In general, however, a low-carb diet may include 50 to 100 grams (g) of carbohydrates per day, she says. Below that is considered very-low-carb, such as the ketogenic diet, while 100 to 200 g of carbohydrates per day is a moderate-carb diet.

Potential Benefits of a Low-Carb Diet

You probably hear the most about low-carb eating for weight loss, but for some people, the approach could also help optimize their health, says Schmidt. “Research shows that women who are obese or have metabolic problems [may] do better hormonally on lower carbs,” says Schmidt, pointing out that other outcomes of the diet can include better sleep, mental clarity, and increased satiety.

As low-carb dietitian Franziska Spritzler, RD, who’s based in Orange County, California, points out, when you cut back on carbs, blood sugar and insulin levels generally go down, which can be a good thing for A1C, or the two- to three-month average of blood sugar levels. This may also help with weight loss, another common goal for people with type 2 diabetes.

These types of benefits may be reaped almost immediately. Past research shows that people who ate three lower-carb meals (of less than 30 percent carbs each) reduced their insulin resistance by more than 30 percent compared with people who consumed higher-carb meals (60 percent carbs).

 Further research indicates that insulin resistance can be improved with a low-carb diet in just one month.

You can see the results, too. One small randomized clinical trial on older adults with obesity found that, compared with a low-fat diet, a very low carb diet shaved off 3 times more visceral fat, a type of belly fat that hugs organs and is linked to disease. The low-carb group also lost 9.7 percent of total fat compared with just 2 percent in the low-fat followers.

 A meta-analysis also concluded that in obese people, a low-carb diet reduced fat over the course of a year (but not body weight), with the greatest benefits seen in a very-low-carb diet.

Limitations of Low-Carb Dieting

That said, there isn’t an agreement that a low-carb diet is superior to any other kind of diet or that it’s healthier long term. A review that looked at the diet among those with diabetes noted that when it comes to weight loss, a low-carb diet performs no better than other higher-carb diets; and that it doesn’t produce better glycemic control, either.

 Another report also found that over one year, those on a low-carb diet lost weight faster than those on a low-fat one, but after a year, weight loss and A1C levels (an average of blood glucose over about three months) were remarkably similar.

Health Risks of Low-Carb Diets

What’s more, low-carb diets may be risky for certain groups.

If you’re pregnant or nursing, following a low-carb diet isn’t recommended (barring gestational diabetes, in which case, consult your healthcare team).

 “Many women who are pregnant find that the thought of eating protein and fat makes them sick,” says Spritzler. This can be especially common in the first trimester. “They naturally want more carbs. You should always listen to your body,” she says.

Separate from pregnancy, consider your lifestyle. If you’re someone who does intense CrossFit-style workouts, a low-carb diet may not fuel you properly, says Schmidt.

And the things weighing on you matter, too. “Anyone in a stressful state, like a divorce or dealing with a death in the family, needs carbs to support their adrenal system,” she notes.

As for if you’re dealing with health issues, defer to your doctor. For instance, if you have kidney disease, you also want to talk to your doctor about appropriate protein intake. If you have heart disease, you can still go low carb, but you’re best off opting for monounsaturated fats (avocados, nuts, and olive oil) over saturated fats (butter and red meat). Indeed, this holds true for everyone, regardless of heart disease status.

Although there is some data that suggests a low-carb diet that contains more saturated fat than current recommendations did not increase “bad” LDL cholesterol (a risk factor for heart disease), you should still pay attention to the quality of foods in your low-carb diet.

 Everyone’s cholesterol levels respond differently on a low-carb diet, so if yours are going up, switch to unsaturated sources of fats, Spritzler recommends. “In general, this is a diet most people can do. If you have a chronic condition, work with a doctor who understands low-carbohydrate diets to monitor you,” she adds.

Last, if you have a history of eating disorders, a low-carb diet (or any eating plan that is restrictive) can be risky, nutrition and mental health experts agree.

Types of Low-Carb Diets

Going low-carb looks different depending on which approach you’re going with. Here are a handful you may consider.

Keto Diet 

This is the strictest plan, requiring you to eat less than 50 g of carbs per day and up your fat intake significantly. You’ll eat a moderate amount of protein. This is a popular weight loss diet.

Traditional Low Carb 

This approach includes 50 to 100 g of carbs per day; this is where many people start because it’s less restrictive than a keto diet meal plan but can still deliver results.

Atkins Diet 

The Atkins diet takes you through four phases, starting with very-low-carb consumption and then gradually introducing more carbohydrate-rich foods throughout. It’s good for people who like a more structured plan.

Dukan Diet 

This option also includes four phases: two weight loss and two maintenance. For instance, the first phase of the Dukan diet focuses on high-protein foods, the second adds vegetables back in, the third allows two “celebration” meals per week, and the fourth is about keeping your weight stable. Because you can follow the diet from the book, it also appeals to people who need a planned approach.

Paleo Diet

Just because the paleo diet eliminates grains doesn’t mean it’s low in carbs, especially if you eat root veggies (like sweet potatoes) and fruit, but it can be followed this way.

A Detailed Low-Carb Diet Food List

While the food lists for low-carb diets vary based on the plan, here’s a look at the foods you’d generally eat and avoid when following a traditional low-carb diet.

Foods to Eat

• Nonstarchy vegetables: zucchini (4 g carbs per cup), cabbage (5 g carbs per cup), broccoli (6 g carbs per cup), Brussels sprouts (8 g carbs per cup), leafy greens (like spinach, for example, at 1 g carbs per cup), and tomatoes (7 g carbs per cup)
• Meat, such as chicken, beef, pork, and lamb (0 g carbs per 3 ounces [oz])
• Fish and seafood, like shrimp (0 g carbs per 3 oz)
• Eggs (0 g carbs per egg)
• Cheese, like cheddar (less than 1 g carbs per 1/2 oz)
• Olives (2 g carbs for 10 small olives)
• Oil, such as canola oil, olive oil, and coconut oil (0 g carbs per tablespoon [tbsp])
• Butter (0 g carbs per tbsp)
• Cream (0.4 g carbs per tbsp)
• Greek yogurt (7 g carbs per 6 oz, low fat)
• Cottage cheese (10 g carbs per 1 cup, low fat)
• Nuts, like almonds (6 g carbs per 1 oz)
• Berries, like raspberries (15 g carbs per 1 cup)
• Melon, like cantaloupe (13 g carbs per 1 cup)
• Avocado (9 g carbs per half)
• Dark chocolate (13 g carbs per 1 oz)

Foods to Limit or Avoid

• Processed snack products, like crackers, chips, and cookies
• Rice
• Bread
• Oatmeal
• Pasta
• Grains, such as farro, bulgur, and quinoa
• Milk
• Higher-carb fruits, like grapes and bananas
• Beans and lentils
• Starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes and potatoes, though these may be okay in moderation depending on your carb goal — but watch the portions.
• High-sugar foods, such as cake, ice cream, candy, and soda

A 3-Day Sample Menu of a Low-Carb Diet

Your choices and portion sizes will depend on your individual carbohydrate goal and calorie needs, but here’s a mock meal plan for a low-carb diet to give you an idea of how it looks to eat this way:

Day 1

• Breakfast Veggie omelet topped with avocado
• Lunch Burrito bowl (no rice or beans) with extra fajita veggies, extra meat (of choice), cheese, guacamole, and salsa
• Dinner Grilled chicken breast with mixed roasted vegetables (broccoli or cauliflower) and a half of a sweet potato with butter
• Snack Option Mixed berries with a dollop of almond butter

Day 2

• Breakfast Chia seed pudding topped with nuts and melon
• Lunch Arugula salad with grilled salmon
• Dinner Chicken or steak tacos in lettuce wraps; side salad with tomatoes and vinaigrette
• Snack Option Snack pack of olives, plus raw veggies

Day 3

• Breakfast Eggs with sautéed greens (spinach or kale); strawberries or blueberries topped with Greek yogurt and chopped nuts
• Lunch Chicken and vegetable soup (without rice or noodles)
• Dinner Shrimp and vegetable stir-fry over cauliflower rice
• Snack Option Epic bar (grass-fed meat-based protein bar) with strips of cucumber and red pepper

3 low-carb meal plans for every lifestyle

A dietitian shares sample low-carb meal plans for eating at home, on the go — and even with paired with intermittent fasting.

Gradual weight loss is associated with change that is more likely to be sustainable for you, because it gives you time to collect recipes you like.annabogush / Getty Images stock

In my work as a registered dietitian, one of the questions I get most is about low-carb diets. Every person I talk to has a different idea about what “low” means, and every news item I see does, too. Is it no carb? Reduced carb? Keto? Sugar free? Can you totally ignore calories? I loved the recent discussion on TODAY about a Harvard School of Public Health study of effective weight management with low-carb eating, and my favorite moment was when Al Roker volunteered that he eats about 100 grams of carbohydrate a day. I’ll bet that doesn’t sound low-carb to a lot of people, but it certainly is. That’s a step toward taking some of the mystery out! Let’s see if we can clear up a little more.

Classifying the main types of diets all comes down to the “macros”— the relative percentages of calories coming from each macronutrient group of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. In terms of carbohydrates, the main styles are general healthy, ketogenic, and low-carbohydrate — what that study calls the carbohydrate-insulin model.  

A general, heart-healthy diet high in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is often a dietitian’s first pick, because the best-studied human diets that reduce chronic disease risk the most fall into this category. They average about 50% of calories from minimally-processed carbohydrate sources. Even more can be healthy— most good quality plant-based diets will be at least 60% high fiber, with complex carbohydrates. 

Conversely, ketogenic diets are extremely low in carbohydrate, requiring fewer than 5% of calories coming from carbs in order to keep you in a special metabolic state called ketosis, which usually results in rapid weight loss. Why not choose that one then? It’s a restrictive format that some people swear by, but for many, it’s a struggle to sustain over the long term. You don’t have to pay much attention to calorie counting, but you do have to pay very close attention to even small amounts of carbs. Some people are concerned about possible negative health effects, find that it doesn’t fit into their social lives, or they just miss bread! About a third of my weight management clients find me after regaining what they lost on keto as they tried to transition to something less extreme, too. 

Enter the low- or reduced-carb diet. There’s a lot of variation from person to person, and it’s important to talk with your medical team to make sure it’s right for you, but a low-carb eating style is more like 30-40% of calories from carbohydrate, 30-40% fats (emphasis on the fish- and plant-based ones), and 30% protein. It doesn’t force your body into ketosis, but this type of plan makes it easier to control blood sugar and maintain a healthy weight without feeling deprived. It’s also possible to follow while still eating at your favorite restaurants, cooking for a family, or keeping a few indulgences in. You can’t totally ignore calories, but just keeping your carb portions smaller does a lot of that work. 

Sounds easy! Until you go to actually make your grocery list or order from a menu, that is. So what does a reduced carb diet actually look like? There are as many ways to do it as there are people. Let’s look at three overall rules of thumb, and a few full-day menus with actual food.

3 rules for low-carb eating

Rule #1: Don’t eat your carbs all at once.

Distribute your carb intake across your day. If you just save up all of your delicious carbs and eat them in one big meal, it probably won’t serve you well. Most people find they overeat that way, maybe because they are making decisions about dinner when their body is frantically messaging that it’s in need of carbs (all the carbs!) right now. Skipping meals or eating wildly different amounts of carbs at different times of day means your body is always playing catch-up with your blood glucose, and the result is that your levels will be more variable, with some spikes and drops, instead of the gentler up and down flow that we’re aiming for. 

Rule #2: Pair your carbs with fat, protein and fiber.

What you eat with your carbs matters. If you try to keep them in check by having nothing but a glass of juice for breakfast or a mini soda for a snack, the sugars in that drink will be absorbed quickly without any fat, protein, or fiber to slow them down. Even something healthy like a small piece of fruit might spike blood glucose if you don’t add a handful of nuts or a slice of cheese. 

Rule #3: Be careful with sugar.

Although lower-carb diets are not necessarily totally sugar-free, watch how much you are getting. You will be healthier if you choose more unprocessed, unsweetened, whole foods. Sodas, juices, syrupy coffee shop beverages, the office candy bowl, honey mustard or other sweet dressings, the second trip by the office candy bowl, even more than a tablespoon of ketchup can really add up. You might be happier if you slowly cut back on those things rather than going cold turkey overnight, but do pay some attention.

In short, limit added sugars, aim to eat a moderate amount of carbohydrate spread more or less evenly among your meals, and always include some protein, fat, and fiber with your carbs. But what if you never cook? Always skip breakfast? Don’t worry — there are still ways to do this that may work for you. 

An easier way to eat a low-carb diet

Let’s look at a regular meal plan first.

You certainly can use a food diary app like My Fitness Pal to track your carbs and calories tightly, but ballparking works for a lot of people! The easiest way to do that is to use the Healthy Plate method: half non-starchy vegetables, one quarter lean protein, and one quarter starches like rice, beans, pasta, potatoes, or breads. The version you may have seen come home from school with your kids includes more fruits, but if you’re looking to limit carbs, move your fruit to one serving at breakfast and one at a snack. Choosing complex, high fiber carbs can give you carb limit wiggle room because they lessen the effect on your blood sugar, so opt for those at least half the time.

A 30% carbohydrate sample meal plan

So what might the ballpark of a 30% carbohydrate day look like? Here’s one example:

Breakfast: 1 packet McCann’s instant oatmeal with 1/2 cup of berries and 1/4 cup of nuts. You could add an egg or sausage on the side. Coffee with a little half and half or up to a cup of unsweetened almond milk. (35 g carbs)

Lunch: Deli turkey and cheese on sandwich rye with arugula, mustard and olive tapenade. Pepper strips and snow peas with ranch dressing. Unsweetened sparkling water. (32 g carbs)

Snack: Caramel Almond Kind Bar (16 g carbs) or Chobani Mango Greek yogurt (16 g of carbs)

Dinner: 4 oz baked salmon, 2 c. roasted Mediterranean vegetables mixed with 1 oz Barilla red lentil rotini, Parmesan on top. Iced hibiscus tea. (28 g carbs)

Eating on the go? Try this low-carbohydrate sample meal plan

Is it a snap to get enough fiber and vegetables if you’re buying all prepared meals? No. I’d like you to have more, but let’s start with just improving your restaurant choices and not try to skip straight to ideal. Improved is, well, improvement! So, if you eat literally every meal from a restaurant or box, this one is for you:

Breakfast: McDonald’s breakfast burrito (26 g of carbs) with coffee or tea. You could also choose any frozen Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich (all around 30 g).

Lunch: Chipotle Whole 30 Steak Bowl. Unsweetened iced tea. (23 g of carbs)

Snack: Starbucks Tall Caffe Latte (15 g of carbs)

Dinner: Chili’s 6 oz. sirloin with broccoli and mashed potatoes (42 g of carbs). Add a carb-free White Claw Hard Seltzer if you want to live a little a couple of times a week. 

A low-carb, intermittent fasting meal plan

Not a breakfast person? Try intermittent fasting with an 8-hour eating window, perhaps with your first meal at 11 am, and your last by 7 pm. Most people would aim for about 45 grams of carbs in those 2 meals, hopefully with a good snack in between.

Lunch at 11 am: Healthy Choice Cuban-inspired Pork Power Bowl (46 g of carbs)

Snack: 1/2 cup tuna salad with 3 Finn Crisps flatbreads (11 g carbs)

Dinner: 2 chicken, cheese and tomatillo sauce enchiladas, 1/2 cup of pinto beans, 1/2 cup cauliflower rice, sautéed peppers and onions. (50 g carbs)

These are just a few examples; there are literally thousands of ways to put a similar plate together. It gets easier over time, but you don’t have to do it perfectly to have an effect. It may be slower than you want if you don’t count every gram, but that’s probably what I want. Gradual weight loss is associated with change that is more likely to be sustainable for you, because it gives you time to collect recipes you like and compile a list of go-to meals out. It often means you are keeping or even gaining muscle, especially if you are exercising. Finally, that gradual approach often means you’re happier, able to choose meals you really love, keep some treats in your usual intake, and take stress down. I’m a dietitian because I love to love my food. That’s what I want for you, too.