What are good protein sources

People who follow the South Beach, Paleolithic, or Low GI Diet eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, healthy fat, protein, and low GI foods. About 1/3 of the calories come from protein in the form of eggs, cheese, and meat. Dieters consume meat such as lean beef, pork tenderloin, turkey breast, salmon, etc. Each diet has its own list of recommended foods and sources of protein.

If you follow the Caveman Diet, for instance, you can have lean hamburgers, pork chops, flank steak, and chuck steak. Followers of the Atkins Diet can choose from different protein sources such as fish, lamb, venison, mutton, and beef. Dieters can have poultry and meat, including duck, goose, chicken, and ham and bacon.

Acceptable sources of protein include club steak, fillet steak, and tenderloin roast. Dieters can also eat veal, lamb, pork, and lunch meats. If you like shellfish, you can eat scallops, mussels, and lobster. Fish contains essential nutrients such as phosphorus and niacin and is low in sodium. Eggs and dairy products are also good sources of protein. Dieters can have cheese and heavy cream, but they should avoid reduced and fat-free products. Good sources of protein include Swiss, Cheddar, and other medium cheeses. Seeds and nuts also supply protein, minerals, and vitamins. Seeds, for example, are an excellent source of dietary fiber and are low in sodium and cholesterol. Seeds are packed with magnesium, thiamin, and dietary fiber. Seeds and nuts offer a number of benefits such as reduced risk for heart disease and lower LDL. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, nuts also supply healthy unsaturated fats. They are an important source of arginine, a type of protein, which lowers high blood pressure and aids blood vessel relaxation. Peanuts, for example, are an excellent source of manganese and niacin and contain iron and calcium. Nuts contain antioxidants that help protect the heart and lower the risk for coronary heart disease. According to some studies, peanuts contain substances that lower the risk for stroke. Almonds are an excellent source of dietary fiber and protein and are loaded with vitamin E, antioxidants, and calcium. Pistachios are a good source of manganese, copper, and vitamin B6.

People on the Atkins, South Beach, or Zone Diet are also encouraged to eat foods with monounsaturated fats and fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables that are low in sugar and carbohydrates and should be eaten by dieters. Dieters can choose from a large variety of low-carb vegetables, including celery, okra, and asparagus. It is recommended to choose vegetables and fruits with a low glycemic index value such as raw carrots, onions, and cauliflower.

Some fruits have high GI, including watermelon and dates, and should be avoided. In general, people who follow the GI Diet can choose from low and medium GI dairies, legumes, vegetables, and grains. Grains with a low glycemic index value include heavy mixed grain, linseed, and whole wheat. 

Reference:

Low Carb foods.org:  Protein

Paleo Lifestyle

Find Out More About Types of Condiments Allowed on a Low-Carb Diet

When you are on a low carb diet, there are herbs and sauces to keep and condiments to toss. Dieters should avoid barbeque sauces, steak sauce, and ketchup. There are 0.2 grams of fiber and 4.1 grams of carbs in 1 tablespoon of ketchup. Half a cup of chowchow contains no fiber and 4.9 grams of carbohydrate. Other condiments to toss include Teriyaki sauce, Tartar sauce, and dressings with added sugar. 

If you use fresh herbs and vegetables, you don’t need to add excess oil or sugar. You can use herbs such as horseradish, tarragon, oregano, mint, and basil. Keepers include dried bark, seed, and root. Dieters can use ginger, coriander, cumin, and black pepper. The spices you can use depend on the diet of choice. Dieters who follow the South Beach diet can use sugar-free peanut sauce, pesto, clam sauces, and other condiments. Lemon and lime juice are keepers. Dieters can have tomato-based sauces, including sugar-free marinara, pasta sauce, and pizza sauce. Sauces with added sugar should be avoided.

You can make low-carb dressings and dips such as cheese dips, homemade vinaigrette, and guacamole. Avoid sauces such as Alfred, Béchamel, and Bearnaise. If you want to prepare a cheese dip, use full-fat cheese such as blue cheese or cheddar. You can add onion, cream, cream cheese, or spinach. Guacamole is a delicious and easy to make low-carb dip. You will need ripe avocado and tomato, red onion, lemon juice, and seasonings such as cilantro, serrano chiles, salt and pepper.
You can use capers, olive oil, almond and vanilla extract, and pesto. If you want to use healthy oils for salad dressings, you can choose from olive oil, canola oil, and soybean oil. There are many delicious recipes for homemade salad dressings. You can make vinegar and oil dressing, blue cheese dressing, or lemon and garlic dressing. To make vinegar and oil dressing, you will need shallot, garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Another option is to make strawberry vinaigrette, which is very easy to prepare. You will need red wine vinegar, strawberries, olive oil, and mustard. If you like cranberries, you can prepare cranberry dressing from frozen or fresh fruit. This is a healthy and tasty salad dressing for a green salad. You can prepare green salad from celery, tomatoes, nuts, and blue cheese. You will need cranberries, cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper for the dressing. The dressing is very easy to make – just blend all ingredients in the blender. This is a good low-carb salad dressing, which contains 2 grams of healthy fiber and 4 grams of carbs.

Dieters can use salsas, mustard, wine vinegar, and hot sauces. Salsa is on the list of allowed foods during the first phase of the Atkins Diet. Low carb groceries also sell salsa. If you want to make salsa, you can mix lime juice, fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, chopped chiles, and diced onion.

Infographic Presents Healthy Low-Carb Diets That Meet Dieters’ Nutrient Needs

LowCarbFoods.org offers a new infographic that presents popular low-carb nutritional approaches as a healthier alternative to yoyo diets.

Toronto (PRWEB) November 28, 2012

Art Branch, Inc., the parent company of LowCarbFoods.org today announces the release of a new infographic (http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/low-carb-diets-visual-guide.php), intended for people who wish to lose weight.

Designed by Tsveta Todorov, the lead web designer at Art Branch Inc., the infographic presents 6 popular low-carb diets that can help people to lose weight in a healthy way. Obesity and overweight increase the likelihood of serious and chronic diseases. A new study at the Johns Hopkins Medicine indicates that low-carbohydrate diets reduce the risk for inflammation and heart disease. Compared to dieters on a low-fat diet, people on a reduced-carbohydrate diet have a greater decrease in body fat and BMI and lose more weight.

“People interested in losing weight and learning more about low-carb lifestyle can greatly benefit from simple, yet powerful visual comparison of low-carb diets,” said John Williams, marketing consultant at Art Branch, Inc.

The new infographic compares popular low carb diets such as the Paleo Diet, South Beach Diet, and Sugar Busters Diet. The Paleo Diet, for example, is a nutritional approach that mimics the diet of Palaeolithic people and works with our genes. Our diet is based on sugar, trans fats, refined products and carbohydrates that are not essential. People are dependent on products of modern farming which the Paleo Diet aims to eliminate. The Sugar Busters Diet is another nutritional approach that promotes healthy weight loss. Dieters can have eggs, lean meats, and vegetables, cutting out the convenience foods. This diet is a lifestyle phenomenon that helps people to lose weight and improve their cholesterol levels. The Atkins Diet makes our bodies to burn fat as an alternative fuel. Pastries, muffins, processed foods, and starchy vegetables are squeezed out, and dieters lose weight. The South Beach Diet encourages eating healthy protein and carbohydrate, combined with strategic snacking. Dieters avoid foods that are packed with saturates and consume nuts, olive oil, and other heart-healthy fats. The Zone Diet, known as the 40-30-30 plan, is based on eating foods in the right proportions so that the body functions at peak performance. Fat is not the enemy as low-fat diets claim. The Zone Diet restricts the intake of low-nutrition carbohydrates. The Low GI Diet emphasizes eating low GI foods that are nutrient-rich and help dieters to maintain their metabolism cardiovascular health.

There is a lot of misinformation about low-carb diets in the media and online. The new infographic covers basic facts and presents a visual comparison of popular low-carb diet nutritional approaches. The aim is to offer a starting research point to visitors of LowCarbFoods.org. This will help them to decide if they want to learn more about one of the weight loss and control plans presented in the infographic.

About LowCarbFoods.org: LowCarbFoods.org is an informational resource developed by its parent company, Art Branch, Inc., designed to offer unbiased information on low-carb foods and low-carb diets.

About Art Branch: Art Branch, Inc., located in Toronto, Ontario, is the parent company of LowCarbFoods.org and has developed several consumer websites targeting Canadian and international audience. The goal of Art Branch is to provide visitors to company sites with free and useful guides, helping consumers to make educated decisions about their lifestyles.

LowCarbFoods.org offers informative guides that can serve as a starting point for further research. Art Branch, Inc. and LowCarbFoods.org remind that professional advice should be sought if medical assistance is required. Art Branch does not render any professional services.

Ready-Made Foods on a Low-Carb Diet

There is a variety of low-carb, ready-made foods and grab and go meals for people on a diet. You can choose from premade salads, salad bars, deli food, home-delivered meals, and more.

At the deli counter, for example, you can try shrimp, chicken, or tuna salad in a tortilla or have it on its own. You can also look for alternatives to high-carbohydrate snack mixes and crackers at the grocery store. The problem is that readymade products contain high amounts of sodium, and few of them are low-carb or carb-friendly. One idea is to cook several meals during the weekend and freeze them. Meals that freeze well include quiches, veggie lasagna, and soups. If you don’t have time to cook, you can either try some quick low-carb recipes or order home-delivered meals. There are plenty of quick meals you can make – salmon burgers, roasted broccoli with lemon, beef and noodle broth, etc. Some meals take just 15 minutes to prepare. You can make peppered lamb chops or tuna salad, for example.

Home-delivered meals and packaged diets are another option, and there are different brands to choose from. Packaged diets have become quite popular among dieters who have chosen to follow low-carb meal plans or count calories. Many find it easier to stick to a packaged diet than to cook meals. Dieters can choose from different options such as low carb, vegetarian, and low fat. There are different calorie levels depending on one’s individual preferences, and dieters can customize their meal plan of choice. In addition, dieters can choose from lunch and dinner only and 3 meals and a snack 7 days a week. Companies that offer packaged diets deliver frozen food, with breakfast items and snacks packed in separate plastic bags. A sample menu may include cranberry juice, applesauce, and mixed berry crepe at breakfast, and veggie salad and bacon cheeseburger meatloaf at lunch. At dinner, you can have carrot coins and Apple Penne Pasta. Balanced meals include lean protein and smart carbs, and dieters can exclude certain products, based on allergies and preferences. Source: http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/