Spring has sprung! It’s time to kick yourself off that winter diet and prepare for the beach or poolside. Eating right and exercising will have you feeling fit in no time, and if you really want to work off the winter body, you may consider a low-carb diet.
Why Go Low Carb?
Carbohydrates is a category of the main food groups, and one of three needed so your body functions properly. Carbs provide your body with energy for immediate use or are stored until later. If your body doesn’t need the carbs right away, they are stored in your muscles and eventually converted to fat.
The idea is that by not eating carbs, you’re not giving them the opportunity to turn into fat. Studies have shown that low-carb diets are a superior way to rapidly lose fat for six to 12 months.
Find Low Carb Alternatives
Substituting breads and noodles for low-carb foods can be healthy and delicious. There are plenty of ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables in place of carb-heavy foods. This is especially easier when the weather is warmer and the fruits and vegetables are fresh.
Cauliflower has become a popular substitution to carbs, particularly as a pizza crust. If you’re not big on cauliflower, there are plenty of other low-carb options, such as:
- Meats like chicken or pork
- Fish
- Eggs
- Broccoli
- Leafy green vegetables like spinach, lettuce and kale
- Avocados
- Cucumbers or pickles
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Nuts
- Oils like olive oil and coconut oil
- Fruits like apples and berries — but be careful, as bananas are a high-fiber, high-carb fruit
- Some dairy products, like Greek yogurt and whole milk
Just because you’re going on a low-carb diet doesn’t mean you need to totally abstain from eating carbohydrates. If you find yourself craving carbs or want to make a recipe that just can’t go without them, check the package for serving sizes and the amount of carbs you’ll be eating so you can stay on track.
Plan and Prepare Meals Ahead
Planning and preparing your meals ahead of time has a lot of benefits. Making a meal calendar a week or two ahead will help you save money at the store and stick to your diet. Knowing that you have something planned will keep you from straying from your diet.
Once you have the ingredients, preparing your meal ahead of time becomes that much easier. Preparing a dish will help you save time during busy weeks so all you have to do is heat it up. Better yet, it will help you avoid making decisions that run counter to your diet.
Find Great New Recipes
At Premio Foods, we would love to help you plan out and prepare your meals in advance so you can stick to your diet. Stay on track with easy low-carb sausage recipes that the whole family will love. Our chicken sausage is especially healthy with 60% less fat than USDA data for pork and beef sausage.
Have you used Premio products in your low-carb meals? We’d love to hear your recipes. Let us know how you incorporated them in a comment below!