15 High-Protein, Low-Carb Foods to Help You Lose Weight Now
Are you trying to lose weight, but aren't sure what to eat? Dr. Morgan Nolte, PT, DPT, GCS, is a board-certified clinical specialist in geriatric physical therapy and the founder of Zivli. In a new viral YouTube video she reveals 15 high protein, low carb foods that will help you burn fat and lose weight.
Most People Who Aren't Losing Weight Are Not Eating Enough Protein and Are Eating Too Many Carbs
"Inevitably, when someone joins my program and starts tracking their food, they find out they are not eating enough protein and they're eating way too many carbs. So in this video, I wanted to share some helpful information with you about how to incorporate more high protein, low carb foods in your diet to make weight loss easier," she says.
And, They Struggle to Find Foods They Enjoy That Keep Them Full
"I kid you not every single person that I work with has struggled to find high protein, low carb foods that they enjoy eating to keep them satisfied between meals and keep their insulin levels lower to make weight loss easier," she says.
But First, Start Tracking Your Food Using a Macronutrient Tracking Application
"If you're not already tracking your food using a macronutrient tracking application, I highly recommend that you start doing that. If your goal is to learn more about what you're eating and to lose weight," she says. "I think this is a really important step for self-accountability and just your overall knowledge about what is in the food that you're eating."
Enter Every Product to See Carbs, Protein, and Fat
"It's helpful to enter in a food product and see how many grams of carbohydrates or protein or fat each food has, and that's actually what I've done with the foods that I'm going to share with you today. So you're going to see a screenshot of what it looks like when you enter it into Carb Manager," she says.
Meat Is a Great High Protein, Low Carb Food
"When you're thinking about high protein, low carb foods, the first thing that I want you to think about is meat," she says. "There's a lot of conflicting information circulating online that meat is unhealthy for you. It is not. You do not need to be afraid of meat. Now, are some forms of meat healthier for you than others? Of course. So try to find and buy the healthiest, least processed form of meat that you can."
Chicken
The first meat she recommends is poultry. "Six ounces of chicken has zero carbs and 53 grams of protein," she says.
Beef
Next up, beef. "Beef will vary on how much fat it contains, but a six ounce steak has no carbs and 45 grams of protein," she says.
Beef Sticks
A surprising recommendation? Beef sticks, which "can be a quick and easy snack, but you'll want to get a high quality grass fed beef stick to reduce how much it's processed," she reveals. "One of these sticks has nine grams of protein and no carbs."
Salmon
Now she moves onto seafood. "Six ounces of salmon has zero carbs, quite a bit of healthy fat, and it's still an excellent source of protein with 38 grams," she says.
Shrimp
Another seafood she recommends is shrimp. "Six ounces of shrimp, has no carbs, and 41 grams of protein," she says.
Tilapia
A freshwater fish she likes is tilapia. "Six ounces of tilapia has no carbs, and 44 grams of protein," she says.
Tuna
The last fish she recommends is tuna. "Three ounces of tuna has no carbs and 17 grams of protein. You could do that as a snack with some celery or these fat snacks, almond flour crackers that one of my members raves about."
Cottage Cheese
Now, "a couple of dairy options for you," she says. "Cottage cheese has four grams of net carbs and 12 grams of protein and half a cup."
String Cheese
If you need a snack, grab a piece of string cheese. "A piece of string cheese has two grams of net carbs and seven grams of protein."
Greek Yogurt
She is a big advocate of Greek yogurt. "One container of the Too Good brand Greek yogurt has three grams of net carbs and 12 grams of protein. I also like the Triple Zero Greek yogurts. They are a little bit higher in carbs, but have some added fiber," she says.
Edamame
"Last but not least are low carb, high protein plants," she continues. "One of my favorite ways to up the protein in a meal is with edamame. You can buy it frozen in a steamer bag and just pop it in the microwave for a few minutes. Half a cup has three grams of net carbs and 10 grams of protein."
Hemp Hearts
An unlikely addition to the list? Hemp hearts, "something that I'll sprinkle on top of Chia seed pudding for more protein. Three tablespoons has zero carbs and 10 grams of protein," she says.
Pumpkin Seeds
She also lovers pumpkin seeds, "a little power food," she says. "Three tablespoons have three grams of net carbs and 13 grams of protein."
Protein Bars
A "quick go-to" is a protein bar. "You'll wanna be careful when you're picking out your products, they don't have artificial sweeteners like sucralose that will raise your insulin," she says. "I personally like the Kirkland Protein bars. I like the peanut butter, chocolate, and brownie flavors most, and the cookies and cream flavor least. One bar has about 21 grams of protein and four grams of net carbs, and there's a ton of fiber in these bars too."
Protein Powders
Last on the list? Protein powders. "One of my go-tos is this Garden of Life plant-based vanilla two scoops has two grams of net carbs and 33 grams of protein. Often I'll make a smoothie with one scoop of this and then one of the yogurts that I mentioned earlier, just for a little less protein powder taste in my smoothie, but still getting the minimum of 30 grams that I shoot for in each meal," she concludes. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.