Lower-carbohydrate diet
A lower carbohydrate dietary approach involves reducing the intake of carbohydrates between 50-130g of carbs per day. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for our bodies, so they shouldn’t be overly restricted or completely excluded from our diet. Learn more about carbohydrates by reading the ‘Navigating Carbohydrates for Better Health: Unveiling Types, Glycaemic Index, and Smart Portion Control’ resource in the Wellbeing Way app!
Benefits of a lower carbohydrate diet:
- Lower carbohydrate diets have been shown to promote weight loss by reducing total calorie intake.
- Reducing carbohydrates can improve blood sugar control, making it beneficial for individuals with diabetes or prediabetes.
- Foods high in protein and healthy fats help increase feelings of fullness, potentially reducing cravings and snacking.
What to be mindful of when adopting a lower carbohydrate approach:
- Overly restricting carbohydrates may lead to nutrient deficiencies such as certain vitamins (e.g., B vitamins), and minerals (e.g., magnesium, potassium) found in carbohydrate-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and wholegrains.
- Some individuals may experience digestive discomfort such as constipation or irregular bowel movements when reducing carbohydrate intake, particularly if there are not enough fibre-rich foods in the diet.
- Some individuals may experience initial side effects such as fatigue, headache, or irritability when starting to cut down on carbohydrate intake.
- Following a lower carbohydrate diet may pose challenges in social settings or when dining out, as many traditional meals are carbohydrate heavy.
Overall, lowering your carbohydrate intake can have certain benefits, such as leading to better blood glucose control and potentially reducing the need for diabetes medications. However, this will not be suitable for everyone, such as very active individuals. Please remember to speak to your GP before making any medication changes or adopting a different dietary approach.
Tips for a successful lower carbohydrate approach:
- Start by recognising the carbohydrate sources in your diet. Check out our ‘Tips for lowering your carb intake’ resource in the Wellbeing Way app to learn more about the carbohydrate content of popular foods!
- When choosing to eat carbohydrates, opt for wholegrain versions with low glycaemic index such as oats, brown rice, and wholegrain bread to prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar levels.
- Emphasize protein and fat: incorporate protein-rich foods and healthy fats into meals to promote satiety and stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Pay attention to portion sizes. If you are not sure how to start reducing your carbohydrate intake, the portion plate is a good place to get started. Fill half of your plate with colourful non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with lean protein and the remaining quarter with wholegrain carbohydrates. For more information, check out our cultural portion plates and the ‘Portion plate guidance’ resource in the Wellbeing Way app.
- Be mindful of carbohydrate containing snacks & minimise the intake of processed foods such as cakes, biscuits, sweets, pizza, burgers, etc. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages, deserts and snacks. Choose snacks rich in protein, healthy fats and vegetables, such as carrot sticks with houmous, nuts and seeds, and celery with cream cheese.
- Remember to check the food labels when shopping or eating out so you can explore your options and choose the foods lower in carbohydrate.
- On very active days, you may need to consume more carbohydrates to sustain your physical activity levels.
Ultimately, it is important to choose a daily carbohydrate intake that works for you. If you choose to adopt a lower carbohydrate dietary approach, make sure not to only focus on the carbohydrate content of your meals. Aim to have three balanced meals per day, focusing on including lean proteins, healthy fats, wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. Remember to moderate your intake of saturated fats, salt and alcohol in line with national recommendations.