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NUTRITION

High-Protein, Low-Carb Diets | Best Foods & Meal Prep

High-protein, low-carb diets have been a go-to in the health and fitness world for many years. However, many people are still unsure of what to eat.This article will cover the benefits and side effects of high-protein, low-carb diets, and the best foods to guarantee success., We’ve even got some helpful recipe ideas too

In this article, you'll find:

high-protein meal prep

What are high-protein, low-carb diets?

There are three macronutrients that make up a diet – protein, fats, and carbs. Most diets fall into two camps: low fat/high carb and high fat/low carb. A low-carb diet tends to eliminate most refined carb choices like bread and pasta and starchy foods like potatoes and rice. Most of the carbs in this diet come from vegetables and a limited amount of fruits.This diet is often associated with a high-protein intake. Most foods that are high in protein will also contain fat. Protein is responsible for looking after our lean muscle mass, our metabolic rate, as well as some of our hormones.There are various forms of high-protein, low-carb diets including the keto (ketogenic) diet, which only allows up to 30g of carbs a day. There are more flexible options that have a range of carbs from 50g to 150g of carbs a day.

Summary

High-protein, low-carb diets normally allow a nutritional intake of 50 to 150g of carbs per day. This will depend on the weight and activity levels and can be adjusted accordingly.

Benefits of a high-protein, low-carb diet

1. Increased satiety

When you go on a diet to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. One of the issues with being in a calorie deficit is that hunger increases— which is where protein can help. High-protein diets are associated with increased satiety levels, as it takes much longer to breakdown and digest —helping keep us feeling fuller for longer.1

2. Lean muscle mass retention

When you’re on a diet, there’s a chance you can lose muscle mass. That's because there’s less fuel from food, and increasing the rate of muscle protein breakdown. By eating a high-protein diet, there’s less risk of the muscles breaking down to be used as fuel. By maintaining lean muscle mass, the body’s metabolic rate doesn’t drop as much, which is important for weight-loss.

 

3. Thermic effect of food

Protein has a high thermic effect compared to other macronutrients. This means it has a high energy cost to break down and digest. Carbs and fats use about 10% of the food’s energy to break it down whereas protein uses up to 30% of the food’s calories to break it down. When a food has a higher thermic effect, it means there are fewer calories to be able to store as body fat. This can indirectly increase the calorie deficit and promote weight loss.1

 

4. Less choice

The more choice we have in our diets, the more we can be tempted. If foods are limited, then dieting can be made simpler. By lowering the carbs, the diet “removes” a food group. This, in turn, can reinforce the calorie deficit which is responsible for the weight loss. Less choice often leads to less overeating.1

 

Summary

A higher protein intake leads to increased satiety, meaning you will feel fuller for longer. It also decreases the likelihood of muscle loss, takes more energy to be broken down by the body, while a lower-carb diet means you’re less likely to overeat and can keep your blood glucose levels more stable.
chicken meal prep

Side effects of a high-protein, low-carb diet

There are very little unwanted effects of a low-carb, high-protein diet for most people. There are a few exceptions, such as those who are pregnant or breastfeeding as well as type 1 diabetics. These groups should seek medical advice first.For most people, the diet is often well-tolerated and the most common side effect tends to be weight loss, which is generally linked to an improvement in health.

 

Summary

Other than weight loss, there are very few associated side effects to a high-protein, low-carb diet. We recommend seeking advice from a medical professional prior to undertaking such a diet.

The best high-protein, low-carb foods

There are three food groups that will make up any diet. Protein, fats and carbs (a low-carb diet does not mean a "no-carb diet.")

Protein: When looking at which protein is best, you should choose sources that are complete as they have all the essential amino acids available. Bioavailability is also important. What this means is you want the body to use what you eat for fat burning, muscle building, and health purposes. What you don’t want is a poor-quality protein that’s not broken down and used well in the body.

 

Try to choose high-protein foods such as:

  • Eggs and egg whites
  • Chicken breast
  • Lean beef
  • Game meat
  • Turkey breast
  • Oily fish
  • Shellfish
  • White fish
  • Whey protein
  • Casein protein
  • Soy protein
  • Yoghurt
  • Cottage cheese

 

Try and choose healthy fats such as:

  • Avocado
  • Flaxseed
  • Nuts (check carb content)
  • Olives
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Various nut butters (check carb content)
  • Chia seeds
  • Fish oil
  • Cheese
  • Limited amount of dark chocolate

 

Healthy carbs to include in a low-carb diet:

  • Broccoli
  • Asparagus
  • Kale
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Spinach
  • Tomato
  • Cucumber
  • Watercress
  • Onions
  • Peppers
  • Mushrooms
  • Beans
  • Oats (dependent on total carb allotment)
  • Berries

** please note that these lists are not exclusive, or complete.

high-protein meal

Recipe ideas

Now you might be wondering what a good low-carb meal could look like. Here are some examples of what a low-carb day could look like for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a daily calorie amount of 2000Kcal.

Breakfast

Cream cheese pancakes:

  • 100g of cream cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • sweetener of choice, if required
  • 1 tsp of Cinnamon

Blend all the ingredients together. Let it rest until for a few minutes. Cook on a pan with medium heat for 2 minutes, then flip for another minute.

Lunch
  • Avocado and vegetable chicken salad:
  • 100g of cooked chicken breast
  • 1 large bowl Mixed leaves (rocket, spinach & watercress.)
  • cupful Cruciferous vegetables of choice (i.e. broccoli)
  • Lemon juice 1 to 2 tsp
  • Onions, ½ raw
  • Salt and pepper to liking

Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the inside into a bowl.  Mash the avocado up and add the chopped onion and lemon juice. Add the chicken, leaves and vegetables and stir. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Dinner

Red hot burgers:

  • Half a tsp of ground chillies
  • 200g 10% lean beef mince
  • Chicken broth cubes
  • Asparagus spears

Preheat grill to a high heat. Mix chillies & chicken broth cubes into the beef mince. Flatten out and make patties out of the mixture. Grill the patties and asparagus spears until cooked to your liking.

 

Take home message

High-protein, low-carb diets are very effective for weight loss. That’s because they’re very satiating, have a high thermic effect and help look after lean muscle tissue. This is a great diet to be on if you don’t wish to track calories and still lose weight. By omitting the majority of carbs from the diet, there’s less dietary choice, which often leads to a calorie deficit.There are minimal risks and side effects to healthy people. For those who enjoy a higher fat diet, this could be an excellent way to go.
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Grant Koch
Grant Koch Writer and expert

Grant is a sports nutritionist and certified strength coach. He has multiple postgraduate diplomas in nutrition and strength coaching as well as a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Nutrition, with a specific focus on protein. Grant has worked in the fitness industry for well over a decade and has helped coach professional athletes and sports teams, as well as the average gym-goer looking to get in the best shape possible. He now spends most of his working time teaching fitness professionals and coaching people remotely.

He’s a big believer in practising what he preaches and has been involved in resistance training and martial arts for over 20 years. In his spare time, Grant enjoys being with his wife and daughter as well as the family dogs and catching up on the latest Netflix series.

Find out more about Grant’s experience here and about his personal training here.

  1. A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats. (n.d.). Retrieved 30 June 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258944/
  2. Carreiro, A. L., Dhillon, J., Gordon, S., Jacobs, A. G., Higgins, K. A., McArthur, B. M., … Mattes, R. D. (2016). The macronutrients, appetite and energy intake. Annual Review of Nutrition, 36, 73–103. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-121415-112624
  3. Ebbeling, C. B., Feldman, H. A., Klein, G. L., Wong, J. M. W., Bielak, L., Steltz, S. K., … Ludwig, D. S. (2018). Effects of a low carbohydrate diet on energy expenditure during weight loss maintenance: Randomized trial. BMJ, 363, k4583. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k4583
  4. Oh, R., & Uppaluri, K. R. (2019). Low Carbohydrate Diet. In StatPearls. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/
  5. Prentice, A. M. (2005). Macronutrients as sources of food energy. Public Health Nutrition, 8(7A), 932–939.

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