Here is a list of 43 zero carb foods, including meat, seafood, dairy, vegetables, drinks, oils and condiments.
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Did you know that there is such a thing as a no carb diet. Although this way of eating a little too extreme for me, I still find it useful to know what can be considered “free” food in terms of carbohydrates.
Note: Some of items listed here aren't 100% carb free – but they ARE all either zero or under 1 gram of net carbs per serving. If this idea or any of the individual items don't fit with your way of eating, please disregard this list or the item in question. Always check nutritional data labels on food before purchasing.
These foods do not naturally contain carbohydrates, apart from those in the vegetable list which contain between 0 and 1g net carb per serving, and heavy cream which is also exceedingly low. For meats and seafood, the key is to go for unprocessed food. As soon as someone processes the meat or fish (think ham, bacon, jerky, burgers) there is a an increased chance that they will be high in carbs – especially once manufacturers start adding sugar! If you want to see my new and revised list of actually zero carb foods, check out my new Guide to Carb Free Foods!
Want to grab this list of zero carb foods in a handy FREE printable? Scroll down for a link!
So which food have no carbs?
I've divided the list into the following sections: meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, oils, veggies, drinks, condiments, and other assorted products and foods with no carbs!
Zero Carb Meat:
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- Chicken – try these Italian Baked Chicken Thighs or my Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings!
- Beef (check out Omaha Steaks for amazing deals!)
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- Turkey – try my roasted paprika turkey wings!
- Duck – have you ever roasted a whole duck?
- Veal
- Lamb – try my recipe for rack of lamb with rosemary!
- Pork
- Organ meats – make your own chicken liver pâté!
- Goose
- Pork rinds (these are an exception to the processed rule – and see below for lots of ways to use them!)
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Zero Carb Seafood:
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- Fish – sooo many varieties to choose from!
- Seafood – shrimp, clams, mussels, crab – but make sure you stay away from manufactured “crab” fish sticks!
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Zero Carb Dairy:
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- Butter – learn how to make your own!
- Margarine
- Most types of cheese – try my Parmesan Crisps or my Baked Brie recipe!
- Heavy cream (very low carbohydrates)
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Eggs
Try my zero carb Spicy Buffalo Deviled Eggs or my Egg Wraps!
Oils:
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- Coconut oil
- Olive oil – check out my review of the Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club and get yourself a bottle of EVOO for just $1 (if you're in the US!)
- Sunflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Avocado oil
- Safflower oil
- Corn oil
- Peanut oil
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Almost Zero Carb Vegetables (most contain between 0 and 1g net carb per serving):
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- Leafy greens (lettuce, arugula, spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens, bok choy etc)
- Cucumbers
- Fresh herbs
- Chicory family (endive, escarole, radicchio) – a great source of vitamins and minerals!
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(You might also like to check out my guide to low carb veggies!)
Zero Carb Condiments:
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- Vinegar (NOT balsamic – Update – check out my recipe for zero carb balsamic vinegar!)
- Mustard (avoid honey varieties)
- Salt
- Many types of hot sauce
- Regular (full fat) mayonnaise
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Zero Carb Drinks:
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- Water
- Tea (no milk or sugar)
- Coffee (no milk or sugar)
- Diet soda
- Herbal tea
- Drink mix powders (eg Crystal Light)
- Water
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Check out Amazon's selection of zero carb products:
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And don't forget about zero carb Shirataki Noodles!! Get 10% off when you order from Miracle Noodles direct! Use coupon code “AFF10” on checkout to get your discount!And as an extra bonus, here are some zero carb recipes:
Check out my new guide to No Carb Meals!
Do you eat a zero carb diet? Or do you just eat as low as possible? Read what happened when I tried having a Zero Carb Day! It's actually much harder than you think – well it was for me! Although I'm should mention that I'm not advocating eating a zero carb diet long term – especially without consulting a health professional – but it was a really interesting experiment. I'd love to hear about your reasons for looking for zero carb food!
Want to grab this list of zero carb foods in a handy printable? It's FREE in my store!
(Photos for the main image courtesy of Free Range Stock and Clker. Coffee photo by Ozgu Ozden, Water photo by rawpixel – both on Unsplash)
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Racheal
Saturday 15th of April 2023
Thank you
kfed
Saturday 7th of January 2023
why low carb diet concepts seem to work - is because there are no carbohydrates in ruminant muscle meats or fatty dairy like butter (LF dairy is harmful .. should be illegal).
as the carnivore (or the water fasting) spaces show — for years now, people can get healthier by going to those.
calories are a unit of measured heat. there is zero linkage to any health metric. none. forget about calories.
your body is not a furnace.
calories are absolutely meaningless (from a health perspective).
the sugars argument (real or fake) is absolutely immaterial – because studies have shown that just swirling different sweet stuff in your mouth + spitting it out right after .. insulin is requested in each case.
probably the linkage to why bulimia is so bad (for you). you taste something, then spit it out. or puke it up.
insulin spike anyhow. but nothing much to digest. brilliant move.
. .
forget about ‘ counting carbs ‘.
a proper human diet doesn’t need any. at all. ever.
or so that is the world wide consensus (of science types analyzing the carnivore + ketovore areas).
nature also doesn’t provide anything sweet that is easy to find except in seasonal modalities, which triggers hormones to store fat (i.e., hibernating animals pack on pounds to be able to sleep thru a winter). that is why ketones nourish the body when you have no such thing as carbs around. grizzly bears feast on berries and salmon. then have a giant nap.
the salmon. the berries. only available for that brief little window.
we want them all year. oops.
very elegant actually - the mechanisms behind it. wonder if humans could find a way to trigger hibernation ...
when you know these things... salts and fats become your friend. absolutely necessary to consume. you die without them.
careful tho about salts. you should get the best salt you can find. if you didn’t buy your own. don’t eat anything that just lists ‘ salt ‘ on the label. has to say what type.
the main store shelf brand in Canada lists sugar on the box. an obese patient showed me that after I told her that 99% of all store shelf mustards contain sugar (she is convinced that honey is healthy - sorry. impossible. carb central) good grief. refined salt. laced with sugar. OMFG. no wonder regular people have health issues.
the desire for sweetness has ruined any society that craves them. seen and documented since 1939 in the Weston Price book.
also .. seen back to the Spanish conquistador era. they added sugar to cocoa butter, which is the issue. totally fine and interesting plant loaded with different nutrients that was absolutely ruined .. by trying to sweeten it in any way.
the least harmful chocolates I have seen are high coco dark chocolate with himalayan salts. hawaiian black salt is healthier tho. add it yourself. forget about sea salts or regular salt.
carbs make you mean and violent actually. especially when it is mixed with alcohols. all grains are bullshit carbs. linked to depression, anxiety, suicide. the worst are corn, wheat, rice, oats, rye, soy. heavily subsidized, GMO .. glyphosate filled nonsense. but .. oooh. plant based.
F.
that is why grains are bad. they are carbs. gluten is just a sub component of what is bad with grains. everything about grains are bad. because a carnivore system is ruined by any amount. humans are carnivores. not herbivores. we don’t have 4 stomachs. if you love your pets .. do the same for them too. they get the same diseases we do with grains.
not a single mammal that doesn’t get ruined by grain consumption.
switching up daily – various bad components from these lists is just laughable to me .. counting carbs is a frustrating game of punishment for the masses. why people give it up. carb counting. jezus.
I love puzzle games .. but. no thanks. health ain’t a game. it is very simple. discard any food that has some (carbs). it probably ain’t a good choice to consume.
look to your favorite star in great shape. the hidden secret is this :: they don’t eat anything sweet, and if they do .. it is in a very brief window to isolate an insulin blip.
even people that train like crazy .. a once a week cheat meal is all it takes to make their lives suck.
healthy fats are satiating. not harmful. look to real olive oil. avocados. grass fed butter.
the common person has chronically elevated insulin. 24/7/366. 3 meals a day lunacy.
that is why healthy keto + IF works. for most anyone.
no carbs in meat. no carbs in butter.
ponder that.
low carb .. is probably the dumbest food myth going, vs high carb diets are an excellent way to ruin yourself in the shortest amount of time. lead so many runners off track. carb loading. kills you, while the rest of the planet thinks .. wow. look at how lean they are. until they drop dead in a race. at the top of their game. look up Jim Fixx .. famous jogger and vitamin C advocate that died in his prime (52). you need all the nutrients. any food that has a natural carb component, should probably be avoided. always.
anthocyanin berries in small amounts added to A2 sour cream of yoghurt is what I recommend to anyone with a sweet craving. has to be grass fed, or you are cheating yourself out of the rest of nature’s magic. K2. rarely discussed.
one day historians will probably refer to any carb concoction as ‘ the suicide diet ‘. right now .. that is just the code name for veganism ... but keep that a secret.
Tarsha Ward
Saturday 15th of October 2022
I need help with carb free meals
George K
Sunday 9th of October 2022
Most Beef Jerky I have seen has carbs. Ideally it should not. But most of the brands you see in a regular store have carbs.
Jeffery
Sunday 28th of August 2022
What's a no carb alcohol to make mix drinks...