Surround yourself with high-fat foods
If you want to succeed with low-carb, you have to do some prep. Make sure to get enough snacks like nuts, seeds, cheese, chocolate with 70% or more cocoa, ham, or canned sardines and tuna. Nowadays most fast, cheap, and widely available foods are high in carbs so you will have to plan ahead and fill your pantry and fridge with high-fat options.
Get to know your butcher
You want to eat “nose to tail” on a low carb diet or, in other words, don’t just buy steak, add other fattier cuts of meat and organs too. This will help you get enough fat in your diet. It will also get you plenty of vitamins and minerals because liver, for example, is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. And lastly, you will save money because the less popular cuts of meat are usually the cheaper ones too.
Shopping list
This is a shopping list for one week of low-carb eating. No foods in it are mandatory, you can vary it as you please, just stick to wholesome foods and always have enough foods from each category so you keep your diet balanced.
Fats and oils
o 500 ml extra virgin olive oil (alternatives: avocado or macadamia oil)
o 250 g butter (alternatives: ghee, lard, beef tallow)
Meats, fish, eggs
o 15 eggs
o 150 g beef steak
o 300 g ground beef
o 200 g salmon filets
o 200 g tuna filets (or canned tuna or sardines)
o 200 g chicken liver
o 1,5k g whole chicken
Vegetables
o 2 heads romaine lettuce
o 500 g mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, watercress, etc.)
o 1/2 head bok choy
o 1 large head of cabbage
o 6 onions (mix of white, red, shallots)
o 1 large head broccoli
o 200 g Brussels sprouts
o 1 bunch of celery ribs
o 400 g tomatoes and bell peppers each
o 300 g carrots, celeriac and parsnips each
o 150 g mushrooms
o 50 g fresh ginger
o 2 heads garlic
o Various fresh herbs
Fruits
o 4 avocados
o 2 lemons or limes
o 500 g mix of berries (fresh or frozen)
Starches and legumes
o 2 sweet potatoes (or plantains)
o 1 small butternut squash
Dairy and cheese
o 200 g parmesan cheese
o 200 g mozzarella cheese
o 200 g sour cream
o 400 g white unsweetened yogurt
Dry goods
o 200 g nuts (pecans, walnuts, macadamia, almonds)
o 100 g chocolate (70% cocoa content or more)
o 500 ml unsweetened almond or coconut milk
o 200 g olives
o Dijon mustard
o Apple cider vinegar
o Various dried herbs and spices
