Low Carb, What Does That Mean?

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Because the body needs carbohydrates, the advice is to get 40% of the energy from carbohydrates. If you eat low-carb, you eat less than the recommended amount of carbohydrates per day. But what does that actually mean?

When someone eats low-carb, the carbohydrate intake is between 50 and 130 grams per day, instead of around 200 grams per day (average for an adult woman). As a result, you mainly get energy from proteins and fat and less from carbohydrates. A low-carb diet can be aimed at losing weight or to improve blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.

There are carbohydrates that have a negative effect on the body and carbohydrates that have a positive effect on the body. While following a low-carb diet, you can still occasionally eat carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates: positive effect

Choose carbohydrates that have a positive effect on your health, such as:

whole-grain products, such as whole-wheat bread, low-carb bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and other whole-grain products
fruit (avoid dried fruit)
vegetables
legumes

Carbohydrates: negative effect

Carbohydrates with a negative effect on the body are better to avoid, such as:

fruit juices
cookies
sweets
soft drinks
potato chips

The pros and cons of a low-carb diet

Pros of a low-carb diet:

rich in proteins, which makes you feel full for longer
muscle mass is preserved during weight loss due to the amount of protein
positive effect on blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes

Cons of a low-carb diet:

low-carbohydrate diet is often richer in fat, so pay particular attention to the intake of saturated fat
deficiencies of certain B vitamins can arise
the intake of dietary fiber is often less
if you stop eating bread, you can get less iodine

A diet is often difficult to maintain. It is therefore important that a healthy diet is taught so that it is easy to maintain. A dietitian can provide helpful guidance.

Do you have diabetes and want to follow a low-carb diet? Then make sure you find guidance from a dietitian.