So what do I eat?

Sometimes it's not easy to explain what 'low carb' does and doesn't mean. People are used to vegetarian, vegan, low fat, low salt, and to a certain extent, celiac. But what is low carb? If you don't eat bread, pasta, cereal, rice or potatoes, what does it leave? Isn't it really boring?

So what do I eat?

Vegetables. Think of the variety out there! Apart from potatoes, which play havoc with my blood sugar (all those yummy baked potatoes with their allegedly 'slow-release carbs'!) broccoli, cabbage, onions, lettuce, courgettes, aubergine, peppers, mushrooms (do they count as a vegetable?), asparagus, artichokes, kale, squash, sweet potatoes (occasionally), carrots, sprouts, spinach, leeks,

Legumes. (this is where I part company with the Paleo crowd as I haven't yet found a scientific paper that clearly demonstrates the dangers of phyto chemicals. Happy to be proved wrong if you can show me one to read!) beans (not baked beans in a tin though as they're full of sugar!), peanuts, lentils, peas, edamame

Strawberries, grapefruit, blueberries, raspberries, black currants, rhubarb, gooseberries, tomatoes, avocado

Other fruits in moderation

Herbs, spices, garlic, wasabi, miso

Cheese of all kinds - apart from ones that have been rendered artificially 'low fat' by filling them full of rubbish

Yoghurt, cream, eggs

Meat
Fish
Tofu (another legume product and potentially controversial due to GM techniques used in production of soya beans - but I like it and reckon anything in moderation is going to be fine)

Nuts and nut butters (almond, hazelnut, Brazils, cashews (careful as quite moreish and medium carb!), macadamias, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, coconut

Coconut oil, butter. olive oil, nut oils for salad dressing, avocado oil, lard