The Benefits of Eating Fewer Carbs *

AD, GIFTED | Throughout my weight loss journey I’ve been learning how to eat healthier. Whether that’s looking at my portion sizes or choosing foods that keep me fuller for longer, such as wholegrains.

One thing I’ve always struggled with however is carbs – especially when it comes to foods such as pasta and rice, which make up a lot of my home cooked meals. So I’m always interested to try lower carb alternatives or ‘good carbs’ instead, which leads me to today’s post.


The Benefits of Eating Fewer Carbs

Guest post by: Judy Heminsley

For many of us, carbohydrates form the basis of most meals. From rice and potatoes to pasta, bread and cakes, they’re all rich in carbs. We need some carbohydrate in our diets, but it shouldn’t really be the bulk of what we eat.

Here are some of the benefits of eating fewer carbs by replacing them with healthier alternatives.

You’ll Feel Better

If you find you always feel snoozy after lunch, that could be the effect of a carb-rich meal. As well as giving you more energy, a diet that’s low in carbs and filled with vegetables can reduce blood sugars and insulin levels. This is a great benefit if you’re trying to control (or worried about developing) diabetes.

As well as reducing blood sugars, lower carb diets can reduce triglycerides. These are fats found in the blood, and too many can result in hardening of the arteries and an increased risk of heart disease or stroke.

What veggies are best to get the most from all these benefits? The humble cauliflower is highly rated, with some studies indicating it’s even better than broccoli or cabbage in similar amounts.

If you find it a chore to stand and chop veggies, try cauliflower rice* as a quick but low-carb, healthy alternative. It comes in pouches and is ready to eat, although you can microwave it for a couple of minutes to heat through. Have it on its own, tossed with salad, mixed with ordinary rice or as the basis for a creamy cauliflower cheese.

Other low-carb, energy-giving foods include:

● Spinach. High in iron, which makes it great for energy. Use it raw as a salad leaf. One great tip is to use frozen spinach as a layer in vegetarian lasagne. Delicious.
● Apples. High in fibre, they release their energy slowly so you don’t get a sugar high followed by a slump.
● Water. Yes, humble water. Drink lots to help you not feel hungry between meals and avoid dehydration headaches. If you let yourself get thirsty before you drink, you’re already a bit dehydrated.

You’ll Lose Weight

If you’re trying to lose weight, no doubt you’re familiar with a couple of the pitfalls in most calorie reducing eating plans: hunger and feeling deprived.

One of the huge benefits of reducing carb intake is that many low carb foods help you feel full for longer and that helps you avoid quick, sugary top-ups. When your body isn’t screaming at you about how hungry it is, you don’t have to rely so much on willpower to stay on the healthy track. Willpower soon runs out, derailing many good intentions.

You’ll Find a Huge Choice of Foods

From fruit and veg to lean meats, fast foods and convenience foods, there’s lots to choose from in the low-carb range of produce.

Fresh may be best in the end, but when time is pressing you can still reach for pre-prepared foods and stay healthy. We’ve already mentioned cauliflower rice, but you can also get other riced vegetables like sweet potato rice and broccoli rice* from the same manufacturer.

When you buy fresh veg or fruit, you know nothing’s been added to it, but it’s not as straightforward with ready-made dishes. Always read the labels on the back, not just the marketing message on the front of the package. Food that trumpets how healthy it is because it’s low in fat, for instance, may be packed with sugars to boost the flavour.

Ideally, look for something with the fewest added ingredients, and remember the ingredients list on foods is written in order of weight, with the highest first. So the last item on the list is the least of what the food contains.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, get more energy back, or just provide a more balanced and wholesome diet for the family, eating fewer carbs will help you achieve it.


How do you feel about eating carbs? Have you tried any vege alternatives? Let me know in the comments. 😊

* This is a pre-written sponsored post and includes gifted items.

14 Comments

  • Kim

    July 20, 2019 at 10:08

    You’re welcome Lisa. I think it’s all about balance and moderation, water and lots of fruit and veg are very important. x

  • Lisa

    July 5, 2019 at 14:17

    Interesting, I hadn’t appreciated how sluggish carbs make me feel after lunch until I sat and thought about it after reading this post. I do drink a lot of water (and Ribena) and try to eat as much fruit as possible but there’s always room for improvement, I’m sure. Thank you for sharing this, Kim 🙂 Lisa

  • Ashley

    July 2, 2019 at 22:32

    I really need to cut back on my carb intake – the benefits you have described are amazing! xxx

    1. Kim

      July 20, 2019 at 09:37

      Thanks Ashley, I’m glad it helped. 🙂 x

  • Jessica

    June 29, 2019 at 16:04

    I really struggle with carbs! I always say that I’m going to reduce the amount I have but somehow they creep back into my meals far too often!

    1. Kim

      July 20, 2019 at 10:06

      I know what you mean there! I’ll often go through phases of eating healthier followed by lots of carbs. 🙈

  • Lauren

    June 25, 2019 at 11:37

    These are some great benefits. Like to fluctuate between days with having lots of carbs and low carbs as I find for my body type that’s how I loose weight the best. Thank you for sharing xx

    1. Kim

      July 20, 2019 at 10:04

      Thanks for your comment Lauren. I lean more towards ‘healthy’ carbs especially when I’m trying to loose weight (or maintain my current weight). xx

  • Sophie Wentworth

    June 24, 2019 at 22:44

    Being plant based, carbs do make up the largest percentage of my diet, along with larger portions of fruit and vegetables of course. I’m not the biggest fan of overly starchy foods, they never fully fill me x

    Sophie
    http://www.glowsteady.co.uk

    1. Kim

      July 20, 2019 at 09:45

      I think you’ve got the balance right there. Carbs are important but I think everything should be in moderation. Starchy food can make me feel overly sluggish afterwards. Thanks for your comment Sophie. x

  • Britt

    June 24, 2019 at 16:51

    We are a high veggie household, so we’ve never really had an overly heavy carb diet. That being said, if we do go out somewhere and indulge a little, I REALLY feel it!

    1. Kim

      July 20, 2019 at 09:43

      I completely understand what you mean. Aaron and I went out for a pizza the other night and felt so bloated and sluggish afterwards. x

  • Millie

    June 21, 2019 at 15:48

    Ooo I basically live off of veggies although I do eat quite a lot of carbs too. I do agree that I feel almost sluggish after a carb heavy meal but I also need them for fuel to workout so I try find a good balance! Thank you for sharing – especially that fact about cauliflower!

    1. Kim

      July 20, 2019 at 09:42

      Thanks for your comment Millie. I agree that carbs are important for fuel, but I think everything in moderation is the key.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Prev Post Next Post