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Popular diet

Low-carb

A low-carb diet involves reducing the proportion of carbohydrates in your diet to 10–25% of daily energy while increasing the proportion of proteins and fats. This approach helps stabilize blood sugar levels and can promote weight loss by reducing appetite and providing a longer feeling of fullness.

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  • Protein20–30%
  • Fat45–60%
  • Carbs10–25%

The diet in numbers

Macros

Most calories come from fat: 45–60%.

Percentages show the share of daily calories from each macronutrient. A range is a corridor, so there is no exact number to hit.

  • Protein20–30%
  • Fat45–60%
  • Carbs10–25%

Calories by meal

The biggest meal is lunch: 40% of daily calories.

This is how daily calories split across breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

  • Breakfast25%
  • Lunch40%
  • Dinner35%

How it works

  1. 1

    Carbohydrates make up 10–25% of daily energy, proteins — 20–30%, fats — 45–60%

  2. 2

    Priority is given to protein products, healthy fats, and low-carb vegetables

  3. 3

    Products with a high glycemic index are excluded or minimized

  4. 4

    Meals are built around meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and non-starchy vegetables

  5. 5

    It is important to drink enough water and monitor electrolyte balance

  6. 6

    Gradual reduction of carbohydrates helps the body adapt

What to eat and what to avoid

Foods to eat

Meat and poultry

  • beef
  • pork
  • lamb
  • chicken
  • turkey
  • duck

Fish and seafood

  • salmon
  • mackerel
  • herring
  • cod
  • shrimp
  • squid
  • oysters

Eggs and dairy products

  • eggs
  • cottage cheese
  • cheese
  • butter
  • plain yogurt

Non-starchy vegetables

  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • zucchini
  • cucumbers
  • tomatoes
  • leafy greens
  • bell peppers

Fats and oils

  • olive oil
  • coconut oil
  • avocado
  • nuts
  • seeds

Beverages

  • water
  • unsweetened tea
  • black coffee
  • broth

Limit

Fruits

  • berries in small amounts
  • avocado
  • lemon

Dairy products

  • cow's milk
  • flavored yogurt
  • sweet cottage cheese desserts

Alcohol

  • dry wine in small amounts
  • strong alcohol without sugar

Starchy vegetables

  • potatoes
  • corn
  • carrots
  • beets

Avoid

Grains and bread

  • bread
  • pasta
  • rice
  • oatmeal
  • flour

Sweets and confectionery

  • sugar
  • candy
  • cookies
  • cakes
  • pastries
  • jam

Sugary beverages

  • soft drinks
  • juices
  • compotes
  • sweet tea

Semi-finished and processed products

  • sausages with additives
  • hot dogs
  • ready-made sauces
  • chips

High-carb fruits

  • bananas
  • grapes
  • mango
  • dried fruits

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Can promote weight loss by reducing appetite
  • Helps stabilize blood sugar levels
  • Often leads to improved energy and concentration after adaptation
  • Can reduce cravings for sweets
  • Allows for diverse nutrition with meat, fish, and vegetables

Cons

  • First few days may be accompanied by fatigue and headaches
  • Requires careful meal planning
  • Can be more expensive due to the priority of protein products
  • Not suitable for intense sports training without adjustment
  • May cause deficiency of certain micronutrients if the diet is not properly balanced

Who it is for

Who it suits

  • People aiming for weight loss
  • Those experiencing energy fluctuations and hunger throughout the day
  • People with elevated blood sugar levels
  • Those who prefer meat and fish to plant-based foods
  • People engaged in moderate physical activity

Who should skip it

  • Athletes requiring high carbohydrate loads before intense training
  • People with kidney or liver disease
  • Pregnant and nursing women without specialist consultation
  • Children and teenagers during active growth periods
  • People with eating disorders

Recipes for this diet

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Low-Carb Diet

A low-carbohydrate diet involves reducing the proportion of carbohydrates in the diet to 10–25% of daily energy intake while increasing the proportion of proteins and fats. This approach helps stabilize blood sugar levels and can promote weight loss by reducing appetite and providing a longer-lasting feeling of fullness.

Basic Nutrition Principles

In a low-carbohydrate diet, carbohydrates make up 10–25% of daily energy, proteins — 20–30%, and fats — 45–60%. Priority is given to protein products, healthy fats, and low-carbohydrate vegetables. Meals are built on the basis of meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and non-starchy vegetables. Products with a high glycemic index are excluded or minimized. It is important to drink enough water and monitor electrolyte balance.

What you can and cannot eat

Allowed products include meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, butter, plain yogurt, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, leafy greens, bell peppers, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. Excluded are bread, pasta, rice, sugar, candy, cookies, cakes, carbonated drinks, juices, bananas, grapes, mango, dried fruits, potatoes, corn and processed foods with additives.

Benefits and Features of Adaptation

A low-carb diet can promote weight loss by reducing appetite, helps stabilize blood sugar levels, and often leads to improved energy and concentration after adaptation. In the first few days, fatigue, headaches, and irritability are possible — these are temporary phenomena associated with the body's adaptation. They usually pass within a week. Gradual carbohydrate reduction helps the body adapt more smoothly.

Low-carbohydrate nutrition is suitable for people seeking weight reduction, those experiencing energy and hunger fluctuations throughout the day, people with elevated blood sugar levels, those who prefer meat and fish to plant-based foods, and people engaged in moderate physical activity. However, this diet is not recommended for athletes requiring high carbohydrate loads before intense training, people with kidney or liver disease, pregnant and nursing women without specialist consultation, children and adolescents during active growth periods, as well as people with eating disorders.

Questions

Short answers to the most common questions about this diet.

Build a menu for this diet

The planner picks recipes within the macro range, splits calories across meals and builds a weekly shopping list.

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This page explains diet rules and does not replace medical advice.

Updated 2026-10-02

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