Recipes Without Refined Carbs

Counting carbs? Let us help. We love healthy carbs, but sometimes when we’re looking to lighten our plate we turn to carb conscious dinners that focus on lean proteins and whole grains.

Our carb conscious recipes provide a balanced approach to carbohydrate consumption by replacing refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These dinners were designed to have 42g or less of net carbohydrates (total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber) per serving. Try these recipes to cut down on carbs without compromising on flavor or satisfaction. 

Tender grilled potatoes with spices like cumin, paprika are a robust complement to plump, juicy shrimp. Try this recipe on the grill to add a beautiful charred flavor.

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We paired our Italian-seasoned pork roast (drizzled with a punchy garlic-chile dressing), with a hearty trio of vegetables for a satisfying dinner that’s low in carbohydrates.

Try seared chicken with a hearty side of sautéed kale and roasted sweet potatoes. We topped this recipe off with an irresistibly rich and creamy dressing of tahini, soy sauce, mayo, fresh lemon juice, and punchy garlic paste for a memorable dinner. 

Our trout gets a bright lift from a piquant vinaigrette—made with chopped niçoise olives and dijon mustard whisked together with olive oil and red wine vinegar—that dresses both the fish and the bed of arugula served underneath.

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The star of this wholesome salad is the rich, savory dressing (made with tahini, dijon mustard, parmesan, and more) that brings together tender kale, sweet peach, and sautéed carrots—all topped with seared chicken and crunchy sesame seeds.

This hearty dish is bursting with bold, zesty flavors thanks to the herbaceous mix of cilantro sauce, pickled jalapeño, and fresh lime juice (a nod to classic Argentinian chimichurri) that we’re drizzling over our shrimp, sautéed vegetables, and barley.

In this dish, we’re pan-searing salmon in a blend of spices like paprika, coriander, and more for vibrant, smoky flavor—perfectly contrasted by the hearty veggie quinoa and swoosh of cooling yogurt served underneath. A topping of sweet, chewy dates and crunchy roasted almonds (dressed with a bit of fresh lemon juice) lends even more exciting texture and flavor.

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In this flavorful Middle Eastern-inspired recipe, za’atar-coated chicken roasts alongside a trio of carrots, green beans, and red onion. You’ll then toss the vegetables with warm farro to make a hearty grain salad, and finish the dish with a drizzle of creamy labneh mixed with feta cheese.

This dish showcases our bright tomatillo-poblano sauce, which we’re mixing with rich mascarpone cheese to make a creamy, zesty sauce for our seared chicken—perfectly accompanied by a trio of roasted squash, potatoes, and onion.

For this vibrant shakshuka, we’re nestling rich eggs between a mix of chickpeas, spinach, and fresh tomatoes simmered in our fragrant ginger and yellow curry-spiced sauce.A no-carb diet may provide certain benefits, including lowering blood pressure. But this diet can also cause side effects and may be difficult to sustain.

Vegan Low Carb Recipes (mouthwatering)

A no-carb diet is an extreme version of low-carb dieting. It eliminates almost all carbs, including whole grains, fruits, and most vegetables.

While studies show that decreasing your carb intake can help you shed pounds and may have health benefits, completely eliminating carbs is highly restrictive and most likely unnecessary.

Carbs are your body’s primary source of energy. They’re found in grains, beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, pasta, bread, and baked goods.

Addicting Low Carb Recipes

Therefore, someone on a no-carb diet must avoid most of these foods and instead eat foods that contain primarily protein or fat, such as meats, fish, eggs, cheese, oils, and butter.

There is no strict rubric for a no-carb diet. Some people who follow it eat nuts and seeds, non-starchy vegetables, and high-fat fruits like avocado and coconut.

Even though these foods have some carbs, they’re high in fiber. Therefore, they have only a minuscule number of digestible or net carbs, which is calculated by subtracting the amount of fiber from the total number of carbs (1).

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A no-carb diet resembles a ketogenic diet, which limits your carb intake to fewer than 30 grams per day and encourages you to get 70% or more of your daily calories from fat (

Summary A no-carb diet largely bans carbs, instead encouraging foods that are primarily comprised of protein and fat. In some cases, you can eat high-fiber foods as well.

Some online sources recommend keeping your net carb intake to 20–50 grams per day on a no-carb diet, but there are no specific macronutrient ranges or any set protocol.

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Specifically, you should eliminate whole and refined grains, baked goods, fruits, milk, yogurt, beans, legumes, pasta, bread, sugar-sweetened beverages, and starchy vegetables like peas and corn.

If you’re less stringent, you can also eat nuts, seeds, non-starchy vegetables, and high-fat fruits like avocado and coconut since these foods are low in net carbs.

Summary A no-carb diet eliminates all carb-rich foods like grains, baked goods, and fruits, instead encouraging foods high in protein and fat.

Egg (white) Wraps

Replacing carbs with protein or fat can help you feel more full and eat fewer overall calories, which in turn promotes weight loss (

In addition, very-low-carb diets typically promote rapid weight loss in the first few weeks due to a quick drop in water weight. This is because every gram of carbs holds approximately three grams of water in your body (

A study in 79 obese adults found that over 6 months, those who restricted carb intake to fewer than 30 grams per day lost around 8.8 pounds (4 kg) more than those who instead restricted fat to fewer than 30% of daily calories (

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Other studies offer similar results and suggest that following very-low-carb or ketogenic diets for more than 12 months can result in more sustained weight loss compared to low-fat diets (

However, the research is mixed. Some studies have found that low-carb diets are no more effective for long-term weight loss than other eating methods that also reduce overall calorie intake, such as low-fat diets (

With these results in mind, following a no-carb diet would likely result in weight loss — at least in the short term.

Do Carbs Make You Gain Weight?

Still, you do not need to completely eliminate carbs to achieve weight loss. Gradually reducing your carb intake and, more importantly, decreasing your overall calorie intake are less restrictive ways to lose weight.

Summary A low-carb diet that’s high in filling protein and fat can help decrease your overall calorie intake and lead to weight loss. Nonetheless, a no-carb diet is not necessary to achieve these results.

No studies exist on diets that completely eliminate carbs, but research on very-low-carb and ketogenic diets suggest that they may have several benefits.

Healthy No Bake Sugar Cookie Bars (paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free)

In particular, very low-carb diets have been shown to decrease blood triglyceride levels. Elevated triglyceride levels can increase your risk of heart disease (

One study in 29 overweight men found that reducing carb intake to 10% of daily calories for 12 weeks decreased triglyceride levels by 39%, compared to baseline levels (

Other studies suggest that very low-carb diets may also increase levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, which can help protect against heart disease (

Low Carb Lasagne Without The Pasta Sheets

Cutting carbs — particularly refined carbs and sugar — can aid blood sugar control, which may be especially helpful for people with diabetes (

A 6-month study in 49 obese adults with type 2 diabetes found that those who followed a keto diet had significantly greater reductions in hemoglobin A1c — a measure of average blood sugar — than those who didn’t eat a keto diet (

Reducing carb intake can prevent spikes in blood sugar and may thus help prevent diabetes complications. Yet, it’s not necessary to completely exclude carbs from your diet. In fact, diabetes can be controlled on higher-carb diets, too.

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Summary Eating a very low-carb diet may help improve heart health and blood sugar control. However, it’s unnecessary to completely cut carbs to experience these benefits.

Fiber is important for digestion since it helps maintain bowel regularity. Because of this, a no-carb diet may lead to constipation and digestive discomfort (

What’s more, carbs are your body’s primary source of energy. Therefore, a no-carb diet may lead to low energy and fatigue, especially in the beginning (

No Bake Brownies

The metabolic changes that occur in your body when you cut carbs can also cause poor mental function, nausea, and disrupted sleep in the short term (

A no-carb diet may not provide enough vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, B vitamins, and vitamin C, which are abundant in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods (

Eating a balanced diet with a variety of foods can help ensure that you get enough of the nutrients you need. Additionally, it’s more sustainable than a no-carb diet in the long term.

All About Simple Carbohydrates

Insufficient studies exist on the long-term effects of very-low-carb diets, so it’s especially difficult to estimate the long-term effects of a no-carb diet.

As a no-carb diet is highly restrictive, very high in fat, and not well researched for safety, it’s not appropriate for those with eating disorders, children, cholesterol hyper-responders, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Summary A no-carb diet restricts foods with fiber and most plant foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. This may lead to constipation, low energy, and possible

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