Article authored by Readout Health with editorial oversight from Chief Medical Officer, Naomi Parrella, M.D.
Summer is fast approaching, and the long, sunshine-filled days have many itching for a cleaner, less-cluttered filled space. And it makes sense. Science shows that when it comes to happiness and well-being, often less is more. Holding onto only the items that serve you and align with what you want out of life allows you to focus your attention and resources toward pursuing what is most meaningful.
Most people equate home cleaning with decluttering closets and wiping down baseboards, but sometimes forget to check the contents of their kitchens. Life gets busy and plans get derailed, which means that accumulating impulse, higher-carb food buys throughout the year can be a pretty sure bet.
Summer is the perfect time to reset by tossing out the foods that aren’t serving you and making space for those that square with your goals. Every health journey begins in the kitchen, and by ensuring that your pantry and fridge are stocked up and ready to go with accessible, health-promoting foods, you’ll be taking a giant leap toward improving your health.
How to carb-proof your kitchen for low carb success
Priming your kitchen for a low carb way of life is a two-step deal: first, removing tempting higher-carb foods from your space, and second, filling your grocery cart with a healthy, low carb haul to bring home.
Out with the old: clearing out higher-carb foods
In spite of your best efforts, coming across tempting high-carb foods day after day in your eating space can really challenge your attempts at low carb success. Make it easier for yourself by purging those foods from the get-go so that they remain out of sight and out of mind. One tip? Instead of tossing unused food products into the trash bin, consider donating them instead.
Pantry
Which foods to clear out from your cupboards? Think processed, starchy, sugary, or grain-based pantry-friendly staples:
Cereal
Canned or dried fruit
Canned or dry beans
Lentils
Canned soups
Wheat flours
Oats
Wheat crackers
Pasta
Rice
Bread
Doughnuts
Potato or tortilla chips
Pretzels
Cookies
Candy
Fridge
Now that your pantry is in good order, let’s focus on clearing out the fridge. Start by examining each item and discarding any that are past their prime. Then, zero in on higher-carb foods and drinks with any added sugars:
Dairy milk
Fruit juice
Soda (regular or artificially sweetened)
Sweetened yogurts
Ice cream
Frozen pizza
Frozen waffles
Jelly
Syrup
Sweetened condiments and dressings (ketchup, teriyaki, BBQ sauce)
Produce
As you root through your stash of produce, select out these sweeter fruits and starchy veggies which are better left out of your kitchen:
Cherries
Peaches
Apples
Oranges
Tangerines
Mandarins
Plantains
Bananas
Pineapples
Grapes
Mangoes
Papaya
Apricots
Sweetcorn
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes and yams
Beets
Parsnips
Peas
Squash
In with the new: restocking the shelves with low carb staples
Pantry
Keep these low carb foods around for a filling, energizing snack or for preparing a delicious meal.
Canned tuna
Canned salmon
Sardines
Tomato sauce without added sugars
Tomato paste
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Avocado oil
Nut oils
Coconut butter
Unsweetened coconut milk
Dark chocolate (>70%)
Coffee
Tea
Macadamia nuts
Brazil nuts
Walnuts
Pecans
Peanuts
Nut butters
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Olives
Sugar-free beef jerky
Turkey sticks
Freeze-dried berries
Almond flour
Coconut flour
Low carb tortillas
Snacks
These days, it’s easier than ever to satisfy a sweet or salty craving while keeping your fat-burning macros in check, thanks to the many delicious low-carb snack offerings that are now commercially available. Keep these handy the next time you’re wanting a chocolaty treat, a crunchy, flavorful bar, a rich creamer for your morning coffee, a stack of fluffy pancakes, or an exogenous ketone supplement boost.
Ketobrick – Pure fat bomb (actually a brick) our team has been using for two years. Great flavor and perfect to keep fat intake appropriately higher when typical essential fat is not around. Staple in the Readout Health office.
Keho Life – We tried four flavors of this high-fiber, low net carb “meal” bars. Only minimal decrease in ketone levels, keeping us in ketosis. Much like the sweetened keto bars, these offer real-food flavors like tex-mex and curry, perfect to stuff in a glove compartment or summer snacks to go. 2g sugar, 5g net carbs solid 17g of fat.
Ketobrainz – We love this type of product. With the standard MCT powder that others have, we use this in our coffee every day since it has lion’s mane. It literally has become the go-to coffee addition that has become somewhat of a necessity.
Nush Foods – Some of our team tried the Blueberry and Banana Nut single-serving cakes. Neither kicked any of us out of ketosis, and the taste is what you would hope it would be for those with a sweet tooth. 1g sugar, 3 net carbs. Some of the team tried the pancakes and quite liked it. We call this the “metabolically correct Twinkie”.
Fridge
With all the newfound space on your fridge shelves, you’ll have plenty of room to store up these satisfying low carb staples.
Unflavored almond milk and soy milk
Full-fat butter
Cheese
Greek yogurt (non-sweetened)
Hard cheeses
Cream cheese
Sour cream
Heavy cream
Cottage cheese
Eggs
Ground beef
Chicken
Pork
Lamb
Veal
Fresh salmon
White fish
Shrimp
Deli meats (ham, turkey, roast beef, pastrami, salami)
Egg salad
Tuna salad
Chicken salad
Full-fat mayo
Mustard (non-sweetened)
Balsamic vinegar
Wine vinegar
Cider vinegar
Salsa
Tamari soy sauce
Tahini
Tofu
Shirataki noodles
Cauliflower pizza crust
Produce
You may not be enjoying the sweeter side of produce quite as often, but you can still generously savor a variety of antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies to your heart’s content:
Avocados
Leafy greens
Cucumbers
Celery
Bell peppers
Carrots
Tomatoes
Asparagus
Green beans
Eggplant
Turnips
Radishes
Onions
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Artichokes
Spinach
Mushrooms
Brussels sprouts
Strawberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Lemon
Lime
Kiwi
Plum
Frozen berries
