LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) diet is a lifestyle for people who are aware that the “modern” way of eating harms their health, leads to excess weight, and therefore they embrace the original diet as a way of life with the goal of improving and maintaining health, as well as regulating body weight.

This diet differs from other weight loss diets because it doesn’t involve the feeling of hunger. You eat until you feel full, but you choose the foods – it really can’t be simpler.

LCHF doesn’t mean eating more meat than in a standard diet, but rather consuming more varied vegetables and natural fats that provide nutrients, energy, and long-lasting satiety, which actually leads to eating less in terms of quantity, while the feeling of fullness remains.

LCHF doesn’t have clear standards for macronutrient percentages because it’s more focused on a lifestyle change.

Daily recommendations for carbohydrate intake on this diet can vary from less than 20 grams to 100 grams.

However, even those who consume more than 100 grams of carbohydrates per day can follow the diet and be inspired by its principles, as it can be adjusted to individual needs. It is important on this diet to reduce the intake of carbohydrate-rich foods.

What can be eaten, and what should be avoided?

Basic foods:

• Meat and poultry. It is best to choose meat from free-range animals and free-range chickens. Do not remove the fat from the meat or the skin from chicken.
• Fish and other seafood, crustaceans, shrimp, shellfish, seaweed. Consume oily fish more often for omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., sardines, mackerel, herring).
• Eggs – the best are organic or free-range chicken eggs.
• Vegetables that grow above the ground, preferably organic – all types of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, spinach, chard, collard greens, green beans, artichokes, asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, all types of leafy lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, celery, mushrooms.
• Fats – butter, chicken, duck, beef, and pork fat, cold-pressed coconut oil.
• Cold-pressed oils – olive oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil. Cod liver oil.
• Onion, garlic, ginger, herbs.
• Full-fat dairy products, sour and sweet cream, cheeses. Raw – unpasteurized milk.
• Root vegetables such as beets, Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi, carrots (but not potatoes or sweet potatoes).
• Lemon, grapefruit, and other less sweet fruits. Forest berries (raspberries, currants, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries) are best because they contain less sugar.
• Nuts and seeds – walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds. Ground nuts and seeds can be used instead of flour for various baked goods and bread.
• Coconut flour, coconut milk, unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Coffee, tea, hot or cold lemonade (stevia can be used as a sweetener).

Additional foods:

• Full-fat dairy products, sour and sweet cream, cheeses. Raw – unpasteurized milk.
• Root vegetables such as beets, Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi, carrots (but not potatoes or sweet potatoes).
• Lemon, grapefruit, and other less sweet fruits. Forest berries (raspberries, currants, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries) are best because they contain less sugar.
• Nuts and seeds – walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds. Ground nuts and seeds can be used instead of flour for various baked goods and bread.
• Coconut flour, coconut milk, unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Coffee, tea, hot or cold lemonade (stevia can be used as a sweetener).
• Diet goals vary, so the menu is adapted accordingly. Foods from the first category contain few or no carbohydrates and form the basis of the diet. These foods can be freely consumed until satiety.
• Foods from the second category contain more carbohydrates and, therefore, are limited more or less if the goal is weight loss, and some are completely avoided, such as in the Green diet or the anti-candida diet.

Foods to avoid:

• Sugar, sweets, juices, and all sweetened drinks, cakes, cookies, pastries. Fruit yogurts, cereals, and muesli for breakfast, and similar products.
• All grains and legumes.
• Pasta, bread, all products made from flour and grains.
• Potatoes, sweet potatoes, chips, and french fries.
• Rice, corn, couscous, bulgur, popcorn.
• Margarine.
• Processed meat products that contain chemical additives, such as glutamates (flavor enhancers), preservatives (nitrates), and sugars.
• Oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids: corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, all oils labeled edible oil.
• Beer, which is liquid bread.
• Sweet fruits and dried fruits.
  
  

Foods that can be occasionally eaten:

• Dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa.
• A glass of wine or a small glass of brandy.