I stick to a whole-foods diet policy when it comes to my nutrition. It converts all of the work I invest in the ZGYM into a lean, strong, healthy physique. Without it, I’d be tired, inflamed, sick, and well on my way to faster aging. As far as diet is concerned, I tend to swing between low carb and keto. I’ll go on keto when I want to sharpen my mind, cut out sugar cravings, and balance my hormones. However, when tons of fresh, seasonal fruit or a rare treat is calling my name, then I’ll go back to low carb. If you’re thinking of going low carb, there are some foods that I recommend you load up on. These help to make the diet more sustainable (and delicious). So, get out a pen and piece of paper and add these to your shopping list!

Cauliflower

Oh, cauliflower. What a makeover you’ve had! In case you’ve been out of the loop, cauliflower has quickly changed from that yucky veggie your parents used to force you to eat. Now, it’s a jack of all trades. You can use it in almost any recipe as a replacement for high-carb ingredients. Pizza? Try cauliflower crust! Creamy, low-sugar smoothies? Already done! Hot wings? You better believe it! Cauliflower is almost tasteless and can be disguised in many recipes; combine it with the right ingredients, and you’ll never know it was even there! Bonus, you’re sneaking in more veggies- perfect if you’ve got picky eaters at home!

Nutrient Breakdown:Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable packed with fiber, antioxidants, and disease-preventing compounds (like DIM), choline, vitamin C, B6, folate, K, potassium, and magnesium. [1] [2]

Get Cooking!

Get your cauliflower-game-face on and try out these recipes!

Mashed Cauliflower and Asparagus Casserole (FM)
Chicken and Pineapple Fried Cauliflower Rice (FM/WEM)
Cheesy Cauliflower “Bread” (FM)
Chicken and Veggies with Cauliflower “Alfredo” (FM)
Cauliflower Risotto (FM)

Zucchini

Do you know what else has gotten popular lately? Zucchini! Which, OK, it’s technicallynot a vegetable (it’s actually a fruit), but it’s still a great way to add more plants and keep the carbs low. Zucchini is also a versatile ingredient. You can make noodles (aka, “zoodles”) out of it as a replacement for high-carb, regular pasta. You can slice them in half and make them into “boats”. Create savory lasagnas and raviolis. Or throw them indiscreetly into a low-carb smoothie. Zoodles are now easier to access than they were before. Many supermarkets now sell tubs of them either fresh or frozen, so keep a watchful eye out for them!

Nutrient Breakdown: Zucchini, or courgette, provides a modest amount of nutrients- vitamin A, C, K, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. It also contains a class of antioxidants known as carotenoids, which are good for your eyes, skin and heart. (Research shows that yellow zucchinis have slightly more amounts than green ones.) [3]

Get Cooking!

Put on your chef’s hat and cook up these tasty treats!

Zucchini Salad with Manchengo Cheese and Pine Nuts (FM)
Zucchini and Carrot Parmesan Crisps (FM)
Fork & Knife Pizza with Zucchini Crust (FM)
Chicken Parm Zucchini Boats (FM)
Fried Zucchini with Coconut Dill Dip (FM)

Eggs

Eggs are more than just breakfast foods. You can eat them anytime and anywhere. Don’t believe me? Think about it. You’ve got the standard egg scramble for breakfast. At lunch, there’s egg salad. And dinner? Well, duh, breakfast for dinner. OK, maybe an omelet, quiche, or frittata. And for snack time? Hard-boiled eggs! And everything else? Use them as a binder in recipes for veggie crusts, low-carb desserts, soups, and stir-fry! Eggs adapt to almost any recipe. Trust me. And, they’re easy on the wallet, too!

Nutrient Breakdown: First of all, eggs are not the enemy. I know they’ve been made out to be the bad guy, but it’s all been a huge misunderstanding. Several analyses have shown there to be NO connection between eggs and heart disease in normal, healthy people like you and me. [4] Studies have gone a step ahead and debunked this scare tactic and shown that the cholesterol found in eggs raises good HDL cholesterol while changing bad LDL from small, dangerous particles into large, safe ones. [5]

Eggs are real superfoods (in fact they’re considered to be one of the most nutritious foods on the planet). They’re loaded with bio-available vitamin A (retinol) and B12, as well as B2, B5, D, selenium, choline, protein (contains all essential amino acids in the correct ratios), omega-3 fats, and antioxidants (zeaxanthin and lutein, both are also good for eye health). [6]

Get Cooking!

Is your stomach rumbling? Well, get ready! Because it’s time to get cooking!

Deviled Avocado (FM)
Breakfast Quiche Muffins (FM)
Egg Noodles (FM)
Thai Scramble (FM)

Squash

Looking for something creamy, savory, and just so darn comfy for your taste buds? Then look no further than squash! It’s quite surprising, since you’d think they’d be high carb. Nope! They’re pretty low carb, all things considered. And there are many verities to choose from, each with their own flavor profile. A lot of people enjoy the nutty flavor of butternut, while others go for the insanely creamy kabocha (Japanese Pumpkin). A trendy one is spaghetti squash because, as the name implies, its insides resemble spaghetti noodles! Which is why they’re often used as a substitute for regular, high-carb noodles. They give that extra bite and flavor that’ll make you want to ditch the old ones for good!

Nutrient Breakdown: Nutrients will vary depending on the type of squash you go for. Generally speaking, they’re rich in vitamin A, C, E, some B vitamins, magnesium potassium, manganese, and fiber (especially pumpkin and butternut squash). [7]

Get Cooking!

We’re now in the season of cooler weather and cozy comfort meals, so don’t be tempted to cave into the high-carb temptation and go for these carb-friendly recipes!

Kale and Butternut Squash Lasagna (FM)
Cheesy Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli (FM)
Roasted Pumpkin Soup (FM)
Bacon Wrapped Butternut Squash (FM)
Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Cookies (FM)

There you go, everyone! These are some of the top foods to include into a low-carb diet. If you’ve got any go-to’s, please share them in the comments below! And, if I get enough demand, I’ll make a part 2!