The Basic Drink Your Carbs Food List
UNLIMITED FOODS
Beverages
Beverages are fundamental to Drink Your Carbs. Beverages are the reason we developed the diet. We wanted to lose weight while continuing to drink alcohol. In order to accomplish this, however, some drinks had to go. Fortunately, there are plenty of great options left for your unlimited enjoyment.
Beverages are fundamental to Drink Your Carbs. Beverages are the reason we developed the diet. We wanted to lose weight while continuing to drink alcohol. In order to accomplish this, however, some drinks had to go. Fortunately, there are plenty of great options left for your unlimited enjoyment.
Allowable beverages are as follows:
Alcoholic Beverages (Follow the “No Mixer” rule.)
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- Beer (Avoid obviously sweet beers and try your best to stick to lower-calorie beers.)
- Champagne and other sparkling wines (Avoid sweet sparkling wines and champagne. Be aware that most of these wines contain small amounts of residual sugar. A good rule is to avoid Sec and Demi-Sec all together and ask for drier styles when ordering glasses or purchasing bottles. Brut, Extra Brut and Extra Dry are typically sensible choices.)
- Sake (No sweet sake.)
- Spirits (No sweet spirits, this includes spirits containing artificial sweeteners. Our reason for prohibiting artificial sweeteners can be found in Chapter Sixteen.)
- Wine – All red, white and rosé (No sweet wines.)
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- Coffee (Iced, hot or room temperature. The best policy is: learn to like your coffee black. Do not add sugar or any artificial sweetener. If you must add milk, stick to low fat or skim.)
- Lemon, line and other citrus (We are not advocating drinking a tall glass of frozen, concentrated orange juice. In fact, juice is only allowed as a flavoring not as a primary beverage. Citrus should be fresh squeezed and unsweetened. Add only what is required to brighten to your drinks. Rose’s Lime Juice does not count; if you check the ingredients you will find that Rose’s is lime-scented high-fructose corn syrup.)
- Seltzer (Unsweetened. Cans and bottles labeled “Naturally Flavored” and “Zero Calories” are usually calorie free and unsweetened, but you should always check the ingredients to confirm that there are no artificial sweeteners.)
- Tea (All types, hot and iced, as long as they’re unsweetened.)
- Water and sparkling water
Protein:
- All unsweetened meats and all varieties of eggs are allowed in unlimited quantity.
- All fish and other seafood are also unlimited. (We have yet to come across a fish, crustacean, bivalve or any other sea creature that is not perfect for Drink Your Carbs. This is not to say that scientists will not discover some creature living way down by the undersea vents that can swim yet has the basic body composition of a potato. Until this happens, the oceans are fair game. Consider everything from it to be unlimited.)
Fact: There is one exception to our blanket declaration that everything from the sea is unlimited. If it’s on the endangered species list, it is not on Drink Your Carbs. There is no exception to this rule. If you really want to eat dugong or whale, lobby the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife to have them removed from the list. Until that happens, it’s off the menu.
There is one additional consideration, and it has nothing to do with carbs or calories. Some fish are dangerously high in mercury and other environmental pollutants. You don’t have to take our word for it. The FDA has warned pregnant women and children not to eat certain fish. If you think that ingesting toxins is more likely to give you superpowers than health problems, feel free to disregard the warning. For everyone else, we recommend checking out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program; they maintain a comprehensive list of both safe and sustainable seafood choices.
We have divided protein into lean and high-fat proteins. Both categories are unlimited on Drink Your Carbs. However, if you want to lose weight a little faster, focus on lean meats. Lean meats are just as satisfying and can be significantly lower in calories. A simple rule to keep in mind is that grass-fed meats and wild-game meats tend to be leaner than grain and corn-fed animals.
Fact: We occasionally get angry letters detailing the treatment of industrially farmed animals and trying to convince us to stop eating and promoting meat. Our favorite letter included a photocopy of someone dressed as a cow, protesting outside of a McDonalds franchise.
We agree that industrial farming can be horrific. We just do not see that as a reason to quit meat altogether. Instead, we buy grass-fed meat from small family farms that do not use hormones or rely on feedlots. This is easy to do in San Francisco. It is markedly more difficult in other parts of the country.
Our best advice is that when you have the option of hormone-free, grass-fed meats, buy them. As more of us make this choice, more animals will be raised to these standards.
As for donning a cow suit and picketing a McDonalds, we support you 100 percent, although, for different reasons. A Big Mac contains 540 calories before you add a drink or fries. This is equivalent to nearly a full bottle of wine. To someone on Drink Your Carbs, the Big Mac is never worth it.
When you see a McDonalds, keep driving. And don’t forget to wave to the kids out front in the cow suits. We’re all on the same side.
Lean Protein:
- Beef (Flank steak, roasts, lean ground beef, all grass-fed beef, and unsweetened beef jerky.)
- Buffalo
- Chicken Sausages (unsweetened)
- Deli Meats (unsweetened)
- Eggs (All types, from tiny quail to massive ostrich.)
- Fish and Other Seafood (All types including shellfish and roe.)
- Frog
- Game Meats (All types and cuts.)
- Goat
- Guinea Pig (Listed here for our Ecuadorian friends.)
- Insects (Keep this in mind while travelling or lost in the woods.)
- Organ Meats (All types. The spookier the better.)
- Pork Chops
- Pork Roast
- Pork Loin
- Poultry (All types and cuts, but do keep in mind that white meat is leaner.)
- Protein Powders (Egg, whey, pea, hemp and even brown rice-derived proteins are fine as long as they contain no added sweeteners.)
- Ostrich
- Rabbit
- Seitan (Yes, this is not meat. But it is a lean protein.)
- Sheep (Mutton)
- Snails
- Veal
Higher-Fat Proteins:
- Bacon (unsweetened)
- Beef Ribs (Also called short ribs)
- Bologna
- Ham (unsweetened)
- Hotdogs (unsweetened)
- Jerky (unsweetened)
- Lamb
- Mortadella (Italian bologna)
- Pepperoni (unsweetened)
- Pork Ribs
- Pork Sausage (unsweetened)
- Prosciutto/Jamon Serrano/Jamon Iberico, etc. (Fancy, delicious cured pig parts.)
- Salami/Salumi
- Soy Proteins (tofu, tempeh, etc.)
Fats:
- Butter
- Canola Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Flaxseed Oil
- Ghee
- Grape Seed Oil
- Lard and other Rendered Fats
- Nut Oils
- Almond Oil
- Cashew Oil
- Macadamia Nut Oil
- Pine Nut Oil
- Walnut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Peanut Oil
- Safflower Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Sunflower Oil
Fruit - All Fresh and Unsweetened Frozen, Including:
- Apples (All varieties.)
- Apricots
- Apriums (If you haven’t tried this hybrid, they are awesome.)
- Bananas
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Boysenberries
- Cherries
- Clementine
- Cranberries
- Figs
- Grapefruits
- Grapes
- Guavas
- Honeydew
- Kiwis
- Lemons
- Limes
- Loquat
- Lychee
- Mandarin Oranges
- Mangos
- Melons (All varieties.)
- Nectarines
- Oranges
- Papaya
- Passion Fruit
- Peaches
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Pineapple
- Plums
- Pluots (Another awesome hybrid.)
- Pomegranate
- Quince
- Pomelo
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tangerines
- Watermelon
- Etc. – Pretty much anything that you can find raw in the produce section, go ahead and eat it.
Vegetables- All Fresh, Frozen and Unsweetened Canned:
We love all vegetables, but we are particularly enamored with salad. We eat salad at nearly every meal. As far as we are concerned, a huge salad topped with some kind of protein is one of the great pleasures of being an omnivore.
Fifteen years ago, we visited the Galapagos Islands. Anyone who has studied Charles Darwin knows that these islands can have a strong and lasting impact on a young mind. Our trip lasted seven days. To this day, we show our affection for one another by performing the mating dance of the blue-footed booby.
When it comes to eating salad, we still channel our inner giant tortoise. The tortoises of the Galapagos grow to five feet in diameter and can weigh over 800 pounds. We never saw these giants in the wild, but at the Conservation Center we watched them devour leaves by the bushel. Their movements were slow and deliberate. Their focus was absolute. Imagine a vegetarian speed-eating contest filmed in Matrix Bullet Time.
The tortoises were unperturbed by visitors. In fact, they didn’t give a rat’s ass about the noise and the photographs as long as no one got between them and their leafy greens.
We serve our nightly salad from a bowl better sized for movie theater popcorn. As far as we are concerned - and we assure you that the tortoises agree - there is no such thing as too much salad.
We love all vegetables, but we are particularly enamored with salad. We eat salad at nearly every meal. As far as we are concerned, a huge salad topped with some kind of protein is one of the great pleasures of being an omnivore.
Fifteen years ago, we visited the Galapagos Islands. Anyone who has studied Charles Darwin knows that these islands can have a strong and lasting impact on a young mind. Our trip lasted seven days. To this day, we show our affection for one another by performing the mating dance of the blue-footed booby.
When it comes to eating salad, we still channel our inner giant tortoise. The tortoises of the Galapagos grow to five feet in diameter and can weigh over 800 pounds. We never saw these giants in the wild, but at the Conservation Center we watched them devour leaves by the bushel. Their movements were slow and deliberate. Their focus was absolute. Imagine a vegetarian speed-eating contest filmed in Matrix Bullet Time.
The tortoises were unperturbed by visitors. In fact, they didn’t give a rat’s ass about the noise and the photographs as long as no one got between them and their leafy greens.
We serve our nightly salad from a bowl better sized for movie theater popcorn. As far as we are concerned - and we assure you that the tortoises agree - there is no such thing as too much salad.
- Asparagus
- Artichoke
- Arugula
- Avocados (No need to send us hate mail. We know avocado is technically a fruit. The problem is that if we categorize it under Fruit, no one would ever find it.)
- Bamboo Shoots
- Beans (All fresh varietals.)
- Beets and Beet Greens
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chard
- Collards
- Corn (Whole, fresh kernels of corn on or off the cob. No popped, polenta, syrup or meal.)
- Cucumbers
- Dandelion Greens
- Eggplant
- Endive
- Garlic
- Ginger (fresh)
- Green Onion
- Herbs (All varieties. See Herbs and Spices.)
- Jerusalem Artichokes
- Kale
- Kholrabi
- Leeks
- Lettuce (All varieties including butter, iceberg, red leaf, romaine, etc.)
- Lemon Grass
- Mizuna
- Mushrooms (Dried and fresh.)
- Mustard Greens
- Okra
- Onions
- Parsnips
- Peas
- Peppers (Sweet and hot.)
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Rutabagas
- Seaweed
- Shallots
- Soy Beans (edamame)
- Spaghetti Squash
- Spinach
- Summer Squash (zucchini, yellow, etc.)
- Tomatillos
- Tomatoes (Technically a fruit, but again most people don’t know that.)
- Turnips
- Watercress
- Winter Squash (Acorn, Butternut, Pumpkin, etc.)
- Etc.
Non-Fat Dairy & Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milks:
If you can tolerate dairy products - Andrea can, Steven cannot - they are a good source of protein. It is, however, possible to overdo it. Some dairy products, including high fat cheeses and yogurts, are calorically dense and way too easy to eat in large quantities. This is why most dairy is Limited on Drink Your Carbs. That said, we do allow non-fat dairy in unlimited quantities. Our reason is simple. Non-fat dairy is comparatively low in calories and high in protein.
To be clear: this recommendation has nothing to do with an irrational fear of fat. Most fats are unlimited on Drink Your Carbs, as are fatty meats. The reason high-fat dairy is Limited is due entirely to its calorie count. A tiny wedge of Brie has more calories than an entire cup of non-fat cottage cheese. By sticking to non-fat dairy, you get more food while consuming fewer calories.
We have also included a few dairy substitutes, as a nod to Steven and the rest of the dairy-impaired.
If you can tolerate dairy products - Andrea can, Steven cannot - they are a good source of protein. It is, however, possible to overdo it. Some dairy products, including high fat cheeses and yogurts, are calorically dense and way too easy to eat in large quantities. This is why most dairy is Limited on Drink Your Carbs. That said, we do allow non-fat dairy in unlimited quantities. Our reason is simple. Non-fat dairy is comparatively low in calories and high in protein.
To be clear: this recommendation has nothing to do with an irrational fear of fat. Most fats are unlimited on Drink Your Carbs, as are fatty meats. The reason high-fat dairy is Limited is due entirely to its calorie count. A tiny wedge of Brie has more calories than an entire cup of non-fat cottage cheese. By sticking to non-fat dairy, you get more food while consuming fewer calories.
We have also included a few dairy substitutes, as a nod to Steven and the rest of the dairy-impaired.
- Nonfat Cottage Cheese
- Nonfat Milk
- Plain, Non-Fat Yogurt (unsweetened) (If you are one of those people who cannot stand plain yogurt, try it with berries, fresh fruit and nuts, such as almonds or walnuts.)
- Unsweetened nut milks can be hard to find. We recommend that you make your own. The basic recipe is the same regardless of the nut used. We will use almonds for our example. Throw a handful of almonds and small cup of water into a really good blender. (Our favorite blenders are made by Vitamix and Blendtec). Hit “Start” and less than a minute later you should have thick, white almond milk. If it’s too thin add more almonds. If it’s too thick add water. You can find more complex recipes that require stirring and straining, but making nut milk really can be as simple as we describe.
- Almond Milk (unsweetened)
- Rice Milk (unsweetened)
- Soy Milk (unsweetened)
- Hemp Milk and Others (unsweetened)
Beans (Dried and Fresh):
Beans generate the most confusion of anything on the food list. We are aware that beans are high in carbs. They are also one of the best substitutes for rice, potatoes, etc. They are very filling, and, really, how many beans can you eat? If the answer is several cups in a sitting consider keeping these Limited. If not, enjoy.
Beans generate the most confusion of anything on the food list. We are aware that beans are high in carbs. They are also one of the best substitutes for rice, potatoes, etc. They are very filling, and, really, how many beans can you eat? If the answer is several cups in a sitting consider keeping these Limited. If not, enjoy.
- Azuki Beans
- Black Beans
- Black-Eyed Peas
- Broad Beans (fava beans)
- Cannellini Beans
- Chickpeas
- Great Northern Beans
- Green Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Lentils
- Mung Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Runner Beans
- Soybeans
- White Beans
- Etc.
Condiments, Herbs and Spices:
All unsweetened condiments, herbs and spices are classified as unlimited. We strongly encourage their use. These are the ingredients that make a bland meal delicious. Herbs and spices have almost no calories and make everything taste better.
Branch out. Play. Seek out an ethnic grocery store or specialty spice shop. You will occasionally make awful, inedible mistakes, but you will also hit spectacular, towering home runs. One word of caution: beware of added sugar. You wouldn’t expect to find high-fructose corn syrup in pickles, mayonnaise or mustard, but it’s often there. Check the labels and you are good to go.
All unsweetened condiments, herbs and spices are classified as unlimited. We strongly encourage their use. These are the ingredients that make a bland meal delicious. Herbs and spices have almost no calories and make everything taste better.
Branch out. Play. Seek out an ethnic grocery store or specialty spice shop. You will occasionally make awful, inedible mistakes, but you will also hit spectacular, towering home runs. One word of caution: beware of added sugar. You wouldn’t expect to find high-fructose corn syrup in pickles, mayonnaise or mustard, but it’s often there. Check the labels and you are good to go.
- Aioli (This is just a fancy word for mayonnaise.)
- Capers and Caper Berries
- Chili Paste (Asian style with or without garlic.)
- Dill Pickles (unsweetened)
- Harissa
- Mayonnaise (All types, including real, canola, olive-oil based and vegan “Nayonaise.” Just make sure your choice is unsweetened. Miracle Whip, which we argue is not a type of mayonnaise at all, contains both corn syrup and sugar.)
- Mustard (unsweetened)
- Olives
- Pickled Vegetables (unsweetened, including cucumbers, beans, carrots, jalapeños, onions and others. Be on the lookout for fake color as well. Chances are, if it is dyed a primary color, it also contains sugar and/or corn syrup.)
- Relish (unsweetened)
- Salad Dressings (unsweetened)
- Salsa (Unsweetened. Read the labels carefully on fruit salsas. If they have no added sugar, they are okay.)
- Siracha (Our favorite hot sauce.)
- Sauerkraut
- Tartar Sauce (unsweetened)
- Tabasco, Chulula, Tapatio and other bottled vinegar/hot sauces. Just be sure to check for sugar.
- Vinegars (All varieties.)
Herbs and Spices:
All unsweetened fresh and dried including:
All unsweetened fresh and dried including:
- Allspice Berries
- Anise Seeds
- Annatto Seeds
- Asafetida
- Basil
- Bay Leaves
- Cacao Powder
- Cacao Nibs
- Caraway Seeds
- Cardamom
- Celery Seeds
- Chervil
- Chiles (All varieties.)
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Coriander Seeds
- Cumin Seeds
- Curry Leaves
- Dill Seeds
- Dill Weed
- Epazote
- Fennel Seed
- Galangal Root
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Hibiscus Flowers
- Horseradish Powder
- Juniper Berries
- Lavender
- Lemon Grass
- Lemon Verbena
- Lime Leaves, Kaffir
- Marjoram
- Mint Leaves
- Mustard Powder
- Mustard Seed
- Nutmeg
- Onion
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Parsley
- Peppercorns and Ground Pepper
- Rosemary
- Saffron
- Sage
- Salts
- Sesame Seeds
- Star Anise
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Turmeric
- Vanilla Bean and Extract
- Wasabi Powder
LIMITED FOODS
As previously mentioned, defining Limited choices is more art than science. The key to Limited foods is that they should never comprise a full meal and they should never be a daily occurrence. Limited foods should be an occasional treat. If they stop feeling like something special, you are eating them too often. Limited foods are intended to provide variation and flexibility. If you find yourself living on any of these foods, you should eliminate it entirely. Alternately, you can move into Austerity Mode where most of these foods are forbidden.
Protein:
Sweetened, processed meats are all Limited. We left them in Limited in spite of their sweeteners because they contain very little sugar and would be nearly impossible to fully eliminate. We recommend that you avoid buying sweetened meats to eat at home and instead save them for eating out. It will feel like a treat to order ham or maple bacon in your omelet, and not having these foods at home will help you keep them limited.
Examples of sweetened meats include:
Sweetened, processed meats are all Limited. We left them in Limited in spite of their sweeteners because they contain very little sugar and would be nearly impossible to fully eliminate. We recommend that you avoid buying sweetened meats to eat at home and instead save them for eating out. It will feel like a treat to order ham or maple bacon in your omelet, and not having these foods at home will help you keep them limited.
Examples of sweetened meats include:
- Bacon (Maple, honey, etc.)
- Beef/Buffalo Jerky
- Deli Meats
- Ham
- Pepperoni
Fats:
After ridiculing diets that hold up certain foods as morally and nutritionally superior to others, we too are guilty of such prejudice. We categorize these fats as Limited because we believe that they are less healthy. That said, these highly processed oils are calorically similar to the so-called healthier oils listed under Unlimited. From a weight-loss perspective they are all about the same. Since this categorization is not about weight loss, but rather healthy eating, you should make your own choices. If you want to use highly processed fats or even trans fats in your cooking, we will not show up at your house to stop you. We just wanted you to be aware that we think there is a difference.
After ridiculing diets that hold up certain foods as morally and nutritionally superior to others, we too are guilty of such prejudice. We categorize these fats as Limited because we believe that they are less healthy. That said, these highly processed oils are calorically similar to the so-called healthier oils listed under Unlimited. From a weight-loss perspective they are all about the same. Since this categorization is not about weight loss, but rather healthy eating, you should make your own choices. If you want to use highly processed fats or even trans fats in your cooking, we will not show up at your house to stop you. We just wanted you to be aware that we think there is a difference.
- Cottonseed Oil
- Palm Oil
- Margarine
- Shortening
- Soybean Oil
- Other Processed/Artificial Oils
Higher-Fat Dairy
All dairy, aside from non-fat dairy, is Limited. We do not distinguish low-fat from high-fat cheeses. The caloric difference between the low-fat and normal version of a cheese is often less than 10 calories per ounce. You are far better off eating the cheese you like and limiting the quantity.
All dairy, aside from non-fat dairy, is Limited. We do not distinguish low-fat from high-fat cheeses. The caloric difference between the low-fat and normal version of a cheese is often less than 10 calories per ounce. You are far better off eating the cheese you like and limiting the quantity.
- Cheese (All varieties except the kind that comes in a pressurized can. "Processed cheese foods" is not cheese. Based on the ingredients we would categorize it as a dessert topping.)
- Cream
- Milk (2% and above.)
Higher Calorie Alternative Milks:
Most non-dairy milks contain a small amount of sugar to cut the bitterness of the nuts and other ingredients. These products are allowed in Limited quantity but we recommend reading the labels and trying to choose products with the least added sugar. As always, avoid flavored milks; premixed chocolate, strawberry, eggnog, etc. are a dead giveaway that a product contains too much sweetener and should be avoided.
Most non-dairy milks contain a small amount of sugar to cut the bitterness of the nuts and other ingredients. These products are allowed in Limited quantity but we recommend reading the labels and trying to choose products with the least added sugar. As always, avoid flavored milks; premixed chocolate, strawberry, eggnog, etc. are a dead giveaway that a product contains too much sweetener and should be avoided.
- Coconut Milk (There is no added sugar in coconut milk, but one cup of the full fat variety contains over 500 calories. Use a splash of coconut milk in your coffee or use it to flavor dishes such as curry. If you want a glass of a milk-like-substance pick an alternative.)
- Soy Milk (sweetened)
- Almond Milk (sweetened)
- Rice Milk (sweetened)
- Other Sweetened Non-Dairy Milks
Nuts, Nut Butters and Dried Fruit (Unsweetened):
- We love dried fruit and nuts. They are a great source of protein, healthy fats and fiber. More importantly, they taste great. We love them so much we could easily eat handful after handful. While that would be better for us than eating the same quantity of potato chips, it would still be a diet buster. Dried fruit and nuts pack a serious caloric punch. Enjoy them mightily, but eat them sparingly.
- Almonds and Almond Butter
- Brazil Nuts
- Cashews and Cashew Butter
- Chestnuts
- Coconut (unsweetened)
- Dried Fruits (All unsweetened varieties including dates, figs, apples, raisins, etc.)
- Hazel Nuts
- Fruit Jams and Jellies (unsweetened)
- Macadamia Nuts
- Peanuts/Peanut Butter (Yes, we know it’s technically a legume. Feel free to create your own nerdy “legume” section in the margin if you feel strongly about it.)
- Pecans
- Pine Nuts
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sesame Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Walnuts
- Etc.
Grains:
In limited quantities, complex grains can be part of a healthy diet. The key here is to keep them limited. These foods are restricted for a reason. They are likely to add far more calories to a meal than would be added by any side dish of vegetables. That said, as long as they are consumed in reasonable quantities, they remain compatible with the Drink Your Carbs lifestyle.
Be careful not to overindulge on things like brown rice pasta or quinoa tortillas. In limited quantities these are fine, but it is very easy to overeat these foods. The same holds true for baked goods. Keep them as a treat rather than a staple. As with any food on the Limited list, if you can’t control your quantities cut out grains entirely.
In limited quantities, complex grains can be part of a healthy diet. The key here is to keep them limited. These foods are restricted for a reason. They are likely to add far more calories to a meal than would be added by any side dish of vegetables. That said, as long as they are consumed in reasonable quantities, they remain compatible with the Drink Your Carbs lifestyle.
Be careful not to overindulge on things like brown rice pasta or quinoa tortillas. In limited quantities these are fine, but it is very easy to overeat these foods. The same holds true for baked goods. Keep them as a treat rather than a staple. As with any food on the Limited list, if you can’t control your quantities cut out grains entirely.
- Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Forbidden Rice (Yes, contrary to the name, forbidden rice is allowed. Plain old white rice? That’s actually forbidden.)
- Buckwheat
- Quinoa
Alternative Flours:
If you want to bake or use flour in a recipe, stick to these higher protein alternatives. Just keep in mind that a gluten-free baguette, no matter how tasty, contains roughly the same number of calories as its glutinous counterpart, and sometimes more.
If you want to bake or use flour in a recipe, stick to these higher protein alternatives. Just keep in mind that a gluten-free baguette, no matter how tasty, contains roughly the same number of calories as its glutinous counterpart, and sometimes more.
- Acorn Flour
- Almond Flour
- Bean Flours
- Buckwheat Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Quinoa Flour
- Tapioca Flour
AVOID THESE FOODS
Avoid is not as a strong a word as “prohibited.” Food on the Avoid list will occasionally sneak into your diet. This is particularly true when you eat out. This is to be expected. Drink Your Carbs is a lifestyle not a religion. Avoid these foods as much as possible. Never bring them home from the grocery store. Never intentionally order a plate of them at a restaurant. This way, when they do sneak into your diet, they will do so in very small quantities.
Remember: Ninety percent compliance with Drink Your Carbs is still an A on Major Morgan’s Grading Scale (See Grading, Chapter Eleven). Regularly grade yourself to make sure that these foods are not becoming a regular part of your diet.
Beverages:
If you want to lose weight while continuing to drink alcohol, some beverages must be avoided:
If you want to lose weight while continuing to drink alcohol, some beverages must be avoided:
- Gatorade and Other Sports Drinks, Including Coconut Water (You really don’t need it unless you are running a marathon or something equivalent.)
- Juice (The only exception is a squeeze of citrus added to a dressing, recipe or cocktail for flavor.)
- Flavored Milk Drinks (Chocolate, strawberry-riffic, etc.)
- Mixers
- Sodas
- Diet Sodas (Our reason might surprise you, see Chapter Sixteen.)
- Sweet Liquors (Amaretto, Frangelico, Grand Marnier, etc.)
- Sweet Wines
- Vitamin Water and other flavored waters (Adding words like “Healthy,” and “Vitamin-Enriched” to labels does nothing to change the fact that these are just flat sodas.)
High-Starch Vegetables:
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Taro
- Yams
Grains and Flours:
We don’t avoid baked goods for a philosophical reason. Nor are we trying to torture ourselves like medieval monks or modern S&M enthusiasts. We avoid these foods because they are obscenely high in calories. We simply cannot afford those calories if we also want to continue drinking.
We don’t avoid baked goods for a philosophical reason. Nor are we trying to torture ourselves like medieval monks or modern S&M enthusiasts. We avoid these foods because they are obscenely high in calories. We simply cannot afford those calories if we also want to continue drinking.
- Barley
- Maize
- Millet
- Oats
- Potato Flour
- Rice Flour
- Rye
- Sorghum
- Wheat (This includes flour. This should be obvious, but we are continually surprised when we are told in restaurants that a dish contains “no wheat, only flour.”)
- White Rice
Sugar and Other Sweeteners:
Eliminating sugar and other sweeteners is by far the most difficult task most people face on Drink Your Carbs. Unfortunately, we can’t make this any easier. These empty calories must be eliminated.
If you want to taste something sweet, eat fresh fruit. Fresh fruit is nature’s candy and you can eat as much of it as you want. Also, keep this in mind when you are out to dinner: the Drink Your Carbs response to a dessert menu is, "My dessert is served in a glass."
Examples of sugars and sweeteners include:
Eliminating sugar and other sweeteners is by far the most difficult task most people face on Drink Your Carbs. Unfortunately, we can’t make this any easier. These empty calories must be eliminated.
If you want to taste something sweet, eat fresh fruit. Fresh fruit is nature’s candy and you can eat as much of it as you want. Also, keep this in mind when you are out to dinner: the Drink Your Carbs response to a dessert menu is, "My dessert is served in a glass."
Examples of sugars and sweeteners include:
- Agave Nectar
- Artificial Sweeteners (Our reasons might surprise you. See Chapter Sixteen.)
- Coconut Nectar
- Fruit Juice Concentrate
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Molasses
- Stevia
- Sugar (Brown, natural, powdered, white, etc.)
Condiments:
- All condiments containing sugar and other sweeteners including, but not limited to:
- Barbecue Sauce (Usually contains sugar.)
- Chutneys (Usually contains sugar.)
- Jams and Jellies (Sweetened. Pure fruit jams and jellies are limited.)
- Hoisin Sauce (Usually contains sugar.)
- Honey Mustard
- Ketchup (Usually contains sugar, or more likely, corn syrup.)
- Peanut Sauce (Usually contains sugar.)
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Sweet Pickles
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
- Etc.
PREPARATIONS
There is no shortage of experts recommending a raw food diet. To hear them tell it, heating your food instantly turns dinner into a toxic event analogous to Chernobyl. We’ll let raw food guru Robert Ross speak for the entire raw food movement: “Heating food above 118 degrees [Fahrenheit] causes the chemical changes that create acidic toxins, including . . . carcinogens, mutagens and free-radicals . . .”
We are more than a little skeptical. In fact, we’re not convinced that a full-time raw diet is even good for you. Our skepticism is not based in scientific studies. It’s based on the direct observation of people who work in raw food restaurants and profess to live a completely raw lifestyle. Members of the cult-of-raw are easy to spot because they tend to be thin and splotchy. And by thin, we are talking about the kind of thin that concerns New York models.
We recently ate at a raw-food restaurant in San Francisco. Our waitress was so thin and pale that even Kate Moss would have found herself whispering, “My God. Get that woman a piece of chicken.”
If you plan on embracing the raw food lifestyle, you don’t have to worry about preparations. All of your “cooking” will be done in a blender and a food dehydrator.
For those of us who still plan to cook some meals, we offer the following guidance on preparations: this list is designed to steer you away from preparation methods which turn otherwise low-calorie, healthy foods into calorie bombs. This list is particularly useful for eating out. Consider it a guide for translating the hyperbole that has become standard menu fare.
We are more than a little skeptical. In fact, we’re not convinced that a full-time raw diet is even good for you. Our skepticism is not based in scientific studies. It’s based on the direct observation of people who work in raw food restaurants and profess to live a completely raw lifestyle. Members of the cult-of-raw are easy to spot because they tend to be thin and splotchy. And by thin, we are talking about the kind of thin that concerns New York models.
We recently ate at a raw-food restaurant in San Francisco. Our waitress was so thin and pale that even Kate Moss would have found herself whispering, “My God. Get that woman a piece of chicken.”
If you plan on embracing the raw food lifestyle, you don’t have to worry about preparations. All of your “cooking” will be done in a blender and a food dehydrator.
For those of us who still plan to cook some meals, we offer the following guidance on preparations: this list is designed to steer you away from preparation methods which turn otherwise low-calorie, healthy foods into calorie bombs. This list is particularly useful for eating out. Consider it a guide for translating the hyperbole that has become standard menu fare.
Unlimited
- Baked
- Barbequed
- Blanched
- Boiled
- Braised
- Broiled
- Chopped
- Cured
- Dried/Dehydrated
- Grilled
- Microwaved
- Pickled
- Poached
- Pureed
- Raw
- Roasted
- Rotisserie Cooked
- Sautéed in Oil, Water or Stock
- Slow Cooked
- Smoked
- Sous-Vide (Slow cooked in water while sealed in a pouch. Delicious.)
- Steamed
- Stewed
- Stir Fried (As in, not deep fried.)
Avoid
- Breaded
- Candied (As in “candied walnuts.”)
- Chicken Fried
- Cream Sauced
- Crispy (This is generally a euphemism for “fried,” but not always. We have seen it applied to foods that are Drink Your Cars friendly, such as baked in a hot oven and/or coated with nuts. At a minimum, the term “crispy” requires an extensive interrogation of the wait staff.)
- Deep-Fried
- Encrusted (Fancy for breaded.)
- Glazed (Almost always sweet.)
Sign up for our email newsletter and we will send you a free copy of the Condensed Food List. It contains every food, drink and condiment in the Food List without any commentary. Hopefully, it will carry you through to the day that we stop procrastinating and build a Drink Your Carbs app.