While it may seem pretty straightforward, the concept of “low carb” is actually a little ambiguous. For some people, low-carb could mean 100 grams of carbs per day, while for others, low-carb is strictly 20-30 grams.
However, when following the keto diet, there’s very little wiggle room when defining what low-carb means to you. Essentially, low-carb in keto terms means that your carbs have been restricted to the point where you can enter ketosis.
But what’s the magic number that gets you in ketosis? Read on for tips on what 30 and 50 grams of carbs look like, which carbs to focus on, and meal plans to guide your journey.
What 30 To 50 Carbs Per Day Looks Like
On the keto diet, you’re trying to transition to a metabolic state where you use ketones — rather than glucose — as your body’s primary energy source. To do this, you’ll need to keep your daily carb intake to a minimum and replace calories with healthy fats and protein.
To enter (and remain) in ketosis, the macronutrient guidelines for the average person include:
- 5-10% of calories from carbs
- 20-25% from protein
- 70-75%, or remaining calories from fat
For most people, this nets out around 30 to 50 grams of carbs per day.
The Difference Between Total Carbohydrates and Net Carbs
Net carbs are the total amount of carbs you consume (in grams), minus the grams of dietary fiber. Net carbs are calculated this way because dietary fiber does not raise your blood glucose levels (blood sugar), which is exactly what you’re trying to avoid on keto.
Many people choose to calculate net carbs — as opposed to total carbs — when they’re on a ketogenic diet. Calculating net carbs means you’ll get to eat slightly more total carbs during the day, which can make your life a lot easier.
Other people choose to stick to 30-50 total carbs daily, which is much more restrictive but is a guarantee that you’ll stay in ketosis.
Your Keto Carb Limit: Which Carbs Are Best?
If you’re eating just 30-50 grams of carbs per day, you’ll want to make those carbs count. That means eating more high-fiber, nutrient-dense carbs and avoiding carbohydrates like sugar, grains such as bread, white rice, quinoa, and starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and other tubers.
Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs: The Keto vs. SAD Debate
When it comes to good carbs and bad carbs, once again keto takes a different approach than most diets.
The Standard American Diet (SAD) includes processed carbs like white bread, pastries, cookies, and pasta. Many dietitians will recommend more complex carbs like those found in lentils, beans, brown rice, whole grains, and starchy vegetables to combat SAD[*].
They tell people to veer away from simple sugars (or “bad carbs”) found in white rice, white bread and processed snack foods, as most of the nutrition has been stripped away.
However, most foods considered “healthy carbs” by USDA dietetics are eliminated on keto, as they spike your insulin levels (thereby kicking you out of a ketogenic state).
On keto, you’ll consume whole foods that rank very low on the glycemic index (and have very low net carb counts), including green, leafy veggies, healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, and MCT oil, and high-quality protein[*].
What Does 30 and 50 Grams Of Carbs Look Like?
While the concept of keeping carbs within a 30 to 50-gram window may sound simple in theory, truly knowing the carb count in common foods is critical if you want to stay on track. Below is a list of common foods with their carb counts to give you an idea of what 30 to 50 grams of carbs would look like.
This list is not exhaustive but it is meant to give you a general idea of which food groups are safe and which to keep an eye on when planning your meals.
Grains
- One bagel 36 net carbs
- 1 piece sourdough bread 12 net carbs
- ½ cup oatmeal 10 net carbs
- ½ cup of white rice 26 net carbs
- ½ cup of quinoa 17 net carbs
Meat
Most unprocessed meat contains zero net carbs. However, if the meat is processed, ingredients can be added, which up the carb count. For instance:
- 6oz ground beef 0 net carbs
- 6 oz lamb chops 0 net carbs
- 6 oz veal cutlet 0 net carbs
- 6 oz chicken breast 0 net carbs
- 1 oz beef jerky 2.6 net carbs
- 3 oz beef salami 3.4 net carbs
- 3 oz deli ham 1.5 net carbs
Dairy
- ½ cup cottage cheese 2.8 net carbs
- 1 tbsp butter 0 net carbs
- 1 cup 2% milk 11.7 net carbs
- 1 cup low-fat yogurt 17 net carbs
- 1 piece American cheese 0.3 net carbs
- 2 tbsp cream cheese 0.8 net carbs
Fruit
- 1 apple 17 net carbs
- 1 small banana 21 net carbs
- 1 avocado 4.8 net carbs
- ¼ cup blueberries 4 net carbs
- ¼ cup strawberries 4.8 net carbs
Vegetables (non-starchy)
- 6 asparagus spears 2.4 net carbs
- 1 cup bok choy 0.8 net carbs
- 0.5 cup broccoli 1.7 net carbs
- 1 celery stalk 0.8 net carbs
- ½ cup kale 2.4 net carbs
- 1 cup spinach 0.2 net carbs
Vegetables (starchy)
- 1 sweet potato 19 net carbs
- ½ cup white potato 14 net carbs
- ½ cup pumpkin 6 net carbs
- ½ cup acorn squash 10.4 net carbs
- ½ cup butternut squash 8 net carbs
Nuts and Seeds
- 2 tbsp almond butter 5.6 net carbs
- 2 tbsp whole almonds 1.4 net carbs
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans 0.6 net carbs
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 2.4 net carbs
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds 1.5 net carbs
Fat
Sources of fat like olive oil, coconut oil, butter, lard, and so on all contain zero carbs(and therefore zero net carbs), making them excellent additions to your keto diet.
Which Foods To Focus On, And Which To Avoid
As you can see, it’s best to avoid anything in the grain family when you’re trying to avoid excess carbs. With carb counts hitting up to 30 grams per serving, grains are likely to be too carb-heavy to fit into your diet, even in modest amounts.
Some people can get away with adding a small amount of the lower-carb varieties here and there (quinoa, for instance), but if you’re aiming to keep your carbs between 30 and 50 grams, you’re better off avoiding grains altogether.
The same goes for starchy vegetables like potatoes and squash. One-half cup of most starchy vegetables will provide at least 10 grams of net carbs, which is simply too many when you’re trying to keep carbs low. Instead, focus on the non-starchy varieties like green leafy vegetables (kale and spinach) and other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Most meat is almost 100% carb-free. However, some processed meats contain sugars and other additives that bring the carb counts up significantly. For instance, some beef jerky brands will come with 5 grams of carbs per serving, and a serving is only one ounce.
Creating a meal plan that centers are unprocessed, high-quality meats is an excellent way to ensure that your plate is high-protein while remaining low-carb. Pair your meat with some low-carb veggies and you have a well-rounded keto meal.
Fruit tends to be high in carbs, but you can enjoy a few varieties in moderation. Berries, for instance, are considerably lower carb than other types of fruit, and avocados are practically in line with low-carb veggies.
Dairy can be hit or miss, so always check the label on your dairy products. In general, milk and yogurt are higher in natural sugars, while cheese and butter are much more keto-friendly.
5-Day 30 Gram Meal Plan
Below is an example meal plan if you’re aiming to keep your carbohydrate intake around 30 grams of carbs per day. You’ll notice that this diet plan is made up of primarily low-carb foods, with an emphasis on fat and protein.
Day 1
Breakfast
2 eggs with ½ cup sauteed kale and onion and a piece of Cloud Bread (5 net carbs)
Lunch
Grass-fed burger lettuce wraps with cheese, ½ avocado, and mayonnaise, with a handful of macadamia nuts (9 net carbs)
Dinner
1 ½ cups Garlic-Lemon Zucchini Pasta (12 net carbs)
Dessert
Classic No-Bake Cookie (6 net carbs)
Day 2
Breakfast
Keto Oatmeal with ¼ cup blueberries (5 net carbs)
Lunch
1 ½ cups Keto Taco Salad (7 net carbs)
Dinner
3 Simple Keto Meatballs over one cup of spaghetti squash with olive oil and ¼ cup tomato sauce (14 net carbs)
Dessert
3 Mocha Cheesecake Brownie Bites (4.5 net carbs)
Day 3
Breakfast
Strawberry Collagen Shake (4 net carbs)
Lunch
1 ½ cups Low-Carb Chili (8 net carbs)
Dinner
6 oz Instant Pot Ribs with side Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (8 net carbs)
Dessert
Classic No-Bake Cookie (6 net carbs)
Day 4
Breakfast
2 eggs with ½ cup sauteed kale and onion and a piece of Cloud Bread (5 net carbs)
Lunch
1 cup Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (12 net carbs)
Dinner
Italian Turkey Casserole (5 net carbs)
Dessert
3 Mocha Cheesecake Brownie Bites (4.5 net carbs)
Day 5
Breakfast
Keto Oatmeal with ¼ cup blueberries (5 net carbs)
Lunch
Sheet Pan Sausage And Peppers (5 net carbs)
Dinner
Creamy Garlic Chicken over spaghetti squash (12 net carbs)
Dessert
Classic No-Bake Cookie (6 net carbs)
5-Day 50 Gram Meal Plan
Below is a meal plan that fits into the 50 grams of carbs category. You’ll notice that there are slight adjustments to the 30 grams per day meal plan, with a continued focus on high-quality protein and low-carb veggies.
Day 1
Breakfast
3 Blueberry Protein Pancakes (9 net carbs)
Lunch
Grass-fed burger lettuce wraps with cheese, 1 avocado, and mayonnaise, with a handful of macadamia nuts (12 net carbs)
Dinner
1 ½ cups Garlic-Lemon Zucchini Pasta with 6 oz scallops (16 net carbs)
Dessert
2 Classic No-Bake Cookies (12 net carbs)
Day 2
Breakfast
Keto Oatmeal with ¼ cup blueberries (5 net carbs)
Lunch
1 ½ cups Keto Cashew Chicken (15 net carbs)
Dinner
3 Simple Keto Meatballs over one cup of spaghetti squash with olive oil and ½ cup tomato sauce, sprinkled with pine nuts (20 net carbs)
Dessert
Nut Butter Cheesecake (6 net carbs)
Day 3
Breakfast
3 Low-Carb Vanilla Waffles (12 net carbs)
Lunch
1 cup Keto Butter Chicken with Cauliflower rice (12 net carbs)
Dinner
Instant Pot Ribs with side Balsamic Turnips (12 net carbs)
Dessert
2 Classic No-Bake Cookie (12 net carbs)
Day 4
Breakfast
3 Blueberry Protein Pancakes (9 net carbs)
Lunch
1 cup Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (12 net carbs)
Dinner
1 ½ cups French Onion Soup with Sourdough Bread (13 net carbs)
Dessert
3 Lemon Cashew Cookies (12 net carbs)
Day 5
Breakfast
2 cup serving Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie (14 net carbs)
Lunch
2 Low-Carb Chicken Tacos (10 net carbs)
Dinner
Creamy Garlic Chicken over spaghetti squash (12)
Dessert
2 Classic No-Bake Cookies (12 net carbs)
The Takeaway
Most people eat between 25-50 grams of carbs per day or 5-10% of their total calories on the ketogenic diet. While a stark contrast to the Standard American Diet, lowering your carb intake and getting into ketosis can lead to some impressive health benefits.
The exact amount of carbs you consume will depend on your body composition, activity level, and fat loss goals. However, using the Perfect Keto Macro Calculator is a great place to start.
On the keto diet, your goal is to burn ketone bodies — rather than glucose — for energy. To do this, you’ll eat a high-fat, low-carb diet. Keto foods include high-quality meat, nuts and seeds, plenty of healthy fats, and low-sugar fruits and vegetables. If you are looking to get started, be sure to visit the Perfect Keto recipe library for plenty of low-carb meal ideas.
Cucumber and zucchini ! Didn’t think there was so much carbs …
well if ypu think about it there were 3 zucs divided by 20 is abut 7 per zuc and i usually eat half a zuc in an omlette or zuchini pie so like 3 good carbs only if you pace it right its filling and if you add egg and cheese and sliced avocado its super filling!!:)
Dr Dubin wants me to try this. I’m a gym nut ,biking ,kayaking ,yoga etc. BUT I have hypothyroidism and Even though I eat healthy and very small potions I have gained weight. I have tried everything and cannot life se a pound. Any suggestions. Oh U was on nutrition-system and weight watchers with no results. Any suggestions?
I’ve struggled with hypothyroidism and weight issues my entire life. Even though my levels are monitored closely and stable, I still struggled to lose weight. I’ve tried every diet, diet pill, colonics, even considered surgery. But I’ve noticed a huge difference since I started the ketogenic life. It’s as if my body was designed for it. I actually felt horrible all the time…like carbs was more of a dead weight then energy. I didn’t notice how bad I truly felt till I cut out carbs. I felt amazing. The sad part was my body craved carbs.. Even tho it made me feel so bad. I truly believe my metobolic system just didn’t know what to do with carbs… Just knew it needed energy and was trained to use sugar so it asked for it (with cravings) but didn’t have the genetic make up to process. When I got into a ketosis state… It woke up my body, metabolic system and fat burning signals. It responds well to less carbs. I’m sorry this got so long… But your doc might be on to something. Good luck.
Hmmm. It’s helpful, but… there’s always a “but” isn’t there? It’s just that we’re not going to sit down and eat the whole 30 grams in one food. What would be more helpful is to show what amount to eat at each meal to make up a day’s worth of 30 grams of carbs. I’m not generally going to weigh and measure my food and look up carb counts, but I do like visuals. 🙂
Agree! Thanks for writing it. I was going to say the same. Having them show what a meal /meals look like would be better 🙂
Agree, with Ma and Roxanne, I want to see what I can eat right then and there, I don’t wanna count out either!
Remember that you should spread that 30 grams of carbs throughout the day between meals.
Totally agree!!
This was SUCH a helpful email – thank you so much for putting out this article!
It was perfect to read and to see the illustrations.
Excellent job. Excellent.
Cucumbers and pecans it is 😉
Thanks for the help
Very informative and interesting with the illustrations… thank you!
Excellent – definitely helps me feel more confident about the amount of carbs I’m eating!
This is so helpful, I’m having trouble getting into Ketosis and always wonder if I’m eating to many veggies but with this illustration, I might only have to cut back a bit. This is the best website to get information that is easy to understand. A visual of a full breakfast, lunch and super under 30grams of carbs for a full day’s worth would also be nice! 🙂
Very helpful. I would find it more to see what amount to eat at each meal to make up a day’s worth of 30 grams of carbs. The visual reference you have shown is very helpful. Thank you. Also, what is your recommendation of Keto for 41 year old woman wanting to get pregnant and bring on Keto.
Hi Munmun, I would recommend checking out our starter guide here:http://perfectketo.com/guide/ultimate-guide-to-ketosis/ and browsing our blog to learn more about keto!
it is easy to understand cause it is visual but ,the problem is how do I measure how much micronutrients I consume in the day is there any advice
is there any app ? to help to track down the micronutrients I consume . I really like the idea of putting carbs visual
Hey Engie, yes you can use one of the apps such as MyFitnessPal or MyMacros+
I use the “Lose It!” app and I love it. It allows you to set your own macros and track all the foods you eat. Their database of foods is amazing. Almost anything you can imagine is in there, and if it isn’t, you can create your own foods & recipes, or scan bar codes. I upgraded to the premium version and think it is very much worth the low price to be able to track more info and get more detailed breakdowns, but the free version is also really good.
Good to see the foods that have the most carbs and fibre ratio.
I like the idea of carrot, cauliflower and broccoli, kale and carrots being staples in my diet.
I find that 1 meal a day seems best for me I do bullet coffee around 9 to 10 AM. starting at 3 pm organic chicken broth with MCT oil coconut oil and Kirkland pesto 1 tablespoon each. salad home cured cucumbers feta cheese thinly sliced tri-tip roast romaine lettuce frozen pumpkin seeds. I drink vitalizer water using ozone injection to increase oxygen uptake. I stay in full ketosis with no hunger. The main problem in the USA culture is people eat too often and too much food. Weight gain is fueled by fear-based thinking.living unstressed is not being obsessed with getting enough food or when or how. These photo food portion shots prove my point. Enjoy verity just not a week’s worth in one day.
How can I tell when I am in FULL KETOSIS? I just started…
Why is whole wheat bread considered as ‘junk food’. I dont get it
Whole wheat bread can spike your blood sugar significantly and most of the ones out there are highly processed and fall into the category of junk food based on that.
You forgot to show full cream milk. About 5g of carbs per 100ml. Meaning going for that half-liter of delicious full cream milk might very easily put you over the daily limit
Thank you for sharing! This was certainly a reality check! It helps so much to actually “see” how many!
This is basically what the Atkins diet was years ago,it is the only. Diet I ever lost weight on,but of course we didn’t have supplement ketones back then,still have receipes from the Atkins era. Eggs were a big part of the diet,also you made your own condiments.always said if you hang in there long enough you will see history repeats.
Atkins is low carb, high fat and high protein.
Too much protein will turn to carbs in your body.
So it is similar but not the same. It is unlikely that you will achieve ketosis on the atkins diet. If you do get into ketosis then you probably won’t stay there.
Test your ketones and eat high fat, high protien with no carb and you will see what I mean.
This is so perfect!!!! Thank you for sharing!
My favorites…macadamia nuts. If using the above example, 30g of carbs would be almost 1 and 3/4 cups with fiber of 18g net carbs of 12g! Plus loaded with fat!
What’s the pic of regarding the alternate for chips?
Hey Tania, those are veggie popper chip thingys haha
This chip alternative, is “inner peas” from Trader joes.
Really helpful ! I didn’t realize how much healthy food I could enjoy eating every day.
A great visual. Thanks.
Have you also created one which shows what 100 grams of fat looks like?
Appreciate the time you’ve invested here.
I like the visuals! I would love to see visuals of meals. Example, __ cup of spaghetti sauce with meat on 1 cup of zooodles equals __ carbs.
This is certainly a good start to show us about carbs etc, but meal size portion amounts would be very, very helpful.
That way we could work out how many carbs are in what we eat.
I love the comparison between healthy carb and junk carbs! Thank you. I can just eat 1/3 of an item at each three meals and I’m set. So simple.
Your food guide doesn’t make much sense and doesn’t seem helpful. The portions, where given, don’t seem accurate. For example, a “serving” of tomato is 28 ounces. Really? 1 and 1/4 pound of tomatoes is a serving? I love tomatoes but that’s ridiculous. Other entries appear just as nonsensical. You just destroyed any credibility you had for me. There are lots of better and more accurate resources.
Carol Simoes, the title says “what does 30 grams of carbs look like”. It doesn’t say that one serving is 28 oz of tomato. Most people will not eat 28 oz of tomato so you just calculate that eating 1/4 of the amount will give you about 7 grams of carbs.
thanks very much, its very clear and understandable.
Very helpful. Thank you.
in cucumber there is 2.6g carbs per 100g and not 26gram !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think some great visuals might include what a reasonable plate of food looks like that might contain 8-10 grams of carbs….including servings of “bad” foods like rice, beans, etc…
For 3 squares, that leaves a few grams for a snack.
I really don’t care about candies, sweets, sodas, etc…but rather what people think of as “staples” that have found their way onto the “bad food” list…
I mean, I like steak and potatoes. What would a plate of baked potato, maybe some string beans, ‘shrooms and a decent steak look like? I know eating a whole, large baked potato would kill my “keto count” for the day, but what if I had, say, 1/2 of a medium and the skin, and a little pile o’beans? Pictures like that would be easy to remember and give me confidence that I could still “sample” a bit…
I’ve never commented on a post before but this is GREAT!. This is so helpful. Thanks for posting this!
This is what I’ve been seeking all week. Your site and articles along with others are so helpful to us Keto fans. Keep up the good work it’s well appreciated.
Thank you for this.
This would be perfect IF the measurements were in grams as well.
No idea what a “cup” of something is!
VERY helpful! Having difficulty getting into ketosis. Wish I could talk to you personally! Thank you for the free info.
CinJP…
A cup is 8 oz. Use google and do the conversion.
BTW, I absolutely love this site! Great examples of carbs etc. I’m new to the diet and was very confused. This has helped clarify things regarding how I’ve been feeling ding I started..I was eating too much while trying to be in ketosis!
Thank you????????
For past eight days I have measured and calculated all calories, fat g, protein g and carbs g. Keeping excel sheet on my laptop
I am under limits for macros.
Weight loss 5 lbs.
I understand first week will be water only?
Why am I not loosing weight?
Observe your weight for a few more weeks.
Those of you asking for exact macro info and easy to use pictures just need to do some internet research. I made an extensive spreadsheet with tons of food and the macros, calories, fat, protein, carbs, fiber, net carbs, and sugar. Then removed all the foods that weren’t optimal nutrition, and processed. It’s easy to create meal plans that I like instead of relying on being told what to do. That’s just lazy. If you want the success, put in the work. It’s not that hard
Useful … but I agree with most … knowing what 5 grams of carbs looks like might be more useful. Also can u explain how there is 30grams of carbs in a Starbucks coffee (which in your visual appears to be a black coffee)