Constipation is a common problem while you are on a low carb, high protein diet. The main reason for that is your diet is lacking fiber, which is essential for normal bowel movements.
Low carb diets are basically designed to lose weight. They contain fewer calories and a large proportion of protein. The easy way of designing this type weight loss diet is avoiding starchy foods and adding animal based high-protein foods such as meat and eggs.
Related: Can eggs cause constipation?
Only plant-based foods contain dietary fiber. Meat, fish, or eggs don’t have it. Consequently, most of the weight loss diets contain negligible amounts of fiber. So, constipation is very common when you are on a weight loss diet.
However, you can avoid this by making some modifications to your diet. The basic idea is replacing the animal protein with a plant based high protein low carb food.
The following are some high protein foods that contain plenty of fiber.
Lentils
Lentils are small yellow or orange colored beans. They are popular in Asian dishes. Lentils are an excellent source of protein. One cup of lentils (192 g) gives you 50 g of protein. That means 26 g of protein per 100 g of raw lentils. It is a huge amount. Meat (beef) also has the same amount, however, meat doesn’t have fiber.
Lentils are loaded with both soluble and insoluble fiber. One hundred grams of lentils contain 11 g of dietary fiber. That is nearly 40% of your daily requirement.
Try curried lentil and pumpkin soup to lose weight and relieve constipation.
It is a delicious food that gives you 18 g of fiber and 29 g of protein per serve. Click here for a recipe.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas, also known as Bengal grams are highly nutritious legumes that contain excellent amounts of fiber. They are loaded with protein, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B6.
One cup of cooked chickpeas (164g) contains 12 g of dietary fiber and 15 g of protein. The protein content equals to that of 3 medium sized boiled eggs.
Kidney beans
Kidney beans are the king of the bean family. They are delicious and loaded with proteins, fiber, and vitamins. A hundred grams of kidney beans give you 15 g of fiber and 24 g of protein. You can add them to your low carb, high protein diet without any fear.
Fiber supplements are an alternative
Don’t want to try the above foods? You have an alternative, fiber supplements. You can take a commercially available fiber supplement, such as Metamucil while you are on a low-carb diet. It will help you avoid getting constipation.