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The zero carb foods in USDA data are plain meat, poultry and fish, crab and lobster, pure fats and oils, and plain water and brewed coffee, all listed at 0 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams in USDA FoodData Central. Eggs, cheese and shrimp come close, while mussels, oysters and beef liver list several grams per serving. The tables use USDA SR Legacy entries, and a label section explains why FDA rounding lets a Nutrition Facts panel show 0 g for a food that is not carbohydrate-free.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Plain cooked meat, poultry, finfish, crab and lobster list 0 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams in USDA SR Legacy, as do pure fats, tap water and brewed coffee.
- Many USDA zeros are assigned rather than measured: USDA marks 1,195 of the 2,138 SR Legacy foods at 0 grams with its code for an assumed zero.
- Eggs and most cheeses are close to zero but not zero; a large raw egg lists about 0.36 gram in USDA data.
- Under 21 CFR 101.9, FDA lets a label show zero when a serving has less than 0.5 gram of total carbohydrate, so 0 g on a label does not always mean none.
Zero carb foods in USDA data: meat, poultry and seafood
The table lists cooked, unseasoned USDA SR Legacy (April 2018 release) entries with 0 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, per 3-ounce (85-gram) portion except the sardines, shown per USDA can. Rows are ranked by protein per serving.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Carbohydrate | Protein | Fat | Calories | Carbs per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, meat only, roasted (171477) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 26.4 g | 3.0 g | 140 | 0.00 g |
| Turkey, meat only, roasted (171481) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 24.7 g | 3.3 g | 135 | 0.00 g |
| Top sirloin steak, lean and fat, broiled (168729) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 22.8 g | 13.4 g | 218 | 0.00 g |
| Sardines, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained (175139) | 1 can (3.75 oz) | 0.00 g | 22.7 g | 10.5 g | 191 | 0.00 g |
| Pork tenderloin, lean, roasted (168250) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 22.2 g | 3.0 g | 122 | 0.00 g |
| Ground beef, 85% lean, broiled (174032) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 22.0 g | 13.1 g | 212 | 0.00 g |
| Chicken thigh, meat only, roasted (172388) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 21.0 g | 6.9 g | 152 | 0.00 g |
| Lamb, ground, broiled (172544) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 21.0 g | 16.7 g | 241 | 0.00 g |
| Trout, rainbow, farmed, cooked (173718) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 20.2 g | 6.3 g | 143 | 0.00 g |
| Cod, Atlantic, cooked (171956) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 19.4 g | 0.7 g | 89 | 0.00 g |
| Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked (175168) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 18.8 g | 10.5 g | 175 | 0.00 g |
| Tuna, light, packed in water, drained (173709) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 16.5 g | 0.8 g | 73 | 0.00 g |
| Northern lobster, cooked (174209) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 16.1 g | 0.7 g | 76 | 0.00 g |
| Blue crab, cooked (174205) | 3 oz | 0.00 g | 15.2 g | 0.6 g | 71 | 0.00 g |
In USDA SR Legacy, 3 ounces of roasted chicken breast lists about 3.0 grams of fat and 85% lean ground beef about 13.1 grams. Our guides to turkey, steak, pork, chicken thighs, lamb, trout, cod, salmon, tuna, sardines, lobster and crab cover each food; for breaded or glazed versions, check the FDA Nutrition Facts label.
No carb foods among fats, oils, coffee and water
Pure fats are almost entirely fat, so the subtraction leaves nothing for carbohydrate, and USDA lists 0 grams for them. Rows are ranked by calories per serving.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Carbohydrate | Protein | Fat | Calories | Carbs per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coconut oil (171412) | 1 tbsp | 0.00 g | 0.0 g | 13.5 g | 121 | 0.00 g |
| Olive oil (171413) | 1 tbsp | 0.00 g | 0.0 g | 13.5 g | 119 | 0.00 g |
| Beef tallow (171400) | 1 tbsp | 0.00 g | 0.0 g | 12.8 g | 115 | 0.00 g |
| Lard (171401) | 1 tbsp | 0.00 g | 0.0 g | 12.8 g | 115 | 0.00 g |
| Butter oil, anhydrous (173412) | 1 tbsp | 0.00 g | 0.0 g | 12.7 g | 112 | 0.00 g |
| Coffee, brewed with tap water (171890) | 1 cup (8 fl oz) | 0.00 g | 0.3 g | 0.0 g | 2 | 0.00 g |
| Tap water (173647) | 1 cup (8 fl oz) | 0.00 g | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | 0 | 0.00 g |
Our guides to coconut oil, olive oil, beef tallow and lard compare these fats. Butter itself is not quite zero, and for coffee drinks with milk, cream or syrup, check the Nutrition Facts label, which follows the FDA format.
What carbohydrate by difference means
USDA SR Legacy names its field “Carbohydrate, by difference”, and the FDA labeling rule uses the same approach: under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6), total carbohydrate “shall be calculated by subtraction of the sum of the crude protein, total fat, moisture, and ash from the total weight of the food,” a method FDA attributes to USDA Handbook 74 by Merrill and Watt. In the FDA method, carbohydrate is what is left after protein, fat, water and ash are counted, not a value measured on its own, and dietary fiber and sugars are inside that total.
Of the 7,793 foods in USDA SR Legacy, 2,138 list 0 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, and USDA marks 1,195 of those with derivation code Z, defined as “Assumed zero (Insignificant amount or not naturally occurring in a food, such as fiber in meat)”; another 622 carry code NC, “Calculated”. Where code Z applies, the USDA zero means an insignificant amount, not a laboratory result of exactly nothing.
Foods with no carbs on the label: FDA rounding
Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6), total carbohydrate is declared to the nearest gram, a serving with less than 1 gram may be labeled “less than 1 gram”, and “if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram, the content may be expressed as zero.” A package showing 0 g under the FDA rule may still hold a fraction of a gram per serving. In USDA data a large raw egg lists about 0.36 gram, under that line, and a large hard-boiled egg about 0.56 gram, just over it. FDA defines a label serving as “an amount of food customarily consumed per eating occasion”, so a package serving can differ from the USDA portions used here.
Close to zero: eggs, dairy and shrimp
These USDA entries list some carbohydrate but less than 1 gram per serving. Rows are ranked from the lowest; the first eight rows are under 0.5 gram in the USDA serving shown.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Carbohydrate | Protein | Fat | Calories | Carbs per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter, unsalted (173430) | 1 tbsp | 0.01 g | 0.1 g | 11.5 g | 102 | 0.06 g |
| Mayonnaise (171009) | 1 tbsp | 0.08 g | 0.1 g | 10.3 g | 94 | 0.57 g |
| Bacon, baked (167914) | 1 slice | 0.11 g | 2.9 g | 3.5 g | 44 | 1.35 g |
| Brie (172177) | 1 oz | 0.13 g | 5.9 g | 7.8 g | 95 | 0.45 g |
| Shrimp, cooked (175180) | 3 oz | 0.17 g | 20.4 g | 0.2 g | 84 | 0.20 g |
| Egg, whole, raw (171287) | 1 large | 0.36 g | 6.3 g | 4.8 g | 72 | 0.72 g |
| Swiss cheese (171251) | 1 oz | 0.41 g | 7.6 g | 8.8 g | 111 | 1.44 g |
| Heavy whipping cream (170859) | 1 tbsp | 0.43 g | 0.4 g | 5.4 g | 51 | 2.84 g |
| Egg, hard-boiled (173424) | 1 large | 0.56 g | 6.3 g | 5.3 g | 78 | 1.12 g |
| Black tea, brewed with tap water (173227) | 1 cup (8 fl oz) | 0.71 g | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | 2 | 0.30 g |
| Chicken liver, simmered (171061) | 3 oz | 0.74 g | 20.8 g | 5.5 g | 142 | 0.87 g |
| Parmesan, hard (170848) | 1 oz | 0.91 g | 10.1 g | 7.1 g | 111 | 3.22 g |
| Cheddar cheese (173414) | 1 oz | 0.96 g | 6.5 g | 9.4 g | 114 | 3.37 g |
Per 100 grams, parmesan and cheddar cheese list 3.22 and 3.37 grams of carbohydrate in USDA data, against 0.45 gram for brie and 1.44 grams for swiss cheese. Our guides to egg nutrition, butter, mayonnaise, bacon, shrimp, heavy cream, black tea and chicken liver cover each food.
Animal foods that are not zero carb
These foods are often grouped with meat but list a gram or more of carbohydrate per serving in USDA data. Rows are ranked from the lowest.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Carbohydrate | Protein | Fat | Calories | Carbs per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef frankfurter, heated (174614) | 1 frankfurter | 1.28 g | 5.6 g | 14.1 g | 155 | 2.66 g |
| Beef jerky, chopped and formed (167536) | 1 oz | 3.12 g | 9.4 g | 7.3 g | 116 | 11.00 g |
| Cottage cheese, creamed (172179) | 4 oz | 3.82 g | 12.6 g | 4.9 g | 111 | 3.38 g |
| Clams, cooked, moist heat (171975) | 3 oz | 4.36 g | 21.7 g | 1.7 g | 126 | 5.13 g |
| Beef liver, pan-fried (168627) | 3 oz | 4.39 g | 22.5 g | 4.0 g | 149 | 5.16 g |
| Scallops, steamed (167742) | 3 oz | 4.60 g | 17.5 g | 0.7 g | 94 | 5.41 g |
| Oysters, eastern, wild, cooked, moist heat (171980) | 3 oz | 4.63 g | 9.7 g | 2.9 g | 87 | 5.45 g |
| Mussels, blue, cooked, moist heat (174217) | 3 oz | 6.28 g | 20.2 g | 3.8 g | 146 | 7.39 g |
Shellfish split in USDA data: crab and lobster list zero, shrimp 0.20 gram per 100 grams, and clams, scallops, oysters and mussels 5.13 to 7.39 grams per 100 grams. In USDA data, beef liver lists about 4.39 grams per 3 ounces, against 0.74 gram for chicken liver. USDA’s chopped and formed beef jerky entry lists about 3.12 grams per ounce; recipes for jerky, hot dogs and cottage cheese vary, so the FDA Nutrition Facts label is the figure for a given package.
Other notes
- Plants: fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds all list some carbohydrate in USDA data; see our guides to low carb foods and high fiber low carb foods, and our high protein foods list for USDA protein values.
- Eating patterns: the carnivore diet guide covers that pattern; this list covers food composition only.
- Values vary: USDA SR Legacy figures are averages, and a packaged food’s FDA Nutrition Facts label is the figure for that product.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which foods have zero carbs?
In USDA SR Legacy, plain cooked meat, poultry, finfish, crab and lobster list 0 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams, as do pure fats such as olive oil and lard, tap water and brewed coffee.
Do eggs have carbs?
USDA lists about 0.36 gram of carbohydrate in a large raw egg and about 0.56 gram in a large hard-boiled egg.
Why can a label say 0 g when a food has some carbohydrate?
Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6), FDA allows total carbohydrate to be expressed as zero when a serving contains less than 0.5 gram.
Which seafood has carbs?
In USDA data, mussels list about 6.28 grams per 3 ounces and oysters 4.63 grams, while crab, lobster and finfish list zero.
Does black coffee have carbs?
USDA lists 0 grams of carbohydrate for coffee brewed with tap water, and about 0.71 gram per 8-ounce cup for brewed black tea.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: High Fiber Low Carb Foods: USDA Values per Serving, Ranked, Low Carb Foods List: Vegetables, Fruits, Proteins and Nuts, Olive Oil Benefits: Research, Nutrition and Types of Olive Oil.