Low Carb Diet

[LaylaR]

Since April we've been on the low carb diet/lifestyle.

And I've got some nice recipes, product recommendations, and hacks... anyone else want to share theirs?

My best product recommendation is: Choc Zero Bark in Dark or Milk Chocolate https://www.amazon.com/ChocZeros-Ch...UTF8&qid=1548988350&sr=1-5&keywords=keto+bark Tastes just like real chocolate. Very low carb.

Low Carb Recipe for Almond Shortbread Cookies:

Makes 2 dozen 2 ½-inch cookies

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp Butter, softened

Zest of One Orange and/or (your call) 1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup granular Sugar Free Sweetener (I used Swerve confectioner’s style)

2 cups Almond Flour Blanched and Fine

Directions:

In a medium bowl, cream together butter, vanilla or zest, salt and sweetener. Add almond flour and mix until dough forms.

To make cookies:

Scoop the mound of dough into the center of a sheet of plastic wrap, wax paper, or parchment paper. Using your hands, roll dough into an approximate 2-inch diameter cylindrical log; wrap and refrigerate dough until chilled and firm, about 1 hour (the dough can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several days).

baked-cookies

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease or line a USA Pan baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice chilled dough into approximate 1/3-inch thick slices and place on baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling (cookies firm up as they cool).

To make a tart or pie crust:

No need to pre-chill, just press dough into tart or pie tins. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees (F) for 15 mins until firm and golden brown.

Hack: Costco Premier Protien Shakes in Chocolate, Vanilla, and Carmel. Low carb, high protien and filling for when you need a quick meal or to take the edge off.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I have been keto/low carb for about 2 years now. My favorite new sweetener is Bochasweet. It is more expensive than swerve (which I use also), but it works great especially in my ice cream. Don't eat a lot of sweets but maybe make something once a week or so.

 

[HS4S_2]

I do not track anymore but am also low carb/keto. I start my day off with bullet proof coffee and that is definitely one of my favorite parts of the day. Possibly because my four teens are still sleeping while I enjoy my coffee and it's quiet. Lol. I eat fresh veggies and lean meats daily without any processed foods. I generally do not follow any recipes anymore but have tons saved. I will post some of my favorites tomorrow
.

 

[HS4S_2]

I use that sweetener as well and all Monk fruit in the raw.

 

[bludiva]

Following! I have tried a bunch of low carb recipes recently, the one that's been a hit so far is a beef/cabbage stir fry. Yummy and easy.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/keto-asian-cabbage-stir-fry

 

[OoohShiny]

I don't know how anyone functions on a low carb diet - if I don't start my day with about 150g of porridge and 3/4 of a pint of milk, I'm starving and shattered in a couple of hours!

 

[missy]

Low carb foods that are delicious:

Zucchini
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Spinach
Avocado
Arugula
Bamboo shoots
Fennel
Onions

We either grill or roast the above and I add them to my big salad with protein (fresh fish).


Everyone is different and I am in the category where I need more than a little bit of carbs. I think the beauty is that we are all different and what works for some doesnt work for others and I am following this thread with interest. Thanks for starting it @LaylaR...I think many will find this very helpful.

@OoohShiny I'm with you that I need carbs to function in terms of energy and brain power. Too much protein (for me) makes me feel sluggish and not well and I find a balance is what works best for me vs any extremes like low carbs or high protein or even higher fat diets.

For me I also find it is key to mix carbs with protein and fat in each meal or snack as that keeps me satiated. The mix is key for me.

I don't eat processed foods and am following an AIP (Auto Immune Paleo) diet where I do not eat dairy, legumes, seeds, nuts, beans, grains, gluten, nightshades etc. I find sweet potatoes (though higher in carbs) to be very satisfying and satiating and when I get hungry it helps me to add sweet potatoes to whatever I am eating. Weird but works for me.

Also love grilled brussel sprouts (cook them on the grill) with avocado oil and we roast sweet potatoes with avocado oil too at 475 in the oven.

 

[Gussie]

Have y'all tried Sola sweetener? It tastes EXACTLY like sugar with zero net carbs and 4 calories per teaspoon. You can bake with it too.

https://solasweet.com/product/sweetener/

 

[ame]

That choczero is THE BOMB.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I love chocoperfection bars as well, and Lily's which I use in many recipes. I won't post the recipe here because of copyright, but one of my favorite recipes is from Caroline Ketchum @ All day I dream about food. It is her Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Bars. You can find it at her website and she has a dairy free version in her book Easy Keto Desserts. I have a lot of dessert recipes because that is the thing that keeps me keto. I limit myself, but I feel so woo-is-me, if everyone is enjoying a dessert and I can't. Not all the time, but sometimes. The Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Bars taste like Reese cups. No lie. Even my son, who classifies almost everything Keto as "it tastes like a lie", likes these bars.

My current favorite veggie recipe to go with dinner is sauteed spinach, with a little parm and bleu cheese melted in it and then a teaspoon of sour cream. I try to limit dairy so I only use a teaspoon. I love spinach because it is so packed with nutrients and a whole lot of it cooks down to a little bit to eat.

I love veggies so they are my carbs, although I do count them. I also don't eat processed food and don't overdo the protein. The hardest thing for me is nuts. I can be trusted around cake and ice cream but don't leave me near a jar of nuts from costco. I cannot be trusted. Trying to give them up entirely but it is oh so hard. When I am hungry they are an easy grab.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I am opposite of @OoohShiny, I need fat and protein to start my mornings. With carbs, I am hungry and have cravings by 10 am. Some mornings I am good with a large travel mug of coffee with 2 TBL heavy cream (I measure), and other days I need eggs with some protein to go with it. The days I have the eggs I am usually good till about 2-3 in the afternoon. I don't even think about food. Give me carbs and I am watching the clock to see if it is lunchtime, even if I ate late. I find it so interesting how different we all function.

 

[missy]

love veggies so they are my carbs, although I do count them. I also don't eat processed food and don't overdo the protein. The hardest thing for me is nuts. I can be trusted around cake and ice cream but don't leave me near a jar of nuts from costco. I cannot be trusted. Trying to give them up entirely but it is oh so hard. When I am hungry they are an easy grab.

This used to be me 100%. I couldn’t just eat a few nuts. I love nuts (pistachios, cashews, almonds) and would eat like 1/2 lb every day. Lol I had no will power with nuts. Last January/February I realized nuts (for me) were inflammatory. So I went cold turkey. Took a few months but I’m good now in that I don’t even miss them a little now. It was hard at first ( super challenging) but I stood firm (amazing what one is capable of when serious health issues arise) and I can honestly say I don’t miss them now. I have no doubt if I started eating them again it would be tough to eat in moderation and once again I’d have to go cold turkey and it would be hard all over again so I’m not tempting fate. I’m keeping nut free. Plus I’m kooky enough and don’t need to add any more nuttiness to the mix.

 

[missy]

Oh I want to add that one reason some of us might feel sluggish eating certain foods is that we may not be digesting them properly. I have low stomach acid so have to take HCL Betaine with each meal and I also take digestive enzymes with my meals. That helps. I wasn’t absorbing the nutrients from the food. FYI just in case it could help anyone else.

 

[Scandinavian]

My favourite low carb desert is a strawberry mouse:
Use low/no carb yogurt, I prefer the Iceland version "skyr" but you can also use the Greek version, choose the one with strawberry flavour Add gelatine powder that is well dissolved in boiling water. Mix with approximately equal part whipped cream. And put in the refrigerator for a few hours. Enjoy

 

[bludiva]

"it tastes like a lie"

 

[ame]

Even my son, who classifies almost everything Keto as "it tastes like a lie", likes these bars.

LOL my husband says that too! "Fakey food!"

 

[luv2sparkle]

@missy, I am the same. I think nuts and dairy are inflammatory to me. Almond milk doesn’t bother me, and small amounts of cheese don’t seem to be. But sour cream and cream cheese definitely. Before keto, I was a sugar addict but with low glycemic natural substitutes I can stare at a plate of doughnuts or cookies and they don’t call me anymore. Not the slightest bit tempting. I am cutting back a lot on both nuts and dairy, but struggling to not ever have any. I can go a couple days but then I seem to cave on the nuts.

 

[luv2sparkle]

LOL my husband says that too! "Fakey food!"

Yeah, you should see what he eats! Talk about fake food. He loves Taco Bell and there is hardly a bit of real food there. It’s mostly about not eating cane sugar.

 

[LaylaR]

My husband eats a lot of nuts. I like them, but I have maybe a handful every couple of weeks. He's also a peanut butter addict. Me, not so much.

Dessert is a must for us too. Hence the ChocZero bars. But we also have three EASY high fat and low carb pudding recipes: chocolate, coconut, and Grand Marnier we make one of every couple of weeks. They are really excellent in terms of curbing cravings.

I also have recipes for more complicated desserts like a wonderful cheesecake... but they take too long and make too large a portion.

I'm going to try a low carb zucchini or pumpkin bread this weekend I think.

I am the same as you luv2sparkle, if I eat carbs in the morning I'm starving in a couple of hours. Protein keeps me full. The Costco Premier Protein shakes are lifesaver. I drink one in the mornings and it fills me up, gets my metabolism started but also lets me enjoy a nice lunch.

The hardest thing for me is fruit. I love fruit. I can easily eat fruit by the pound. So it's what I miss the most. Even with desserts my favorite are fruit tarts, fruit pies, cobblers, fruit crisps, etc. So that's what I miss the most and they are very hard to substitute.

I always tell people who are starting low-carb diets that the best thing to do is to focus on recipes that are naturally low carb, instead of trying to make things that are high carb (like pizza and pasta) low carb. We eat largely lean meats and veggies.

We don't eat a lot of processed food, but I do like pepperoni and salami as snacks. Though when I can I get the nitrate free versions.

My favorite dinner recipe is a super simple mustard glazed salmon with fresh dill we make. Prep time is 2 minutes, cooking is 15 and it comes out really well. All you have to do is buy the right mustard-- and you can find that at World Market. LMK if you want the recipe. It's really good. Especially with your favorite veggie as a side. My favorite right now is broccolini. We just had a Sprouts open here a few months ago and it's made meal planning super easy.

 

[AGBF]

Land O' Lakes makes a Reddi Wip type of topping that has artifiicial sweeteners instead of sugar. When my husband first started the Atkins diet (maybe 15 years ago) he made or had me make him frozen desserts make out of Reddi Wip and cocoa powder. (Mix Reddi Wip well and freeze.) He lost weight eating them. How many carbs were in Reddi Wip, even though once you stir it up, there's a lot more than if it is fluffy? But with the Land O' Lakes I can have whipped cream in my coffee ten times a day if I like.

I just bought almond flour so that I can make a meat loaf that isn't just meat, eggs, and spices.

I also found a site where I can order Atkins frozen entrees by mail. I often cannot find the ones I like in stores, even if I am willing to drive miles and search for them. I love some of them.

 

[luv2sparkle]

@LaylaR. Sprouts is pretty great. My youngest son works at our local one, so we get a 15% discount. We mostly by zevia for my hubby and a few things like toothpaste my DH likes. He has an aversion to anything mint, so he buys some weird toothpaste and soaps. LOL. Aldi is usually cheaper for veggies for me. I wouldn’t consider nitrate free salami or even pepperoni to be processed food, I like that for a snack as well.
We do love keto creme brûlée, but only make it for a special occasions, like a birthday or anniversary. I found the recipe online called ‘the ultimate keto creme brulee’ And it comes out perfect every time. We glaze it with Sukrin brown and it gets the perfect crispy top. I made it once for my bunco group and didn’t tell them it was sugar free and no one new the difference.
I try so much to like fish, but outside of lobster and crab, I find it unappealing for the most part. If someone else cooks it for me, I will eat it but I can’t get excited about it.
I love fruit and will sometimes have a few berries. In summer, I will have fruit a couple times. I adore Blenheim apricots and if I can get some, I will definitely have them. But the rest of the time I skip it. We have a blood orange tree and I did have one this year as well. A small amount of berries usually gets rid of my cravings. I also use the yellow and orange and red pepper in my salads and they have quite a bit of vitamin c, so that helps too
. I do make a fathead dough pizza every now and then. For many years, when my kids were growing up, I made pizza every Friday night. I became quite good at it and cooked it even on our grill and smoker. When my kids are here, the always ask me to make them a smoked chicken bbq pizza. They are not interested in the fathead one, but it’s nice t have on occasion. The trick with fathead dough is to let it brown in the top and then take it out, flip it and let it brown on the other side. At least we like it best that way. Kristie Sullivan has one she calls Kedough, which is more like a batter. It makes an easier to hold pizza but I like the fathead a bit better. Sometimes you just want pizza. I am going to make one for Super Bowl for us and we are going to get some garlic parm wings from wing stop.

 

[KristinTech]

Land O' Lakes makes a Reddi Wip type of topping that has artifiicial sweeteners instead of sugar. When my husband first started the Atkins diet (maybe 15 years ago) he made or had me make him frozen desserts make out of Reddi Wip and cocoa powder. (Mix Reddi Wip well and freeze.) He lost weight eating them. How many carbs were in Reddi Wip, even though once you stir it up, there's a lot more than if it is fluffy? But with the Land O' Lakes I can have whipped cream in my coffee ten times a day if I like.

I just bought almond flour so that I can make a meat loaf that isn't just meat, eggs, and spices.

I also found a site where I can order Atkins frozen entrees by mail. I often cannot find the ones I like in stores, even if I am willing to drive miles and search for them. I love some of them.

I just bought almond flour for the first time today! Almond paste, too. I have no idea what I’m doing with it (yet). I take my gym’s meal plan grocery list to the store without looking at the menus first! Good thing I’m not a picky eater! I’m always curious what the ingredients will make. So far, I haven’t been disappointed.

 

[AGBF]

My favourite low carb desert is a strawberry mouse:
Use low/no carb yogurt, I prefer the Iceland version "skyr" but you can also use the Greek version, choose the one with strawberry flavour Add gelatine powder that is well dissolved in boiling water. Mix with approximately equal part whipped cream. And put in the refrigerator for a few hours. Enjoy

I didn't know that there was a no carb yogurt. I have avoided yogurt since I have been on Atkins, just as I have avoided milk and Half and Half. What kinds are no carb?

 

[missy]

OK So I am not sure if these fit the low carb definition but these are AIP compliant butter cookies and they are so yummy. Tried, tested and approved by yours truly. Baked by my dh. And they even pass his taste test. And he is very discerning.

https://sweet-treats-baking.blogspot.com/2016/12/spritz-cookies-aip-paleo-gluten-free.html

 

[OoohShiny]

I didn't know that there was a no carb yogurt. I have avoided yogurt since I have been on Atkins, just as I have avoided milk and Half and Half. What kinds are no carb?

Over here in the UK we have Skyr and also Total - the latter of which is a greek yoghurt that comes in an unsweetened, zero-fat option, which gives something like 10g protein per 100g with not many carbs AIUI

 

[AGBF]

I think that there are only low carb, not "no carb" yogurts if we are talking about actual dairy yogurt or Skyr. I checked when I went to the grocery store today and then again when I came home (on-line). If one buys an unflavored, unsweetened Skyr or yogurt it appears that 6 grams of carbohydrates for a standard personalized serving is about as low in carbs as you can get. As is standard with dairy products, the higher the fat content the lower the carbs! Just as cream has fewer carbs than Half and Half which has fewer carbs than milk.

 

[LaylaR]

Land O' Lakes makes a Reddi Wip type of topping that has artifiicial sweeteners instead of sugar. When my husband first started the Atkins diet (maybe 15 years ago) he made or had me make him frozen desserts make out of Reddi Wip and cocoa powder. (Mix Reddi Wip well and freeze.) He lost weight eating them. How many carbs were in Reddi Wip, even though once you stir it up, there's a lot more than if it is fluffy? But with the Land O' Lakes I can have whipped cream in my coffee ten times a day if I like.

I just bought almond flour so that I can make a meat loaf that isn't just meat, eggs, and spices.

I also found a site where I can order Atkins frozen entrees by mail. I often cannot find the ones I like in stores, even if I am willing to drive miles and search for them. I love some of them.

Deb we use ground flaxseed for meatloaf. I prefer the flaxseed as a binder, and I use it in place of breadcrumbs in recipes. Another good substitute is sourdough Wassa crackers. If you put them in the food processor to grind it gives you breadcrumbs you can mix into anything. And each cracker is only 7 carbs and they are large. So I usually only need one per recipe.

 

[LaylaR]

I have a pumpkin spice bread in the oven as we speak. I'll let you all know how it comes out and post the recipe if it comes out well. It apparently makes good muffins too. So we'll see.

 

[LaylaR]

It was pretty good and super easy to make. This is the base recipe I used. I substituted sugar free maple syrup for the honey (and used 1/3rd cup) and for the spice I used 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice and one teaspoon of ground ginger. Kept everything else the same. http://amandalove.com/pumpkin-spice-bread-made-with-almond-flour/

I think if you made them into muffins and put this cream cheese frosting on them they'd be awesome. I use half the amount of the confectioners sugar: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/low-carb-keto-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/

 

[Scandinavian]

I didn't know that there was a no carb yogurt. I have avoided yogurt since I have been on Atkins, just as I have avoided milk and Half and Half. What kinds are no carb?

The one we have here is 4grams of carb per 100 gram. So it is possible to fit one in I think if you plan for it