Interesting selections for low-carb diet

UnknownSpecies

Hi, I know the whole low-carb threads have probably been done to death but I did a search and didn't find much with regards to different foods you could possibly choose for this kind of diet.

I started on low-carb and for me, I don't think there is any doubt that carbs have been my roadblock all along. The weight is falling off right now.

The only thing I have trouble with is finding different foods that have low carb content. Especially if I am eating on the go, a roll or sandwich was always very easy to get but now that I have cut out bread, I'm struggling for anything to eat from your typical deli etc..

Does anybody have any meal tips or snack tips that are low carb? I am not sick of eggs, chicken, tuna and more eggs yet, but it would be nice to have some variety. Also, what veg is best on a low-carb diet?

UnknownSpecies

Nothing?

Mockba

You really have to plan your meals on a low carb diet. Snacking is very hard. All you can have from a deli are slices of ham wrapped in lettuce or fruit. You need to make sure you eat your meals every day. Breakfast like a king.

UnknownSpecies

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I do tend to plan what I have. My typical day would be:

Breakfast:
Eggs scrambled or fried with butter

Lunch:
Tuna or chicken with mayo and lettuce and maybe some nuts if I have them
Sometimes I'd have leftovers from the previous night

Dinner:
A choice from chicken, steak or mince. Usually chicken as I like the different seasonings I can use with it.
Cheese and more lettuce.

Snacks:
The only thing I can do at the moment is Hartleys sugar free jelly, tiny amount of dark chocolate or nuts.

I'm getting on fine with it at the moment, I would just love some more variety. I see a lot of people on the forum including things like coconut oil and almond butter and other special foods like that. It would be great to find these kinds of food to liven things up but I have no idea where to get them.

HeidiHeidi

I'm a big fan of low carb ( just not very good at it at the moment!). Too banjaxed to post properly tonight, but I'll come back to this tomorrow.

Way to go, though!

UnknownSpecies

Thank you. It really is the best way for me. I never realised that carbs were what was holding me back. I'm getting consistent losses without being hungry and without eradicating all the food I love the most.

Susie_Q

Are you not eating any vegetables??!

syklops

The missus is on this again, and because Im the chef in the house I have to find stuff to fill us up which is low carb.

Cauliflower rice has become one of our stables.

Put Cauliflower into a food processor and 'whizz it' until you get something similar to small rice or cous cous. Now you can either treat it quite like rice and either boil it, or fry it.

We like it fried to make cauliflower fried rice. Be careful though as it will take a lot of oil with out you noticing.

UnknownSpecies

Thanks syklops, I think I'll try that out. Don't have a food processor at the moment though.

HeidiHeidi

Syklops is right - cauli is your best friend on the low-carb way of eating!

I find it easiest if I keep it simple - meals should ideally all consist of fat, protein and leafy green veg. Obviously that's more difficult for breakfast! But for lunch if you bear those in mind, you won't go far wrong.

For lunches I'd often have salads with plenty cheese/meat/dressing/mayonnaise - nice and rich and filling. Any sandwich shop with a deli counter will usually do a salad box. Or green veggie soup, which I make myself in vast quantities and freeze in smaller portions. Defrost, heat up and serve with a dollop of cream and/or grated parmesan.

Dinners, again I tend to make huge dishes and divvy them up for the freezer. Shepherd's pie/cottage pie (lamb/beef) with cauli/butternut squash/celeriac mash on top instead of spuds - whatever combination takes your fancy. Or a moussaka with an "egg custard" topping. Or chicken in a creamy sauce. Or lots of things! All served with buttered green veg - broccoli, green beans, leeks, cabbage.

Another favourite is egg based bakes. Basically a crustless quiche. You can put whatever filling you like in, pour over enough beaten eggs/cream to cover it, and bake until set. My current favourite is a goat's cheese and leek bake. These freeze well, and again can be defrosted in individual portions.

I've been doing, and am still trying to stick to, the Idiot Proof Diet, written by India Knight and Neris something-or-other. It's a very girly, pink book which may or may not suit. It's basically their take on Atkins/South Beach and other low-carb regimes. But to go with it (search Amazon) there's a cookbook which is just bloody brilliant. Loads of gorgeous recipes (all the above are from it), which have become my staples. I've found you can't really keep up a low-carb diet without a substantial amount of home cooking - I have yet to find a ready meal that isn't carb-heavy. But once you get into the groove, it's not too difficult.

I've gone on so long now I can't remember what your original question was! Hope the above helps a bit. Like I say, I'm a big low-carb fan, I feel 100% better when I do it and stick to it. But unfortunately our lives/diets aren't really set up for it - it takes quite a bit of effort. But well worth it!

Just remember - fat, protein and leafy green veg!

ETA - when you're shopping for food, look at labels and try to stick to foods that are 4g carbs / 100g if possible - you won't go far wrong if you bear that in mind.

UnknownSpecies

Excellent post, thank you. I will definitely have to look at that book and try some of those recipes. The quiche looks especially nice !

I actually managed to get a hold of a food processor for dinner. Made the cauliflower for myself, fried with garlic and butter, it was yum

Are things like rashers and sausages ok to eat for breakfast or lunch? It would be nice to have a salad with chopped up rashers now that I think of it. I must really start to get veg back into my diet but the weight loss I'm achieving over the past few months is making me very cautious of change.

HeidiHeidi

dorgasm wrote: »

Excellent post, thank you. I will definitely have to look at that book and try some of those recipes. The quiche looks especially nice !

I actually managed to get a hold of a food processor for dinner. Made the cauliflower for myself, fried with garlic and butter, it was yum

Are things like rashers and sausages ok to eat for breakfast or lunch? It would be nice to have a salad with chopped up rashers now that I think of it. I must really start to get veg back into my diet but the weight loss I'm achieving over the past few months is making me very cautious of change.

You need the veg for fibre (or you'll wind up bunged up, especially if you start on the eggy stuff!).

Honestly, once I get started on this I could wear the ears off you with stuff - but I can really recommend that cookbook, it's my bible.

Be very careful with sausages - a lot of them are stuffed with fillers (ie breadcrumbs). Superquinn sausages are good, as are the posh M&S ones. Once again, check the labels.

There's a ratio for the source of your calories from food - I can't quite remember it, and don't want to mis-quote it, but if I can find it I'll post it here for you. But basically what I've said before - fat, protein, leafy veg in that order. (Don't be freaked out by the fat bit - you need if it you don't eat the carbs)

ETA these are the books I'm on about

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neris-Indias-Idiot-Proof-Diet-From/dp/0141027436/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332795877&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Neris-Indias-Idiot-proof-Diet-Cookbook/dp/0141034866/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332795877&sr=8-2

Twenty10

I got the IPD book & cookbook in Easons. Also they have an online forum which has lots of the recipes included;

http://www.pig2twig.co.uk/forums/

I'm another fan of cauliflower while eating the low-carb way. Caulimash was a staple with most of my dinners. Also the rice is great with curries. I made my faux-rice differently; grated it using the largest side of the grater and then nuked it in the microwave for two mins, results in same texture as normal rice! There is also a recipe for a pizza base made out of cauli, never got round to making it though.

I'm also a big fan of chicken/beef fajitas with all the trimmings (guacamole, grated cheese, sour cream & salso) but no wraps (have used iceberg lettuce leaves as wrap alternatives) very tasty!

HeidiHeidi

Twenty10 wrote: »

I got the IPD book & cookbook in Easons. Also they have an online forum which has lots of the recipes included;

http://www.pig2twig.co.uk/forums/

I'm another fan of cauliflower while eating the low-carb way. Caulimash was a staple with most of my dinners. Also the rice is great with curries. I made my faux-rice differently; grated it using the largest side of the grater and then nuked it in the microwave for two mins, results in same texture as normal rice! There is also a recipe for a pizza base made out of cauli, never got round to making it though.

I'm also a big fan of chicken/beef fajitas with all the trimmings (guacamole, grated cheese, sour cream & salso) but no wraps (have used iceberg lettuce leaves as wrap alternatives) very tasty!

Oh yes, or chilli with all the trimmings, but on a bed of shredded green veg instead of rice.

The possibilities are many! Just a bit harder work than the standard dish - but well worth the effort.

gud4u

Hi,

This thread is great as I am eliminating processed crap from my diet and have just realised that means low carb.

I'm fairly ok with the food, and love the cauliflower ideas.

What i'd like to know is the guidelines for freezing and thawing batch cooked foods.

Is freezing egg products ok? If I cook with Quorn, can it be refrozen, I mostly cook for myself as there's only the hubbie and myself, he won't eat what I eat so I'II have to freeze leftovers or have lots of waste.

Also, Heidiheidi, can you share your soup recipe, I have tried in vain to make soup and it never works out, despite being told it's the easiest thing in the world to make.

Sorry if this is clueless, but one doesn't get this side of things:o

HeidiHeidi

gud4u wrote: »

Hi,

This thread is great as I am eliminating processed crap from my diet and have just realised that means low carb.

I'm fairly ok with the food, and love the cauliflower ideas.

What i'd like to know is the guidelines for freezing and thawing batch cooked foods.

Is freezing egg products ok? If I cook with Quorn, can it be refrozen, I mostly cook for myself as there's only the hubbie and myself, he won't eat what I eat so I'II have to freeze leftovers or have lots of waste.

Also, Heidiheidi, can you share your soup recipe, I have tried in vain to make soup and it never works out, despite being told it's the easiest thing in the world to make.

Sorry if this is clueless, but one doesn't get this side of things:o

All cooked egg dishes freeze just fine (I think..... the quiche-y ones do anyway).

Soup. Sweat whatever veggies you want (my staples are a couple of onions, four leeks, plenty sticks of celery - but more if you like it, which I don't particularly but it's good for flavour) for about 20 minutes with a good big knob of butter over a low heat. Cover with stock - I used Marigold Bouillon usually but it's incredibly salty, and I've recently discovered those Knorr gel stockpots, the herby ones make GORGEOUS soup. But better still if you cook a chicken to make your own! About 1.5 litres if memory serves, but enough to cover the veggies. Lash in a few florets of frozen broccoli and cauliflower - these help to thicken it afterwards. Simmer that lot for up to half an hour. Then whizz in a liquidizer (or use a handblender, but I don't know how effective that would be). Simmer for another 5 or 10 minutes, and voila - about 8-10 portions of lovely healthy veggie soup. Garnish as above, and enjoy!

gud4u

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

All cooked egg dishes freeze just fine (I think..... the quiche-y ones do anyway).

Soup. Sweat whatever veggies you want (my staples are a couple of onions, four leeks, plenty sticks of celery - but more if you like it, which I don't particularly but it's good for flavour) for about 20 minutes with a good big knob of butter over a low heat. Cover with stock - I used Marigold Bouillon usually but it's incredibly salty, and I've recently discovered those Knorr gel stockpots, the herby ones make GORGEOUS soup. But better still if you cook a chicken to make your own! About 1.5 litres if memory serves, but enough to cover the veggies. Lash in a few florets of frozen broccoli and cauliflower - these help to thicken it afterwards. Simmer that lot for up to half an hour. Then whizz in a liquidizer (or use a handblender, but I don't know how effective that would be). Simmer for another 5 or 10 minutes, and voila - about 8-10 portions of lovely healthy veggie soup. Garnish as above, and enjoy!

Excellent thanks, I used to boil the veg, that's obviuosly where I was going wrong. I use KALLO low salt stock cubes, as I'm allergic to Guar Gum:rolleyes:, it's hard to find stuff without that. I wouldn't be great at cooking as I tend to stir fry everything. Thanks again.

HeidiHeidi

gud4u wrote: »

Excellent thanks, I used to boil the veg, that's obviuosly where I was going wrong. I use KALLO low salt stock cubes, as I'm allergic to Guar Gum:rolleyes:, it's hard to find stuff without that. I wouldn't be great at cooking as I tend to stir fry everything. Thanks again.

I find soup a great staple - not only is it really handy, it's a really handy way of getting those LEAFY GREEN VEGGIES into you. Very easy to get obsessed with meat and fat on a low-carb regime, but you really need the veg as well.

Twenty10

And talking of soup, here's a link to my favourite spicy cauliflower one;

http://www.rte.ie/food/2008/0129/cauliflowersoup.html

HeidiHeidi

Twenty10 wrote: »

And talking of soup, here's a link to my favourite spicy cauliflower one;

http://www.rte.ie/food/2008/0129/cauliflowersoup.html

Yum! That's next on my list

RobAMerc

"Cauliflower tempura" or closer to battered Cauliflower.

Chop the head up into little trees.

microwave the cauliflower for 3 mins ( ish) and put on a pan with a good bit of oil in it. ( think shallow fry really )

While that's going on get a freezer bag and put a table spoon of flour in it ( I know not really allowed but its really not much ) with loads of lovely seasoning,cracked black pepper, cayenne, basil, whatever you like yourself.

crack an egg into a bowl and again ,if you like, season it.

do the next bit in batches...
put some of the cauliflower into the bag and shake it all about.
take it out, get any excess flour off dip it in the egg and into the hot oil.
leave until they brown

This is a bit of work but I promise you its fab.

Works with lots of Veg, but Cauliflower really shines.

enjoy.

Stench Blossoms

How much oil do they need?

RobAMerc

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

How much oil do they need?

if you are asking me I've edited my post to include the missing step.
think shallow fry - it's certainly not deep fry.

Rob

gud4u

Anyone use Falafel, I had it today as burgers...just flat rounds really. You can get them in little balls either. Jeez, I hope they're low carb, please tell me if otherwise, chickpeas were the main ingredient.

Baby leaf salad, sweetcorn, pine nuts and carrot, with a small bit of ceaser dressing, it was a quick dinner of what I could find. Looked in the fridge and presses...modern day foraging!

Also as snacks go, almond/peanut butter on oatcakes or apple slices do me.

Alpro Soya yogurts....low carb? I have to keep fats down for cholesterol probs.

arandale

HeidiHeidi, the soup is great, i have it for lunch with a dollop of cream.

Did anyone of you check out LCHF, low carb high fat. This started in Scandanivia and is very popular and works and i'm never hungry.

Dorgasm i use sugarfree jelly too, i make it in a jug and add natural cottage cheese and some cream and whizz it up, its like a mousse, i keep it in the fridge and i take 3 days out of it.

I also make almond muffins which are great for breakfast.

HeidiHeidi

gud4u wrote: »

Anyone use Falafel, I had it today as burgers...just flat rounds really. You can get them in little balls either. Jeez, I hope they're low carb, please tell me if otherwise, chickpeas were the main ingredient.

Baby leaf salad, sweetcorn, pine nuts and carrot, with a small bit of ceaser dressing, it was a quick dinner of what I could find. Looked in the fridge and presses...modern day foraging!

Also as snacks go, almond/peanut butter on oatcakes or apple slices do me.

Alpro Soya yogurts....low carb? I have to keep fats down for cholesterol probs.

Mostly bad news I'm afraid.... chickpeas, sweetcorn, carrot, oatcakes, apple slices all relatively high carb (how low you want to keep your carbs is up to you, but the IPD is based on 30g or less per day).

Not sure about the soya yoghurt, but can't imagine it being very low carb - check the label.

Also not sure about pine nuts - a lot of nuts are very high carb - best are almonds, brazils, macadamias. Cashews are the worst, peanuts a close second.

Very very hard to do low carb if you're also trying to do low fat - you need the fat to feel full and as your source of energy. Lots of people I know have reduced their cholesterol by following a high-fat, low-carb regime. There's also a growing belief that diet doesn't actually affect your cholesterol as much as previously thought (or at all!).

Barry Groves "The Diet Delusion" and "Trick and Treat" are very, very interesting reads on this subject.

HeidiHeidi

arandale wrote: »

HeidiHeidi, the soup is great, i have it for lunch with a dollop of cream.

......

I also make almond muffins which are great for breakfast

I have a great big saucepan cooking on the stove as I type! Lunches for the next week sorted

Almond muffins are brilliant as well - but very calorific and moreish, which can be a problem!

arandale

What receipe for muffins have you Heidiheidi

HeidiHeidi

arandale wrote: »

What receipe for muffins have you Heidiheidi

This is a recipe from that cookbook I mentioned earlier - I really have to credit Bee Rawlinson for this, as it's mostly her recipes in that book and they really are fab. If you're going to go for a low-carb lifestyle, I can't recommend the book highly enough.

Anyway, the recipe is for a chilli bake, which is well worth making itself as it's gorgeous! But the topping quantities as given in the recipe I find makes far too much, so I plop about half of it into muffin cases, and it makes about half a dozen savoury "muffins". You can experiment with herby Philly, or sour cream - I've never used ricotta as given in the recipe. Very delicious toasted with butter for breakfast. But as I said, very calorific!

Bee’s Chilli Bake
The inspiration for this came from American-style cornbread-topped chilli dishes and the almond pancake recipe. This is my standard fallback chilli recipe, feel free to substitute your own. The almond topping would also work brilliantly on a moussaka.
You will need:
1 onion sliced or diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
500g minced beef
1 tin chopped toms
squirt of tomato puree
4floz stock or water
2 fat red chillis (seeds removed if you prefer) finely chopped
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp oregano
Oil
Handful chopped fresh coriander
Fry the onion in the oil until soft.
Add the garlic and chilli then the mince and stir around, breaking up any lunps, until there are no red bits left in the mince.
Add the tin of toms, ground spices, stock, tomato puree and the oregano. Stir well, bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a very low heat for approximately 45 mins. Remove lid, turn up the heat and simmer briskly until most of the liquid has gone.
Stir in the fresh coriander and put in the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
Allow to cool.
Make the topping:
4 large eggs, separated
80ml double cream
125 g ricotta
Large pinch of sea salt
200g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
100g grated cheddar - choose a well-flavoured one
melted butter
Put the egg yolks, double cream and ricotta in a bowl and whisk until combined.
In another bowl put the ground almonds, grated cheddar, baking powder and salt. Mix together thoroughly.
In a scrupulously clean bowl and with scrupulously clean whisks beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
Mix the egg mixture into the ground almond mixture then fold in the egg whites.
Spoon the topping over the mince in the ovenproof dish. Brush the top with melted butter. Bake at Gas 4-5 for approximately 30 mins until the topping has risen, is firm and golden brown.
Serve with buttered leafy green veg or salad.

jimmyging

I saw Nevin Maguire making a lovely tomato soup last week and tried it last night and it was lovely.
Roast 5-6 tomatoes halved in the oven at 200 Celcius sprinkled with olive oil ,salt and pepper and thyme if you have it
fry one onion and a couple of sticks of celery until translucent in a pot
after 20 mins add the tomatoes and about a litre of whatever stock you like (i like the veg boullion)
Simmer for 20 mins and blitz
As Nevin himself would say you cant beat the tamata ....;)

gud4u

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Mostly bad news I'm afraid.... chickpeas, sweetcorn, carrot, oatcakes, apple slices all relatively high carb (how low you want to keep your carbs is up to you, but the IPD is based on 30g or less per day).

Not sure about the soya yoghurt, but can't imagine it being very low carb - check the label.

Also not sure about pine nuts - a lot of nuts are very high carb - best are almonds, brazils, macadamias. Cashews are the worst, peanuts a close second.

Very very hard to do low carb if you're also trying to do low fat - you need the fat to feel full and as your source of energy. Lots of people I know have reduced their cholesterol by following a high-fat, low-carb regime. There's also a growing belief that diet doesn't actually affect your cholesterol as much as previously thought (or at all!).

Barry Groves "The Diet Delusion" and "Trick and Treat" are very, very interesting reads on this subject.

Ah feck it:o I'II have to look at other stuff so. Thanks for setting me straight.

syklops

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Almond muffins are brilliant as well - but very calorific and moreish, which can be a problem!

Wait, what?

If the breakfast like a king mantra is true, that shoudlnt be a problem for breakfast. ALso if my definition of moreish is correct then surely thats also a good thing, as the one thing most people agree on when it comes to low carb is that you often dont feel fully satisfied.

HeidiHeidi

syklops wrote: »

Wait, what?

If the breakfast like a king mantra is true, that shoudlnt be a problem for breakfast. ALso if my definition of moreish is correct then surely thats also a good thing, as the one thing most people agree on when it comes to low carb is that you often dont feel fully satisfied.

Oh no, low-carb food (with the right proportion of fat in it!) is ten times more satisfying and filling than low-calorie/low fat! That's what makes it so easy - in one way - to stick to. And I've done both, so I know of what I speak (or whatever that phrase is).However, much and all as the fat is necesary to a low-carb diet, the old mantra of calories in/calories out still holds true - so something like the muffins, while they are filling and satisfying, are very easy to overeat just cos they're sooo tasty. Most low-carb foods are very hard to overeat - think of a plate of chicken or cheese or other protein rich food - you eat so much and then just can't eat any more. But put a plate of bread in front of me, and I'd eat a whole sliced pan if I was let. So once you get into it, a low carb diet is to a large extent self-limiting.Trouble is, as the OP pointed out, it can be hard to find low-carb foods while on the run, and that's where the whole thing falls apart. Preparation is the key!

syklops

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Oh no, low-carb food (with the right proportion of fat in it!) is ten times more satisfying and filling than low-calorie/low fat!

While I'll agree low carb is more filling than low calorie diets, I meant the switch from "regular diet" to low carb often leaves one not feeling full or satisfied. You give the example of being able to pig out on chicken or cheese, but i was thinking more Sunday roast Roast beef, carrots, parsnip, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, oh wait cant have the potatos nor the yorkshire puds. You have to admit they do leave a bit of a gap in the "feeling full arena".

Most low-carb foods are very hard to overeat - think of a plate of chicken or cheese or other protein rich food - you eat so much and then just can't eat any more. But put a plate of bread in front of me, and I'd eat a whole sliced pan if I was let. Preparation is the key!

I'm sort of the opposite. Bread will fill me up, where as meat I just keep going. Maybe our metabolisms are different.

HeidiHeidi

syklops wrote: »

While I'll agree low carb is more filling than low calorie diets, I meant the switch from "regular diet" to low carb often leaves one not feeling full or satisfied. You give the example of being able to pig out on chicken or cheese, but i was thinking more Sunday roast Roast beef, carrots, parsnip, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, oh wait cant have the potatos nor the yorkshire puds. You have to admit they do leave a bit of a gap in the "feeling full arena".



I'm sort of the opposite. Bread will fill me up, where as meat I just keep going. Maybe our metabolisms are different.

Maybe they are!I sort of agree about the Sunday lunch scenario, but I found it more of a mental thing to get my head around at first - not having the potatoes/chips/etc with a meal. But in reality (for me, of course) a good plate of meat, with plenty low-carb veggies, and a lovely rich sauce and butter for the veggies is more than enough. I'm well used to that now.

Dolbert

OP, in terms of grabbing a lunch 'on the go', I found the likes of Spar or Centra very useful. Just go up to the deli and get a large tub of chicken or tuna salad with mayo as dressing. And don't shy away from salad veg, it won't slow your weight loss a jot!

arandale

With your roast on Sunday why not have celeriac dauponaisse (spelling), peel the celeriac and slice thinly, put into cold water with lemon juice dry off and arrange in pyrex dish, i also add onion and garlic and pour cream over and top off with grated cheese. Bake with roast. Nom Nom.

kam3qnwvebf4jh

Made cauliflower rice for the first time last night and it went down a treat. I passed it off on my six year old daughter as normal rice and she wolfed it down.
Next I am going to try and get my hands on one of those spirooli gadgets next and start making courgette spaghetti !

nhg

Also trying to eat healthier as a way of life not diet, I usually have porridge made with soya milk & some seeds stirred in at the end for breakfast and rye bread (with sunflower seeds) with tinned mackerel (in tomatoe sauce) for lunch. Thankfully I was never a lover of potatoes so not a problem to skip. I love fish so regularly have salmon or maybe basa for dinner, I pop the fish in a magic cooking bag with a sprinkle of lemon juice over (sometimes some chili flakes or Thai spices to add a kick) courgette slices & some cherry tomatoes thrown into the magic cooking bag and cook for about 15 to 20 mins yummy. I cook similar with chicken fillets etc.

My biggest downfall are tayto, but thankfully they don't seem to bother me as much lately. I try to eat healthy at least 80% of the time. I don't eat 'white bread/rice/pasta - my child loves brown rice & brown pasta.

Am I on the right train of thought for good healthy food.

all_smilz

dorgasm wrote: »

Thanks syklops, I think I'll try that out. Don't have a food processor at the moment though.

use a grater for it? (be careful)

use large mushrooms as buns for burgers

Courgette Linguini ( take a potatoe peeler to courgette!) yummy

Tayla

Twenty10 wrote: »

I'm another fan of cauliflower while eating the low-carb way. Caulimash was a staple with most of my dinners. Also the rice is great with curries. I made my faux-rice differently; grated it using the largest side of the grater and then nuked it in the microwave for two mins, results in same texture as normal rice! There is also a recipe for a pizza base made out of cauli, never got round to making it though.

I make the pizza base all the time, it's sooooo good!

katie21

Can anyone give a recipe for the cauliflower pizza base?

Vote 4 Pedro

I've been eating a lot better since 8th Jan this year when i really started to change things and the weight is really coming off,

But on a low carb diet what would be considered "low carb" how many grams.
I'm just eating way healthier than i used to, not low carb as such but this thread has had some good ideas to try.

frisbeeface

Great suggestions. Not very fond of cauli cooked the 'traditional' way but the cauli rice sounds brilliant!

Plankton1

Am on Day 2 of my self prescribed 6 week nutrition and fitness plan - and had a piece of chocolate already agh! This thread has been great for ideas as I am trying to cut down on carbs.

My problem is that I have always been very active with a fast metabolism so could eat whatever I wanted. I have a huge sweet tooth and don't like many veg.

The past year, my job has seen me sitting down most of the time and gradually I became less active, and probably as I get older my metabolism isn't as fast. Cue piling on nearly a stone. But because I never had to watch my weight before, I have zero willpower when it comes to depriving myself of my favourite foods.

This is my meal plan for the next few weeks compared to before- will this be beneficial at all?

BREAKFAST:
Previously: Special K with muesli thrown in
Now: Porridge with muesli

LUNCH:
Previously: A wrap or panini, or last night's dinner reheated (pasta or rice dishes)
Now: Salad with chicken or bacon (salad would have lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and goats cheese or feta and a dressing)

SNACKS:
Previously: Popcorn, apples, oranges, yogurt
Now: The same? Plus nuts?

DINNER:
Previously: Any type of pasta, rice or potato dish with chicken or beef. eg Stir fries, lasagnes, roasts, baked spud etc.
Now: Salad and either steak or chicken, scrambled egg and bacon, vegetable stirfry


Will this be beneficial at all? Ideally I would like to stick to this Mon-Fri and then eat my Mam's cooking at weekends without worrying too much. Added to upping my exercise routine (2 runs and 1 toning session a week) will it actually help or am I fooling myself?

Stench Blossoms

katie21 wrote: »

Can anyone give a recipe for the cauliflower pizza base?

Cauliflower Pizza

UnknownSpecies

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Cauliflower Pizza

Wow, I'll definitely be giving that a go soon

katie21

Thanks Blossom it looks lovely, will be trying that the weekend!

ukonline

My wife and I are on low carb and found a few very good recipes on:

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/

The low carb pizza crust was very tasty. It's made with cheese. I imagine you could come up with all kinds of toppings and it could be eaten on the go?

http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/thinandcrispy_pizza.html

Another thing I find useful is to roast a batch of chicken wings. Tescos do a big box of them. They make a great snack, and if you cover the roast wings with water and simmer for a few hours, that makes a great stock which can be used for soups and sauces. Just the wings with water, no need for any celery/onion/etc. I usually have some freshly made stock in the fridge.

Simply add some stock to asparagus or brocolli or spinach with seasoning and a little garlic/whatever, simmer for a few minutes, then whizz in a blender for 20 seconds and you have green vegetable soup in no time. (With the spinach, just wilt it). I usually also add butter and/or olive oil for extra healthy fat.

Hope this helps.