Eating at Home

But What About Pasta on a Low Carb Diet?

The Backstory

Pasta is high in carbs.  Period.  True pasta, wheat-based pasta.  Therefore, pasta is not good for me, those with diabetes or those with metabolic syndrome.  It is not a good choice even for those wanting to just lower their carbs to lose weight or lead a healthier lifestyle.  (I’m pretty much in ALL those categories!)  Those with gluten issues also need to avoid wheat pastas.  So if you are in one of those categories… come along with me!

The Realization

It was really tough to realize I could no longer have pasta.  Not even some of the lower carb offerings out there because they still had high carb wheat as part of the formulation.  I LOVE pasta.  Not as much as I love rice, but you realize when you can’t have it anymore… what all you used it for.  Lasagna, Spaghetti, Mac & Cheese.  In Soups.  In Casseroles.  Just with butter, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and herbs!  The list literally could go on!

The Challenge

The challenge really was on to find alternatives to pasta that would trick my brain and trick my tastebuds!

The Solution

Natural

I realized you can use chunks of vegetables for pasta substitutes.  The best is cauliflower.  I just made my mother’s recipe for her custard Mac & Cheese recipe last night.  (Which I will post soon.)  It was delicious!  Cauliflower is amazing at tricking the brain.  The neutral flavor helps in making what is around it the star of the dish… as my mother’s recipe did.   Try it!

Spiralize

Everyone has heard about Spiralizing by now.  If you haven’t, then you need to get a spiralizer and try it.  (I wrote about Spiralizers I have tried.  Check it out by following the link.) You can spiralize a multitude of vegetables!

The most useful veggies to spiralize that are low carb are: Bell Peppers, Broccoli stems, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Carrot (for those that can), Cucumber, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Onion, Parsnip, Radishes, Turnip, Sweet Potato (for those that can), Summer Squash, Zucchini.  Oh, there are more, but these are on my low carb list. 

There are several on there that I just don’t like, but that is my choice.  You might like them!  Grab a good Spiralize book if you are worried about how to spiralize or watch a You Tube video and get to spinning those delicious curls! Try them all!  (See some spiralizers and cookbooks below in “Items I like”.)

I’ve discovered that Zucchini can be a bit watery for me.  It is a pain to wring out all the water, but it is rewarding when you do so.  I never seem to do it right.  Or more accurately, I never have the patience to get all the moisture out of it.  I like zucchini better sliced for lasagna noodles rather than spiralized for spaghetti noodles.  Some people like to use eggplant in place of lasagna noodles.

I’ve discovered, that though higher in carbs, I like butternut squash spirals very much. Broccoli spirals are good.   

You can make spaghetti, fettuccine and lasagna sized noodles.  Go crazy!

Rice

You can rice vegetables to replace small pastas.  You can rice Broccoli Stems, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Parsnips, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips and Zucchini.

Some hold up in recipes better than other. Some retain moisture more than others (I’m looking at you zucchini!)  All have their place.  I haven’t tried them all, but will and amend this article in the future!  I do know I go through a healthy amount of riced cauliflower.  Works for me for everything I want to use it for!  I love it! 

At the Grocery

You can buy riced and spiralized vegetables in the fresh and frozen sections of your grocery.  These are certainly handy, but it is pretty cost effective to do your own.  I admit, however, that the convenience of grabbing a microwave ready pre-spiralized vegetable has pulled me out of dinner jams more than once.  (Sometimes, I spiralize more than I need and freeze what I don’t use.  Making my own recipe ready packages.)

You can buy other fresh items as well.  I have used broccoli slaw or bean sprouts for “spaghetti noodles” before.  The broccoli slaw was delicious!!!!!  It is a favorite go to item!  The bean sprouts are a bit earthy tasting.  You can also use cabbage leaves for lasagna noodles!

You can buy Shirataki noodles.  Konjac is the major ingredient in these.  Low carb.  It has an earthy smell you will need to rinse out. I even resorted to rinsing with vinegar to help.  They keep a great noodle shape but are a bit chewy for my taste.  But in a pinch, they are a good substitute!   I’ve tried Nasoya brand and it was pretty good.  I tried some other brands too, and all are similar.

Online

You can buy Hearts of Palm noodles.  This is BY FAR my favorite noodle!  I discovered Harvest Palm brand noodles.   They have spaghetti, fettucine and tagliatelle noodles.  They are a little more expensive, but less so if you buy in bulk and you will WANT to buy in bulk! OH SO WORTH IT!!!!   If you like artichoke hearts, you will love the bit of flavor it adds to a dish, but it isn’t strong and easily covered by your sauces.   They come in convenient pouches that you rinse.  You can eat raw or cook them.   My husband raved about it!  My family I’ve served them to raved about them!  I am raving about them!  In some larger cities you might be able to find this in stores, but for me, I have to order them.  Please go visit these folks at www.harvestpalm.com.  Tell them I sent you!  I promise, I found them on my own and bought their product to try.  They did not find me first to give me a sample for an endorsement.  I truly love this product!   UPDATE: Too, in the grocery you can get the canned or packaged Palmini linguini and lasagna noodles.  Shark tank really gave these folks a boost and they are everywhere and I have the best luck finding the canned linguini version in Walmart.  Check them out at http://www.eatpalmini.com .  I just drain and rinse any of the hearts of palm noodles really well.  I let them sit in milk for 30 minutes and then rinse and drain well again.  It gets rid of that slightly acidic bite that comes with things like hearts of palm and artichoke hearts due to their packaging and preservation.

Until next time…!

 

Some Items I like

Spiralizers:

Cookbooks:

 

#lowcarb4ever

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Finding Those Low Carb Breakfast Alternatives

What to do for a Low Carb breakfast?

The Backstory

A friend of mine recently lamented being newly on a low carb diet and growing tired of hard-boiled eggs and berries in the morning.  She was just wanting to find alternatives.  Especially when you are new to Low Carb eating… finding choices for different meals can be daunting.  Lunch and Dinner aren’t as difficult, but breakfast eluded me… at first.  She came to the right person!  I’ve been there!

The Realization

There has to be more choices for breakfast when you take away (most) breads, cereals and grains.  No more pancakes… waffles… French toast… croissants… toast in general… bagels… biscuits… muffins… cereals… fritters… danishes… doughnuts… cinnamon buns… all my favorite things.  (So it seemed…)  All struck off the breakfast list! 

In a fast-paced or even slow-paced life, we all naturally grab or make one of those listed to satisfy the morning meal.   Some people don’t even eat in the morning (which I consider a mistake) and then being diabetic, metabolic or just being on a Low Carb lifestyle change… you really need energy in the form of food or drink to even out your blood sugar for the day.

The Challenge

What to eat for breakfast instead of our favorite High Carb go-to items?

The Solution

And there are many more solutions than you would think at first!

Breads

     

I’ve had a lot to say about finding bread and making bread and so I will let that post speak for itself:  Low Carb Bread, Buying & Making.  (Just click the link!)  Also, here are my Pinterest links for bread recipes that I like from around the internet.  (Your cloud breads, fathead dough, etc.)

In short… there are Low Carb breads you can make or buy.  What you do with them, however, is up to you.  Here are some of the things that I do:

With Low Carb sliced bread: (ThinSlim, etc. or what you make yourself.)

  • Toast and put butter and sugar free jelly/jam/preserves as normal.  So this was back on the breakfast list.
  • Make Eggs in a Basket or Moon Over Miami (same thing).  Cut out the center of a slice of bread.  Butter up a large pan on the stove.  Put the bread and cutouts into the pan.  Crack eggs into the bread holes.  Fry the egg (and toast the bread) as desired.
  • Make French Toast.  (You can buy sugar free syrup or make your own.)  So this was back on the list too!
  • Make Cheese Toast.  Slap a slice of your favorite cheese on the bread and put it into the toaster.
  • Make Avocado Toast.  Slather mashed avocado onto a piece of toast!

Make your own muffins.  There are some good Low Carb recipes out there.  Some make in a minute in a mug in the microwave!  Amazing!  I will add some to my Dee Smith Pinterest Page and here.  So stay tuned!  Again… added back into the breakfast list of things I thought were gone forever.

There are some pancake and waffle mixes out there for the carb conscious.  My taste buds are not a fan, but I am pickier than most.  Carbquick is probably the best known.  Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix is probably the next best known.  Still a little higher carb than I like, but not too bad.  When I find ones my buds like more, you can bet I’ll say something more about it!   But this is also back on the breakfast list.  I’m still evaluating making mine or another low carber mix to use.  I’ll post with my notes in the future.

With Low Carb pita bread:  (Thank you Joseph’s for making a tasty Low Carb Pita!!)

  • Eat plain with butter.  You can microwave to warm or pan fry in butter. 
  • Stuff with eggs, ham, sausage, cheese, etc.  The combinations are endless.  Often I put a piece of cheese, a piece of ham, fold over and microwave for 40 seconds.  A ham and cheese pocket!
  • Make a “danish” of sorts by slathering with flavored cream cheeses or just use plain cream cheese with your favorite sugar free jelly/jam/preserve.  I love Polaner’s Strawberry Preserves!
  • Make a “pastry” of sorts by melting butter and coating the Pita and then making a Truvia/Cinnamon mix to sprinkle on top.

With Low Carb flour tortillas:  (Ole, Mission, etc.  You can pretty much find them EVERYWHERE.  Just read the label!)

  • Roll up whatever Low Carb ingredient you want!
  • Make a cheese quesadilla.  Add whatever you want to the cheese.

For those of you that CAN and are not grain restricted on your Low Carb diet, there are always Oatmeal and other grain cereals.  (I REALLY MISS those!)  Those you can load up with fruit and flavor!

Eggs & Breakfast Meats

          

Eggs.  Love ‘em!  Boiled.  Fried.  Poached. Scrambled.  Crustless Quiche.  Frittata.  Omelet. 

Eggs are Low Carb!   Egg Whites are better for those of us watching cholesterol, but you can be quite satisfied with Eggs and getting creative with them.

I put cheese, herbs and vegetables in or on them in all their forms!

Ham, bacon, sausage, summer sausage, smoked salmon, etc… add them to your favorite egg dish or use as a side for the eggs.

I posted my Crustless Quiche recipe also.  Give that a try!

Breakfast Bars

There are several good commercial protein bars out there, but beware… not all protein bars are created equal!  You have to diligently read the labels for Carbs, Sugars, Fiber and Sugar Alcohols to find bars that are acceptable.  You can get yourself into a mess if you don’t READ!  Fortunately, there are more and more options out there.   I’ll list some of the favorites for my discriminating taste buds below.  And remember, just because something says it is “low carb” doesn’t mean it is. Read.  Always!

Any of Chef Irvine’s FitCrunch bar flavors are delicious!  Make sure to get the SNACK bars and not regular sized bars.  There are other flavors.  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.  Caramel Peanut.  Cookies and Cream.  I’m not a big fan of the Birthday Cake flavor, but then again… I don’t like birthday cake.  (I know!  What is wrong with me?)  I’m picky about peanut butter flavors but his Peanut Butter bars are delicious!  Even the Brownie is good!

Make sure the thinkThin brand that you are getting… that when you SUBTRACT the sugar alcohols from the carbohydrates that you are left with 2 to 3 NET CARBS.  (Ideally, you don’t want more than 7 or 8 NET Carbs on a meal). Not all thinkThin offerings are low in Net Carbs!

There are Atkins bars that are delicious with a variety of flavors.  Some are just like candy to me.  Walmart has the best selection for the best price really.  I won’t even bother to list here there are so many!

Too, Costco and Sam’s Club have their protein bars.  Some are quite good.  BUT BEWARE OF THE LABELS!  Make sure you do not have over 7-8 NET Carbs on any one bar!!!!

You can always make your own!!  Here is a link to my “Granola” Bar recipe!   My husband gobbles these up almost as fast as I can make them!

Fruit & Vegetables

     

Berries, berries, berries!  They are the lowest glycemic options.  Strawberries, Blackberries and Raspberries are the best.  A little higher in carbs are Blueberries.

Of course there are Avocados and also there are many vegetables you could eat in the morning too.  Tomatoes.  Squash.  You name it!

Smoothies or Other Drinks

You can use aforementioned berries, avocado and vegetables in smoothies or juice them.  Delicious!  More recipes on those later!  I promise!

 

More Information

Oh… the lists could go on, but I hope this gave you some good ideas.  Breakfast doesn’t have to be boring or deprive your taste buds!

Here is another reminder about what is out there that is Low Carb:

Resources:

 

Until next time… #lowcarb4ever

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Low Carb Bread, Buying and Making

The hardest part about a low carb lifestyle is no longer having ready access to bread because of their high carb count.  I love bread!  A fresh yeasty bread will actually make my mouth water.  The smell.  The taste.  Knowing that butter will even make it better. 

My sister took me out for my birthday.  The bread at the restaurant was incredible smelling.  She didn’t have the willpower and ate it.  I almost did too.  I held fast and didn’t eat it, but inside my food loving soul was screaming for me to butter up a piece!

It is tough giving up on bread!  But do we really have to?  I have discovered that the answer is no!

The Challenge

Just saying “no” to things you love is the biggest challenge in low carb living.  The next challenge is finding suitable carb-friendly alternatives that our taste buds will accept.

It was HARD in the beginning, especially on an initial weight loss plan, going without bread.  I’m a bread addict (as well as a Cheezit and cracker addict.).  I love, love, love it!  Gone were hot buttered rolls. pizzas,  focaccia, sandwich breads, etc.  No getting buns with burgers or hoagie rolls with sandwiches or any other sandwich combination.  Meats, cheese and veggies between bread or in bread were what I had to concentrate on and not the bread itself.  Not an easy feat.  I ate sandwich meat and burgers inside lettuce leaves or on salads.   (Oh I love Five Guys for that!!!!) That works for a time, but still isn’t entirely satisfying when you just want bread!

But what to do?

The Solution – At the Grocery

I found myself (and still find myself) reading labels on EVERYTHING!  This is a good habit to get in to!  Whether you are doing total carbs or Net Carbs… ALWAYS read labels!  There are hidden carbs everywhere!   There are hidden corn and potato starches as well as flours.  There are pastas and potatoes in things, especially soups.   You have to be constantly aware.  

I initially thought that bread was entirely off limits until I started reading labels.  My eye caught on a tortilla package that said 5 Net Carbs.  WHAT?  I thought that even on a low 20 Net Carbs that I could manage 5 Net Carbs.  (For instance, one slice of whole wheat bread is 10 Net Carbs or more!) I picked the package up worried that the carb count was for something like 1/16th of a tortilla.  Much to my surprise, it was for a whole tortilla!  I can ROLL stuff up in a tortilla!  I can make pizzas with a tortilla!   It was a great discovery! 

There are several decent tasting brands out there.  Ole is one.  Mission is another.  I’ve found one brand or another in most groceries that I have visited.  JUST READ THE LABELS!  Try them out!  FlatOut Light Italian and FlatOut Spinach are two that I regularly  use for pizzas.  Those have 6 Net Carbs, but even that is very good especially if its the main carbs for an entire meal!  We just like the taste and consistency of them!  (Update: FlatOut Light Italian is not as light as it used to be.  We can’t find the Spinach.  We’ve quit using them.  Sigh.)

As good as flour tortillas are, a whole new world opened up when I found Joseph’s Low Carb Pita Bread!  Delicious!   I can put stuff in the pockets  I can fold stuff up in it.  I can use it for pizza as well.  If you can’t find them, mouse over the bold title and click on the link.

  

Both flour tortillas and the Joseph’s Pita Bread discoveries were life altering in my kitchen.   Not only were their sandwich and pizza uses useful, but I could also cut up pieces and toast them to make crackers for dips or just to eat plain!  All was right with the world again.

Whenever I see them, I get more than I would use and stick some in the freezer!

I have now found some Low Carb breads (after looking for months and there not being any) in specialty grocery stores like Earth Fare and Whole Foods.  None to write about here.  The ones that were  Low Carb and Almond Flour-based were a bit spongy and tasteless for me, but if I run across any that I like… I will definitely update this post.

I am still thrilled that there are grocery options out there… even in my small town. Best of all… none of these products are carb killers!!!

UPDATE: ThinSlim and Sola products are now popping up at my grocery.  Too, if you look hard enough, you can find some low carb solutions from major labels, but if wheat is off limits, look to the ThinSlim and Sola products.  Quite frankly, Sola is lower cost and better tasting to my tastebuds than ThinSlim, but that is me.  You can decide for yourself.  Also, your pocket book can decide as well.  They have different varieties and even hamburger buns!  Most Sola breads are 3 Net Carbs per slice, but I like the Deliciously Seeded bread for an additional carb.  I just like the taste.

The Solution – Online

Too, there are options to purchase certain breads online.  Both Sola and ThinSlim foods are a good option and very worth checking out.  You can buy on Amazon, but honestly, just go direct to their websites:

Sola also carries sweetener, ice cream, granola, granola bars, etc.  

ThinSlim also carries, cookies, cakes, etc.

The Solution – At Home

I also decided to attempt to make bread myself.  Now mind you, I am NOT a baker.  My sister is.  I am not.  I cook.  However, Low Carb living is making me find the baker that was always inside of me!  If I can do this… you can too!

I have poured over low carb recipes, but not many are YEAST breads which are what makes so many breads smell and taste so yummy!  Also, I determined, that I wasn’t going to knead anything.  Lot’s of mixers have kneading hooks or paddles, but I still don’t have the hand strength for kneading nor the patience for proofing and risings.  I also had limited storage and counter space. You might have that kind of patience and space in your kitchen.  I don’t.  So I needed another option.

I decided I was going to look for a bread maker!  My sister got one.  She loved it.  She makes bread all the time which is unfortunate because she is in the same health boat that I am.  I decided that there was a few low carb bread machine recipes out there and if there weren’t enough… I was/am determined to create more!  Plus my sister really needs to convert to low carb baking and it will help her. (Also, please check into my oven baking links for Low Carb bread recipes.)

So, I researched bread machines.  I discovered that not many stores in my areas carry bread machines.  I did most of my research on Amazon.  

There are several I looked at:

Williams-Sonoma is where I actually discovered a few machines that I could see in person.

I got a Cuisinart CBK110 as pictured above.  I got lucky on getting a moderately priced one when a friend had a 50% off coupon that I could use! It made sense for me for multiple reasons mentioned above.  There are bread machines for all types of breads and sizes as well as for all budgets, family sizes and kitchen space!   

You can make doughs, bake cakes and what surprised me the most… you can make jams and preserves with my model!  A bonus!  (I’ll let you know how that turns out versus traditionally making them.)

I’m thrilled with the outcome… and will share recipes later!  A peek at the first attempt is below.  Not bad!  The hole in the bread slice is actually from the paddle that does all the work.  It is embedded in the bread unless you remove it during the process at a designated time.  I didn’t, to see what happens if you don’t.  That hole is what happens.

    

Whether traditionally baking or using a machine… “go for it!”  The outcome is rewarding.

So, there isn’t really a bread crisis when going Low Carb.  Options are out there if you look for them.  Hopefully I’ve helped you discover some!

Until next time! #lowcarb4ever

Dee

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Thanksgiving & Christmas Eating

Christmas Dinner

November and December is the toughest time of year for us Low Carbers! Holiday meals can be daunting even when not going low carb.

I actually spent time going over the holiday food menus to see what I COULD eat and what I needed to adjust to be able to eat satisfyingly.

In our family, we eat turkey and ham for Thanksgiving and beef for Christmas.  I know everyone’s traditions are different, but that is ours. We have a few side dish adjustments depending upon the main dish.

Here is the usual menu for Thanksgiving:

  • Turkey
  • Ham
  • Dressing
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Green Beans
  • Squash Casserole
  • Spinach Casserole
  • Peas
  • Cranberry Relish
  • Gravy
  • Rolls
  • Pumpkin Pie

Here is the adjusted menu for Thanksgiving:

  • Turkey
  • Ham
  • Dressing – made with low carb almond flour “cornbread”
  • Mashed Cauliflower
  • Green Beans
  • Squash Casserole – using crushed pork rinds for the cracker topping.  No one noticed!
  • Spinach Casserole – using crushed pork rinds for the cracker topping. No one noticed!
  • Peas – we avoided but kept for others.
  • Cranberry Relish – we did two versions one with sugar for others and a low carb version with Truvia.
  • Gravy – we did regular gravy for others and had a recipe to do a low carb version.
  • Rolls – we avoided, but could have made low carb bread.
  • Pumpkin Pie – we did two versions one for others and a low carb version.

Now on to Christmas….

Here is the usual menu for Christmas:

  • Rib Roast
  • Yorkshire Pudding
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Green Beans
  • Broccoli Casserole
  • Carrots
  • Cranberry relish
  • Gravy
  • Rolls
  • Pecan Pie

Here is the adjusted menu for Christmas:

  • Rib Roast
  • Yorkshire Pudding – made with soy flour recipe instead.
  • Mashed Cauliflower
  • Green Beans
  • Broccoli Casserole – make with crushed pork rinds for Cheezit topping.
  • Carrots – We went ahead and kept this even though it is a little higher carb, but will use Truvia brown sugar to glaze them.
  • Cranberry relish – we will do a low carb version with Truvia.
  • Gravy – we will do regular gravy for others and have a recipe to do a low carb version.
  • Rolls – we will avoid, but we can make low carb bread.
  • Pecan Pie – we can use a low carb syrup version of this with a almond flour crust.

I also had plenty of holiday savory and “sweet” nuts on hand for nibbles.  We had the usual cheese and pork rinds on hand as well.

For those who are candy addicts like I can be at times (especially around the holidays) every store has a sugar free section of their candy aisle.  There are some pretty good selections including Bob’s sugar free peppermints. Russell Stover‘s has a great selection and they are changing all over to Stevia based products now that taste better and don’t give as much gastrointestinal upset that other sugar substitutes can give when you accidentally over do it.  (Come on… sometimes you just can’t stop at one piece!)  If you see a Russell Stover Outlet on your interstate travels, DO stop in!

It isn’t as bad as one might think when living low carb.  The possibilities are rather endless what you can do!  It is gathering or adjusting the recipes that takes time.  Hopefully I’ve gathered some on this site that are helpful.  Other sites have some great recipes too!  Too, Jennifer Eloff George Stella and Dana Carpender‘s cookbooks are terrific!

You can do this!  If I can… YOU can!

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