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Tips for low-carb eating

Whether you’re diabetic or just trying low-carb or low-glycemic diets to lose weight, it can be tough to plan meals. When potatoes, pasta, rice, and bread are pretty much out of the picture, it can be almost impossible to follow your tried and true recipes.

How can you go low-carb and still enjoy eating?

1. Read labels. Beware light, lite, diet, and sugar-free items. You still need to check the carb count!  For example, the “sugar-free” candy my husband bought still contained 4g of carbs per tiny piece. Some foods will list unreasonably small serving sizes to make their foods seem more low-carb friendly.
2. Substitute a no-calorie sweetener for sugar. Remember that not all sweeteners stand up to heat, so choose carefully for baking. NutraSweet in particular doesn’t stand the heat, but Splenda does. Make your own whipped cream with a no-calorie sweetener and whipping cream. This goes great on sugar-free jello and fresh fruit.
3. Drink calorie-free drinks and sodas. These usually have no carbs or 1g carb per serving. Read the label to be sure.
4. Substitute Carbquik for flour. In a recent post, I mentioned their product, along with my recipe for biscuits. This also works as a breading; I rolled chicken breast in it the other evening for fried chicken tenders.
5. In the same post, I also mentioned Dreamfields pasta. Use it as you would any other pasta, but check your sauce to make sure it’s low-carb too.
6. Try low-carb breads. I buy one from Nature’s Own that’s 7g carb with 2g fiber. To me, it tastes like any other wheat bread.
7. Turn salads into a meal. Since raw vegetables are great for diabetics and those trying to lose weight, add some lean meat or cheese to the salad to turn it into a meal. Try fresh spinach with a vinaigrette dressing. Add a few sliced strawberries and some fresh crumbled bacon.
8. Use gelatin to thicken desserts. Often sugar is added to a recipe to thicken it as well as sweeten. While a non-calorie sweetener will add the sweetness, it won’t give the same texture. Experiment with adding unflavored gelatin to thicken the recipe.
9. Use eggs as a binder. I do this now with meatloaf with good success. Instead of adding breadcrumbs or oats, I add 4 or 5 large eggs to a large meatloaf. The eggs serve the same purpose of holding the meat together without adding carbs.
10. Try low carb, high protein drinks. These are great as a breakfast replacement or snack. Also, they’re a great substitute for chocolate milk, since that’s pretty high in carbs. As an added bonus, they’ll satisfy your sweet craving as well. Most have only 2-3g of carb per drink.

These techniques can help you begin to alter your recipes for a low-carb eating plan. Be adventurous too; by trying different foods and recipes you can keep your menu from getting boring. You may be giving up carb-laden foods, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up enjoying your meals.