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How to get started on low carb, or get back on the wagon if you've fallen off

In the beginning, the easiest way to shop is to plan meals around meat, veg and salad. Stock up on chicken, pork chops, sausage (read the ...

Thursday, September 27, 2018

High fat, moderate-to-low protein foods

Oils & fats: olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, butter, lard
Olives
Avocados
Dark chocolate
Flax seed (make microwave flax bread!)
Chia seeds
Leafy salads with oily dressing
Caesar salad
Vegetables with butter
Camembert cheese, Brie cheese, blue cheese
Eggs
Walnuts, almonds, pecans
Macadamia nuts (treat like an oil, a cup of these is over 900 calories! And it is not hard to eat a cup's worth.)
Cream cheese
Heavy cream
Sour cream
Almond milk
Bacon
Braunschweiger

A good chart with nutrition info for different keto foods:

https://www.perfectketo.com/full-ketogenic-diet-food-list/

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Fresh and light flavors


I sometimes get to where I am sick of the meaty-salty-greasy flavor profile of many low carb foods, and find myself craving fresher lighter flavors. Here are some things I do:

Drink more water. For me I think the fresh-light craving is related to wanting foods with more water content, which I assume is a sign I'm a bit dehydrated. Iced or chilled water is more refreshing than room temperature, of course. Lemon or cucumber slices add a bit of fresh flavor and feels fancy.

Have a fruity low-carb beverage like Bai, Crystal Lite, diet 7-Up, etc. This of course depends on your opinion/reaction to artificial sweeteners. Bai is made with erythritol which is considered by many to be a good sweetener for low-carb. I was really missing having orange juice with my morning eggs and bacon, but a small glass of pomegranate-flavor Bai makes an excellent low carb substitute. 

Drink more tea or herbal tea in place of coffee. I love coffee but it does have a certain heaviness of flavor. Teas are lighter and fresher. Try Tazo’s passion tea, iced or hot… it’s sour taste is really refreshing! Bonus: you can get it at Starbuck's. Just be sure to specify you want it unsweetened (or sweetened with one of their sugar-free syrups. Vanilla flavor would be brilliant. You could also get it with a splash of heavy cream for a tea-latte-like drink. It'll be beautifully pink :) )

Eat more salad and raw veggies. Watery veggies like cucumber and celery are ideal. A big plate of cucumbers and tomatoes dressed with a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice is fresh, summery and delicious. Celery stuffed with nut butter or cream cheese makes a satisfying snack, the high-fat high-protein fills you up while the fresh watery crunch of the celery cuts the heavy taste. Creamed cucumbers made by dressing sliced cucumbers with a dressing made of mayo plus sour cream or greek yogurt plus a little vinegar is a refreshing and delicious side dish.

Cut down on red meat and salty processed meat like bacon and sausage. Chicken, turkey and fish are much lighter tasting.

Use acidy things like vinegar and lemon juice to dress your foods.  Make a cucumber salad with vinegar dressing. Try a light vinaigrette on your salads instead of heavier dressing. Dress cooked vegetables with a little rice vinegar instead of butter and salt. Top eggs or meat with salsa.

If you don’t mind budgeting for the carbs, have a small serving of berries.

Yogurt is another item that might be worth a few extra carbs. I like a 1/2-cup serving of Fage 5% fat yogurt mixed with a little bit of True Lemon powder and Truvia sweetener. I thin it out with a bit of water as I don’t like my yogurt quite so thick. 

Just a few ideas that might help you feel more refreshed and satisfied if you find your usual food staples are not appealing after a while.