Strong flavors that satisfy

Sometimes I want something that tastes like a treat but isn't sweet. For those occasions I find that something with a really strong flavor can do the trick.

Braunschweiger - a strongly-flavored liver spread.  Oscar Mayer brand is pretty good.

Cheese spreads - Markt brand Beer Cheese flavor; Swiss Almond flavor. Yes, I eat small bites out of the pint-size container with a spoon like a savage. Like Ben & Jerry's, but cheese!

Smoked almonds

Olives - regular old green olives in jar are my go-to, but fancy olive bar olives are great.

Tomato paste - spread on a slice of bologna or salami, add a stick of string cheese and make a roll-up.

Andouille sausage - Hillshire Farms makes a turkey one that is delicious.

Hard salami - I just get the lunch meat kind

Swiss cheese - with mustard

Lunch meats - bologna, ham, turkey

Cheeses - pepper jack, swiss, cojack

A favorite thing to do is make a small plate out of some or all of the above, plus fresh veggies (radishes, green peppers, celery) and a few nuts (I like walnuts, salted pecans, cashews.) Makes a very tasty finger food snack and the veggies make me feel like I haven't given up on traditional nutrition altogether.

Shrimp Salad

12 oz cooked shrimp (peeled), chopped to bite size if necessary
1/2 c mayo 
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 drops of liquid sucralose 
Splash of plain almond milk or water, to thin the mayo (optional)
1/2 t dill weed
1/4 t kelp seasoning (Maine Coast brand)

Amounts are approximate. Mix everything together in a bowl, adjust seasonings to taste.  Refrigerate. 

Burger on a Salad

This was a tasty, filling lunch.

1/4 lb grass-fed hamburger patty
Seasoned salt, to taste

1 cage-free omega egg, fried over-easy

2 cups romaine salad
1/2 medium tomato, cut in chunks
1/2 medium avocado, cut in chunks
6 Atomic dill pickle slices (spicy hot dill pickles)
1 T ranch dressing

Place lettuce on salad plate, top with pickles, tomato chunks and avocado. Season hamburger patty on both sides, pan fry til desired doneness. Chop patty into bite-size pieces with spatula and place on top of salad.

Fry egg in burger pan to desired doneness. (I made mine over easy because I like the runny yolk. ) Place egg on top of the salad, salt and pepper to taste.

Add ranch dressing or other dressing, if desired.

Flax bread in the microwave

This is a recipe I got off of a low carb message board many years ago. It's a quick and easy recipe that produces a light, coarse-textured bread similar to a whole-grain loaf. I like it with butter and sugar-free jam, and usually eat half the loaf for breakfast.

I think it would also make a serviceable sandwich bun if prepared in two circular ramekins, then cooled and cut in half.

I buy the unground flax seed and grind it myself in a little coffee grinder I keep just for that purpose. You can buy ground flax seed but apparently it goes rancid fairly quickly. I add the baking powder in with the seeds before grinding, just so it gets mixed into the flax really well.

Flax Bread in microwave (makes 2 servings)

1 ounce of melted butter, cooled slightly
2 medium eggs
4 tablespoons of ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.

Add the eggs to the melted butter and mix well. Add the flax and baking powder and mix together thoroughly. You want a wet, smooth batter. Pour into the greased or sprayed microwave-safe baking dish of your choice.
 

Microwave the bread for 3 minutes. Let cool slightly before removing from pan.

Nutrition info guesstimate (this info was provided by original recipe poster, I cannot vouch for its accuracy. If you really need accurate numbers run it through a recipe calculator.)

 

For the whole recipe:

About 570 cals

Total fat 48 g
Carbs 18g (including 15 g fiber) - so only 3 net carbs
Protein 20 g

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/

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.

Goulash

1 lb. hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 T powdered beef boullion
4 cups water
4 T paprika
1 lg pkg frozen green beans
Salt & pepper
Sour cream for serving

Cook onions in oil until translucent. Add hamburger, chop it up with a spatula and let it brown. Add tomatoes, beef boullion, water, paprika. (You may want more or less paprika, I put enough in so you can smell it while it is cooking. That gives it the "authentic goulash" flavor.) Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for about an hour.  Add green beans, bring back to a boil and cook another 15 minutes or so. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream.