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| Adjusting Your Family Favorites September 2004 If you want to
experiment with adjusting favorite recipes your family doesn't want to give up, try to eliminate or drastically reduce any flour in the recipe. Other ingredients to keep to a minimum are cornstarch or other thickeners, rice, potato, and
bread, including croutons and bread crumbs. In some cases, you can substitute ingredients to help make up for the lack of flour. For example, using light or heavy cream in a sauce rather than milk will allow you to reduce the need for
flour. Sometimes you can add an egg or some cheese to make up for the bread in a recipe. |
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| Cabbage November 2002 Cabbage is my new favorite food! It is such a
versatile vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. It contains dietary fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. It has almost no carbs, and very few calories so it is a perfect addition to many meals. I use raw cabbage in coleslaw of
various types and in salads to add bulk and texture. Cut cabbage into thin strips, boil and then add to a plate half full of whole wheat pasta - you can have a full plate of pasta this way, with only half the normal carbs. Cut cabbage
into 1" pieces, cook and use to replace rice under a stir-fry. Add cut cabbage to any stir-fry as a main vegetable. Add cabbage to almost any soup to add bulk & flavor. |
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| ColeSlaw June 2003 Now that summer is officially here, let's look at one
of the staples of our summer menu and try to liven it up a bit. We eat a lot of coleslaw, especially in summer. It is one salad that keeps well even when dressed, so you can make a big batch and keep it in the fridge until you need it. It
is a great addition to any summer lunch or dinner, picnic or BBQ. How can we make it a little more appealing or interesting? I like to put some additional crunch or additional flavor in our coleslaw with ingredients like sunflower seeds
(either raw or roasted), green or red grapes cut in half, small pieces of apple, small amounts of raisin. All of these additions will add color, flavor and texture to give your summer coleslaw a lift. Be careful with the raisins and
apples so you don't add too many, as they are higher in carbs. Add just enough to enhance the look and taste of your coleslaw. Please send us your special tips for living low carb. |
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| Counting Fiber March 2003 If you want to eat cold cereals it is critical
to read and interpret the labels for carb content. It is important to calculate how much of the carb is fiber because you don't have to count the fiber since it doesn't get digested. For example, Kellogg's All Bran has a total carb
content of 23 gm per serving with 10 gm of fiber. This results in an effective carb content of just 13 gm. If you search out Kellogg's All Bran Extra Fiber you will find it has a total carb content of 20 gm per serving with 13 gm of fiber
for an effective carb content of only 7 gm. By contrast, Raisin Bran has up to 43 gm of carb per serving with 4 to 5 gm of fiber. You really do have to read the labels. |
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| Frozen Vegetables October 2003 We choose to use fresh vegetables almost
exclusively in our cooking because of the taste and nutritional value. We are aware that many families find that either the cost or the time required in preparation, make it difficult to stick with fresh vegetables all the time. We have
recently experimented with some frozen products to try to find something that might be acceptable. We have discovered that the frozen mixed vegetable combination sold by Costco is quite good. The taste is reasonably good, the cost is
modest and it is a combination of low carb veggies. They are called the Nutri Verde Grade A Fancy Vegetables with only 1.5 grams of net carb per ¾ cup serving. They are easy to microwave or boil and work well in a quick stir fry.
We suggest you still use fresh produce as often as you can but we do think this gives you an acceptable option when time is tight, or you have come to the end of the money before the end of the month. |
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| Holiday Hints November 2004
Everyone should enjoy the holiday season with its many gatherings of family and friends. These simple ideas will help you to enjoy the season without needless weight gain. One of the best ways to maintain control during the holidays is to
plan ahead. As with most things in life, an ounce of prevention can be worth many pounds of extra weight. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.
Think ahead about the parties - decide beforehand whether you are going to try to stick faithfully to your low carb regime or give yourself permission to indulge a little.
Remember the old adage, all things in moderation. If you do decide to eat or drink something high in carbs, keep your portions small. Offer to bring a dish to the party. That ensures that there will be some delicious low carb foods that you can enjoy without worry. At cocktail parties, bring a salmon ball or a cheese ball surrounded with slices of cucumber or zucchini for serving. If you are invited to a dinner party during the holidays, offer to bake dessert. The hostess will usually be pleased and you get to indulge your sweet tooth without the high carb
content. Have a low carb snack of your own before leaving for the party. Some celery with cream cheese or a few pieces of cheese or some nuts are great ideas. Avoid the dangerous and difficult to control situation of arriving at the party feeling starved! At cocktail type gatherings try all the vegetable & cheese nibblies. Look for options like raw veggies with dips (spinach, cheese or other dip), stuffed mushrooms, cheeses (alone or with sliced vegetable rather than crackers), salmon (smoked or in a
salmon ball), or other fish dish. Avoid the miniature egg rolls, samosas or sausage rolls. Avoid anything in pastry or with bread if possible. Fill up on the nuts! Limit your drinking to wine or mulled wine as the best low carb choices. Eggnog is very high in carbs, avoid it unless you have made your own, using Splenda as the sweetener. Hard liquor contains few carbs, but you have to be careful of the mix you choose. Avoid the extra carbs by not mixing with regular soft drinks. Light beer has less than half the carbs that there is in regular beer. Liqueurs tend to be very high in carbohydrates, so use sparingly. When enjoying a holiday dinner at a friend's or a restaurant, avoid eating the mashed potatoes or dressing and have an otherwise traditional meal. If you want to have a small splurge, eat small portions of potatoes and dressing. Enjoy the turkey with gravy and other vegetables. If carrots are served as a vegetable, eat smaller amounts of them. Leave the dinner rolls for others. Enjoy the cranberry sauce, but use just a little if it is not our own. If you are serving holiday dinner at your home, use your own home-made low carb cranberry sauce (see All New Easy Low Carb Cooking). Serve the Creamy Garlic Cauliflower (see All New Easy Low Carb Cooking) that is so much like garlic mashed potatoes. Make your gravy with less flour than usual, or substitutes soy flour in the gravy. For dessert during the holidays consider the Raspberry Cheesecake or Chocolate Mint Cake (see All New Easy Low Carb Cooking). Both are absolutely delicious and look very festive.
Follow these hints and enjoy a traditional Holiday Season with all the trimmings but none of the dreaded weight gain.
WE WISH YOU A VERY
HAPPY HOLIDAY |
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| Homemade Jams August 2005 I have had a number of inquiries over the
website about making jams using Splenda. Many people have suggested that using Splenda does not promote the gelling that is necessary for good jams and jellies. The fruit stays quite runny, which can be great as a sauce over low carb
pancakes or low carb ice cream, but won't work on a low carb muffin or piece of toast. Home made jams are such a delight and a wonderful gift to give to anyone. So I did a little research.
I have found a product (with the help of
my daughter-in-law Sian) called Garden Fare gelling powder. The powder is sold in individual bright red packets. This powder is manufactured by Club House and is made specifically for no cook freezer jams. It is also made to use with
Splenda rather than sugar.
I found this specialty product in a Home Hardware store here in Canada, in the jam supply section. To find it in other cities or in the US, I would look in hardware stores (in the jam supply section) and
in grocery stores.
I tried this product with great success when my grandson Dean was visiting and we went blackberry picking. The no cook freezer jam is very easy to make. You just clean and mash your berries, add the Splenda and
the gel powder according to the instructions, and mix. It tastes delicious! We had great fun making the jam and then had to have some low carb toast immediately to test it - YUMM! |
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| Juicy Gels September 2002 There is a new product available that is a great
addition to any lunch box or fridge. A sugar free jello in small plastic containers, already made up and ready to eat! Made by Hunt's, these little goodies are packaged 4 to a container, and are called Juicy Gels. They come in a variety
of fruit flavors, and are made with Splenda, not aspartame! (What a bonus, for people who react adversely to aspartame.) I am not sure if they are available in the States (will check in November when we arrive), but we have found them in
a number of Canadian food stores, including Loblaws, Safeway, Coop, and Thrifty's. |
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| Low Carb Caution June 2004 The flurry of new low carb products hitting
the market is exciting. It allows those of us living low carb lifestyles a whole new range of options. Without wanting to dampen enthusiasm, I think it is important to express a word of caution. Many of the products being advertised as
low carb still have significant amounts of carbohydrate. It is critically important to read the labels to determine the 'portion size'. Some manufacturers give the carb content for very small portions sizes so their product appears to have
fewer carbs than is really the case. Some baked products are advertised with carb content that turns out to be substantially higher when measured in an independent laboratory. Most of the sweet products are made with sugar alcohol (such
as maltitol or sorbitol) to replace the sugar. Most people don't absorb the sugar alcohols, but some people do. Unless you know which category you are in, be cautious in the amount you consume. The overall message is to use ready made
products sparingly. Whenever you can, make your own. That is the only way you know what you are really eating. |
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| Pasta July 2002 If you decide to include some pasta in your low carb
maintenance program, choose the large flat noodles like fettucini rather than small round ones like spaghetti. The processing of the flat noodles causes them to have a much lower glycemic index so they don't produce the same spike in
blood sugar that occurs with the round noodles. Be sure to choose whole wheat rather than refined white noodles. |
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| School Lunches August 2003 With school just around the corner, our
thoughts turn to healthy lunches and snack foods for our children. We thought you might enjoy a couple of ideas in this regard. For snacks, there are always cheese strings, cheese cubes or triangles as well as fresh fruit & veggies. Try
home made low carb muffins or bars if you have time to bake. We also recommend making trail mix with nuts (not too many peanuts) seeds and raisins. For lunches, consider salads with protein in the new zip lock plastic containers. A
plastic photo film container is perfect for the dressing. Another idea is a lettuce wrap - like a wrap without the bread. Package the ingredients separately if making the night before and allow your kids to put it together at lunch the
next day. Left over meat or chicken from dinner makes great wraps with lettuce and a few tomato slices. Or use sandwich meats if you don't have any leftovers. Mayo or mustard can go in the photo film container. |
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| Snacks January 2003 Snacks and snack foods can be difficult if you are new
to the low carb approach to foods. There are a couple of simple things that you can do to make things easier. There is no need to give up things like cheese or paté before a meal or just as a snack, but instead of crackers, how about
cutting slices of cucumber or zucchini to put them on? These vegetables make a great low carb substitute for crackers to have with any snack. How about some tuna, with a little mayo and lemon juice, served on cucumber or zucchini thins?
Or, try tuna or cream cheese or even peanut butter on a celery stick - its great! There are lots of simple and tasty low carb alternatives to keep you on track. Send us your ideas. |
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| Tips For Teens April 2005 There are many things that a teen can do
to help lose weight and take healthy control of their eating. It is most effective if the teen and the parents (and any siblings) are all working together to make the home a healthy place to eat. Here are some fast and easy changes that
will help get you started.
- Avoid the white foods - white potatoes, white sugar, white bread, white pasta, white rice, anything made with white flour.
- Eat 3 balanced meals and 3 snacks a day.
- Avoid fast food, or choose the healthiest variety - salads, hamburger without a bun, chili.
- Drink plenty of water and cut down on soda pop and fruit juices.
- Choose your fruits wisely, try berries, kiwi, peaches, grapefruit, pineapple, melons.
- Avoid high carb snacks like chips, crackers, popcorn.
- Try nuts, beef jerky, trail mix, cheese, pork rinds as healthy snacks.
- Involve the teen in grocery shopping, teaching them about good choices.
- Involve the teen in food preparation and show them how to make food taste great with little effort.
- Give the teen options, and allow them to take healthy control of their food.
- Make food and lifestyle changes slowly and with thought.
- Make meal time a happy, stress-free and enjoyable experience.
- Take a family walk every night before or after dinner.
- Teach the teen chess, checkers, to knit, to sew, to macrame, to play a musical instrument.
- Hands that are busy with crafts or music will not be busy with food.
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| Wild Game Meat April 2004 A recent report out of the Mayo Clinic pointed out that flesh of wild game typically has 2% to 4% fat by weight, much of which is monounsaturated fat and omega-3 fat (the good fats). By contrast, the grain produced domestic meats we
usually eat contain 20% to 25% fat by weight, much of it in the form of saturated fat (the bad fat). Clearly for those who don't mind the "game" taste, meat from wild game provides an excellent option. The more common modern day
alternative is to choose animal proteins that are low in saturated fat including skinless poultry, fish, eggs and lean cuts of red meat with visible fat trimmed. |
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