Easy kid friendly low carb recipes

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TitzzMcGhee
TitzzMcGhee Posts: 116
Does such a thing exist? I find myself eating the same things all the time and I'm looking for easy low carb recipes that I can fix after a busy day. I'm a single mom and my time is limited. I'd prefer to make one meal for my daughter and I to enjoy versus having to make something separate for her. We've recently been eating tacos once a week and breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs/omelet) in addition to the standard grilled chicken and veggies.

Does anyone have any easy low carb go to recipes?

Replies

  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Kids need carbs. Why would you force your kid onto a low carb diet? Unless there's a specific medical reason for it, it's a bad idea.
  • Tessyloowhoo
    Tessyloowhoo Posts: 504
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    I make a low carb vegetable Shepard's pie using mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes, breakfast casseroles are good too (eggs sausage,cheese, vegetables you could to half the pan for her half the pan for you) A lot of the times i make the vegetables and meat to my diet specifications then boil some pasta or potatoes or rice for my dad to have with the meal since i am the one who cooks every night.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    ^ this. If you're eating low carb, I hope you're fixing extra carbs for your kid.
  • crystalrp
    crystalrp Posts: 113 Member
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    I will cook my protein e.g. steak, burgers, pork chops, etc. but will then make rice, noodles, potatoes etc as a side dish for my kids. We can all eat the can of veggies.Not a big deal here. If I make a roast or roast a chicken, I throw a couple potatoes in the crock pot for them. I just don't eat them.
  • TitzzMcGhee
    TitzzMcGhee Posts: 116
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    I'm not cutting carbs for her...primarily for me. She always gets some form of carbs with her meal (I.e., rice, bread, couscous, etc). Its easier to fix a small side of carbs for her. Just looking for some balance. I find that the easy recipes that are kid friendly are primarily carbs like pasta, casserole type dishes which are not good for me.
  • Devonwood
    Devonwood Posts: 44 Member
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    Perdue makes a type of frozen chicken nuggets that are low breading and pretty low carb (4g carbs and 150 calories for 5 nuggets), and they're pretty good. You could microwave those nuggets for yourself and make "regular" ones for your child. Or give her those nuggets since really they're just chicken in a convenient and dunkable form, and make an extra carb side for her like rice or pasta. But that way she's eating a typically kid friendly food like chicken nuggets that are easy and cook in five to ten minutes.
  • TitzzMcGhee
    TitzzMcGhee Posts: 116
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    Thanks for the suggestions!
  • DancingDreams1234
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    Homemade stew, and tinned soups are also good. Just be sure the soups are healthy, for example low in salt etc.

    A healthy option to pancakes are just mixing up an egg and banana together (mash well) and using that mixture as pancake mix. It's really good.
  • GermanicKnight
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    4-5lb rump roast or chuck roast or something similar (Beef with some fat)
    1 package dry Italian salad dressing seasoning
    1 bay leaf 1 te basil
    1 te garlic powder 1 te oregano
    1 te parsley 1 te black pepper
    1 te onion powder 1 te salt
    te stands for teaspoon.
    3 cups organic beef broth
    1 jar pepperocini's
    Mix liquid and seasonings in a sauce pan, stir and bring to a boil,
    simmer for a couple minutes. You can add some pepperocinis and juice at this time.
    Put the roast into crock pot and pour hot mix over. *you can cut up meat as needed to
    fit into crock pot.
    Cook on low 10-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
    Take out meat & bay leaf, shred. *Add more pepperocinis or serve on the side.
    *put back into crock pot for 30-60 min on low...
    Sometimes you get more juice than needed, so drain and add back as needed after
    you shred the meat. Two forks work good to shred, hands do good sometimes.

    **Short version - you can use only the dry Italian salad dressing seasoning but use
    3 packages and forget the dry spices but use the same amount of liquid.
  • emmeylou
    emmeylou Posts: 175 Member
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    My family (which is myself, 22, my mom and my little sister, 7) is doing something very similar! We eat low carb, high protein at home (yes, even my sister). My sister gets plenty of carbs at school (and at camp, during the summer) and there is zero reason for her to get more at home. We have seen a huge difference in her behavior since switching. She's happier and has less moody moments.

    While she eats her lunches at camp, we still send her snacks. And we only send high protein snacks. In a thermos she gets chicken salad, or tuna (homemade). She gets cheese sticks, peanut butter and celery (she actually LOVES this), greek yogurt (they make them in the tubes now, frozen is delicious as well), nature valley protein granola bars (sometimes)... etc. These are the same things that my mom and I eat for lunch. When we make chicken, we make enough for the next day as well and quickly throw together a "salad". Whatever green veggie we have with dinner we throw that into the salad (chicken salad with some peas is delicious!).

    Dinner ideas? One of our favourite meals we call "the usual" lol. It is a meat, mixed with a veggie, mixed with some shredded cheese. For example, we'll take some leaner ground beef and cook it stove top (spray oil, non stick pan so no added grease). Once it is cooked we throw in the veggies to cook... once it is done we plate it up and put a small amount of cheese on top. Its like a casserole, but quick and simple and delicious. We'll change up the spices to match whatever we feel like (italian and garlic one night, curry one night, etc). We'll switch up the meats, chicken, ground turkey, stew meat, etc. Once in a while we will add in some dreamfields pasta (its lower carb).

    ^^This also ends up as lunch the next day.

    Experiment a bit! Switch things up, maybe try to pre-cook one day if you can.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    A rotisserie chicken. My kids would eat those for three meals a day if I let them. It's about the easiest meal because every grocery store makes and sells rotisserie chickens.
  • WalkingAway2013
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    Kids need carbs. Why would you force your kid onto a low carb diet? Unless there's a specific medical reason for it, it's a bad idea.

    :huh:

    nonsense, her kid would still be getting carbs from veggies but there is no need for her to make different meals for herself and then her kid. No person, adult or child actually "needs" to eat carbs. Cutting them out 100% is pretty much impossible but it's not a bad idea to cut out breads/pasta ect your body simply doesn't need them.

    One day people will figure out the government nutritional guideline is crap and will stop filling their plates with empty carb filled calories they don't need.

    To the OP there are ton's of recipes you can find via google/pinterst from low carb pizza to no carb baked goodies.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I don't understand "kid friendly." Just make food. Kids eat meat, I'm pretty sure of it.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Kids need carbs. Why would you force your kid onto a low carb diet? Unless there's a specific medical reason for it, it's a bad idea.

    :huh:

    nonsense, her kid would still be getting carbs from veggies but there is no need for her to make different meals for herself and then her kid. No person, adult or child actually "needs" to eat carbs. Cutting them out 100% is pretty much impossible but it's not a bad idea to cut out breads/pasta ect your body simply doesn't need them.

    One day people will figure out the government nutritional guideline is crap and will stop filling their plates with empty carb filled calories they don't need.

    To the OP there are ton's of recipes you can find via google/pinterst from low carb pizza to no carb baked goodies.
    Carbohydrates play a large role in the synthesis and regulation of brain and mood related hormones like serotonin and dopamine. Probably a small reason why most low carb fanatics that post around here always seem to be rather cranky and defensive all the time.:drinker:
  • moosiau
    moosiau Posts: 53 Member
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    Hi :) this ---> http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/ is a really good site for low carb recipes :) It has really good low carb casserole and pizza recipes on there too :) Linda also puts her ratings on each of her recipes at the bottom and says whether they worked for her and what she'd change to make it better :)
  • WalkingAway2013
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    Probably a small reason why most low carb fanatics that post around here always seem to be rather cranky and defensive all the time.:drinker:

    I'm neither cranky or defensive, I just replied and pointed out your claim of it being a "bad idea" to feed her kid her low carb foods was nonsense.

    Now if you were to call my dog ugly I'd be cranky and defensive but meh your beliefs (or anyone elses) on the need for carbs in a person's life doesn't bother me at all so no reason to be defensive, it's your body do what you want with it.
  • jnations56
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    I disagree. Kind of. Kids do need good carbs (just like adults do) but no one will convince me that they "need" potatoes, white bread, sugar and pasta. I'm the beginning of time, there were hunters and gatherers and that's the food they ate which was pretty much low carb. People lived longer then. My son is on a low carb diet and I am sure his health is benefiting from it. As for suggestions for meals: Google these recipes which I use : Low carb chicken quesadillas (just use low carb tortillas), breakfast for dinner, bacon wrapped baked chicken (with sautéed mushrooms as a side and a salad), hot dogs (you just ditch the bun and dip with mustard and have some pork rinds with it). Hope this helps
  • RunBakeLove
    RunBakeLove Posts: 101 Member
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    Try anything that can go in a lettuce wrap...taco meat and fillings in a lettuce leaf and your daughter can have hers in taco shells. BLTs work with this as well. Simple but easy since the only difference is where you put the insides :-) Plus you could always add the carbs in as a snack pre or post meal for her.

    And I agree with jnations56, kids need carbs but I there are some carbs that can be cut out and a low carb meal now and then is likely not going to hurt
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    I disagree. Kind of. Kids do need good carbs (just like adults do) but no one will convince me that they "need" potatoes, white bread, sugar and pasta. I'm the beginning of time, there were hunters and gatherers and that's the food they ate which was pretty much low carb. People lived longer then. My son is on a low carb diet and I am sure his health is benefiting from it. As for suggestions for meals: Google these recipes which I use : Low carb chicken quesadillas (just use low carb tortillas), breakfast for dinner, bacon wrapped baked chicken (with sautéed mushrooms as a side and a salad), hot dogs (you just ditch the bun and dip with mustard and have some pork rinds with it). Hope this helps
    No. Not even close to being true. Early humans ate a very high carb diet. Sure, they were hunter/gatherers, but the gathering far outweighed the hunting. In truth, early man was more scavenger than hunter. The majority of the diet came from berries, tubers (yes, potatoes) and wild grasses.