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Eat this, not that...
Bubbas_girl
Posts: 15 Member
In searching for some inspiration to help make some very necessary changes that we can live with, I come to you...
What are some of your favorite LC go-to foods that are reasonable substitutions for old favorites? Can be a food item, an ingredient, or the whole dang recipe
I don't crave much right now, but I'm sure it will come. Keep in mind tho, that I'm not all the way LCHF...more like lowER carbs (than ever in my life), but still enjoying fruits & veggies, etc.
One of my new favs is the Dannon Oikos coconut creme Triple Zero yogurts in place of my once-beloved Marie Calendar's coconut creme pie (not an exact match, but a pretty reasonable substitute). Haven't found a good sub for mashed potatoes yet, tho
What are some of your favorite LC go-to foods that are reasonable substitutions for old favorites? Can be a food item, an ingredient, or the whole dang recipe
I don't crave much right now, but I'm sure it will come. Keep in mind tho, that I'm not all the way LCHF...more like lowER carbs (than ever in my life), but still enjoying fruits & veggies, etc.
One of my new favs is the Dannon Oikos coconut creme Triple Zero yogurts in place of my once-beloved Marie Calendar's coconut creme pie (not an exact match, but a pretty reasonable substitute). Haven't found a good sub for mashed potatoes yet, tho
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Well..... since you asked:
I'd suggest ditching the Triple Zero yogurt. You're better off with full fat, regular yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, etc. Why? There are more carbs when you take out all the fat, and it's less satisfying/filling.
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B'More Organic's Skyr + heavy cream = heaven in a bottle. I especially love the vanilla one.
Instead of spaghetti, have a look at spaghetti squash. Here's a recipe to get you started -- http://detoxinista.com/2013/02/cheesy-spaghetti-squash-casserole/ -- you're welcome.
The Fathead pizza crust -- http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2013/06/30/weekend-bonus-the-older-brothers-oldest-sons-faux-carb-pizza/ -- or just toss some cheese, pepperoni, and a dollup of sauce into a bowl or on a plate, microwave until the cheese it melted (and crispy if on a plate) and enjoy.
For the most part, though, I try not to substitute. Substituting generally lends the assumption that it's going to be comparable to the original, and usually it's not, disappointingly so. Embrace it as its own thing, kind of like you're embracing the foods of another culture, and you'll likely be better off, generally speaking.10 -
Instead of bread I wrap my sandwiches or burgers on lettuce leaves... or just eat the innards without...
Instead of rice or potatoes I make cauliflower rice... or saute some veggies to have with my meat...
Instead of regular coke I drink diet coke... or club soda with lemon... or plain water...
Instead of chips or popcorn I eat a handful of macadamia and/or pistachio nuts mixed with a handful of moon cheese...
Instead of fruit I eat sugar free jello topped with handwhipped whipping cream sweetened with a smidge of xylitol...
Instead of a big toasted bagel I have a couple ryvita crackers...
Instead of pancakes or waffles I make keto crepes with eggs and creamcheese...
Instead of high carb pizza crust or flat bread I make a keto flat bread with riced cauliflower, cheese, and eggs...
Instead of toblerones I eat Lily's stevia sweetened milk chocolate...
Also... if you need recipe inspiration, instagram has a massive keto community and there are a bajillion keto meal pics and recipe ideas... It's fantastic... I'm anewlifeat40 there too to see some of my meals and snacks...5 -
Replacing a latte: Vegan Bulletproof Coffee
Replacing a cheeseburger on a bun (or, with the right spices, a taco): Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Replacing pizza: Crockpot Crustless Pizza
Replacing eggrolls: Wrapper-less Egg Roll
I cannot consume dairy products, so going out is not really a thing. I live for finding amazing recipes that I can modify to exclude dairy....and now also limit carbs.2 -
I am like Dragonwolf and don't think about LCH substitutions but after seeing the above list, I guess I do make substitutions. Just mainly for snacks like macadamia nuts instead of chips or cookies. I don't substitute much for meals. I simply skip things like a bun or a side of potatoes1
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Instead of any other chocolate...... Lindt 90% or 99% dark chocolate. 3:1 fat to carb ratio and way more satisfying with less.8
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Well..... since you asked:
I'd suggest ditching the Triple Zero yogurt. You're better off with full fat, regular yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, etc. Why? There are more carbs when you take out all the fat, and it's less satisfying/filling.
Thanks. My fats are plenty high enough in proportion to my carb goals I think. And this is really a once in a while thing for those times when the sweet tooth & Marie Calendar come calling for me to come out & play. 0 -
Love the Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt in it! A couple of squares here and there when my daily carb limit has room for it - yum2
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anewlifeat40 wrote: »Instead of bread I wrap my sandwiches or burgers on lettuce leaves... or just eat the innards without...
I love my sandwich fixin's in a bowl over baby spinach...and I don't miss the bread at all!
Zoodles or vegetti is a new favorite for us as well. With shrimp, portabella mushrooms and Alfredo sauce?
And as much as I have missed taters, I don't miss potato chips (they weren't really a big part of our food life to begin with), but when I crave something salty for crunchin' & munchin', I make a few batches of zucchini chips. They don't last long, tho, because I find myself competing with the hub & kids for them lolLove the Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt in it! A couple of squares here and there when my daily carb limit has room for it - yum
will be looking for this! And I think that is the key for me as well..."when my carbs & calories allow". I'm not in keto, so I'm not worried about kicking myself out if it.
@Dragonwolf & @nvmomketo: good perspective on substituting. I am finding that some things can just simply be passed over and never be missed. Junk food, cakes/sweets & sodas have never been big players in our nutritional game either...occasional treats...so I don't miss them nor feel the need to replace them with "fake" stuff that may be even worse for us than the original sins.
I do look at this as a new way of life, so it is less about substituting and more about discovering new things. But there are some favorites that my family asks for (and, admittedly, I miss too), and so I find myself scouring the internet for suitable (and palatable) substitutions, else reluctantly climbing back on board the sinking SS CARB-O ship.
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Bubbas_girl wrote: »
I love my sandwich fixin's in a bowl over baby spinach...and I don't miss the bread at all!
Zoodles or vegetti is a new favorite for us as well. With shrimp, portabella mushrooms and Alfredo sauce?
And as much as I have missed taters, I don't miss potato chips (they weren't really a big part of our food life to begin with), but when I crave something salty for crunchin' & munchin', I make a few batches of zucchini chips. They don't last long, tho, because I find myself competing with the hub & kids for them lol
will be looking for this! And I think that is the key for me as well..."when my carbs & calories allow". I'm not in keto, so I'm not worried about kicking myself out if it.
@Dragonwolf & @nvmomketo: good perspective on substituting. I am finding that some things can just simply be passed over and never be missed. Junk food, cakes/sweets & sodas have never been big players in our nutritional game either...occasional treats...so I don't miss them nor feel the need to replace them with "fake" stuff that may be even worse for us than the original sins.
I do look at this as a new way of life, so it is less about substituting and more about discovering new things. But there are some favorites that my family asks for (and, admittedly, I miss too), and so I find myself scouring the internet for suitable (and palatable) substitutions, else reluctantly climbing back on board the sinking SS CARB-O ship.
In that case, @Bubbas_girl - try googling any recipe with the word "keto" in front of it. You can find almost anything out there, and keto is just a more searchable term than LCHF...modify accordingly. I've found that many things, I actually like better in a low carb recipe than I ever did in the "traditional" version... But also look to make new "family favorites," too....2 -
I wish I liked zucchini... I may have to revisit it... Hmmm...0
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@anewlifeat40 - I find that zucchini tastes almost nothing like it's former self when cooked into other dishes... I sauteed some zucchini noodles in butter and garlic salt the other day, added some pre-made spaghetti sauce, dumped in some pre-shredded Italian cheese blend, topped with a dusting of parmesan, and I instantly ended up at the Island of Savory/Umami bliss. I had never tried the zucchini noodles because I wasn't crazy about zucchini, but after my adventure with spaghetti squash, I decided never to doubt the possibilities of anything again... I dare you to try something with it...something small. A tiny zucchini at my local grocer right now is about $0.50... I bought two decent ones last night for less than a dollar... I absolutely adored it topped with alfredo, bacon bits, diced chicken and such, too...4
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »@anewlifeat40 - I find that zucchini tastes almost nothing like it's former self when cooked into other dishes... I sauteed some zucchini noodles in butter and garlic salt the other day, added some pre-made spaghetti sauce, dumped in some pre-shredded Italian cheese blend, topped with a dusting of parmesan, and I instantly ended up at the Island of Savory/Umami bliss. I had never tried the zucchini noodles because I wasn't crazy about zucchini, but after my adventure with spaghetti squash, I decided never to doubt the possibilities of anything again... I dare you to try something with it...something small. A tiny zucchini at my local grocer right now is about $0.50... I bought two decent ones last night for less than a dollar... I absolutely adored it topped with alfredo, bacon bits, diced chicken and such, too...
It's more the slimy texture that gets me... *shudders* I'm okay if it's grated into something and I can't tell it's there. LOL2 -
Bubbas_girl wrote: »
Thanks. My fats are plenty high enough in proportion to my carb goals I think. And this is really a once in a while thing for those times when the sweet tooth & Marie Calendar come calling for me to come out & play.
Could be, up to you!
Since I can't help myself (and if you don't mind me asking), how do your fats relate to your carb targets?0 -
anewlifeat40 wrote: »
It's more the slimy texture that gets me... *shudders* I'm okay if it's grated into something and I can't tell it's there. LOL
I spiralise my courgette (zucchini) but I don't cook it - I find the hot sauce is enough to soften it slightly without giving it that slimy texture
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Cauliflower mashes up really nicely with some butter and cream cheese. Love the zoodles, spaghetti squash is yummy too, but I'd eat too much of it if I made it, so I skip it.
I love chocolate, so I have the 90% cocoa chocolate, which I love, but not enough to pig out on.
Other than that, I don't really do the substitution thing, I keep it really simple, my menus are just eggs, meat, cheese and veg.1 -
anewlifeat40 wrote: »
It's more the slimy texture that gets me... *shudders* I'm okay if it's grated into something and I can't tell it's there. LOL
I absolutely promise you, making them as noodles, they were not slimy at all, unless you consider things sauteed in butter to be slimy. The sauce had body, I didn't cook the noodles to mushiness - just enough to take the "bite" out of them being raw...so since they weren't mushy, they were a transport vehicle for the rich, semi-firm sauce... *drooling* just thinking about it, @anewlifeat40 because I swear to you, I'm so not in for slimy foods either. (hugs)2 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »
I absolutely promise you, making them as noodles, they were not slimy at all, unless you consider things sauteed in butter to be slimy. The sauce had body, I didn't cook the noodles to mushiness - just enough to take the "bite" out of them being raw...so since they weren't mushy, they were a transport vehicle for the rich, semi-firm sauce... *drooling* just thinking about it, @anewlifeat40 because I swear to you, I'm so not in for slimy foods either. (hugs)
Okay... I'll trust you on that... I may even have to invest in one of those zoodler things...
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I got one on amazon for like $10...was my birthday present bought off a gift certificate thing from a friend! Hand held, a little work, but works on carrots and cucumbers and stuff, too, so not a loss even if I don't use it for zucchini. I don't like the Z does like ribbons though (like using a potato/veggie peeler)...that's closer to almost-slimy...so slim Z work best! 1
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I Zoodle a lot, both for "noodles" and for salads, definitely one gadget I have used that I get a lot of use out of. Bolognese over zucchini "spaghetti" is just pure yum, I can still swirl my spaghetti whilst enjoying the bolognese 1
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