Low Carb Lifestyle... HELP!!

missamielou
missamielou Posts: 83
edited December 18 in Food and Nutrition
:flowerforyou: Hello everyone!

I really really want to start a low carb lifestyle. Although I have a rough idea of what to eat, I am a bit clueless of how to make meals out of it. Can any of you give me some ideas for simple low carb meals and snacks which won't cost the earth in fancy ingrediants (eg, I can't afford steak or salmon steak every night). Also, I work in an office without a cooker (although I do have a microwave) so must be foods I can easily take with me.

Thanks :)

Replies

  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
    Perhaps try to eat lots of eggs as they fill you up and the protein is good, especially as you're really into your fitness! I would reccomend lots of frozen chicken breasts (Iceland do them and they don;t add too much salt either) as they are cheaper and if there's a lidl nearby, they do really cheap and very lean and tasty frying steaks (£2.69 for about 3 steaks which won't break the bank & cooks in under 3 minutes).

    I am not sure if butternut squash is considered a carb or not but when roasted/baked, it is a wicked alternative to chips. I also only have a microwave at work so I make enough food in the evenings for dinner and then have the leftovers for lunch, bringing it all in to work in one tupperware.

    Fine green beans (1kg bag for £1 in tesco/lidl in frozen section) are really filling too and they go with just about anything.

    Maybe also try cauliflower rice, not the same as rice but you can get used to it at first by mixing half cauli-rice with half brown rice, till you get used to the flavour, then go rice-free thereafter.

    PS. As you know, I still eat a fair amount of carbs so I am no low-carb expert but these idea might help a bit (I hope!) x
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/577333-low-carb-snacks
  • missamielou
    missamielou Posts: 83
    :happy: Oooo never thought of saving previous night's dinner for lunch the next day!! Great ideas! Will go to Lidl as just next to my gym! I do get nuts and things from there but never looked at the meat! Thanks
  • paulwgun
    paulwgun Posts: 439 Member
    There's a low carb group on here :-)
  • seebeachrun
    seebeachrun Posts: 221 Member
    Tilapia or swai fillets are cheap. This week they are on sale for $2.67 for 4-6 fillets at my local Albertson's. I watch the grocery sales and stock up on the stuff I use the most like fish fillets and chicken breasts ($1.88/lb every couple of months.)

    I also buy a lot of fresh and frozen fruits and veggies when they go on sale and/or are in season. This week cucumbers and green peppers were 25 cents each at my local Albertson's. Onions and peppers tend to go on sale for $1/lb a lot here. Bags of baby carrots and celery hearts are normally $1-2 dollars each.

    Also I buy a lot of store brand food items. I also buy a lot of my dry goods from the super walmart because they tend to have even better prices than the grocery stores. A real local farmer's market supplies a lot of locally grown produce and I never spend more than $8 a week when I shop there. (By real I mean it's a roadside stand not a foo-foo weekend market set up in the fancy part of town to give ladies something to do on Saturday or Sunday morning.)

    It's a myth that you cannot eat healthy AND cheap. I spend about $50 a week on groceries for two adults and it's not on mac & cheese or frozen pizzas.
  • aprilgicker
    aprilgicker Posts: 395 Member
    Check out paleo diet cook books they will have great low carb things to cook. Also, Glycemic index cooking.

    Big staples are
    egg whites
    cheese
    cream cheese for gravy type things.
    brown rice
    dream field pasta
    greek yogurt for lots of creamy things including salad dressing
    Anything green and fresh.

    The biggest obstacle you will face is the hidden sugars.
    Keep away from Corn products, dextrose in the first 5 ingredients, whey, and soy products.

    Some soy and whey are okay but don't go crazy with it. For your diet to work the way you want it to you need to eat things in natural forms. If you want whey, drink milk or eat yogurt, same with soy, eat the beans.

    I am really addicted to carbs and love all the bad ones it is hard for me to stick with it because they are a drug to me. I can go months without a cigarette without cravings, but with bad carbs I get headaches, feel agitated, and mean when I crave them.
    I would eliminate one thing at a time, while bringing in a new thing to replace it.

    This life style is harder than it seems, but you can do it. we are here for you!
  • missamielou
    missamielou Posts: 83
    Thanks everyone! I have joined a UK Low Carb Group. Will definitely take those ideas into account. Looking into the Paleo diet now :) xxx
  • lauryn86
    lauryn86 Posts: 86 Member
    Tilapia or swai fillets are cheap. This week they are on sale for $2.67 for 4-6 fillets at my local Albertson's. I watch the grocery sales and stock up on the stuff I use the most like fish fillets and chicken breasts ($1.88/lb every couple of months.)

    I also buy a lot of fresh and frozen fruits and veggies when they go on sale and/or are in season. This week cucumbers and green peppers were 25 cents each at my local Albertson's. Onions and peppers tend to go on sale for $1/lb a lot here. Bags of baby carrots and celery hearts are normally $1-2 dollars each.

    Also I buy a lot of store brand food items. I also buy a lot of my dry goods from the super walmart because they tend to have even better prices than the grocery stores. A real local farmer's market supplies a lot of locally grown produce and I never spend more than $8 a week when I shop there. (By real I mean it's a roadside stand not a foo-foo weekend market set up in the fancy part of town to give ladies something to do on Saturday or Sunday morning.)

    It's a myth that you cannot eat healthy AND cheap. I spend about $50 a week on groceries for two adults and it's not on mac & cheese or frozen pizzas.
    i would love any tips you have for budget shopping for two people! i have been spending 100 a week on groceries!!! I use the farmers market too though!
  • ijustmightbecrazy
    ijustmightbecrazy Posts: 37
    The other week Kroger had the bags of frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts buy 1 get 1, I bought them out and came back later that day for a raincheck. I thaw what I need for the coming week overnight on Friday, poke them full of holes with a fork on Saturday morning, put em in a zippy bag with italian dressing, then grill them on Sunday. I also go through a little more than 2 dozen eggs a week, as it's my breakfast. I buy tons of the California Blend of frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots), which covers my dietary fiber since I eat half a bag (just over a cup) at lunch and the other half at dinner.

    The most I have for direct carbs in a day is a slice of Nickels 35 Light Multigrain toast, a Yoplait Light yogurt cup, and a banana (the yogurt and banana are amazing for potassium), and whatever incidental carbs are in my whey shake.

    Think you can't afford steak and salmon all the time? Think again. Start looking at the dates on the packages of foods you want but usually cost too much. Now put a reminder in your phone for the day -before- that, and go back to the store on that day anytime after 2pm. I guarantee you that unless you wait until after 8pm you will find those things you "can't afford" on manager markdown, and they're still perfectly fresh because the store is going to give it a cushion of about 3 days before it would actually start to spoil to avoid any lawsuits. Take it home, eat it that night or immediately freeze it until you're ready to use it. I stalk the meat department for markdowns, and my freezer is always full of markdown items.
  • imogenjade
    imogenjade Posts: 131
    i cant cook but i have diet whey protein for brekkie, you can have scrambled egg, chicken with cheese melted on etc. use ur imagination. i snack on brazil nuts in natural fat free yogurt ...yummy xx
  • TinkrBelz
    TinkrBelz Posts: 866 Member
    I am not sure if I am a low carber, I try to hit around 100 carbs/day. I put some of my recipes on my Blog. I assume that you can see it even if you are not my friend.

    But, I put down some of my dinners that are easy and crock pot friendly. I hate to cook and I have 6 kids. So, I need things that are easy because of our busy schedule. You can check it out and maybe that will give you some ideas. I usually eat left overs for lunch.
  • idlose
    idlose Posts: 16
    http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art13088.asp

    this is a great site. just click the link and then click the individual links on the page for the categories for your individual food and carb count. i did this for a year. and now i stay lower carb, but i was at 20G of carbs a day for a year. i looked up recipes for low carb breads, etc. i found soy flat bread was easy to make and it was close to a flat bread. anyhow, that site was my jumping off point to see what my count was. good luck!!
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
    I would reccomend lots of frozen chicken breasts (Iceland do them and they don;t add too much salt either) as they are cheaper and if there's a lidl nearby, they do really cheap and very lean and tasty frying steaks (£2.69 for about 3 steaks which won't break the bank & cooks in under 3 minutes).

    A low-carb diet should not also be a low-fat diet. Nothing wrong with chicken breasts, but it's fine, even necessary, to eat plenty of fat--don't trim all the fat from meat, don't discard the skin from poultry. The fats to avoid are man-made trans fats, and highly-polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as corn oil.
  • ijustmightbecrazy
    ijustmightbecrazy Posts: 37
    I would reccomend lots of frozen chicken breasts (Iceland do them and they don;t add too much salt either) as they are cheaper and if there's a lidl nearby, they do really cheap and very lean and tasty frying steaks (£2.69 for about 3 steaks which won't break the bank & cooks in under 3 minutes).

    A low-carb diet should not also be a low-fat diet. Nothing wrong with chicken breasts, but it's fine, even necessary, to eat plenty of fat--don't trim all the fat from meat, don't discard the skin from poultry. The fats to avoid are man-made trans fats, and highly-polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as corn oil.

    That's why I eat whole eggs for breakfast, one of the best sources of fat you can ask for. I eat lean meats for lunch and dinner, and I still manage to get 80-90g of fat in a day.
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,688 Member
    You can also get lots of low carb ideas from www.lowcarbfriends.com

    I use a lot of recipes I find on there.
  • maggiepz
    maggiepz Posts: 141 Member
    Eggs are cheap and very good for you. I eat them about every day. I also eat a lot of tuna (they always have cans on sale somewhere). Buy chicken breasts in bulk when on sale or the frozen ones are reasonable. Almonds have saved my butt from pigging out a lot. I stock up when on sale. I have cans at home, work and in my car. I also use whey isolates to make sure I get in enough protein. They are pricy but they last a while. Kale and other such vegetables are very good for you and relatively inexpensive.

    Low carb gets expensive if you buy "Low-Carb" foods. You should try to stay away from processed food as much as possible anyway.
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