Low Carb Snacks Are Here
When the low carb diet first started, it was seen as a weird new diet. As people started achieving amazing results on the diet, it began to gain popularity among the general population rather than just among the medically obese. In fact, many of Dr Atkins' first clients were people who were so obese, it caused problems with their health. Now, everyone can subscribe to the low carb diet. In fact, many models and celebrities follow the low carb diet as a way of maintain their figure. What does this mean for foods on the low carb diet? The diet has changed in many ways as people perfect the diet and times and thoughts change. However, the biggest change is in the availability of ready made foods.
When the low carb diet first gained popularity, there were very few ready made foods, not even low carb snacks, at the store. This meant that you could only make your own foods if you wanted to stick to the diet. On the one hand, this probably made you keep to the diet better, but on the other hand, if you were busy one week, then you'd have no choice but to go off the diet!
What low carb foods can you buy now? Ready made low carb foods can vary a lot. There are some specialty chocolate bars made by Atkins and some other diets. Then there are other foods that although not specially designed for low carb dieters are never the less suitable for a low carb diet. These foods include nuts, salads, deli meats, small chunks of cheese, and cottage cheese. It's so convenient to be able to just grab a quick snack these days. Even the more poorly stocked store usually carries some low carb snack food!
Is snack food good for you though? As I discussed above already, there is some debate that low carb snacks are not all that healthy for you. In fact, we would have been better off if they hadn't come onto the market at all. Instead of eating just three solid meals a day, we snack in between meals regardless of whether you are hungry or not. It becomes eating just for the sake of eating rather than eating to get enough energy. This in turn means that we have more energy than we need daily. This excess energy gets stored in our body as fat, and we end up gaining unwanted weight.
Can snacks be healthy? Although I've just suggested that snacks are pretty bad for your diet, they can play a beneficial role if used correctly. Sometimes you are out and about and can't home to eat a low carb meal. Then, to starve off the hunger, it can be useful to keep some low carb snacks handy. This is especially true if you are traveling. Airports and train stations are notoriously bad at stocking healthy restaurants. At many places, it's practically impossible to get anything that would be ok to eat on a low carb diet. Then, you have to rely on prepared snacks. Otherwise, if you let yourself get hungry, it's very easy to fall into temptation and get foods that are unhealthy.
When the low carb diet first gained popularity, there were very few ready made foods, not even low carb snacks, at the store. This meant that you could only make your own foods if you wanted to stick to the diet. On the one hand, this probably made you keep to the diet better, but on the other hand, if you were busy one week, then you'd have no choice but to go off the diet!
What low carb foods can you buy now? Ready made low carb foods can vary a lot. There are some specialty chocolate bars made by Atkins and some other diets. Then there are other foods that although not specially designed for low carb dieters are never the less suitable for a low carb diet. These foods include nuts, salads, deli meats, small chunks of cheese, and cottage cheese. It's so convenient to be able to just grab a quick snack these days. Even the more poorly stocked store usually carries some low carb snack food!
Is snack food good for you though? As I discussed above already, there is some debate that low carb snacks are not all that healthy for you. In fact, we would have been better off if they hadn't come onto the market at all. Instead of eating just three solid meals a day, we snack in between meals regardless of whether you are hungry or not. It becomes eating just for the sake of eating rather than eating to get enough energy. This in turn means that we have more energy than we need daily. This excess energy gets stored in our body as fat, and we end up gaining unwanted weight.
Can snacks be healthy? Although I've just suggested that snacks are pretty bad for your diet, they can play a beneficial role if used correctly. Sometimes you are out and about and can't home to eat a low carb meal. Then, to starve off the hunger, it can be useful to keep some low carb snacks handy. This is especially true if you are traveling. Airports and train stations are notoriously bad at stocking healthy restaurants. At many places, it's practically impossible to get anything that would be ok to eat on a low carb diet. Then, you have to rely on prepared snacks. Otherwise, if you let yourself get hungry, it's very easy to fall into temptation and get foods that are unhealthy.
Best Low Carb Snacks
So what are the best low carb snacks out there? Well, let me give you my top five:
1. Macadamia Nuts
2. Grass Fed Beef Jerky
3. Low Carb Fudge
4. Low Carb Muffins
5. Cheese
1. Macadamia Nuts
2. Grass Fed Beef Jerky
3. Low Carb Fudge
4. Low Carb Muffins
5. Cheese
Everything You Need To Know About The Low Carb Diet
The 1970s saw the popularity of the low carb diet rise when it was introduced by Dr. Atkins.But the diet didn't originate in the 70s. For centuries, man has been consuming low carb foods. The turn of the twentieth century brought about the myth regarding grains. Soon food manufacturers that make use of wheat and other grains marketed their products to be essential parts of your diet.That is a misrepresentation. Although they started churning out high carb cereals, there is no need to join the bandwagon since you can eat low carb cereals instead. People frequently point to countries like Italy and Japan, where people live to long ages.
However, don't they eat a lot of carbs? Although our images of Italians consist of them eating pasta and pizza for every meal, the truth is that they rarely eat it.It's the same thing with the Japanese. Rice is an integral part of their diet, but they eat only a limited amount of it in a day. Compared to other types of grains, rice is still healthier. It is not uncommon to hear people asking for low carb diet advice. The answer is reasonably simple.You just have to cut down - or completely turn your back on - desserts, sugar, breads, and potatoes.
If you avoid those 4 things, then you'll be pretty close to where you need to be. Desserts are particularly difficult for people to let go of. They have been such a huge part of every meal, but cutting down on them shouldn't be too painful because you can try out the many low carb desserts that are available! There is no reason to completely forego desserts. There are detailed recipes for low carb desserts online.
However, don't they eat a lot of carbs? Although our images of Italians consist of them eating pasta and pizza for every meal, the truth is that they rarely eat it.It's the same thing with the Japanese. Rice is an integral part of their diet, but they eat only a limited amount of it in a day. Compared to other types of grains, rice is still healthier. It is not uncommon to hear people asking for low carb diet advice. The answer is reasonably simple.You just have to cut down - or completely turn your back on - desserts, sugar, breads, and potatoes.
If you avoid those 4 things, then you'll be pretty close to where you need to be. Desserts are particularly difficult for people to let go of. They have been such a huge part of every meal, but cutting down on them shouldn't be too painful because you can try out the many low carb desserts that are available! There is no reason to completely forego desserts. There are detailed recipes for low carb desserts online.
Eat Desserts?
Don't you hate how, after eating a sumptuous and yummy dessert, you suddenly feel inexplicably tired? You may even think you are unnaturally groggy or sleepy and your mind is quite slow to react to things.This becomes particularly difficult when you are in situations where alertness and presence of mind is required.
This is one of my reasons for opting to consume low carb desserts instead.Low carb desserts are similar in taste to other desserts. Sweet, they are also delicious. The only difference lies in the fact that they are made from low carb recipes. Thus, they do not contain too much sugar and flour.Stevia or other naturally non-caloric sweeteners are used by low carb recipes instead of your usual sugar.
Thus, low carb desserts still taste sweet as sugar but without adding any carbs or calories.Flour substitutes such as coconut milk, flax meal, or almond meal, are used.Instead of carbohydrates, your dessert will be high in fiber. Fiber works by slowing down the entry of glucose into your blood and generally aids in your digestion.You wouldn't have to worry about experiencing any sugar crash after a meal. You will then feel more awake and alert.
Of course, staying more awake is not the benefit. Low carb desserts will also be a great help in your weight loss efforts. Replacing the sugar in desserts with a zero caloric sweetener means that you won't be consuming all those extra calories normal desserts have. There is nothing wrong with zero-calorie sweeteners except our perceptions of them. Many think these sweeteners are not natural at all but, really, can you honestly say sugar is natural, after all the processing it is subjected to?
This is one of my reasons for opting to consume low carb desserts instead.Low carb desserts are similar in taste to other desserts. Sweet, they are also delicious. The only difference lies in the fact that they are made from low carb recipes. Thus, they do not contain too much sugar and flour.Stevia or other naturally non-caloric sweeteners are used by low carb recipes instead of your usual sugar.
Thus, low carb desserts still taste sweet as sugar but without adding any carbs or calories.Flour substitutes such as coconut milk, flax meal, or almond meal, are used.Instead of carbohydrates, your dessert will be high in fiber. Fiber works by slowing down the entry of glucose into your blood and generally aids in your digestion.You wouldn't have to worry about experiencing any sugar crash after a meal. You will then feel more awake and alert.
Of course, staying more awake is not the benefit. Low carb desserts will also be a great help in your weight loss efforts. Replacing the sugar in desserts with a zero caloric sweetener means that you won't be consuming all those extra calories normal desserts have. There is nothing wrong with zero-calorie sweeteners except our perceptions of them. Many think these sweeteners are not natural at all but, really, can you honestly say sugar is natural, after all the processing it is subjected to?
Using Sweeteners
Not all zero-calorie sweeteners are artificially made. A plant has been extracted and this is what is now widely used in many countries and known as Stevia.In fact, Japan has a long history of using Stevia as a way to combat eating too much sugar. I'm sure you are very skeptical about all this. You may be wondering how on earth something can taste good or sweet without sugar. I can persuade you for hours about how much I enjoy eating low carb desserts, but you won't believe me until you try them yourself. Obtaining low carb desserts nowadays is no longer so difficult. Some you can purchase online, and some you can make yourself.
You can't fail to find low carb dessert recipes since there's so many of them around.Recently I was able to try a simple recipe for this amazing low carb fudge!I just happened across the recipe online one day. Many of these recipes are very easy to follow and require only a few ingredients. In other recipes, you would find yourself searching high and low for ingredients that you've probably never even heard of.You should make sure you follow these recipes carefully, especially if they are using ingredients you haven't used before. Do not be too drastic in choosing the recipes since some may not be as low carb as you thought. Some of the recipes may be labeled low carb but may actually contain high concentrations of carbohydrates. There's not much more to say about this except that I hope you go out and find some great tasting low carb desserts.
You can't fail to find low carb dessert recipes since there's so many of them around.Recently I was able to try a simple recipe for this amazing low carb fudge!I just happened across the recipe online one day. Many of these recipes are very easy to follow and require only a few ingredients. In other recipes, you would find yourself searching high and low for ingredients that you've probably never even heard of.You should make sure you follow these recipes carefully, especially if they are using ingredients you haven't used before. Do not be too drastic in choosing the recipes since some may not be as low carb as you thought. Some of the recipes may be labeled low carb but may actually contain high concentrations of carbohydrates. There's not much more to say about this except that I hope you go out and find some great tasting low carb desserts.
Try These Recipes
Many people still get the shock of their lives when presented with so many low carb recipes.For them, it is a given that they also have to give up on many types of foods to eat once they take carbohydrates out of the equation.That's simply not true. Low carb recipes are limitless and can be obtained free from various places.
Putting in 'low carb recipes' on the Google search bar will provide you with thousands of pages directing you to sites with low carb recipes. You can be as specific as you want in your search and you will still find it on Google.If you're not so savvy with the internet, then you can buy books with plenty of low carb recipes in them. Thanks to the following gained by low carb diets in recent years, people who want to follow them can now have easy access to many good recipes.
Naturally you would have to make sure that the recipe is indeed low carb and suits your diet. Low carb diets can vary greatly in what foods are allowed and what are not allowed on the diet. In some diets, the person should only limit himself about 20kg carb intake daily during the first few days of the diet. An example is the Atkins diet. Some other diets that are more lenient on some carbs show lesser results when it comes to weight loss.
These less strict diets are likely to permit 100g of carb intake daily.In fact, this much amount of carbohydrates is eventually allowed in the Atkins diet during the later stages.Most low carb recipes use ingredients that one does not normally work with in the kitchen, which is why you should pay close attention to them.Low carb muffins are prepared using coconut flour instead of normal flour.
Coconut flour is basically coconut flakes that are ground finely. Its low carb properties can be likened to that of wheat flour. It's high in fiber and protein and good fats, but low in fats, which makes it a great substitute. But in order to make it moist, you would end up having to use a lot of eggs.Therefore, if the recipe calls for more eggs than you think should be in there, follow the recipe the first time around before changing it! Odds are that the ingredients you think strange are there for a reason. Meats and vegetables are included in low carb recipes (other than desserts, of course).There are a lot of meats that you can try in recipes. Don't forget that there are a lot of products and derivatives that one animal can provide.The consumption of animal liver, heart, and bone marrow, is actually encouraged in some low carb diets.
Variety in your dishes would increase, thanks to the unique and distinct taste that these organs produce.Variety can also be found in vegetables. We often don't try a great deal of vegetables because they're not common. Many different vegetables are included as ingredients in many low carb recipes.I recently discovered bak choy, which is consumed in many Asian cultures. Stir-fry garlic and ginger with some bak choy and you have a winner.Low carb diets often increase the dieter's consumption of vegetables and meats. Dieters often not only eat more vegetables and meats but often more varieties too. As a result, a lot of low carb recipes are made available to people. Grab a low carb recipe book and you'll find yourself overwhelmed with so many possibilities. It's so easy, so what are you waiting for? Start cooking!
Putting in 'low carb recipes' on the Google search bar will provide you with thousands of pages directing you to sites with low carb recipes. You can be as specific as you want in your search and you will still find it on Google.If you're not so savvy with the internet, then you can buy books with plenty of low carb recipes in them. Thanks to the following gained by low carb diets in recent years, people who want to follow them can now have easy access to many good recipes.
Naturally you would have to make sure that the recipe is indeed low carb and suits your diet. Low carb diets can vary greatly in what foods are allowed and what are not allowed on the diet. In some diets, the person should only limit himself about 20kg carb intake daily during the first few days of the diet. An example is the Atkins diet. Some other diets that are more lenient on some carbs show lesser results when it comes to weight loss.
These less strict diets are likely to permit 100g of carb intake daily.In fact, this much amount of carbohydrates is eventually allowed in the Atkins diet during the later stages.Most low carb recipes use ingredients that one does not normally work with in the kitchen, which is why you should pay close attention to them.Low carb muffins are prepared using coconut flour instead of normal flour.
Coconut flour is basically coconut flakes that are ground finely. Its low carb properties can be likened to that of wheat flour. It's high in fiber and protein and good fats, but low in fats, which makes it a great substitute. But in order to make it moist, you would end up having to use a lot of eggs.Therefore, if the recipe calls for more eggs than you think should be in there, follow the recipe the first time around before changing it! Odds are that the ingredients you think strange are there for a reason. Meats and vegetables are included in low carb recipes (other than desserts, of course).There are a lot of meats that you can try in recipes. Don't forget that there are a lot of products and derivatives that one animal can provide.The consumption of animal liver, heart, and bone marrow, is actually encouraged in some low carb diets.
Variety in your dishes would increase, thanks to the unique and distinct taste that these organs produce.Variety can also be found in vegetables. We often don't try a great deal of vegetables because they're not common. Many different vegetables are included as ingredients in many low carb recipes.I recently discovered bak choy, which is consumed in many Asian cultures. Stir-fry garlic and ginger with some bak choy and you have a winner.Low carb diets often increase the dieter's consumption of vegetables and meats. Dieters often not only eat more vegetables and meats but often more varieties too. As a result, a lot of low carb recipes are made available to people. Grab a low carb recipe book and you'll find yourself overwhelmed with so many possibilities. It's so easy, so what are you waiting for? Start cooking!
Grainless Cereals?
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; that much is true, but if you wake up from a good night's sleep, all you want is to eat something - anything - and you don't really want to put too much effort into searching for it. You want something that's quick and filling.
Eggs are obviously a great choice for low carb dieters, but they can also quickly get old. But they could take a while to prepare, a fact that is discouraging especially to those of us who are pressed for time in the mornings.It is for this reason that, in many breakfast meals, cereal is almost a constant.Milk can be added to the cereal, or you can eat it by itself especially when you are running out of time.Cereal can be eaten in many ways.Sadly, most cereals cannot be eaten on a low carb diet.Seemingly, the target of the low carb cereals currently being marketed these days are the not-so-serious low carb dieters. Although dubbed as low carb, surprisingly, they have wheat and grains in their ingredients that are normally pinpointed to be the main causes of problems caused by high carbohydrate diets.This is why they are not such great options.
What you should look for when shopping, therefore, are the low carb cereals that aren't made from grains or are grain-free. Peruse the ingredients list to make sure you don't buy one that has grains in it. Grains are quite problematic because our bodies are not made to fully digest them.Our body would require millions of years before they can properly evolve to eating grains.
Grains have historically developed themselves to prevent animals and humans from eating them. Toxins are purposefully incorporated in them just to make sure of that.The toxins are there to dissuade humans and animals alike from even attempting to eat them.That is the reason why one cannot eat raw grains.Eating uncooked rice is very dangerous. While cooking the grains thoroughly can break down some of the chemicals in them that cause problems to humans, it doesn't completely solve the problem. That is the reason why lasting damage to the body can happen when it is subjected to prolonged ingestion of grains.
Since low carb cereal is hard to find, we often have to make do with other breakfast foods. Hot cereal is one of those options.Just with flax meal and milk, you can have a wonderful bowl of porridge. It will only take a few minutes of your time.It's very filling and has a gruel like consistency that is satisfying.
If hot cereal doesn't work out for you, then you can try making pancakes. If you use coconut flour, you will have low carb pancakes.You can make these in advance and keep them in the fridge. Just heat it up, pour some sugar-free maple syrup and voila! Instant fulfilling quick breakfast! Muffins made with coconut flour are also good snack options that you can bring with you to work. Despite the unavailability of cereal, you can opt for other breakfast foods that will work very well as substitutes.
Eggs are obviously a great choice for low carb dieters, but they can also quickly get old. But they could take a while to prepare, a fact that is discouraging especially to those of us who are pressed for time in the mornings.It is for this reason that, in many breakfast meals, cereal is almost a constant.Milk can be added to the cereal, or you can eat it by itself especially when you are running out of time.Cereal can be eaten in many ways.Sadly, most cereals cannot be eaten on a low carb diet.Seemingly, the target of the low carb cereals currently being marketed these days are the not-so-serious low carb dieters. Although dubbed as low carb, surprisingly, they have wheat and grains in their ingredients that are normally pinpointed to be the main causes of problems caused by high carbohydrate diets.This is why they are not such great options.
What you should look for when shopping, therefore, are the low carb cereals that aren't made from grains or are grain-free. Peruse the ingredients list to make sure you don't buy one that has grains in it. Grains are quite problematic because our bodies are not made to fully digest them.Our body would require millions of years before they can properly evolve to eating grains.
Grains have historically developed themselves to prevent animals and humans from eating them. Toxins are purposefully incorporated in them just to make sure of that.The toxins are there to dissuade humans and animals alike from even attempting to eat them.That is the reason why one cannot eat raw grains.Eating uncooked rice is very dangerous. While cooking the grains thoroughly can break down some of the chemicals in them that cause problems to humans, it doesn't completely solve the problem. That is the reason why lasting damage to the body can happen when it is subjected to prolonged ingestion of grains.
Since low carb cereal is hard to find, we often have to make do with other breakfast foods. Hot cereal is one of those options.Just with flax meal and milk, you can have a wonderful bowl of porridge. It will only take a few minutes of your time.It's very filling and has a gruel like consistency that is satisfying.
If hot cereal doesn't work out for you, then you can try making pancakes. If you use coconut flour, you will have low carb pancakes.You can make these in advance and keep them in the fridge. Just heat it up, pour some sugar-free maple syrup and voila! Instant fulfilling quick breakfast! Muffins made with coconut flour are also good snack options that you can bring with you to work. Despite the unavailability of cereal, you can opt for other breakfast foods that will work very well as substitutes.
These Things Called Low Carb Desserts
Fact: People always crave sugar.And in fact we are biologically designed to crave it. During the prehistoric times, sugar was in very short supply so it came as no surprise that foods containing sugar, such as berries, were eaten a lot. It is different these days, though. Now, cakes, sweets and donuts are in abundance, so we can safely say that we are inundated with too much sugar from all sides. Avoiding sugar is now next to impossible.
People who want to lose weight and avoid sugar go for low carb diets. But don't you find it excruciatingly hard to turn your back on all those sweet, great-tasting pastries and cookies that you've grown up with? That's why low carb desserts can be so essential for a low carb diet. This will cause you to reach for that yummy healthy cookie that has no sugar, instead of that chocolate chip one that is practically screaming "SUGAR!!"You must be thinking this is too good to be true, aren't you?
Low carb desserts are not a myth; it's here! You can eat it everyday whenever you want! Low carb muffins and cookies can be the perfect afternoon snack while at work. They can easily be made, and packing them in small containers or ziplock bags is a breeze. Use ziplock bags or small containers, and you can easily bring them along while travelling.So where can you get low carb desserts?
Although chocolates and breads with low carbohydrate content are now being sold, low carb desserts are generally still not being sold in stores.The best thing to do is to make your own low carb desserts at home. The recipes aren't much different from the normal ones, except for some additional mixing and baking. That way you'll know what goes into your desserts and that it's fresh and healthy. You might wonder, then, how low carb desserts can still be sweet despite not having sugars. The trick is to use artificial sweeteners instead.
As an alternative to sugar, honey, and agave, artificial sweeteners are safe and have zero carbohydrates and calories. Their taste is the same as that of sugar, and this is more obvious in baked goodies.The selection of various artificial sweeteners being sold these days is so vast that you won't have problems about running low on them.Sucralose, the main ingredient found in Splenda, is a favorite of many.I've found it to taste like sugar and to be easy to use. It is safe, as proven by the lack of substantiated health issues related to it.
It shouldn't come as a surprise, considering it shares very similar chemical structure with sugar. Baking low carb desserts often also involves a few other special ingredients since you can't use flour. Coconut flour and flaxseed meal are common alternatives to use. Low carb dieters sing their praises for coconut. Aside from being delicious, coconut contains healthy fats and is low on carbohydrates.
Coconut milk and desiccated coconut shreds are also common ingredients in low carb baking as they taste great and are low carb. For the same reason, nuts are also good to include in your cookies and cakes. Do not be surprised when you see the many cookies and chips nowadays made from almond or peanut butter.
People who want to lose weight and avoid sugar go for low carb diets. But don't you find it excruciatingly hard to turn your back on all those sweet, great-tasting pastries and cookies that you've grown up with? That's why low carb desserts can be so essential for a low carb diet. This will cause you to reach for that yummy healthy cookie that has no sugar, instead of that chocolate chip one that is practically screaming "SUGAR!!"You must be thinking this is too good to be true, aren't you?
Low carb desserts are not a myth; it's here! You can eat it everyday whenever you want! Low carb muffins and cookies can be the perfect afternoon snack while at work. They can easily be made, and packing them in small containers or ziplock bags is a breeze. Use ziplock bags or small containers, and you can easily bring them along while travelling.So where can you get low carb desserts?
Although chocolates and breads with low carbohydrate content are now being sold, low carb desserts are generally still not being sold in stores.The best thing to do is to make your own low carb desserts at home. The recipes aren't much different from the normal ones, except for some additional mixing and baking. That way you'll know what goes into your desserts and that it's fresh and healthy. You might wonder, then, how low carb desserts can still be sweet despite not having sugars. The trick is to use artificial sweeteners instead.
As an alternative to sugar, honey, and agave, artificial sweeteners are safe and have zero carbohydrates and calories. Their taste is the same as that of sugar, and this is more obvious in baked goodies.The selection of various artificial sweeteners being sold these days is so vast that you won't have problems about running low on them.Sucralose, the main ingredient found in Splenda, is a favorite of many.I've found it to taste like sugar and to be easy to use. It is safe, as proven by the lack of substantiated health issues related to it.
It shouldn't come as a surprise, considering it shares very similar chemical structure with sugar. Baking low carb desserts often also involves a few other special ingredients since you can't use flour. Coconut flour and flaxseed meal are common alternatives to use. Low carb dieters sing their praises for coconut. Aside from being delicious, coconut contains healthy fats and is low on carbohydrates.
Coconut milk and desiccated coconut shreds are also common ingredients in low carb baking as they taste great and are low carb. For the same reason, nuts are also good to include in your cookies and cakes. Do not be surprised when you see the many cookies and chips nowadays made from almond or peanut butter.