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Sugar – Friend or Foe

April 28, 2015 By admin Leave a Comment

It is helpful to know which foods contain a lot of sugar so that you can avoid them. There are plenty of foods that are low in sugar and are suitable for a low carb diet. The list of allowed foods includes seeds and nuts, fruit and vegetables, fish, and meats. Eggs and dairies contain small amounts of sugar. Whole grain breads and products contain healthy fiber, a small amount of fat, and some carbohydrate. Whole grains include brown rice, barley, and bulgar. Eggs are high in fat and protein and low in carbs and sugar.

Meats contain essential minerals, fat, and protein and are low in carbohydrate content and sugar. If you are on a low carb diet, you can eat duck, lamb, bison, chicken, and other types of meat. It is recommended to eat fish meat and seafood, including perch, trout, mussels, and oysters. Except for cold-water fish, fish is low in carbohydrates and sugar and high in protein.

Check the label before buying and avoid foods that list sugar as one of their main ingredients. Avoid products that contain agave sugar, beet sugar, brown sugar, and raw sugar.

Avoid desserts with lots of sugar – you can create your own recipe, reduce the amount of sugar, or modify it to make it low carb friendly. You can make low-carb, low-sugar desserts such as jello, fruit smoothies, and sorbets. You can buy sugar-free jello and combine with fruits. It may come as a surprise but many products contain sugar, including breads, crackers, salad dressings, ketchup, and mustard. To cut down on sugar, you should know which products have added sugar and in what amount. A serving of diced pears or mandarins has a total of 17 grams of sugar. Cookies, and chocolate chips have 21 grams of sugar per serving. Some muffin mixes, pies, and snack cakes also contain a lot of sugar. Soft drinks and drink powders have large amounts of added sugar. While most soft drinks contain about 11 percent, lemonade tops the list with over 90 percent.

Other foods that are packed with sugar include nougat and candies, pies, cakes, and dried fruits. Dried fruit and fruit roll ups are loaded with sugar. Dates have 66 percent sugar, raisins are 59 percent sugar, dried pears have 62 percent, and dried prunes – 38 percent. Cereal bars and ready-to-eat cereals are high in sugar. Granolas, fruit and nut bars and cereals contain up to 55 percent sugar, especially the low-fat versions. They contain even more sugar. Flavored yogurts have more sugar than plain yogurt. You can have plain yogurt with fresh or frozen blueberries or strawberries instead of flavored yogurt.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: agave, food, health, sugar

Low Carb Side Dishes for Busy Work Days and Special Occasions

March 2, 2015 By admin Leave a Comment

There are plenty of filling and tasty side dishes to try on a busy workday or special occasion. Low carb diets emphasize the importance of balanced and diversified menu for healthy weight loss.

Ideas for Low Carb Sides

Sides add flavor, nutrients, and variety to any meal. Dieters can try different low carb recipes and sides or modify classic recipes. There are plenty of low carb options though, for example, mushrooms and green beans, tomatoes and okra, and garlic green beans. You can also try shredded Brussels sprouts, sesame green beans, roasted baby carrots with rosemary, and asparagus parmesan. There are meat and vegetarian options to incorporate in your menu. Low carb diets offer plenty of choice and vegetarian sides are tasty and good for your health. You can have pea and asparagus medley, smothered green beans, tomato and eggplant bake, or broccoli with almond butter. You can also make green beans with lemon and hazelnuts or baked stuffed tomatoes for a special occasion. There are also meat options such as creamed vegetables with ham and almond and bacon green beans. Some sides are easy to make and take no time to prepare while others are great for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other special occasions and formal events. Stuffed artichokes, for example, are an excellent choice for a special occasion and are made using Romano cheese, parsley, oregano, and garlic.

Snacks for Busy Workdays

It is always a good idea to make snacks and have them in between meals, and many popular diets recommend eating two snacks per day. You can choose from a wealth of low carb foods and recipes for a healthy and filling snack. Some snacks are available at supermarkets such as olives, cheese, and nuts. If you don’t have much time, you can buy mini cheese portions or a trail mix with almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, and Brazil nuts. Some trail mixes also contain chestnuts, cashews, raisins, and other dried fruits. It is best to avoid them because chestnuts and cashews are high on carbs while dried fruits are loaded with sugar. You can have full-fat yogurt, celery, pepperoni sticks, or berries instead. You will also find diet-friendly snacks at healthy food and specialist stores. You can try protein shakes, pork scratchings and dried meat snacks, and even seaweed. Other snacks can be prepared at home and take little time to make. If you have 10 – 15 minutes, you can make celery sticks with peanut butter or hard boiled eggs with cream, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Some snacks take more time to make, and you may want to prepare in advance. You can make cheddar crisps, cheese straws, flax crackers, or low-carb pancakes. There are great low carb recipes for a lazy weekend at home when you have free time to cook. You can try zucchini chips, broccoli bites, or cauliflower tater tots. There are plenty of options, from premade products to homemade snacks.

Side Dish Ideas:

http://lowcarbfoods.org/bean-salad-medley-recipe

http://lowcarbfoods.org/mushrooms-beans-and-pepper-medley-recipe

Snack ideas:

http://www.health-bent.com/snacks/paleo-guacamole-bacon-stuffed-pepper-poppers

http://yourlighterside.com/2010/03/caulitots-baked/

Filed Under: Diet, Food Tagged With: side dishes, snacks

Carb-Counting as a Way to Plan Meals

December 19, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Carb-counting is one way to make sure that your meals fit into your plan of choice. This is a practical option to ensure that you include the right amount of nutrients in your meals.

Benefits for Dieters

Once dieters learn how to count carbohydrates, it is easy to find and fit different products into their plan. Thus they can include a variety of foods, including meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables by checking the nutrition label. Another benefit is that dieters can control their glucose levels and readings. This is especially important for patients with diabetes. Moreover, it allows you to plan your meals in advance and ensure that you have a balanced menu.

Slow vs. Quick Acting Carbs

There is a difference between simple and complex carbohydrates, and the main one is their glycemic index value. Examples of low GI foods include porridge, oat bran, whole wheat, mushrooms, cabbage, and others. Foods with a high GI are parsnip, pumpkin, dates, instant mashed potatoes, and French fries. Products with a high glycemic index value cause spikes in insulin levels. Foods that are high in protein and fat do not have the same negative effect on glucose levels. This is why carb counting is important. It helps dieters to control their blood sugar levels, lose weight, and fight diseases such as heart problems, breast cancer, gallbladder disease, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and others.

How to Count Carbohydrates

One option is to check the amount of dietary fiber and carbohydrates on the nutrition label. If a product has 5 grams of dietary fiber and 18 grams of carbs, it contains 13 grams of net carbs. Check the nutrition label for sugar alcohols as well because they are more difficult to absorb. To make sure that your menu fits into your diet, you may want to consume more foundation vegetables such as asparagus, cauliflower, and hearty greens. Then have some high-fat foods such as cream and hard cheeses. If you find all this time consuming, there are other methods to try.

Online Tools

You can use online calculators, charts, tables, and other tools. The first thing to do is to calculate your daily recommended intake. There are calculators that help you to do this. Just enter your activity level, weight, height, sex, and age. For example, if you are a 32-year old female who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weigh 180 pounds, your daily intake is 2051 calories to maintain your current weight. The amount of carbohydrates to consume depends on your plan of choice. If you are on the Zone Diet, for example, some 40 percent of your calories should be in the form of carbohydrates. Some plans also come with printable and downloadable food lists and carb counters to make it easier for dieters to track their daily intake. Other tools include a comprehensive database and allow you to find foods by total amount of saturated and monounsaturated fat, amount of carbohydrates, trans fat, cholesterol, and so on. You can choose between 200-gram and 100-gram servings. Another option is to base you search on a certain category, for example, sweets, snacks, oils and fats, legumes, seed and nut products, and others. The tool allows you to find foods that are lowest or highest in certain nutrients. Regardless of the tool or method of choice, the daily intake depends on whether you are on the Atkins, South Beach, Zone, Low GI, or any other plan. The most important thing is to limit the consumption of simple carbohydrates.

Online Resources

http://www.carbscontrol.com/online/

http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=32

Filed Under: Diet, Meals Tagged With: carbs, diet, glycemic index, low carb, tips

Low Carb Restaurants for Employees with Busy Schedules

November 4, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Employees with busy schedules usually order foods that take less time to prepare. Quick service restaurants and fast food chains are two options, but many restaurants also offer meals that take under 15 minutes to prepare.

Quick Fix Meals

There are plenty of quick fix meals to order at a restaurant. You can have steak with broccoli and onion, beef and mushroom stir fry, broccoli and beef stir fry, and more. Omelets also take less time to prepare and fit into your diet. If you are short of time, a buffet or salad bar is your best bet. There is plenty of choice, from hot and cold salad selections to appetizers and desserts. Some restaurants also have a seafood counter and offer gourmet cheese and meat selections and seasonal fruits. Other restaurants feature themed sections such as Mediterranean, Mexican, salad, Asian, fish market, and others. You can choose from a selection of main dishes, including turkey breast, slow roasted beef, smoked and grilled meats, and a lot more. There is a selection of vegetables and other products to build your own salad, including red onion, pickled vegetables, shredded carrot, tomatoes, mixed salad greens, etc. Many buffet restaurants also offer low carb-friendly salads such as green bean salad with olive oil, Greek salad, feta, pecan, and apple salad, and many others. You can choose from a selection of hot meals such as veal and beef meatballs, baked chicken, baked fish, and other options. Salad bars offer healthy and diet-friendly options to busy customers. There is a selection of healthy options such as shiitake mushrooms, jumbo asparagus, smoked salmon, and fresh mozzarella. Salad bars offer diet-friendly items such as sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke, prosciutto, and manchego cheese and parmesan. Some restaurants also offer customized salads and wraps and a variety of fresh toppings.

Many buffet and salad bars offer dinner, breakfast, and lunch menus. They also feature a selection of signature dishes such as pork carnitas, BBQ ribs, and steaks with onion and wild mushrooms.

Mobile Apps and Ordering

Some restaurants are about to offer mobile apps that allow customers to pre-order their meal. This saves a lot of time and waiting in line. Customers pre-order through their mobile phone and pay through a place and pay system. Online ordering is another option for employees with busy schedules. And if don’t have the time to eat out, you can use a catering service. Many restaurants offer a catering menu with snacks, salads, and meals. Some salad bars also offer catering services and customers are free to create their own salad. They offer a selection of cheeses, including Swiss, cheddar, pepper jack, goat cheese, crumbled blue, and others. Diet-friendly salad bars offer a selection of protein sources such as shrimp, tuna, steak, smoked bacon, tofu, and others. Some restaurants even offer protein bars and shakes. You can order an assorted fruit platter as well, depending on your diet. There are many payment options, including Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and pay on delivery. There are catering services that accept large, medium, and small orders.

Fast Food Joints and Diet-friendly Food

Fast food restaurants also offer diet-friendly items to busy customers. There are low carb options (see: lowcarbfoods.org) such as wings, ranch chicken salad, grilled chicken strips, lettuce wrapped burgers, and salads. Other fast food items to order include skinless chicken, grilled chicken wrap, grilled salmon, and more. Some restaurants even offer low carb burgers. The calorie count ranges from 140 to 570, depending on the menu of choice.

Filed Under: Dining, Food, Restaurants Tagged With: low carb apps, low carb restaurants, restaurant

Low Carb Meals That Most Restaurants Offer

October 20, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Many restaurants offer meals that are considered low carb-friendly or will gladly modify a meal to fit into your menu. Whether a chain, local restaurant or a fast food joint, there are options for low carbers.

Popular Choices
Many restaurants offer chicken with green beans and side salads. This is a good choice but avoid breaded chicken. Most restaurants also offer tasty omelets. Just skip the hash browns and toast and have steamed vegetables or salad greens instead. If you go with steak, ask if it has added sugar. Restaurants that offer salad bars are usually low carb-friendly. You can have grilled lamb chops with salad on the side. If you love seafood, many seafood restaurants offer grilled shrimp, grilled lobster, crab legs, and shrimp scampi.

Chicken wings, grilled chicken, chicken strips, Buffalo wings, and char grilled chicken are also popular choices. Many restaurants offer chicken, steak, and chops. Chicken fillet or steak with steamed vegetables is a great choice for your lunch menu. Many restaurants offer this option. Some restaurants offer popular meals such as carved roast turkey, baked fish, carved salmon and ham, hot wings, and taco meat. Other options are baked chicken, roast beef, beef patties, and more.

Low carb-friendly salads are also offered by many restaurants, for example, cob salad, Caesar salad, and others. Any salad that includes a protein source is a good choice (luncheon meat, cheese, etc.) Spring greens and tossed green salad, for example, are good options. Opt for salads with low carb dressings with no added sugar. Choose dressings such as raspberry vinaigrette, creamy Italian dressing, salsa, and blue cheese dressing. Caesar dressing is very low in carbs (less than 1 gram per portion) while blue cheese contains about 2.5 grams.

The Salad Bar

While many restaurants offer diet-friendly options, avoid sugary and starchy foods such as pancakes, French toast, French fries, and hash browns. The salad bar is your best bet, and some restaurants and chains offer the option to build your own salad. You choose from spring mix, iceberg, and Romaine lettuce and different toppings, including protein sources such as tofu, turkey chicken breast, and ham. Other toppings include artichoke hearts, blue cheese crumbles, and feta, parmesan, and shredded cheese. Many chains offer a large selection of toppings for your salad, including oranges, green bell peppers, sliced egg, pineapple, dried cranberries, mushrooms, olives, and bacon bits. Basically, you choose your base, toppings, filling, and dressing. Some restaurants even offer homemade coleslaw. There are classic choices as well, for example, house salad with cream, coleslaw, sweet corn, celery, tomatoes, cucumber, roast ham, and lettuce. The Italian salad is a great choice – a combination of celery, roast pepper, sun dried tomatoes, cucumber, olives, mozzarella, pesto, and of course, extra virgin olive oil. Or you can build your own salad and order cheese and bacon, spicy chicken breast, grilled salmon steak, or anything else that fits into a carbohydrate-controlled menu. Be careful with the dressings, toppings, and sauces because many contain hidden sugar and other carbohydrates.

Greek, Japanese, and Other Restaurants

While it is not difficult to pick a meal or salad in many Western-style restaurants, if you are going Japanese, for example, you may want to pass on meals that contain rice. Opt for fish and miso soup. Greek restaurants are an excellent choice for people on a low carb diet. You can have Greek salad, pan fried goat cheese, cucumber, yogurt, and garlic dip, garlic prawns, deep fried calamari, and other meals, salads, and appetizers that are diet-friendly.

Resources:

Low Carb Eating Out: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/low-carb-restaurant-orders

Low Carb Recipes: http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/low-carb-recipes.php

Dining Out Tips: http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/4586/low-carb-tips-for-dining-out

Filed Under: Diet, Dining, Restaurants Tagged With: dining out, low carb

The Cheapest Low Carb Ingredients for a Healthy Meal

September 25, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

There are inexpensive low carb recipes and budget-friendly ingredients for those who are on a diet. Non-meat protein sources, frozen vegetables, and other products are inexpensive and healthy.

Non-meat Protein: Soybeans, Dairies, and Eggs

Vegetarian protein sources such as tofu, eggs, soy-based protein, and dairies are less expensive than meat protein. Soybean, for instance, is high in manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, and protein, and fiber. There are many soybean products to include in your diet, for example, soy nuts, soymilk, edamame, and others. Whole soybeans, textured soy protein, and tempeh are also high in fiber and protein. Tofu is also a great inexpensive option to grill or add to soups and stir-fries. There are plenty of tofu recipes to try, for example, tofu steaks, peanut-crusted tofu, tempura tofu with vegetables, and many others. You can also use it for salads, stir fries, and other dishes. Customers can choose from fermented and unfermented soy ingredients, and the latter are used to make soy milk, pressed bean curd, and tofu. Dairies and eggs are also affordable alternatives to meat protein. There are plenty of egg recipes to try while on a low carb diet. Eggs are rich in saturated fat, selenium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B12, and other essential nutrients. You can make snacks and dishes such as pickled, hard-cooked, scotch, breaded, and hard-boiled eggs. Other meal ideas to try include mushroom and egg salad, tea eggs, and tarragon egg salad. The egg and mushroom salad is a great choice for a light meal. You will need onion, parsley, sour cream, mushrooms, and hard-cooked eggs.

Dairy products are also a safe choice and inexpensive alternative to meat. You can have cheese, milk, cream, butter, and other dairies. Retailers offer an assortment of cheeses, including domestic and imported. There is a selection of cheeses from different parts of the world, including farmer cheese, cream cheese, Monterey Jack, Tomme de Savoie, Brie de Meaux, Brie de Bourgogne, and many others. While some varieties are expensive, there are cheaper options such as tetilla, St. Andre, morbier, Irish cheddar, and others. You can choose from different types of cheese made from pasteurized goat, sheep, and cow milk. There are other dairy products for your diet, including clotted cream, butter milk, condensed milk, custard, curd, cottage cheese, and others.

Frozen Vegetables

Frozen vegetables are less expensive compared to organic produce. You can have green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, sweet peas, Brussels sprouts, chopped spinach and cut leaf spinach, and other types of frozen vegetables. You can also use mixed vegetables.

Other Low Carb Options That Are Budget-Friendly

You can have roasts or buy chicken and bake or cook it in a crock pot. Other cheap options include white fish, canned tuna, ground turkey, and chicken. You can have fish such as perch, tilapia, haddock, and Pollock. Pork loin roast is also inexpensive. Other budget-friendly foods include avocados, peanut butter, and pickles. Even if some foods are not within your budget, you may consider buying in bulk. You will find nuts, spices, and other products at many health food and grocery stores. Check for sales as well. You can always buy in bulk and store in the freezer and fridge. Another idea is to check local markets (for example, the Mexican and local farmers markets) and buy vegetables and marinated meats. There is plenty of choice when it comes to inexpensive food. Seafood is another low carb option. You can include shrimp and halibut in your menu.

Resources:

Low Carb Recipes: http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-recipes/special-diets/low-carb/

More Low Carb Recipes: http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/low-carb-recipes.php

Good Food: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/spotlight-low-carbohydrate-diets

Filed Under: Food, Meals Tagged With: low carb, low carb recipes, recipes

Low Carb Options for a Long Haul Flight

August 19, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

If you are on a low carb diet and flying overseas, you probably wonder what your options are. Some airlines serve no carb meals while others allow passengers to bring Atkins protein bars and other snacks onboard. Another option is to pre-order a high-fiber meal.

Airline Carriers

There are many factors that people take into consideration when flying oversees – ticket costs, connecting flights, comfort, passenger safety, and food onboard. American Airlines, for example, offers low carb meals inflight, as well as special meals such as vegetarian, diabetic, kosher, Muslim, and others. A sample list of foods to bring with you may include celery with cream cheese, hard boiled eggs, and protein bars. Airlines such as Alaska Airlines and Air Canada offer low sodium and gluten-free meals while passengers flying with Northwest are served low carbohydrate meals. Low carb meals are also offered by TWA. Another option is to order a diabetic meal. Many airlines offer diabetic meals, including United Airlines, Northwest, Delta, Continental, Air Canada, and American Airlines. Singapore Airlines offer diet-friendly meals with no carbohydrate or starch content. Lufthansa recently announced plans to offer reduced-carbohydrate options on its long haul flights. Passengers flying from Los Angels to Germany can choose this option. Business class passengers will be served a menu that includes a dessert, entrée, and appetizer. British Airways also offers a selection of meals to passengers with special dietary requirements. Customers can order a carbohydrate controlled meal with reduced sugar content.

Some airlines also offer a vegetable and fruit plate and a cheese and fruit plate. Whether you can have fruits depend on your diet of choice. Fruits are not allowed during the Induction Phase of the Atkins Diet.

Other Options

While some airlines offer diet-friendly and diabetic meals, others have a more limited selection of options. In this case, you may want to pack food for your long haul flight. Keep in mind that some airlines don’t allow meat. Pack your food and make sure that the package is sealed. Another option is to buy food at the airport, but this is more expensive. Keep in mind that the rules vary from one country to another. In some cases fruits, cheese, nuts, and other products cannot be brought into another state. Have a big breakfast before your flight. You can have sausages or bacon and a veggie omelet. Other meal ideas for your long haul flight include roasted sweet potato, avocado and raw carrots, roasted chickpeas, and fresh fruits. You can also pack a trail mix with peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and raisins. Raisins are high in sugar content, however. It is better to have dried berries instead. The type of food to bring along also depends on your route and whether it is a particularly long flight. If it is a 9- or 12-hour flight, you may want to pack food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (depending on your flight time). Make sure you bring high protein and non-starchy vegetables with you. Pack containers with salad, string cheese or sharp cheddar, low carb dips, and some pepperoni. And drink plenty of water while onboard so that you stay hydrated. If you love herbal, black, or green tea, you may want to pack a few teabags for your flight. Just ask the flight attendant for a cup of hot water.

Avoid foods and drinks that boost your blood sugar levels, for example, noodles, rice, and bread. Sauces served onboard often contain sugar. Make sure you order in advance. Most airline carriers require a 24-hour notice.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_gb
http://www.atkins.com/Home.aspx
http://www.lowcarbfoods.org/what+foods+eat+low+carb+diet/

Filed Under: Diet, Food Tagged With: airlines, atkins, diet, food

Dining at a Non Low-Carb Friendly Restaurant: What to Do

July 21, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

Low-carb diets have become increasingly popular, and some restaurants are now offering different reduced-carbohydrate meals to attract customers and increase their revenues. Still even if just a few meals suit your diet, you can have a balanced dinner or lunch.

What to Order

If you are on a ketogenic or another carbohydrate-restrictive diet, you may want to ask whether they serve sides other than French fries, polenta, and mashed potatoes. Ask whether they offer grilled zucchini or broccoli, carrot or rutabaga mash, or roasted summer squash. The choices also depend on the diet you follow. If you are on the Paleo Diet, for example, you can have nuts and fruits, vegetables, and animal protein. Just avoid meals with thick sauces because they are high in carbohydrates. If you are on the South Beach Diet, then you can have fish, poultry, lean meats, whole grains, nuts, vegetables, and olive oil. At a non-low carb friendly restaurant, you can order pork tenderloin or loin, duck breast, chicken, skinless turkey, and fish. Combine with brown rice or grilled or steamed vegetables and avoid rice and potatoes. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you can order a meal made with vegetables, beans, and tofu. Choose a dish that is sautéed, broiled, grilled, or baked. You can combine it with a sauce.

If you are on the Atkins Diet, avoid sugars, starches, and grains and opt for red meat, heavy cream, vegetables, and dairies. Some restaurants are Atkins-friendly, but most aren’t. One option is to order steaks and a salad without croutons .Roasted turkey and rotisserie chicken are also good options. You can have gravy, but it contains a small amount of carbohydrates. Some foods are low in carbohydrates while others are carb-free. For example, a sirloin steak and house salad each contain about 13 – 15 grams. Wings with blue cheese are very low in carbs and are ideal if you are on a restrictive diet (they have just 4 grams). Then a side of bacon is practically carb-free, which makes it a safe choice.

Types of Restaurants

Some restaurants make for a better choice than others although they are not low-carb friendly. Fish restaurants are one example. You can have liberal amounts of fish, including rainbow trout, tilapia, salmon, lobster, and even shrimp cocktail. Some restaurants even list sodium and fat content and calories to make it easier for customers with special dietary requirements to choose a meal. There are different types of restaurants, for example, quick service, fast casual, casual dining, fine dining, and others. There are also restaurants that feature Chinese, Indonesian, Italian, and other cuisines. Regardless of the type of restaurant, look for items such as salads, grilled burgers, grilled chicken with tomatoes and lettuce, grilled seafood, and low-carb barbeque. Barbeque and stir-fries without starches and sugar are also good choices. There are other factors to take into account. Fine dining restaurants, for example, offer high quality food, but are pricey. An entrée may cost you $20 – $30 or more. Fast food restaurants, on the other hand, offer inexpensive options with prices within the $8 – $10 range. The main downside is that the meal options are more limited. There are some options, however. One is vegetarian fast food meals such as Caesar salad, vegan grilled vegetable plates, and others. Veggie burgers, pizzas, and pastas are off the list of allowed foods, however. In some cases, your only option is to order chicken or green salad.

Filed Under: Dining, Restaurants Tagged With: eat out, food, low carb friendly, low carb restaurants

Restaurants Join the Low-Carb Revolution

June 17, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

While some restaurants and fast food chains offer few or no low-carb options, an increasing number of chains feature a selection of tasty and healthy options. They offer high-protein menus to dieters and diabetics to increase their customer base.

A Selection of Delicious Meals and Nutritional Information

Many restaurants offer specialties from the Cuban, Mexican, Irish, and other cuisines to attract low-carbers. There are healthy options to choose from, including rib-eye with spinach, mushroom jack fajitas, Kobe beef skirt steaks, and grilled lamb chops. Some restaurants also offer chef’s seasonal menus with dishes such as heirloom tomato salad, yellowfin tuna with beans and baby arugula, and lemongrass chicken with peanuts, celery root, and julienne carrots. All meals can be served cooked, undercooked, or raw, depending on the customer’s requirements. There are vegetarian and spicy versions as well. Restaurants that offer gluten-free meals use ingredients that are modified or made to be gluten-free.
Many restaurants use fresh ingredients to prepare all-natural beef, chicken, veggie, and other meal options. Many restaurants also follow emerging drink and food trends to improve their menus and services. They also cater to customers with special dietary requirements and are happy to accommodate their requests for vegan and vegetarian meals. Some restaurants even work with chefs, nutritional experts and mixologists to create healthy menus and meals. While there are restaurants that offer a few meals, others feature a comprehensive selection of over 30 or 40 low-carb dishes together with nutritional information about each meal. They provide information such as total fat, fiber, protein, sodium, carbohydrates, trans and saturated fats, and calories. Nutritional information is offered for all starters, appetizers, meals, soups, salad dressings and salads, sides, desserts, and even drinks and non-alcoholic beverages. Some restaurants even provide nutritional information for meals and drinks that are included in their kids’ menu. To offer accurate information, many restaurants cooperate with laboratories, nutritional experts, consultants, suppliers, and dietitians. There are some differences between chains and local restaurants, however. With chains, some items may vary slightly from one location to another.

Allergens and Healthy Food Choices

In addition to comprehensive information, some restaurants also offer information on foods that contain allergens, for example, shellfish, peanuts, soy, wheat, and others. This information is useful if you have gluten sensitivity or other allergies. Foods that contain allergens also include shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, and crab, as well as fish such as flounder, cod, and bass. Eggs and nuts also cause allergies, including walnuts, cashews, almonds, and peanuts. There are other trends in the food industry. Low carb-friendly restaurants are going green. They use only products that contain no additives, growth hormones, preservatives, and artificial flavors and coloring.

Best Practices

Not only this, but many restaurants adopt good practices to make it easier for customers to stick to their diet. Some restaurants, for example, offer carb-counter cards that allow customers to check the carb content of meals. Customers can check the nutritional value of meals on the websites of some restaurants. For example, creamed spinach contains 10 grams of protein and 18 grams of carbs while filet mignon has no carbohydrates. Stuffed chicken breast has 3 grams and Hollandaise sauce – 1 gram. Some restaurants also offer low-carb survival guides on their websites to make it easier for customers to stick to their diet while dining out. Some restaurants also offer South Beach or Atkins approved menus to attract customers who follow a certain diet and help them with their meal selection. They also feature daily menus to help customers diversify their menu and avoid diet boredom.

Low-carb Take Out Options for Healthy Dieting

May 1, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

You can order low-carb take out at many restaurants and fast food joints, depending on your taste and preferences.

Take out That Can Be Modified

While some fast food chains offer diet-friendly food, many add sugar and offer high-carb options. If you love fast food, however, order burgers wrapped in lettuce. Patties are high in carbohydrate content. You may want to check with small, local diners in your community as well. Many of them use fresh ingredients and offer meals that are diet-friendly. Even if they don’t offer low carb meals, most dishes can be modified and de-carbed. For example, you can order an omelet and skip the hash browns and toast. Choose vegetables and green salads instead of macaroni salad or French fries. Avoid deep fried foods as well as breaded meat. Deep fried foods are unhealthy to begin with. They clog the arteries and increase the risk of health problems. If the beading mix combines oat and soy flour, for example, you can give it a try as it fits in a low carb menu.

Indian and Chinese Take Out

There are some options to try if you love Indian or Chinese food. For example, you can have spicy marinated shrimp, tandori chicken, Saag Gosht, or Milagu Curry. Milagu Curry is a tasty and flavorful meal that combines coconut sauce, tomatoes, onion, and lamb. In any case, avoid meals that are made with ground and white rice and refined flours and opt for meals that are high in fiber, healthy fat, and protein. When it comes to herbs and spices, Indian cuisine incorporates spices and ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, coconut, and garlic. They offer many health benefits such as reduced risk for hypertension and heart problems and have anti-inflammatory properties. While Indian food is a bit spicy, you can have meals with garlic, coconut, and other ingredients. There are some takeaway options for fans of Chinese food as well. You can have Egg Foo Yung, Mu Shu, stir-fries, and steamed food. Avoid sweet sauces, egg rolls, breaded meats, white rice, wontons, and noodles.

Diners

You may want to order take out from restaurants that are low carb-friendly. What you can have depends on whether you are on the Zone, Sugar Busters, or another reduced carbohydrate plan. Steak diners are a great choice for dieters because they offer nutritious, high-protein meal options. Check with different steakhouses to find out if their menus fit into your diet of choice. In any case, you can have chopped salads, beef tenderloin, baked halibut, and more. Some diners also offer themed, lunch, and deli lunch buffets. Customers can order side dishes, fresh seafood, steak, and delicious desserts. If you are unsure about the ingredients, you may want to order plain meat and a green salad. Skip the salad dressing because many dressings and sauces contain added sugar. Meal salads are also a good choice as well as omelets with mushrooms, peppers, spinach, and other low carb vegetables.

Filed Under: Dining, Food Tagged With: order in, take out, takeaway

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