Please Help With Low Carb

[Hunter's Moon]

I am trying to transition to low carb. I have a carb and sugar addiction, and diabetes runs in my family, so I need to get this under control now while I am still young.

 

I have a few allergies that make quick protein a problem sometimes. All nuts and all legumes (peanuts, beans, soy, hummus) are out. I am also lactose intolerant, and dairy makes me bloated and gassy, so I don't want to consume too much. Harder cheeses are okay, but they tend to be expensive :(

 

I have a pretty good handle on snacks, I think. Frozen blueberries, handful of olives, cut up veggies, rolled up deli and cheese. I am struggling with easy to make but filling meals. I work and have to travel about 2 hours round trip while also doing full-time school online, so fast and easy meals are a must.

 

Salads seem like a good option, but I can't imagine them being that filling....

 

I like egg salad, but without the bread, how can I make it filling?

 

Please and thank you.

[AdventureMoms]

Salad can be very filling if it has enough fat and some protein. Chopped boiled egg, bacon, meat, avocado, full fat dressing... You can fill up amazingly well.

 

Egg salad or chicken salad on a half avocado is yummy and very filling. Lunch meat with mayo wrapped around a lettuce leaf and a slice of cucumber.

 

I make a big batch of shredded meat (pork, beef, or chicken) in the crockpot frequently. The meat can be used for salads or lettuce wraps, or taco bowls or soup or just mixed in with veggies. It makes lots of easy meals. It's also a great way to use cheap cuts of meat.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Look at Paleo sites. They are dairy free and major on meats and veggies. You can always add some whole grains to the paleo foods.

[justamouse]

Paleo Mom is an awesome site

[DaffodilDreams]

The Gluten Free Goddess blog is good, too. I'll post a link later.

 

ETA: adding link: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

 

 

[Mama Geek]

Since you are saying low carb, not no carb can you work in some healthy grains like brown rice, whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, etc. If you keep portion sizes small these are pretty good for you. There is a high fiber low carb tortilla wrap on the market that is pretty good. Other than that it is lots of meats, veggies, and berries. I am lifting weights so I do eat some bananas. Look up low glycemic index and that may give you more ideas.

 

ETA: Just thinking about it, if you are gluten free the tortilla wraps won't work.

[trinchick]

I'm back on the low carb wagon this week. After losing 12 pounds and feeling great this fall, I faltered over the holidays and am just now getting serious again. Looking back at my failure, I think one of the main causes was that I often want something to eat NOW and high-carb foods are by far the most convenient. I've decided that I need to have good, real food options ready and easily available so I will choose to grab them as opposed to the crackers or peanut butter toast.

 

So with that in mind, I've committed to planning out good options. For instance, on Sunday night I cooked up a pound of hamburger with onions, garlic, red peppers,diced tomatoes,and some curry paste. It's really delicious. I put it in four containers to serve as lunches. On my way out the door in the morning I can easily grab it and toss in a piece of fruit (I still eat a couple of pieces of fruit a day), a cheese stick, and an avocado and I have my lunch and snacks for the workday. Healthier than a Lean Cuisine and just as easy.

 

Tonight I'm going to make a pot of sausage/kale soup and do the same thing for the weekend. I've also found that buying a rotisserie chicken gives me something to pick at when I want a snack and is good for meals, especially when the rest of the family is having pasta or sandwiches.

[Mama Geek]

I also made some cabbage rolls last week that turned out really good. There is some rice in it, but I used brown rice and it isn't a ton.

[freeindeed]

I add bacon bits, boiled eggs, cheese, grilled chicken, olives, and nuts to my salads. Also, on a low carb diet, you need to use regular, full fat salad dressings, so that helps to fill you up as well.

[Ellie]

Egg salad by itself is still tasty. :-)

 

Tuna salad, with lots of mayo and eggs (and whatever else you put in it), is also tasty.

 

Deviled eggs. Yum.

 

You can put avocados on almost anything.

 

You could make a bunch of hamburgers ahead of time and freeze them individually; then you can cook one at a time, adding avocado, a dollop of mayo, maybe some bacon. Yum.

 

"Low carb" generally implies no grains, especially in the beginning, regardless of how healthy they are.

[*Jen*]

If you go heavy on the fat the first week you will not feel hungry while your body adjusts. In the High Fat Low Carb social group we were just having a conversation about how when our carbs are low enough that several of us have trouble getting enough calories because we are just not hungry. Once your body stops craving the carbs you will not be hungry.

 

Definitely check out paleo recipe sites and you will find lots of options. There are also lots of blog posts about cooking/prepping your food on one day for the whole week etc. I can't find the few that I have bookmarked but if I find them I will come back and post them.

[Ellie]

If you go heavy on the fat the first week you will not feel hungry while your body adjusts. In the High Fat Low Carb social group we were just having a conversation about how when our carbs are low enough that several of us have trouble getting enough calories because we are just not hungry. Once your body stops craving the carbs you will not be hungry.

 

I think you made a good point: low carb also means high fat (and high protein). Just cutting out carbs is not enough; you have to add protein and fat.

[AdventureMoms]

I agree with everyone on the fat! I think it is very important, especially when beginning low-carb to eat a lot of fat. It is too easy to get caught up in the modern regime of low-fat, and end up going hungry. Or eating too many carbs.

[Lara in Colo]

I find that coconut oil (I like it in the bullet-proof coffee) nearly stopped my sugar addiction. I think because it kills off the yeast in your system. I still want sweets, but I don't feel my skin crawling to go and get them.

[Hunter's Moon]

Thanks for the ideas so far, ladies!

 

I am a little upset with myself because I had planned on trying out low carb today, but for breakfast I could not resist french bread and then I had some Cheez It's (with my lactose pills). I have a serious problem. I feel the urge to eat them and think "I can control myself" but I can't and then I feel like crud afterwards. A wonderful cycle. :glare:

 

But, I can start my 24 hours over anytime ;)

 

Since I am allergic to tree nuts, I am a bit wary of coconut oil. I used to eat coconut shavings all the time, but I haven't for awhile. They never bothered me though, so I may be in the clear.

 

I plan on getting some deli meat and hard cheese at the end of the week, as well as picking up some organic eggs.

[Lara in Colo]

It also helps to have things ready to go. I have a package of bacon in the fridge, all cut up for my small frying pan, everyday.

Buy a cooked chicken and steam up some veggies for several lunches.

I have a cooked pork roast in the fridge right now and I slice off some for dinner every night. Having it ready to eat really makes a huge difference in my success.

I also got rid off all the quick to grab carbs, -- cereal, crackers, sweet rolls, granola bars.

But I do allow the less evil carbs--- apple, carrot, banana-- and each week I reduce the amount that I allow myself.

[Momof3littles]

Agree with making sure you up the fats.

 

I hardboil a LOT of eggs at once using the oven method. Handy to have and you can turn those into deviled eggs, eat them plain, over salad, or as an egg salad, Sometimes I mash the yolks with guacamole (more fat), cumin, a little lime juice, and a bit of chili powder and salt for a different take on it.

 

I roll up lots of things like chicken salad, deli meat, etc. in large romaine leaves. Sometimes I put a splash of hot sauce into some mayo and use that to dip in (again, adding fats helps it be more filling).

 

A salad bulked up with protein and fat is quite filling IME.

 

I also agree that if you give it say 2 weeks without cheating, I will bet that you find yourself much better able to regulate your hunger and eating. It really does change how we react. I have PCOS and am on the more insulin resistant end of things. If I eat a bagel, or french bread, or crackers, I end up really, really hungry (often hungrier than I started off before I ate said item in the first place). With LC, I don't have that at all. So you may find it really changes what you "need" in terms of food to feel satiated.

[Ellie]

I tend to avoid deli meats because of the additives. :glare:

 

You'd be better off to have real cooked chicken and beef (preferably beef, as it is higher in protein, and you need the protein).