LCHF: suitable foodstuffs for mindless grazing

[hose1975]

I like sugar-free sweets but they don't like me (at least, not in any great daily quantity). I need to graze a little during the day on small items, such as the aforementioned sweets, but also need to stick within 1500 kcal per day. I also need to be able to access them easily in the car, too. Any ideas? I thought about nuts but the calories soon stack up and they don't tend to linger too long on the tongue

 

[Lamont D]

I like sugar-free sweets but they don't like me (at least, not in any great daily quantity). I need to graze a little during the day on small items, such as the aforementioned sweets, but also need to stick within 1500 kcal per day. I also need to be able to access them easily in the car, too. Any ideas? I thought about nuts but the calories soon stack up and they don't tend to linger too long on the tongue

Don't do sugar free sweets as they contain a laxative inducing sugar instead of the usual sugars.
If you are low carbing there really is no need to count calories unless you want to.
Nuts are fine but only a handful to graze on. Nuts are full of protein and good fats to help with low carbing.

Have a read around the low carb forum.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Can you tell me why you find a need to graze? Are you hungry, or is it merely a habit? If the latter, it is a matter of kicking it. If you are hungry, are you eating enough satiating food at meal times? Just curious.

 

[Prem51]

Plain or salted popcorn? Or you could make your own with savoury/spicy flavourings.

 

[hose1975]

Can you tell me why you find a need to graze? Are you hungry, or is it merely a habit? If the latter, it is a matter of kicking it. If you are hungry, are you eating enough satiating food at meal times? Just curious.

A combination of dry mouth and hair-trigger bladder: can't keep drinking otherwise I'll be on the lav all day. So mostly to keep the saliva coming.

 

[hose1975]

Don't do sugar free sweets as they contain a laxative inducing sugar instead of the usual sugars.
If you are low carbing there really is no need to count calories unless you want to.
Nuts are fine but only a handful to graze on. Nuts are full of protein and good fats to help with low carbing.

Have a read around the low carb forum.

I really do need to count calories: a whacked-out thyroid means that I have to keep a grip, even with near-optimal levels of medication. My macros are roughly 20-25% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 45-50% fat. Which equates to roughly 60-70 g of carbohydrate per day: not ultra low but not exactly high-carb either.

No noticeable laxative effect: I wish!

 

[Brunneria]

I kind of think that if you are eating lchf properly*, the snacking/grazing will simply fade away.

* By 'properly' I mean you are eating low enough carbs to be under your personal carb-craving level, and eating enough fat to satisfy.

 

[hose1975]

I kind of think that if you are eating lchf properly*, the snacking/grazing will simply fade away.

* By 'properly' I mean you are eating low enough carbs to be under your personal carb-craving level, and eating enough fat to satisfy.

But I'm not craving carbs, not really. I just need to keep my mouth occupied so that I don't drink 5 litres of water a day.

 

[Bluetit1802]

But I'm not craving carbs, not really. I just need to keep my mouth occupied so that I don't drink 5 litres of water a day.

I get a dry mouth a lot as a result of previous medication (nothing to do with diabetes). All it takes is one or two sips of water and it's gone. No need to drink a whole bottle!

 

[hose1975]

I get a dry mouth a lot as a result of previous medication (nothing to do with diabetes). All it takes is one or two sips of water and it's gone. No need to drink a whole bottle!

True. But I am getting thirstier as time goes on (blood sugars? lithium? who knows) and so do tend to drink a fair bit already, just as mouthfuls at a time. I don't really want to have to drink even more!

 

[Totto]

I really do need to count calories: a whacked-out thyroid means that I have to keep a grip, even with near-optimal levels of medication. My macros are roughly 20-25% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 45-50% fat. Which equates to roughly 60-70 g of carbohydrate per day: not ultra low but not exactly high-carb either.

No noticeable laxative effect: I wish!

If you still have symptoms of low thyroid you may need to get your meds tweaked. What were your levels? Have you had FT3 tested recently?

The question is why you have a dry mouth.

 

[SunnyExpat]

No matter what diet I eat I need to watch the calories as well.
So I know where you're coming from.

Sugar free chewing gum, it lasts a lot longer than sweets, so a lot less sweetener.
Nuts are very high calorie, as you say.
I have found some dried seeds, like sunflower, and if you avoid the salted ones they aren't bad, as most of the oils have dried off, so the calories are quite low. Can be chewy though.
The odd berry as well.
With an eye to the calories, dried ones can be ok.