Isn't low carb extremely difficult?

[Billy_Pilgrim]

Just occurred to me there's booze in everything I've mentioned. Hmmmm.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

Just occurred to me there's booze in everything I've mentioned. Hmmmm.

Nothing wrong with booze, it tricks your liver nicely.

 

[kittypoker]

Hello!

I am really struggling very hard with low carb. While I am totally convinced on its health benefits, I am afraid it is extremely hard to follow.

When you eat mostly out and you mostly take ready to eat food from supermarkets, I can't think how you can do low carb. Everywhere the most available food to eat is a sandwich. At supermarket, all the ready foods have either rice, mash or pasta and if not, they have sauce that has tons of sugar.

I really wish we lived in a low carb world, but unfortunately that is far from reality.

Please don't tell me to cook my own food, I don't want to. I want to just buy my food and eat it readily. And I want to be able to eat out easily, in Subway, Costa, convenience stores or whatever is available.

I wish the convenience stores would sell cheese and salami in a single portion to snack, but they dont.

Any input?

Admittedly, if you're not willing to do any cooking or have trouble finding the time, it can be more tricky to eat low carb. But it's not impossible, by any means. Grab a small pre-made green salad and cheesy coleslaw, a Babybel or two, small tin of pink salmon or flavoured tuna or small packet of meat, whatever you fancy, splash of mayo or other sugar free dressing and you have a meal from any decent supermarket.

In a restaurant, order a double bacon cheeseburger without the bun or chips, extra salad. You'd be amazed at how many places are now accustomed to hearing that. In a posher restaurant, they'll be so happy if you order an expensive 10oz. ribeye or salmon fillet and salad, they won't care if you ask for the chips to be left off. Or on the side - your dining partners may appreciate them.

 

[mytype1.life]

I've been going a bit nose-to-tail lately, which seems to alienate a lot of people. These aren't stews exactly, but oven-slow-cooked 2.5hr dishes.

Lamb Neck with Sherry

Morrisons do crazy cheap cuts of meat if you go for the things nobody else does - lamb neck rings are a case in point. For whatever reason, the cheaper the cut of meat, the more connective tissue there tends to be, and the more delicious it is when slow-cooked.

Brown 4 lamb neck rings in a skillet with a bit of oil and butter, removing when seared all over. Add some coarsely chopped onions, garlic and celery to the pan with the existing juices - when softened after 3-4 minutes, add some chopped thyme and rosemary to the pan and a VERY generous splash of Fino sherry or white wine, then zest a lemon on top, and maybe squeeze half of it in for good measure - then chuck it in the oven in a loaf tin or small casserole dish at 170C for 2.5 hours. If you're worried there's not enough liquid in the pan, add a little bit of water or lamb stock.

Serve with half a toasted protein roll. This is one of those dishes that tastes so rich and fulfulling, that you hardly notice the relative lack of meat.

Pork Cheeks in Red Wine

Pork cheeks are incredibly delicious and tender when slow cooked, and have to be tried before you all start grossing out at once. Morrisons again is the only supermarket you can find these - butchers shops tend to sell the heads wholesale.

Sear the pork cheeks in a pan on medium high for 3-4 mins until brown all over - I often add some balsamic or sherry vinegar near the end to really embed some flavour into them, but try not to set the kitchen on fire. Remove from the pan, season with salt, pepper and maybe some smoked paprika and saute some chopped onions, celery, carrot and rosemary in the juices for around 5 minutes - then add a cup of red wine and a cup of (canned) plum tomatoes, bringing to a simmer. Then return the pork cheeks to the pan and cook for 5 minutes more. Throw in the oven on 150C for 2.5 hours - I always use a loaf tin for this, but this time cover it with foil - when ready serve again with a toasted protein roll, because nobody said I wasn't repetitive.

I also do variations on Beef Bourguignon and Coq au Vin, which are a lot easier to bung into a slow cooker and leave for 10-12hrs. I tend to buy a lot of stewing beef from Lidl - they do very cheap Aberdeen Angus stuff, which I get in at least once a week.

Sounds delicious! Thank you so much

 

[carty]

Sometimes eating out looks more difficult this it is ,for example I was out with extended family (daughter and son in law and his family ) Every thing on the menu had spuds or wraps etc I didn't want to make a fuss so I just quietly asked if I could have the chicken breast and veg without any potatoes .I got a huge chicken breast and loads of broccoli brilliant!.On another occasion our Grandson took us out for lunch to a lovely cafe with all local produce but it was all on sandwiches with home made bread but I asked if I could have the home roast ham and some local cheese with salad instead of on a sandwich and they were happy to make it for me .Sometimes you just smile and ask
CAROL

 

[britishpub]

cheese and salami in a single portion to snack,

Babybel and Pepperoni

 

[Orangeteddy]

I went out to eat last night for a Christmas meal with friends. The place we went to is a large gastro pub type place with a very extensive menu. I selected a chicken dish that would be served on a bed of mash so asked them to leave off the mash.

Stupidly I thought the meal would come with a small garnish. At least of veg.

Nope.

Result was giant plate, empty except for chicken breast.

I kid you not.

So I ordered a side of cauli cheese.

Why is veg so alien to restaurants?

 

[FloraDora]

I went out to eat last night for a Christmas meal with friends. The place we went to is a large gastro pub type place with a very extensive menu. I selected a chicken dish that would be served on a bed of mash so asked them to leave off the mash.

Stupidly I thought the meal would come with a small garnish. At least of veg.

Nope.

Result was giant plate, empty except for chicken breast.

I kid you not.

So I ordered a side of cauli cheese.

Why is veg so alien to restaurants?

That is so sad! I think you were very unlucky and they missed a chance to impress a new customer. Some places are brilliant and others not - you have to kiss a lot of frogs in life! I eat lunch out quite often ......... All Day Breakfast is my go to choice failing anything else!

 

[Snapsy]

If I'm ordering food without the listed accompaniments I always ask them to make up the space on the plate with a pile of veg, both for tummy-filling and value-for-money reasons. I don't like chips, so I'll often have ham, eggs and veg, or steak and veg - I learned very early on in my life with Mr S that 'oh, I'll just have your chips then' meant I'd be hungry later......... because obviously I'd then only get the ham and eggs with nothing else!

I prefer the thought of empty plates being brought back into the kitchen when diners have finished, rather than a wasted pile of food that people had ordered despite having no intention of eating them.

 

[LizaI]

Hello!

I am really struggling very hard with low carb. While I am totally convinced on its health benefits, I am afraid it is extremely hard to follow.

When you eat mostly out and you mostly take ready to eat food from supermarkets, I can't think how you can do low carb. Everywhere the most available food to eat is a sandwich. At supermarket, all the ready foods have either rice, mash or pasta and if not, they have sauce that has tons of sugar.

I really wish we lived in a low carb world, but unfortunately that is far from reality.

Please don't tell me to cook my own food, I don't want to. I want to just buy my food and eat it readily. And I want to be able to eat out easily, in Subway, Costa, convenience stores or whatever is available.

I wish the convenience stores would sell cheese and salami in a single portion to snack, but they dont.

Any input?

Our local garage shop has jumped on the low carb wagon next to the pies, they sell "Banting snack " a poached egg wrapped in streaky bacon
They also sell two meat balls, two boiled eggs and cheese in a packet
So cute!

 

[Pinkorchid]

I'm prediabetic newly diagnosed and have cut the carbs and sweet stuff. However, I am already missing carbs mainly I think cos the weather is so cold. Although I have cut the carbs, I have had some but in much reduced quantities and little or no white carbs. Today was so cold I made homemade soup of butternut squash, carrot, sweet potato, red pepper and onion in a chicken stock, blitzed, herbs added plus a tablespoon of single cream.

Now I have no idea how much carbs that entailed or how my blood sugar reacted as I'm still waiting for my tester to arrive, but it tasted good and I did not have any bread roll with it.

It's one of my favourite soups and I'm sure someone will be along to tell me it's a carb no no. However, in terms of quantities, I used one stock, about a 3inch wedge of butternut squash, half a large carrot, half a red pepper an half an onion. The entire amount served 2 of us.

I have a soup maker and that is the sort of vegetable soup that I make with whatever I have in the fridge

 

[AdamJames]

Please don't tell me to cook my own food, I don't want to. I want to just buy my food and eat it readily. And I want to be able to eat out easily, in Subway, Costa, convenience stores or whatever is available.

I'd consider food you can carry with you, even in a pocket and doesn't go off too quickly.

Nuts. Mixtures of nuts and tiny amounts of sweetness like raisins. Cheese even - you can get away with not keeping many cheeses in the fridge for quite a while. Beef jerky. At Tesco last night I found a few packets of interesting things like that - pulled pork jerky etc. I bought some but haven't tried it yet. Some jerky is very low carb, some has a fair bit of carbs from the flavourings. Cured meats: Peperami, Salami, Chorizo etc. You can get pre-cooked sausages from supermarkets by Walls, designed to be microwaved. Eat them cold if you can stand it. Buy a sausage roll in a coffee shop and get rid of the pastry or reduce it to an amount that fits your plan.

Having tried many different ways of eating over the last 3 months, including low-carbing down to less than 20g a day, I found it helps to redefine, or even get rid of, the concept of a "meal". Food is food. A pocket full of nuts will easily supply your calories for a day or more, though of course you'd want a more balanced diet when you are at home!

Also you can get fast food and throw away the carbs, e.g. get a burger then throw away the bun. Fried chicken is not a bad option on a purely low-carb perspective. Take the coating off or just eat a small part of the coating.