Curry monsters be aware... Possible hidden carbs!

[Sutherlandlass]

Hi folks, with me still being a relative newbie to being type 2, I have to say that reading nutrition labels on foods is absolutely paramount in importance, to make sure that you're not eating hidden carbs.
My hubby and I absolutely love curries, and after having adjusted our recipes to make sure that they are suitable for lchf way of life, I have been wondering why I haven't managed to get my bg down below the 6.0 mark for very long... last night we finished a Tesco, mild curry powder tub. These tubs are handy for storage of bits and bobs, in my hubbies workshop, as he was starting to remove the label, he noticed that there's sugar, onion powder and garlic powder included in the spice mix!!! Totally unnecessary! If you want to add sweetness, it's easily replaced by erythritol or stevia, (or a mix of both) and we've been using garlic powder and onion powder in the amounts that we choose to use, rather than not really knowing what you are eating!
Needless to say, this morning, we have been searching the internet for authentic recipes for different curry mixes. Thankfully they are very easy to find, and from now on it will be our own fresh mixes used, to satisfy the curry monsters in us. We've learned a valuable lesson... to read ALL ingredient labels! Hope this helps someone else from making our mistake.

 

[catherinecherub]

You would have to use a lot of it for it to make a marked difference.
The tub only contains 80gms and below are the nutritional values of 100gms.
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=255770060
Always best to make anything from scratch including adding your own spices.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi folks, with me still being a relative newbie to being type 2, I have to say that reading nutrition labels on foods is absolutely paramount in importance, to make sure that you're not eating hidden carbs.
My hubby and I absolutely love curries, and after having adjusted our recipes to make sure that they are suitable for lchf way of life, I have been wondering why I haven't managed to get my bg down below the 6.0 mark for very long... last night we finished a Tesco, mild curry powder tub. These tubs are handy for storage of bits and bobs, in my hubbies workshop, as he was starting to remove the label, he noticed that there's sugar, onion powder and garlic powder included in the spice mix!!! Totally unnecessary! If you want to add sweetness, it's easily replaced by erythritol or stevia, (or a mix of both) and we've been using garlic powder and onion powder in the amounts that we choose to use, rather than not really knowing what you are eating!
Needless to say, this morning, we have been searching the internet for authentic recipes for different curry mixes. Thankfully they are very easy to find, and from now on it will be our own fresh mixes used, to satisfy the curry monsters in us. We've learned a valuable lesson... to read ALL ingredient labels! Hope this helps someone else from making our mistake.

Whilst I would agree these spice pots (not just the curry variants) can contain sugar, but how much sugar are you actually consuming per curry portion from the amount you add to a curry when making it?

To be honest, I did and do eat a reduced carb diet, but I am also committed to living a life which isn't governed by scratching out every last possible carb from our way of eating. Life's too short, and sometimes using a pot is extremely convenient, to create a tasty meal, when time is short. We do mainly cook from scratch (90% of the time), but just sometimes, it can't realistically be done.

A similar thought process applies, in my mind, to condiments. If you look at some condiment packaging, it might suggest 20gr+ carb per 100gr of sauce/pickle or whatever, but if I am to have a teaspoonful, and it significantly improves my enjoyment and satisfaction from my meal, how many additional carbs am I actually consuming? Clearly, dolloping half jars of Branston Pickle, or Mango Chutney onto a plate every day could soon add up, but a teaspoon of HP with a big low carb brekkers isn't going to be life changing for me.

Patently, we all have to set our carb dials as we see fit for our bodies, health and lifestyle.

Good luck with it all. It pays to be mindful.