• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Essential Low Carb Foods from Amazon UK

ketointheuk

ketointheuk

Active Member
Messages
40
Location
Cardiff, UK
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
since I always see the same questions around on where to get cheap almond flour, or what's the lowest carb option for chocolate and so on I compiled a list of my top 10 essentials if it can help :) Watch out for the cheapest / lower carb options for: almond & coconut flour (and where to find the very fine one) sweeteners chocolate cocoa (seems weird but there are different ones and there is a lowest carb option)

If you want the full explanation on why a product/ brand is better than another here's the full video

Otherwise here's the list mentioned in it:

ALMOND FLOUR
SUPER FINE ALMOND FLOUR
COCONUT FLOUR
ERYTHRITOL AND STEVIA BLEND SWEETENER
ERYTHRITOL
COCONUT OIL
COCONUT OIL BUTTER FLAVOURED
COCOA POWDER
COCOA PASTE
XANTHAN GUM
GOLDEN FLAXSEED / LINSEED MILLED
CHIA SEEDS
BONE BROTH CONCENTRATE

Edited by mod to remove promotional links.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Interesting what some people think are essentials. I very occasionally buy coconut flour and flaxseed meal but I have never bought anything else on the list. I am just low carb, it seems you need a lot of sweeteners and cocoa to be keto.
 
Mr_Pot said:
Interesting what some people think are essentials. I very occasionally buy coconut flour and flaxseed meal but I have never bought anything else on the list. I am just low carb, it seems you need a lot of sweeteners and cocoa to be keto.
Click to expand...
Same, same. And not necessary to buy sweeteners and cocoa to be keto either. Of that list, I've occasionally bought chia seeds and coconut oil. I don't trust the effect of artificial sweeteners on the gut microbiome - I think the science is still out on that front.
TBH, if I was going to use a sweetener, I'd prefer a small amount of honey or fruit.
 
Of everything on that list, we have ground almonds, erythritol and cocoa powder in the house.
None of then are 'essential', but I use 1 teasp of erythritol in one mug of either coffee substitute or cocoa, most days.
The ground almonds are if I make a LC cake for Mr B (increasingly rarely). Almond flour is unnecessary. Ground almonds are much better value.

And I would NEVER NEVER NEVER waste my money buying powdered bone broth (dreadful thought!) when I can make it myself for pennies.

Actually, I think that promoting any of the list as 'essential' is misleading.
 
I have a cupboard half full of Stevia dating from pre lchf days which we just don’t use. And I tried making almond flour pizza once. Eugh! As for the rest, I don’t need it. I did buy Rachox’s fake maple syrup from amazon but didn’t like it. However my non diabetic wife did. I’m beginning to think that if you give yourself a couple of months without the sweetness your taste recalibrates. But thanks for trying with the list
 
Almond flour and ground flaxseed are essentials in my cupboard, so thanks
 
Mr_Pot said:
Interesting what some people think are essentials. I very occasionally buy coconut flour and flaxseed meal but I have never bought anything else on the list. I am just low carb, it seems you need a lot of sweeteners and cocoa to be keto.
Click to expand...

Agreed. All I ever buy on that list is milled flaxseed. These are not essential items for me.
 
Mr_Pot said:
Interesting what some people think are essentials. I very occasionally buy coconut flour and flaxseed meal but I have never bought anything else on the list. I am just low carb, it seems you need a lot of sweeteners and cocoa to be keto.
Click to expand...

Yep, a lot of weird and strange items.

I don't use any of them. I find it much easier to just not eat stuff, rather than have pale and inferior imitations.

I've no idea what Xanthan gum is, or could be used for, but it doesn't sound particularly healthy.
 
ketointheuk said:
since I always see the same questions around on where to get cheap almond flour, or what's the lowest carb option for chocolate and so on I compiled a list of my top 10 essentials if it can help :) Watch out for the cheapest / lower carb options for: almond & coconut flour (and where to find the very fine one) sweeteners chocolate cocoa (seems weird but there are different ones and there is a lowest carb option)

If you want the full explanation on why a product/ brand is better than another here's the full video

Otherwise here's the list mentioned in it:

ALMOND FLOUR
SUPER FINE ALMOND FLOUR
COCONUT FLOUR
ERYTHRITOL AND STEVIA BLEND SWEETENER
ERYTHRITOL
COCONUT OIL
COCONUT OIL BUTTER FLAVOURED
COCOA POWDER
COCOA PASTE
XANTHAN GUM
GOLDEN FLAXSEED / LINSEED MILLED
CHIA SEEDS
BONE BROTH CONCENTRATE

Edited by mod to remove promotional links.
Click to expand...
Hi @ketointheuk I am hoping you can answer a question. I made some chocolate with cacao and coco powder. I liked the taste, but the coco powder's grit came through. I saw a TV programme which showed professionals using a metal spatula to turn the chocolate. Is there an easy was to make the chocolate smooth.
 
Mbaker said:
Hi @ketointheuk I am hoping you can answer a question. I made some chocolate with cacao and coco powder. I liked the taste, but the coco powder's grit came through. I saw a TV programme which showed professionals using a metal spatula to turn the chocolate. Is there an easy was to make the chocolate smooth.
Click to expand...

Tempering choc is quite an art :D but think it has more to do with producing a brittle shiny gloss rather than a smooth texture. You can tell I’m not an expert!
So I found this link, which says you can get a grainy effect from the cocoa butter too.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/15/how-why-temper-chocolate

But if you want a v smooth texture, then having a v finely ground cocoa is probably also important. Think the difference between granulated sugar, castor sugar and icing sugar.
As an example, I like the flavour of green and blacks cocoa powder, but the grittiness irritates me every time I use it.
You could try grinding the cocoa down more finely in a coffee grinder, or similar. I have a vitamix, and that would do it.
 
Mbaker said:
Hi @ketointheuk I am hoping you can answer a question. I made some chocolate with cacao and coco powder. I liked the taste, but the coco powder's grit came through. I saw a TV programme which showed professionals using a metal spatula to turn the chocolate. Is there an easy was to make the chocolate smooth.
Click to expand...
I personally don't use cacao powder as the raw don't sit very well with me (i literally gave food poisoning to myself and my husband once using raw cacao instead of cocoa powder). that being said cacao paste is a different thing cause it's the cocoa butter and powder still mashed together and extracted from the bean so what you get is basically a liquor that shouldn't have any texture. with that melted and added sweetener (or even double cream) you make chocolate bars. not sure i'm being very helpful sorry :(
 
Brunneria said:
Tempering choc is quite an art :D but think it has more to do with producing a brittle shiny gloss rather than a smooth texture. You can tell I’m not an expert!
So I found this link, which says you can get a grainy effect from the cocoa butter too.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/15/how-why-temper-chocolate

But if you want a v smooth texture, then having a v finely ground cocoa is probably also important. Think the difference between granulated sugar, castor sugar and icing sugar.
As an example, I like the flavour of green and blacks cocoa powder, but the grittiness irritates me every time I use it.
You could try grinding the cocoa down more finely in a coffee grinder, or similar. I have a vitamix, and that would do it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. I have a brand new coffee grinder just sitting there, so will try and refine the powder a little more. I have asked Tesco to consider upping their 85%chocolate to 100%, as Montezuma is £2.50.
 
To make the chocolate really smooth there are machines which process it for hours - Easter egg chocolate used to be made extra fine. (I had aunties who worked for the chocolate makers in York) so perhaps putting the powder into a pestle and mortar and scrunching at it for a while would produce the required texture.
 
Indy51 said:
Same, same. And not necessary to buy sweeteners and cocoa to be keto either. Of that list, I've occasionally bought chia seeds and coconut oil. I don't trust the effect of artificial sweeteners on the gut microbiome - I think the science is still out on that front.
TBH, if I was going to use a sweetener, I'd prefer a small amount of honey or fruit.
Click to expand...
I didn't have IBS til started using stevia. I avoid sweeteners, if possible too.
 
ketointheuk said:
I personally don't use cacao powder as the raw don't sit very well with me (i literally gave food poisoning to myself and my husband once using raw cacao instead of cocoa powder). that being said cacao paste is a different thing cause it's the cocoa butter and powder still mashed together and extracted from the bean so what you get is basically a liquor that shouldn't have any texture. with that melted and added sweetener (or even double cream) you make chocolate bars. not sure i'm being very helpful sorry :(
Click to expand...
Very helpful thanks. More options for me to try, which I will.
 
johnme said:
I have a cupboard half full of Stevia dating from pre lchf days which we just don’t use. And I tried making almond flour pizza once. Eugh! As for the rest, I don’t need it. I did buy Rachox’s fake maple syrup from amazon but didn’t like it. However my non diabetic wife did. I’m beginning to think that if you give yourself a couple of months without the sweetness your taste recalibrates. But thanks for trying with the list
Click to expand...
Totally agree I can't eat milk chocolate any more not only is it too sweet but it tastes just nasty. My occasional treat is 70% plain chocolate.
I do use sweetener once in a while I've deviced a chocolate mug cake I find acceptable.
 
Primrosefairydust said:
Totally agree I can't eat milk chocolate any more not only is it too sweet but it tastes just nasty. My occasional treat is 70% plain chocolate.
I do use sweetener once in a while I've deviced a chocolate mug cake I find acceptable.
Click to expand...

Do share the recipe please

Ps I only have one wife. The way I’d written the sentence in the post above it sounds like I have several wives but one is non diabetic
 
Back
Top