Essential Low Carb Foods from Amazon UK

Amazon UK and US do not sell or freight products to Australia anymore, they basically stated that they would not collect the GST for the Australian Taxation Office (Or words to that effect).

Amazon Au has hardly anything that compares with the UK or US Amazon stores.

 

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.

 

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

 

Agreed. All I ever buy on that list is milled flaxseed. These are not essential items for me.

 

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.

 

E415

 

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.

 

Tempering choc is quite an art 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.

 

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.

 

Many of the items can be found in supermarkets these days - flax seed, whole or milled, chia seed, ground almonds coconut oil, cocoa powder - I can find in Lidl.

 

I didn't have IBS til started using stevia. I avoid sweeteners, if possible too.

 

Very helpful thanks. More options for me to try, which I will.

 

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.

 

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