Low Carb Suggestions

[eandersen]

I am a nurse and just had a patient that is going to be 73 and she lost 39lbs since December - I figured wow if she can do it so can I. She said low carb - any ideas of meals?

Thank you 

[carl669]

it depends on how low carb you want to get.  here's some of my favorite meals:

grilled salmon with a spinach salad

steak with grilled zuchhini or asparagus

eggs and sausage or bacon

herb crusted pork tenderloin with garlic and parmesan "mashed" cauliflower (it's actually pureed in food processor)

be creative.

[eandersen]

Thank you 

Spoiler

[SunsetRunner]

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@eandersen wrote:

I am a nurse and just had a patient that is going to be 73 and she lost 39lbs since December - I figured wow if she can do it so can I. She said low carb - any ideas of meals?

Thank you 

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As a Nurse, you should know that there are significant health problems associated with

continuing on a "low carb" diet (if, by that is meant high protein diet, like the Atkins diet).

The high protein diet will cause rapid initial weight loss, but with problems as stated.

The superior "weight loss diet", is complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, vegetables,

and fruit (not simple, like sugars and refined junk that the manufacturers pretend is food).

You can get a good understanding by reading "The Pritikin Promise", cheap on Amazon.

[eandersen]

Yes I know the downfalls of super low carbs - just trying to find alternative types of foods that are low in carbs - ie fried chicken - lots of carbs and fat ect.... good but bad for you, well I found a recipe to make breaded chicken using all meat which is a good alternative. You use pork rinds, grind them and add seasonings.

I will look up that book, thank you for your imput.

Eileem

[carl669]

i've made the pork rind breading you speak of and it's delicious.  we use a mix of mayo and sriracha as a dipping sauce.

[SunsetRunner]

and you two are trying to lose weight and be healthy

[reuel]

i don't think the type of food is the problem ... it is the quantity we eat and the fact that we have no idea how much we are eating. in my case, i am a firm believer of logging in food as accurate as possible, which means a  food scale is mandatory and that you should not be eating anything that you do not know what calories are in it.

sadly though, in my experience, people would rather just avoid certain food (like carbs or fats or both) than know how much they are eating.

i think those types of diet work for a short while.

[eandersen]

I agree, grew up with mom being a great cook and we had to finished everything on our plate. Still trying to break that habbit. Portion control is huge for me. 

[MauigalRN · Accepted solution]

Hi! I am an RN also and most of us are very aware of the pitfalls of a very low carb eating plan such as Atkins.  There are many of us on here trying to get fit and lose weight and are looking for ideas and support.  There are also many different types of "diets" that individuals believe will work best for them.  I certainly hope that members are not criticizing others for trying to cut out bad carbs or occasionally using  pork rinds for breading. It's a nice change of taste for a meal idea. I may try it myself! 

Eileem, it sounds to me like you would like to cut out refined carbs, such as sugar and flour-filled foods that have empty calories, not that you wanted to do a super low carb diet. That's what my husband and I try to do. We don't consider it low carb, just cutting out all the refined foods, but still include high fiber whole grains and such. We feel it's a very smart and healthy way to eat (and it's good for our systems)!  Good luck to you and everyone else! 

[eandersen]

Thank you and yes that is my aim. Just wondering about recipes that could help with that. I know we  need carbs and I know there are some awesome carbs and I don't worry about them just the other one's.

[Proudpatriot]

This site: I Breathe I'm Hungry has great low carb recipes.

[Razorduc]

I was following the 4 Hour Body "Slow Carb Diet" which tries to limit carbs to things like legumes (which I typically hate, but got used to) that digest slower. It does recommend to minimize fruits and high-sugar veggies. It also requires 1 cheat day per week to eat whatever you want.

But I'm on the road a lot, so for fast food, I'd consider Chiptole salad and use their medium or hot salsa as dressing (corn is pretty high carb, as are tomatoes). If you can go no salsa, just add guacamole and sour cream for moisture/flavor. I think their stated calorie count for something like that is about 600-700 cal. Carl's Jr./In-N-Out do pretty good job with lettuce wrapped burgers/grilled chicken sandwich.

[MRose]

I've been doing the Zone diet for a few years and when I'm actually doing it correctly (when I was in college it was harder to stay on the band-wagon), I feel absolutely amazing and it makes working out so much easier! Our culture has an odd perception of "low" carb, thinking that if it's not deep fried there's something wrong with it. Here are a few of my go-to meal plans that can be made very healthy and save well (for the busy days):

• Chili
• Baked chicken nuggets (although I use about 2 tbsp rice or almond flour and 2 tbsp parmesan) with salad or green beans
• Yogurt chicken (never used a recipe for this; I mix plain, LF Greek yogurt, a smidge of garlic, and grated parmesan and coat chicken breast, then bake at about 400 until no longer pink) with steamed broccoli or asparagus
• Chicken and asparagus stir fry 
• Fish tacos with corn tortilla
• Grilled or baked trout, tilapia, or salmon with dry-sauteed seasoned zucchini or okra (okay, so this one might not save so well, but it's still really good!)
• Pork loin roast and strawberry-spinich salad
• Turkey breast and whatever veggie happens to be in season (I often go for green beans or zucchini here)
• "Fried" shrimp (basically the same concept as the baked chicken nuggets) 
• Garden salad with feta and grilled chicken

Hopefully at least some of these will sound appealing! And the website links go to the Skinny Taste website -- it's a great site for some recipe ideas! Most of them can be made as-is or easily tweaked to match your dietary needs.

[MsProfessor]

That's absolutely false and based on spurious science.  Please read Good Calories, Bad Calories; The Big Fat Surprise:  Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet; and Brain Maker:  The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain.  They all review the science/research meticulously and come to the same conclusion:  the diet-heart hypothesis (that a low-fat diet is healthy for you and saturated fat is bad for you) is based on spurious science and that all the latest research indicates exactly the opposite:  that high-fat, high protein and low carb diets are significantly more healthy for you (in every way, as long as you're sticking to whole foods) than a low-fat, high carb diet.  But don't take my word for it.  Read the research.

[MsProfessor]

That's absolutely false and based on spurious science.  Please read Good Calories, Bad Calories; The Big Fat Surprise:  Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet; and Brain Maker:  The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain.  They all review the science/research meticulously and come to the same conclusion:  the diet-heart hypothesis (that a low-fat diet is healthy for you and saturated fat is bad for you) is based on spurious science and that all the latest research indicates exactly the opposite:  that high-fat, high protein and low carb diets are significantly more healthy for you (in every way, as long as you're sticking to whole foods) than a low-fat, high carb diet.  But don't take my word for it.  Read the research.

[MsProfessor]

Also great cookbooks:  Most things by George Stella (caveat, he recommends using an artificial sweetner for the desserts, but acknowledges that some folks don't want to eat anything that is not a whole food, so the low-carb desserts are just an option.  Most of his recipes are whole-food recipes).  He's really creative and the recipes are easy and delicious.

The Primal Low-Carb Kitchen is also awesome.

[jabber_wockey]

Here are a couple of my go-to meals.  The sauce for the spaghetti freezes very well, and makes for a super easy weeknight meal.  And of course the fish cooks very quickly and there is minimal prep. Recipes are at the links....

http://locarbjabberwockey.wordpress.com/2015/03/08/easy-weeknight-salmon/

http://locarbjabberwockey.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/what-low-carb-spaghetti/

[tally_]

For those doubting the health/legitimacy of limiting carbs, here's a link detailing 23 controlled studies comparing the relative benefits (weight loss, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.) of low-fat, restricted caloric diets and reduced carbohydrate intake. All published in peer reviewed medical journals. 

http://authoritynutrition.com/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets/

[awood08]

I'm a huge bread eater (not so good for dieting) so I love to stick to Toufayan or Ole brand low carb & high fiber wraps and pitas. It lets me have the breads without all the carbs....plus with the Ole Extreme Wellness wraps I get an extra boost of fiber. 🙂

I usually take my greens, a little light dressing, chicken breast strips and wrap it up in those wraps and they are very satisfying and filling!