Blog Archives

The Omelette: It may not look pretty, but it'll save your life.

1/28/2011

On occasion when time is an issue for me in the kitchen I can find myself going back to the good ol' omelette. Now of course anyone doing the low carb diet is probably not that new to the omelette. Its eggs and cheese which are both low carb and totally acceptable on the low carb lifestyle so it just makes sense that it would show up on your plate often. If you have been doing atkins for a while then you have probably already eaten your share of omelettes and you are sick and tired of the same thing. Its easy for that to happen. Well, it doesn't have to be that way.

The trick is to use get a little creative with what you use for your ingredients. You'll be surprised at how many things can taste delicious. And don't feel bad getting some better cheese involved. Those Kraft singles can only do so much for flavor.

The Italian- Fresh mozzarella, some Italian sausage or pepperoni, and a light marinara sauce.
The Mexican- Spicy Pepper Jack cheese, some freshly cooked chorizo, and a little sour cream.
The American- Fresh Cheddar Cheese, bacon, cooked ground beef, and BBQ sauce.
The Irish- Fresh white cheddar, a can of Corned beef Hash.
The Hawaiian- Ham, Pineapple, Pepper jack cheese.

Get creative, You would be surprised at how many things go well with eggs. And remember the better the ingredients the better the omelette.

Carbs- 2
Dietary Fiber - 0
Net Carbs - 2

1 Comment

Balance Bar: Chocolate Peanut Butter Carb Well

1/26/2011

2 Comments

While I might not recommend these Carb Well energy bars for someone just starting the induction phase of atkins simply because of their content of sugar alcohols, when you get to a more regular place they can be a nice little snack to help get you through the day. They aren't quiet as delicious tasting as atkins bars are in my opinion but that is simply because the Balance Bar company tries to fill it with vitamins and some minerals that will help you through the day. We can all agree that some extra vitamins are always a good idea when you are doing atkins since most of the sources you would normally get your vitamins from have dropped out of your diet by a lot. Contains a great source of Vitamins A, E, and C. Lots of protein in these things too. The thing that stood out to me more than anything was how these were often time a dollar cheaper per bar than most atkins bars were. That's a big plus.

Carbs - 22
Dietary Fiber - 1
Sugar Alcohol - 19
Net Carbs - 2

2 Comments

Low Carb Green Chicken Enchiladas

1/25/2011

5 Comments

These are one of my favorite dishes. I could eat the whole pan. They are so tasty. The great thing is about these is that you really aren't changing much from how you normally might make enchiladas and therefore you feel like you are eating like a normal person.

Wait, how can this be? Aren't those tortillas????

Here's your savior: Low Carb Tortillas.

I suggest getting the whole wheat kind to save at even more carbs. They come in at about 4 carbs a piece.

Ingrediants
Low Carb Whole Wheat Mission Fajita Tortillas
Shredded Cheese
Diced Onion
Chicken
1 can green chilies
1 can green enchilada sauce
Jalapenos

Steps
1. Put some chicken in a crock pot .
2. Add canned green chilies to chicken.
3. Allow to cook
4. Shred
5. Wet Low Carb Mission Tortillas in enchilada sauce
6. Roll Shredded chicken, diced onion, and jalapeno into tortilla creating rolls
7. Place in baking pan in rows.
8. Add extra enchilada sauce and cheese to top of enchiladas
9. When all your enchiladas are complete place finished pan in over at 325 for 30-40 mins.

Go light on the enchilada sauce, That's where the carbs will build up. A little will go a long way. I like to add extra peppers if i want more spice. Top with some sour cream if you like too.

In two enchiladas you can expect the following:

Carbs - 19
Dietary Fiber - 6
Net Carbs - 13

5 Comments

Quiznos Classic Cobb Salad

1/24/2011

0 Comments

Can't say I am a big fan of Quizno's. They aren't bad, they just aren't as fresh as I would like them to be. Ten years ago I was a slave to The Quiz. The toasted sub was as good of a break through as flying cars in my eyes. Their Batch 81 sauce (R.I.P.) was amazing. Something happened since then and it seems like the quality of freshness and ingredients for sandwiches has slipped a bit and simply toasting the bread won't fool me. again, they aren't bad, they just arent great either. Luckily with my low carb life change eating their sandwiches is not an issue anymore. Now I am a salad guy so I can look at a portion of their menu that I would have never taken the time for in the past.

These days when I swing by The Quiz I get the Classic Cobb Salad. Its pretty simple. Iceberg lettuce, blue cheese crumbles, tomatoes, eggs, chicken, bacon, with a creamy ranch dressing. Nothing new here from them in terms of ingredients.

The salad is pretty good simply because they pile on the toppings. It would be nice if they used a green lettuce other than iceberg just to get a little more nutrients but its hard to complain about that. Go easy on the dressing as it is not carb free and of course, pass on the flat bread and its a hearty low carb salad.

Carbs - 13
Dietary Fiber - 3
Net Carbs - 10

0 Comments

Wahoo's Fish Taco: Spicy Chicken Taco Lettuce Wrapped

1/21/2011

0 Comments

I am a sucker for Mexican food. I grew up in North Dakota, so although we had Mexican food, it was no more Mexican then Taco Bell was. When the local favorite place to go is called Mexican Village and they are equally known for their Burgers and fries as their tacos you might need to start looking for some better food. It wasn't until I moved to sunny Southern California that I saw the glory of what real Mexican food can taste like.

One of the many unfortunate things about Atkins is what you must give up up when it comes to Mexican food. Some of the key ingredients get lost because of the carbs they carry. Rice, beans, and my favorite the tortilla all have to be avoided in most cases and it feels like you begins to miss out on some of the best parts of the Mexican experience. But there are always ways to keep the flavor without messing up your routine and diet.

One of my favorite places in Southern California to eat has been a place called Wahoo's Fish Taco. Fresh ingredients with lots of flavor and of course plenty of spice. I was recently there with my wife and close friends and noticed they added a new option to their menu. Now if you request it, they will substitute lettuce for any of there tortillas when you order a taco. Yes please!

I went with the Spicy Chicken Taco. I added cheese and fresh salsas on top for some additional taste. It was wonderful. Although very similar to eating an Asian lettuce wrap but the taste was all Mexican and spice. The great thing about this is that its totally something you can do at home. next time you make chicken, steak, or carnitas tacos just sub out the tortilla for a fresh piece of lettuce. All the flavor and the carbs are not an issue.

P.s. Did I mention that Tacos are cheap. Real cheap.

Carbs - 4
Dietary Fiber - 1
Net Carbs - 3

0 Comments

Don't Eat This!

1/20/2011

0 Comments

Deep Fried Cinnamon and Sugar Churro.

0 Comments

The Hot Dog, America's Silent Hero.

1/19/2011

1 Comment

Wiener

Stop laughing.

Oh your not? Oh good, it will be nice to be able to have a conversation about wieners with an adult and not feel weird about it.

Oh grow up.

Look, I know that no one really knows what all goes in to hot dogs. We know the animal source but the ingredients are questionable to many people. However you can't deny that they have become an American staple. Seriously, we eat a lot of hot dogs in this place. We even celebrate the birth of our country with them. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council on Independence Day alone, Americans will eat 150 million hot dogs. That's enough hot dogs to stretch from D.C. to L.A. over five times.

Why do we love them so much? Because they are delicious and... Low Carb. Most over them are below 3-4 carbs a dog. And so easy to cook too. Throw some on a grill or in a pan and you have a tasty treat. Roll them up in low carb tortillas, wrap them in bacon, smoother in BBQ sauce. They are always tasty and so easy to make.

I have tried a lot of Hot Dogs and some of my go-to's are the Oscar Mayer All Beef Hot Dogs. They are 1 carb per dog and have great flavor. Some of the other dogs on the market use some sugars and fillers and have a couple extra carbs in them. So if you are really counting the numbers and want to keep them low try the Oscar Meyer route.

Carbs - 1
Dietary Fiber - 0
Net Carbs - 1

Remember:
Mustard is carb-less.
Relish is carb-less.
Ketchup is not carb-less.

But low sugar Ketchup comes pretty close at 1 carb a serving.

Its Independence day everyday at my house now.

1 Comment

Chipotle Low Carb Chicken Salad

1/18/2011

2 Comments

Chip-ot-le
Chip-pol-le
Chip-otle
Chipotle

Look, you can call it what ever you want but to me it shall always be known as delicious. What's great about this fast food burrito place is how much they allow you to customize your meal. You can simply get a bowl of beef and they don't judge you for it. That is the beauty of all the foil on the burritos and bowls there It reflects judging right back back at those that are evil.

I suggest hopping on the Chipotle website to get some nutrition facts before you set out on your on personal chipotle plan. As for me I go with the standard chicken salad.

Lettuce
Chicken
Tomatoes
Red Salsa
Sour Cream
Cheese

That's it. It doesn't seem like a lot to some but its still a real heat salad with lots of flavor. Some would get the red salsa over the tomato salsa, but remember that their is some fiber in there that will help you out later. Take it when you can. Also, skip the salad dressing, as tasty as it is, it's mostly sugar.

Carbs - 15
Dietary Fiber - 4
Net Carbs - 11

2 Comments

Atkins Advantage Bars: Peanut Fudge Granola Bar

1/17/2011

0 Comments

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb

I work at 6am in the morning. This means that if its a choice between getting extra sleep and getting a nice big breakfast, I most always choose sleep. I have to have something in the mornings to get my blood moving though. Lately that has been the Atkins Advatage bars that the Atkins company makes. They may not be the best choice for a breakfast, but they are ready to go so I can get those extra winks.

There are may flavors to choose from in the Atkins Advatage line, but when it comes to fulfilling my need for breakfast, I often return to the Peanut Fudge Granola Bar. Its filling, has a great peanut buttery tast, and has that morning granola in it so I can justify eating it at 6am.

What's great about these bars is that they are jam packed with other vitamins and minerals to help get your day going. They even have have some vitamin C in them. Now of course because of all the vitamins they have a slight "healthy" taste to them, but when you are avoiding sugars on atkins, its a fair trade of for that chocolaty peanut buttery flavor.

Carbs - 17
Dietary Fiber - 9
Net Carbs - 2

0 Comments

Homemade Atkins: Pot Roast

1/14/2011

0 Comments

God Bless the Crock-pot! I challenge you to find any other tool in the kitchen that will create as much flavor in your recipes with as little effort as one of these ceramic saviors. You just toss the stuff in the pot, and wait a few hours and that's it. Magic!

One of the staples in my house using this great little device has been the pot roast. Quick, easy, with lots of flavor, what more can you ask for.

Heres what you do:
1. Put the roast in the crock pot
2. Add carrots
3. Add onions
4. Add chopped celery
5. Add Salt and pepper, or seasoning of choice,
5. Add a light amount of water at bottom of crock pot, maybe about a cup.
5. Depending on how quick you want to eat, turn in on and wait. Its a good idea to flip your meat when its half way cooked if you can. After a few hours when the meat is shred-able, its time to eat.

Simple as that. Everything cooks together and the juices of the meat mix with the veggies to great a real nice savory flavor. Its just like Mom made. and depending on the spices you add you might be able to change up the taste slightly.

Most of the carbs it this meal will be coming from the veggies, the carrots specifically. Carrots tend to get more carbs in them when they are cooked due to the sugars in them activating. So have a few, but don't over do it.

Note: Some people will add potato chucks in with the other vegetables. If you have guest that's not a bad idea and will bring some nice variety. But remember, those potatoes are little carb mines in your meal that you will need to avoid.

Carbs - 9
Dietary Fiber - 2
Net Carbs - 7

0 Comments

<<Previous

Archives

Categories