I hope youโre enjoying my daily low carb food diaries and the variety of meal ideas to considerโฆ
Itโs good to get fresh ideas & mix things up a little!
Weโre discussing that on Facebook today, after my day of eating mostly pancakes & muffins (lol).
In todayโs food diary I have a super easy home cooked low carb dinner idea โ very healthy, but also delicious!
Plus: glazed pecans and a simple โfat bombโ or low carb dessertโฆ
My Low Carb Meals on Thursday
I finished off the last two Low Carb Apple Pie Muffins, warmed up and stuffed with real butter. ๐
While the sampler jars are not large enough for the waffle & muffin recipe (you could make half batches though!), Legendary Foods has a Nut Butter Sampler Pack you can get if you want to try all five flavors without buying full jars of each.;) Note: our coupon code is: lowcarbtraveler for a discount
My favorites so far are Pecan Pie, Blueberry Cinnamon Bun and Apple Pie.
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People often ask me how I get my cheesy scrambled eggs to come out so โprettyโ and fluffy. I use colby jack cheese cubed off the block, a full TBSP of real butter, and 3-4 eggs โ usually four, with about half ounce of cheese per egg.
The trick: cook them slow! ๐
I melt a full TBSP of real butter in a non stick skillet over medium heat (5 on my stove), then crack the eggs into the melted butter and scramble them right in the skillet.
About 1/3 of the way in, I add the cubes of cheese and continue scrambling them until done. Thatโs it! Easy.:)
Fortunately Aaron is content to eat simple like I do, so a big plate of eggs is an easy meal for us. Unless weโre baking together or testing waffle & muffin recipes. ๐
Next I put a simple healthy low carb dinner togetherโฆ
When I met Angela for our Low Carb Lunch at Applebeeโs she told me about this Chicken Sausage you can find at Aldi stores in a variety of flavors:
The spinach & feta chicken sausage is only 1 carb per link โ and delicious!
Several people asked me if it has a pork casing, so I looked: it has a โbeef collagen casing.โ
First though, I threw the vegetables in the ovenโฆ
I had a bag of frozen yellow squash, and a bag of frozen broccoli florets.
I was out of olive oil (which is what I usually use), so I tossed the frozen veggies in Primal Greek Avocado Oil instead โ which added a really nice flavor!
I salted them and sprinkled them with garlic powder too, tossed it all in the oil, and baked them on foil (for easy cleanup and no-stick) at 400 degrees:
If you want them to cook quicker, thaw them in the microwave or on the stove first.
I like how easy it is to just toss them straight into the oven out of the freezer โ then let them cook to your preferred โdonenessโ (I like mine crisped!).
For the Spinach & Feta Chicken Sausage, I sliced the links and tossed them in a nonstick skillet with a TBSP of real butter, and also added some leftover steamed spinach.
Theyโre already fully cooked so you can just fry them โhot & fast.โ
They were beautiful, and DELICIOUS! ๐
Hereโs how the whole meal came out:
I cleaned my plate. ๐
I made dessert later too.:) I decided to try my hand at glazed pecans. Iโve toasted pecans before with butter and garlic powder โ but I was making these for a dessert.
I had exactly ONE tablespoon of ChocZero Maple Pecan Syrup left (lol, if that tells you how GOOD it is!), so I melted that with a TBSP of butter โ which was just the right amount for 120 grams of pecans (a full cup).
You could use any kind of sugar free syrup or sugar free honey, Iโm sure.
I poured the mixture over the raw pecan halves in a โtinfoil bowlโ and mixed it all up good to make sure all the nuts were coated. I baked them on the foil at 350 degrees until they โseemed doneโ (hot & toasty!).
They came out really good!
Even betterโฆ
Topping smooth, rich cream cheese with the glazed pecans and then drizzling ChocZero Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup over the top. โฅ Mmmm!
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MyFitnessPal Diary for Thursday
Calories: 2194
Net Carbs: 22
80% Fat, 16% Protein
Protein: 84 grams
Water: 64 ounces
How To Get Net Carbs in MyFitnessPal (Free)
Ideal LCHF / Keto Macro Tracking Explained
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If you have an Aldi store near you, I highly recommend the chicken sausage! It comes in several flavors, and some are higher in carbs than others, but the chicken feta flavor was GREAT.
Weโve had it twice since, so in my next food diary Iโll show you the second meal we made with those โ plus Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Waffles and Low Carb Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies too. ๐
How is your week going so far?
I always look forward to hearing from you!
Leave a comment & letโs chatโฆ;)
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. The Peanut Butter Keto Kookies are back in stock, and a fresh batch is ready to ship out โ if you were waiting on those. ๐ They sell out fast!
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
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Hi! I love reading about your recipes and the low carb products you use. I always
look forward to reading your new emails! Thank you!
Thank you, Debi. ๐ They are a lot of work, but itโs feedback like yours that makes it worth it!
Iโll be traveling again a couple of times this month, but itโs been fun to do some cooking while Iโve been home lately. ๐
LynnโฆYou make eating low carb look so easy! All your meals look so simple to make, but really delicious. Do you plan out your meals in advance or just wing-it meal by meal?
Thank you, Heather โ it IS easy. ๐ I donโt plan at all, I just wing it and grab whatever is easy and convenient when Iโm hungry.
I do keep easy stuff on hand, staples like: eggs, pecans, butter, cheese, frozen veggies & frozen berries, cream cheese, etc.
It helps too that I usually have interesting new food products coming in every month in the keto subscription boxes like Keto Krate. Thatโs where I get products like the Primal Foods greek avocado oil to try, which helps me come up with fun new combinations. ๐
I never know whatโs going to come in those boxes, which is part of the fun! But itโs always 6-9 new low carb products and Keto Krate always includes a recipe card to use with one of the products too. Thatโs how I got the waffle / muffin / pancake recipe!
Hi Lynn,
How long did you cook the frozen veggies for them to crisp up like that? Did you flip them at all? They look great!
Hi Stacy ๐
I have never actually timed it, because itโs one of those GREAT sides I can just toss straight in the oven then go about other things for a bit. I put the oven on at 400 degrees and I do stir/flip them a time or two until they are nice and crisped โ or sometimes I just like them slightly browned. Whatever you prefer that day! ๐
It takes a lot LESS time if you thaw them first โ which you can do real quick in the microwave. So if youโre in hurry, thatโs ideal. Of course you can use fresh veggies too!
I usually throw these in when I come in from a hike, so I can grab a shower and then prep whatever easy meat or other part of the meal to go with the veggies.
I just love your meals and the tips & recipes you share. My question is, do you experience leg cramps, if so, how to handle them or keep them at bay. I hate the Leg cramps I get.
Hi Kesha,
Leg cramps are the result of one of a few things: low sodium (not enough salt) while eating low carb, or keto flu (the process of getting into ketosis) which only lasts a few days. Or drinking too much water.
Are you intentionally eating low sodium?
How long have you been eating LCHF (low carb/high fat) consistently? If you go in and out of ketosis for example, youโll experience keto flu frequently.
How much water are you drinking?
The โquick fixโ is to drink chicken broth to quickly replenish your sodium & electrolytes. The leg cramps are a result of drinking too much water which flushes those out too fast/too much. Or the diuretic process of getting into ketosis โ so broth is the best solution either way.
I love the Roast Chicken Broth that is keto friendly and also contains collagen, which makes your hair grow nice TOO ๐ at http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/ketobroth but you can also use something like Campbellโs canned condensed broth (I mix mine strong and add a TBSP of butter and sip it hot out of a mug).
Hi Lyn,
I am really, really enjoying your posts! They help so much for us beginners. I started low carb Jan. 2nd & have lost 14 lbs. I was stalled for a few weeks so definitely had to reduce my net carbs. Am now below 20 each day. I was wondering what your thoughts are on Atkins products? I donโt see them mentioned? Also,what peanut butter is lowest in net carbs? The lowest I have found is 4. I usually have a Fitmiss shake for breakfast. Each day I have trouble getting enough fats in. Any suggestions? Thank you so much for all of your help. Greatly appreciated!
Iโm really glad to hear that, Liz โ thank you! ๐
Itโs actually normal to see a โholdโ or temporary stall โ or even slight fluctuations during week 2 and/or 3. Thatโs just your body adjusting after such fast weight lost โ it shocks your body. ๐
But it IS good to do 20 net carbs a day max, and also 70% fat minimum. That will put and keep you in ketosis, which is ideal.
The lowest peanut butter I have found is 4 net carbs per serving (2 TBSP) too. Some of them have better ingredients than others, but you want to eat it in moderation regardless at 2 net carbs per TBSP.
There are a few Atkins products I really like. I havenโt tried many of the newer ones yet โ but their shakes are good and very handy, and I like the Peanut Butter Granola Atkins bars.
For a breakfast shake on the regular, Iโve been using a Keto Shake because it has collagen and coconut oil so itโs high in healthy fats but also delicious & filling. This is the one I use: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/ketoshake Chocolate and Vanilla are both GREAT, rich and creamy โ and also great as coffee creamer. ๐
Thanks, Iโve started Keto about May 2017. I have been drinking lots of water. I will try the broth. Thanks so much.
Let me know how that goes, Kesha. ๐ I only drink about 64 ounces of water a day, sometimes just 48.
If youโre drinking a lot more than that, cut that way down first and see if that helps.
Adding in more Potassium & Magnesium in your diet may help with the leg cramps too.
Sources for magnesium in low carb foods include: spinach, swiss chard, sunflower seeds, almonds, turnip greens, summer squash, edamame, peanut butter, avocado, salmon, halibut, chicken, beef, broccoli.
Spinach, salmon, avocado & mushrooms are top low carb sources for potassium.
Keep me posted. ๐
The chicken broth worked like a charm. No more leg cramps. Thank sooo much. You Rock!
Your roasted veggies ALWAYS look so good! How long does it typically take for them to bake in the oven?
I have never actually timed it, Caryn โ Iโm not sure! It takes awhile, because I put them in the oven frozen. So you can cut down cooking time by thawing them real quick in the microwave first โ or if youโre using fresh vegetables instead.
Sometimes I just like them slightly browned, other times I like them crisped, so you can just check on them and toss /flip them a bit, until they look the way you want them.
If you get in a hurry, turning the broiler on and flipping them to brown up both sides works too! ๐
Very helpful! Thanks!
The pecans ,butter and syrup was the Bomb.Thanks for recipe.
Iโm so glad you enjoyed it, Cellest. ๐ Simple is great!! *cheers*
Not sure why I lost 5 lbs last week and this week I gained it back
I was eating the same
20 net carbs
Hi Nancy,
What time of day do you weigh yourself? I ask because your weight can fluctuate five or more pounds in a single day, so the only true weight is first thing in the morning right after you pee. Even an hour later will show a different number. Could that be the problem maybe?
If not, how are you tracking โ and are you doing 70% fat consistently, as well as 20 net carbs/day max? Let me know. Happy to help!
I did after breakfast
I will try next week in the morning
I just try to stay away from bread and try to track down
I have been good for a month
I thought I lost 5 lbs
I had some low carb beer on super bowl I wonder if that messed me up
Ah, if you waited longer to weigh then it was definitely higher than your actual weight. ๐ Try any morning this week, first thing.
Tracking is key to make sure youโre getting under 20 net carbs and at least 70% of your calories in healthy fats.
I drink low carb beer now and then, and do just fine. You just have to track it in with the rest of your day.
Hello
So when you start induction can you eat low carb bread or you have to cut all breads and alcohol and fruits for the first 2 weeks?
Hi Nancy,
If you are doing Induction, that is an Atkins program phase โ so youโll want to follow their Induction Phase if youโre doing that plan.
Personally I donโt do plans or phases, but rather just eat a ketogenic low carb diet: 20 net carbs max and 70% fat minimum (which is basically Atkins20 or Atkins Phase One โ without the recommended dietary restrictions).
You will have the most success (ie results) just eating real food: meat & greens + healthy fats, and cutting out alcohol and any prepared or processed products. But thatโs at any stage.
Berries are a very healthy and low sugar addition to a low carb diet in moderation, but no fruit โ because fruit is way higher in carbs and sugar. Berries are not considered a fruit though, and can definitely be enjoyed in smaller amounts as they fit your macros.