Saturday, October 25, 2014

5 Best Low-Carb Substitutes for your Favorite Foods on Keto

Try These Low-Carb Ingredient Substitutes in your Next Keto-Friendly Recipe

low carb mac & cheese
Shirataki Bacon Mac & Cheese via Dukantopia.
Laziness Rating: 6/10 (-4 for having to do some actual cooking/baking)
Delicious Rating: 5 stars based on 1 review
Calories: varies
Net Carbs: varies
Protein: varies
Fat: varies


Unfortunately, some of the world's most delicious comfort foods are packed full of carbs. Things like mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, pasta, and pizza are all guaranteed to kick you out of ketosis. And that's bad news when you're trying to stay on a strict ketogenic diet. But don't panic! There's actually a growing number of lower-carb versions of your favorite foods. And there's also some very creative (and sometimes questionable) ingredient substitutes that can transform carb-heavy meals into keto-friendly ones. Like what if I told you could make low-carb bread by swapping out wheat flour for almond flour? Well you can. Of course, I'm way too lazy to bake bread myself. But I can definitely point you in the right direction.

The goal of this post isn't to reinvent the wheel by creating some ground-breaking new low-carb recipes. It's just to show you some new, popular, or proven low-carb alternatives so you can find what works for you. You could be eating keto-friendly bread, pasta, pizza, and other goodies by this time tomorrow. So let's do it.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Salami & Goat Cheese Appetizers. Low Carb & Classy as Hell.

Keto Diet Appetizers: Salami & Goat Cheese Finger Foods with Assorted Toppings

Salami & Goat Cheese Appetizer Finger Foods
Cilantro makes them look extra classy.
Laziness Rating: 9/10 (-1 for some light chopping
Delicious Rating: 5 stars based on 1 review
Calories: 665 (332/serving)
Net Carbs: 5g
Protein: 34g
Fat: 56g

Recipe Type: Snack, Appetizer, Hors d'oeuvre
Prep Time: 5 min
Yields: 2 servings

I just want to start by saying that I'm proud as hell of these little guys. I haven't made a proper blog post in a while now. But I was struck by a bit of inspiration while careening through the grocery store this weekend. Of course, who wouldn't be inspired by the sight of a salami chub? Yes, it's literally called a chub. The salami and goat cheese were right near each other in the cooler. So maybe the word "inspiration" might be pushing it. But they're goddamn delicious, nonetheless.

I really like the juxtaposition of low-class salami with high-class goat cheese. I figure they cancel each other out and make a medium-class appetizer. But let's be honest, the presentation value looks fantastic. Like 5-star Yelp review classy. Like "excuse me sir, a jacket is required at this country club" classy.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

4 Quick & Delicious Low-Carb Snacks for Keto Dieters

4 Simple Low-Carb Snack Ideas for the Ketogenic Diet

Blue Diamond Habanero BBQ Almonds
Habanero BBQ almonds: Nuts of the Gods.
Laziness Rating: 10/10
Delicious Rating: 5 stars based on 1 review

Calories: Varies
Net Carbs: Under 5g each
Recipe Type: Snack
Prep Time: 01 min

You'll rarely find recipes with a coveted 10/10 laziness rating. Pretty much every meal requires at least a little bit of preparation. But today, we've hit a new low. If you're like me, you probably hate chopping, mixing, and stirring ingredientsEspecially when all the food just ends up in your stomach in a matter of minutes anyway. But since the following foods are snacks, rather than actual recipes, they require nothing of youno effort, time, or preparation. Congrats, you've officially reached the pinnacle of gastronomic apathy. Here are 4 delicious and super-lazy snack ideas that have been essential during my last 12 months (and -62 lbs) on the ketogenic diet.

1. Blue Diamond BOLD Flavored Almonds

Habanero BBQ almonds bag
Sometimes I pour several gallons
in a tub & just swim with them.
Let me start by saying that I find plain almonds to be disgusting. They're bland and have a weird texture. So if you're like me, you may have dismissed the idea of snacking on almonds long ago. But I'm here to tell you that the BOLD flavored almonds from Blue Diamond are a fucking culinary masterpiece.

I buy these almonds every week by the pound (literally 16oz bags) and eating them has become the highlight of my day. Each almond is covered liberally with flavored dust that sticks to your fingers when you eat them. They sort of remind me of those flavored pretzel pieces from Snyder's; they're just as tasty, except low carb, high fat, and high fiber.

Blue Diamond apparently offers a bunch of different flavors, which is great if you want to mix up your snacks a bit. Try them all until you find your favorites. I highly recommend the Habanero BBQ, Jalapeno Smokehouse, and Wasabi & Soy Sauce flavors. Each serving is 28 nuts (a decent handful) and has 23 net carbs, depending on the flavor:
  • Habanero BBQ | Jalapeno Smokehouse170 cal; 15g fat; 6g protein; 2g (net) carbs
  • Wasabi & Soy Sauce | Honey Dijon170 cal; 15g fat; 6g protein; 3g (net) carbs
Just be careful not to devour too many in one sitting. The calories and net carbs can add-up very very quickly (170 calories x 6 handfuls = destroying your daily MFP goals). But trust me when I say they're worth every single calorie and carb inside them. You can find these in various sizes and flavors at most grocery and convenience stores. But the bulk sizes are a much better value than the cans. You should just buy the 1lb bags directly from Amazon.

Blue Diamond Almond Flavors
BOLD almonds - try to catch them all. I've still never spotted the Honey Dijon flavor in the wild.

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