Most of the low carb meals I prepare consists of boneless, skinless chicken, steak, pork, bacon, shrimp, salmon, eggs, cheese, and various other fish and meats. I use a sugar substitute to make my own sauces, dressings, and dips, rather than buy the many bottled sugary sauces found in the grocery store. Another food I’m fond of is potatoes, which contain a great deal of carbs. So I make a “mock” potato salad using cauliflower instead. I want to share with you one of my favorite “potato” salad recipes today. Try this at your next get together and it will be a hit! (And you’ll be asked to bring it again and again)

You will need:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/2 lb of prepared bacon (see tip below)
• 1 1/4 cup finely diced celery
• 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup pickle relish (no sugar added)
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar substitute (Splenda recommended)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
• 2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons prepared ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

1. Break apart the head of cauliflower int nickle and dime sized pieces. Place in a bowl, then into microwave for 6 minutes on high. Remove and place on paper towels to remove some moisture.

2. Place the remaining ingredients into a bowl (except for the eggs) then stir to blend well.

3. Add the cauliflower and eggs to the mixture and gently fold until combined.

4. Cover and chill completely.

* Bacon bit tip: Partially freeze your package of bacon. Use a sharp knife and cut the frozen bacon into long strips about 1/4 inch wide. Turn the bacon and cut the strips into pieces also about 1/4 in wide. You now have perfect raw bacon pieces to fast fry. No need to separate. They will separate during cooking. Perfect bacon bits. Add 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bacon while cooking.

This makes the best “mock” potato salad I’ve ever tried. Leave a comment and tell us your results. And remember; you can low carb!

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Some choices allow larger amounts than others due to the carb count. Miracle Noodle for example, there are zero carbs in their product. This allows guilt free eating although the average low carb dieter tends to eat less the longer they are on the diet. This zero carb pasta is a little chewy and has no flavor of its own. It simply absorbs the flavor of the dish its added to. Also, it’s ready to go right out of the package after a rinse.

Dreamfields is another low carb pasta that should rank high in low carb pasta ratings. The taste and texture is closer to the real thing but the amounts you can have is something to be considered when using one of their many low carb pastas. The box claims to have only 5g digestible carbs per serving.

Carba-Nada is the last one we’ll look at in this post. It is very close to the original and the reviews for this low carb pasta rank right up with Dreamfields. It is a little more difficult to locate than Dreamfields , and the carb count is 18g net carbs. This would be a product you should certainly use portion control for.

In the coming post, let’s continue to look at the different qualities and prices of the many low carb pastas available. Meanwhile, please comment below on your experience with low carb pasta and leave your own low carb pasta ratings.

Technorati Tags: Diet, how many carbs in pasta, low carb, Low Carb Pasta, low carb pasta ratings, low carb pastas

Low Carb Pasta vs. Zero Carb Pasta…..Choices, choices. There are lots of options, but which is best. There are a couple of different camps on low carb theory and a low carb dieter might spend time in both camps. One camp leans towards 20 or less carbs daily while the other allows 50-60 carbs a day. Some diets recommend a combination of the two.

So here’s my analysis. Everyone is different. So what works for me, may be a disaster for you. There have been so many dieters that begin a low carb regimen only to begin to creep closer to the edge and find themselves beginning to actually gain weight. It’s difficult to stay in the “zone” if you get to a place where boredom turns to cheating. A little here, a few there. Come on, you know you’ve been there too. We all fall off the wagon every now and again.

I think it is good to reward yourself at special times. It can help you to beat back a certain crave for weeks just to enjoy an occasional meal that strays off the diet. But for some it can cause a total collapse. And for those dieters, even the occasional treat is not advised.

One of the main characteristics that seems to be common among low carb dieters that have abandoned their diet, is this. The portion sizes stay the same as higher carb items begin to be introduced into the diet. This throws the body out of ketosis and the scale becomes your enemy again.

So what is a low carb pasta lover to do? There are obvious advantages to low carb pasta and zero carb pasta. They certainly differ in texture, taste, and preparation. But which is the better route? Personally, I really like the zero carb pasta. For me the fact that it’s zero carbs along with the fact that it needs no cooking, is perfect for my diet.      BTW…. 3 1/2 months, 45 lbs. (WOO_ HOO!!)

Try to stay as low carb count as possible for the first 2-4 weeks on a low carb diet. This will give your body time to adjust and you will find you will eat less over time. you simply fill up quicker.

As you begin to add more items to your diet, it’s important to watch portion sizes. A low carb pasta may only have 7-8 grams of carbs per serving, but you have 2-3 servings on your plate. BE CAREFUL! Soon you’ll be at 80 carbs a day.

Finally, don’t let it become boring! If you find a recipe you really like, only allow yourself to have it once a week. When you begin to eat your favorite one or two dishes constantly, you get burned out on them, then nothing sounds good. So get into the kitchen, crack an egg or 12 and get cooking!

Technorati Tags: Diet, low carb, Low Carb Pasta