Snacks...

[rlg2182]

So I was walking through the grocery store today, and failed in a mini-search. I was looking for some low-carb "snacks" that would actually fill you up... the only things out there that I found are those "low net carb" fruit/chocolate bars that advertise "2g carbs", but the ****ed things are 19+ total carbs per TINY bar, minus some for fiber. The help that'll do!

Anyways, I was wondering what other low-carb snacking options & products everyone has made/bought that would actually hold me over till the next meal (aside from veggies and fruit whose carb count varies by sample).


...btw... I eat plenty of veggies and fruit... just so nobody snickers.... (horrible pun, I know :D )

[KLD]

Unblanched almonds are good, if you can control yourself well enough to only eat a few. And one of my favouite snacks is parmesan cheese chips. They're very easy to make. Heat your oven to 400 F; on a cookie sheet, make six little piles of parmesan (or asiago) cheese (1/3 cup each). Pop them in the oven for two to three minutes, turn them with a pancake turner and cook for another minute of so. Cool them on a paper towel. They're chewy and delicious, very low carb, and will keep for several days without refrigeration. I often keep some in the glove compartment of my car, so I have them handy if I'm out longer than usual and am going to be late with my meal.

Karen

PS - Macadamia nuts are very good, but also very expensive. They contain about 3 grams of carbs per 1/4 cup.

[rlg2182]

hehe... that's the problem though, isn't it? Eating only a few. :D The horror... the horror

[KLD]

Every afternoon around 3:30, I have a snack consisting of 1 square of Lindt brand 85% chocolate and eight almonds. It took a while to discipline myself, but I don't have any trouble with it now. Any more than that sends my blood sugar soaring, so I have managed to convince myself that that eight are better than the alternative, which is none!

Karen

[HeatherP]

Well, there's always room for.............*cringe* Jello!

Meat and cheese are good for not having a negative effect on sugars although they may rise a bit.

Karen, is it dependent on the kind of nuts? When I eat peanuts my sugars go thru the roof, walnuts don't seem to have too much effect.

Dannon makes a "Lite 'n Fit" yogurt (9-10 gms/carbs) and smoothies (15gms/carbs), and there's a new yogurt called "carb control" that's like 3 gms/carbs. It's not the best tasting stuff, but you get used to it.

[TvBabe]

My latest snack "discovery" is Orville Redenbackers "Smart Pop" Popcorn....it's low in fat and 11 carbs for 3 cups of popcorn (which is my usual amount I ate pre-diabetes)

I also get some chocolate toffee's (sugar free) from a local store, they are so chewy they give my jaw a work out and they have a strong chocolate flavour. Only 2 carbs a candy.

[KLD]

Heather:

There is a big difference in the carb counts of different kinds of nuts. According to my carb counter, these are the carb counts for some of the more common ones - peanuts aren't actually a nut, they're a legume, but we all think of them as nuts so I'll include them as well.

Per cup of raw nuts:

Peanuts: 23.5 g carbs less 12.4 g fiber
Walnuts: 16 g carbs less 7.8 g fiber
Pistachios: 34 g carbs less 12.7 g fiber
Macadamias: 18.5 g carbs less 11.5 g fiber
Pecans: 15.11 g carbs less 10.5 g fiber

As you can see, there's some difference between peanuts and walnuts, but it doesn't seem like enough to account for the big difference in the effect it has on your blood sugar. Maybe, being a legume, the carbs in peanuts are faster acting - or is it possible you tend to eat more of them?

There's a big controversy in the low-carb world about whether you can deduct fiber in your carb count, so I've given the fiber count as well.

I've read about the new Carb Control yogurt, but I haven't been able to find it - maybe it's not available in Canada. But I often have half a cup of plain, regular-fat yogurt for breakfast (about 6 g carbs, depending on the brand). I don't like it plain, but I add some lime juice and a few drops of liquid Splenda, and it's delicious that way.

Karen

[rlg2182]

Wow... these are some good ideas. I've had the low-carb yogurt, and it's actually pretty good. Some 8 grams of carbs per container. I think my problem with popcorn and nuts in general is that I'll always have more than what I originally put in the cup. At least with the yogurt, you can't open (or at least I never do) a container and eat only half ;)

I'm curious to try the cheese-chips idea, although can't this very second because I don't have any yet. :) I think a help factor for me, moreso than low carbs, is snacking on items that I can count by the labeling. I find that I tend to grossly underestimate the carbs in home-made snacks, and go high as a result. That and giving myself too big a portion of snacks that call for a 23/32 cup (exaggeration, I know :D) serving.

One added question into the discussion that I've been curious about is this: I've been told that meat has 0 carbs, such as steak and ground beef, etc. Is this true? That being told, I should be able to grille up a 20 ounce Porterhouse steak or a pound New York steak (as long as I don't add in seasoning and other fixings) and not have to take one drop of insulin as a result.... correct? :confused:

~Robert

[HeatherP]

I'm totally bummed about the nuts! Oh well. (and yes, I do deduct anything 5 gms + of fiber)

Ah yes, RLG, portion control is a big factor. It gets easier over time. Measure everything. (listen to me talk, lol)

Meat, depending on how it's prepared can have some carbs. Obviously things like sausages and salami have carbs. I read somewhere that even stuff like chicken can have like 1/2 carb per oz. That's assuming it's not terriyaki or marinated in something that adds carbs.

A member here, Jon, posted some info several months back. I'll see if I can find a link, but it may take me 'til tomorrow.

HeatherP

[HeatherP]

I think this is it:

hidden carbs (http://wilstar.com/lowcarb/hiddencarbs.htm)

I'll keep an eye out for anything else.

[KLD]

As Heather has said, plain meats don't have any carbs, but you have to remember that protein can raise blood sugars too, not as high or as quickly as carbs but, in the portion size you're talking about (a 20-ounce steak), I'm sure it would be significant. Unfortunately for us, moderation, whether it be nuts or steaks, is the key!

As a general rule, though, if you ate more meat and low carb veggies, and reduced your carbs, you would probably find that you would have to reduce your insulin. Many type 2s on my particular low carb diet have been able to get right off their insulin and control their blood sugar with just diet.

Karen

[MarkMunday]

If I remember correctly, about 25% of your steak is protein. And 36% of it will be converted to glucose. So eating a 20oz steak would have the same impact on your blood sugar as about 51 grams of carbohydrate, but over a much longer period of time. And you would probably need two Humalog/Novolog injections several hours apart to deal with it.

Mark

[KLD]

I forgot to mention another favourite low-carb snack food. I usually keep a package of snap peas (the ones with the edible pod) in the fridge and love to nibble them raw. I don't eat regular peas because they're too high in sugar for my diet, but the snap peas are fine, once again in moderation. Safeway carries a brand that come prewashed and ready to eat, and I buy those when I can, due to chonic laziness. I keep some in the fridge at work and usually have a few with my lunch. I love the crisp, crunchy texture of them.

Ten of them contain 2.57 grams of cargs, less .9 grams of fiber.

Karen

[rlg2182]

Wow! I had no idea that protein would also factor in on the carb discussion. I just assumed it would have no impact, but since my control hasn't been the best lately (I'm also sick right now... hooray) I haven't noticed one specific All-meat meal raise me, usually because it'll always come with some form of beans, potatoes, or other items that have carbs as well.

[jennazon]

Those snap peas sound yummy! I'll have to look into buying the pre-washed ones (chronic lazyness, here too :D)

[archimeech]

Here's a couple of low-carb ideas that keep me from over-indulging when I have the munchies. Edemame and Pickles. I know that both have a few carbs however they are both good, satisfying and filling.

Now the edemame is a little high on the carb side, but is sooo good for you. Go to edemame.com for more info. They are the green soft-shelled soy bean that is boiled and served in most sushi-bars.
100 grams of edible serving have:
125 calories
12.1 gms- protein
13.1 gms- carbs

Now, except for being piled with sodium due to the pickling process, we all know how yummy and nutritious a pickle is! lol
(1) medium size pickle:
7 calories
.13 gms of fat
1.46 gms of carbs
.21 gms of protein
785 mg of sodium(that's what sucks)

[skilz123]

I like the low carb ice creams from Breyers or Ben and Jerrys, they taste pretty yummy and a serving only has 4 net carbs or so.

[Lorna]

I'd have to say melons. Karen- nuts are great! Only thing is the high fat content.

[KLD]

Lorna: One of the basic principles of my way of eating is that high fats are only harmful if they're combined with high carbs, so I don't worry about fats at all.

Jennazon: I hope you can find the pre-washed snap peas. Snow peas come the same way, and they're very similar - also low carb. So if you can't find one, maybe you can find the other.

Karen

[rzrbks]

I think it was TAutry who found some low carb Bread and Butter pickles at Wally World last spring.

Not a fan of Wally World myself, rather go to K-Mart, but I may make a trip there for the pickles.