Pepper Steak with Ricotta recipe here.
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Do you have a confirmed carb-lover in your life?
Someone who couldn’t possibly ever consider a meal without some sort of starch?
I have two of them.
My little men.
Actually I have 3 carb-lovers, but my Irish husband is happy to go along with my low carb, high fat ways as long as I cook him some potatoes every now and then.
So how do I keep everyone happy?
Without having to cook multiple meals?
Today I’m going to share all my secrets 😉
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- How to cater for carb lovers
- Bonus tips on minimising temptations and cooking in bulk.
HOW TO CATER FOR CARB LOVERS
1. Just Serve them Low Carb.
For many people if you serve a delicious, low carb meal and include enough fat to make it satisfying, they’re not going to even notice.
Especially if you don’t mention it’s Low Carb.
But of course, there are some people who this won’t work for (hello my boys!).
So then you need strategy number 2…
2. Serve different sides
Seriously, that’s all it takes.
Mostly there’s an easy carby side that will work brilliantly with whatever you’re cooking.
Sure it does mean extra cooking, but not a whole meals worth.
I include a ‘carb lovers’ option in the variations of all my recipes. So look out for those.
Here are some examples to get you thinking:
- Steamed rice
- Fried rice
- Cooked pasta
- Tortillas
- Pita
- Flat bread
- Canned chickpeas
- Canned beans
- Refried beans
- Potatoes (always a fave in our house!)
- Sweet Potatoes (always a fave in our house!)
- Mashed spuds or other root veg
- Roast root veg
And if none of those options work, just give them crusty bread or some pita. Pita goes with everything.
Bonus Tip 1. Minimize the temptation
If you really really love potatoes (like my Irishman), then choose another carb you don’t love as much to serve.
This way you’re less likely to eat something you’ll regret later.
AND don’t serve extra carbs in the middle of the table.
As we’ll discuss when we get into Mindless Eating, if it’s easy to grab something, you’re waay more likely to eat it.
So when we have potatoes, I serve up on plates for my boys (and my Irishman) and leave any leftovers in the kitchen.
This way my Irishman enjoys his spuds without having too many.
Bonus Tip 2. Cook Carbs in Bulk
This is the key to making the ‘side of carbs’ trick work almost effortlessly.
Whenever I am cooking carbs for my boys, I always make extra and either freeze or just keep in the fridge.
Then when it’s time to serve, I warm the pasta/rice/veg/whatever in a pan with a little oil.
Too easy.
This also has the added benefit of lowering the GI (Glycaemic Index) of the carbs.
Basically during the cooking and cooling process some of the starch is converted to ‘resistant starch’ which we can’t absorb.
So it acts as fiber (feeding our gut bacteria) instead of contributing to blood sugar spikes.
SUMMARY
Here’s what we’ve covered:
- To cater for carb lovers either don’t tell them it’s Low Carb (and they probably won’t notice) OR serve carbs as a side.
- To minimize temptations avoid your favourite carbs and serve something less tempting for you. Don’t serve carbs in the middle of the table.
- Cooking carbs in bulk make life easier AND makes them healthier.
ACTIVITY
This is totally optional.
If you have carb lowers to cook for choose a meal to make and plan how to include carbs. (hint: don’t serve them in the middle of the table!)
See you tomorrow!
Cheers,
Jules x
ps. Come on over to the Ask Jules or comment below and share how you’re finding the program so far.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Low Carb Love 28-Day Program is where I share my personal journey of managing my blood sugar eating (mostly) Low Carb. I am not a doctor and this information is not intended as specific advice. Please discuss with your doctor or dietician before changing your food intake. Especially if you’re on medication or have any special medical concerns.
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