Lo-Carb Diets:
Eating Lo-Carb Meals

In recent years, the low-carb craze has really taken off. Many Americans now see a low carb diet as their best defense against unwanted weight gain. If you're eating out, you can feast on everything from low carb bagels to low carb pasta and pizza. But if you're eating at home, you might be wondering what's available in the way of low carb dishes.

To begin with, you should know that low carb recipes have emerged for dishes ranging from soup to dips to main entrees. As a result of these dietary innovations, you can now enjoy low carb food day in and day out. For instance, for your meat course, you might consider chicken breast with almonds, chicken kiev, or chicken cordon bleu. Other possibilities include porterhouse steak with peppercorns, pan-fried steak, or beef stew. If you are interested in pork, you might try Mexican pork chops, roast loin of pork, or smoked pork shoulder. For those who like fish, there's barbecued salmon and sweet and sour fish.
For a low carb side dish, consider black bean chili or stuffed mushroom caps. You can even feast on New England Clam Chowder or split pea soup. For dessert, there's Sicilian lemon ice or toasted pineapple with rum and coconut.

There are also some holiday favorites you should consider trying. For instance, you can bake a low carb ham in an oven bag accompanied by a half a can of cola. Or you can use champagne to prepare a turkey that has been stuffed with apples. For a cheese ball, you can use two bricks of cream cheese flavored with pineapple, green peppers, and spices. You can make low carb deviled eggs with the help of creamy salad dressing, mustard, and egg yolks. For an interesting appetizer, consider steamed radishes or spiced nuts.

Of course, preparing low carb meals requires some specialized knowledge. As a result, you might want to invest in a cookbook that will allow you to cook low carb dishes each week of the year. Some cookbooks you might want to consider include 500 Low Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender, The Low Carb Rule & Recipe Book by Chris Aceto, Low Carb Ideas by Donna Johnson, Fabulous Low Carb Cuisine by Ruth Glick, and Everyday Low Carb Cooking by Alex Haas.

At present, there are no Food and Drug Administration guidelines indicating what constitutes a low carb dish. Generally speaking, however, nutritionists define low carb as foods containing less than ten grams of carbs per serving that have not been sweetened with sugar or another high carb source.

It appears that low carb is more than just a passing fad. It is becoming the preferred dietary choice of an increasing number of Americans. Many different restaurants are offering low carb entrees to their patrons. In addition, if you surf the Internet, you can find a myriad of low carb recipes. Even if you're not following a diet such as the Atkins plan, you might be able to benefit from low carb diet options.

Information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not be interpreted as financial or legal advice. This does not represent a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Please consult your financial advisor.