Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Some Low Carb Pantry staples

If you're serious about pursuing a low carb lifestyle there are several items you should consider keeping stocked in your pantry. Most low carbers rely heavily on eggs, butter, and cream, but there are other ingredients that will enhance your meals without adding any -- or just a very few -- carbs to your diet. Here are some that I find indispensable, and they will be used in some recipes that I will be posting:

* Mrs. Dash. Mrs. Dash can be used to flavor soups, veggies, and meats without adding any carbs. The variety of flavors makes it a welcome addition to any pantry. I always make sure I have the following available: Original; Tomato, Basil, and Garlic; Lemon Pepper; and Southwest Chipotle.

* Pam Vegetable Spray. The primary ingredient of Pam spray is canola oil. I like regular and butter-flavored.

* Olive oil. Carapelli's Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made from the first cold press and has a delicate yet distinct flavor. A small bottle goes a long way.

* Sea salt. For the most part I avoid salt but occasionally I'll add a pinch of sea salt to a dish.

* Black pepper. McCormick's grinders are great.

* Hot sauce. A few drops go a long way and it's very low-carb friendly.

* Heinz's One Carb Ketchup. A cashier asked me if there was one carb in the entire bottle. There isn't -- it's one carb per serving. It's sweetened a bit with Splenda.
Purchase.

* Splenda Brown Sugar Blend. You use half of a serving compared to regular brown sugar, e.g., if you like 1 teaspoon of brown sugar in your oatmeal, you only use 1/2 teaspoon of Splenda Brown Sugar Blend.
Purchase.

* Mustard. I keep yellow mustard as well as Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard on hand.

* Pickles. Look for Vlasic Sweet Gerkins - No Sugar Added (sweetned with Splenda). These may be chopped and substituted for relish in dishes such as deviled eggs or used as topping for a hot dog. Three pickles have only 1 gram of carbs!

* Stock. Be sure to keep cans or boxes of chicken, beef, and veggie broth on your shelves. We'll be using them in dishes such as Chicken Normandy, Low Carb Chili, and French Onion Soup.

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