The most frustrating part of low-carb eating is that I can't cook. I love all of the food on the plan, I just don't know what to do with it without ruining it or keeping it totally boring! Is there a way to survive on this plan without total lack of variety and spending a fortune on take-out while keeping it simple and still yummy? I am willing to do some cooking, but can-low carb be low-complicated?

Yes - Pick up a few cookbooks.

500 Low-Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender is a really good one. $20, common ingredients, simple, precise instructions.

(296/222/135) 04/01/03
The Downward Spiral Begins

The longer you do this, the more ideas you'll get. You'll eventually see all the possibilities.


You don't have to be a good cook. I know, because I'm not. I just use normal stuff I can buy at the store. I don't need low-carb specialty items. I just buy different meats and cheeses and nuts and low-carb veggies and dressings and sauces. I have an oven but only use it once in a blue moon. I usually fry or microwave my food.

Things I frequently buy at the store:

Pork chops, breakfast ham, polish sausage, mahi-mahi, hamburger, ribeyes, brown-n-serve sausages, canned tuna, iceberg lettuce, green lettuce, lots of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, celery, oniones, all kinds of olives, pickles, hot peppers, pepperoncinis, pecans, macadamias, cottage cheese, pepper jack cheese, pre-shredded mozarella cheese, parmesan, colby cheese, cottage cheese, lots of dressings, spaghetti sauce, salsa, montreal steak seasoning.

Those are the usual items I buy. I don't buy each one every time I go to the store. Maybe it will give you ideas. I manage to get by fairly cheaply.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

I've found this lifestyle to be less overwhelming if I don't try to make things that are like the high-carb foods we used to eat. I was never into baking much so I don't try to make LC versions of anything (yet). I stick to the basics. To some it may be boring and I've begun to experiment a little with tastes and techniques to amaze myself at my new-found culinary skills. Anyone can make a salad; anyone can nuke a veggie and throw on butter, salt and pepper; and anyone can scramble an egg or fry a burger or steak or whatever. Start with the simple stuff and as your confidence grows you may find yourself wanting to try new things just for fun and variety. We've all been there and we know it takes awhile to train your brain to believe a meal can be complete without a single starchy component. If you've never been one to cook much, like me, this WOE will feel like a burden for a little while because it requires some planning and more cooking than I care to do most of the time BUT, it's so totally worth it!

The expense is the other thing that surprised me. Carbs are cheap. We've relied heavily on them for too long and we've suffered because of it. You are worth the extra effort it takes to fuel your body and boost not only your energy, but your self-confidence.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Sus
450/420/200 5'8"
Feelin' fine since 8/10/03

go to www.lowcarbluxury.com and print out a bunch of recipes that sound appealing. Punch holes along the sides and put them in a notebook. You'll have your own LC cookbook in no time. That's what I do when I get stuck in a rut and need to find some new and interesting ideas. There are several LC cookbooks out on the market now too, go to your local bookstore and check it out. Variety is the spice of life. If you can read, you can follow a recipe!!!!



Barb
Atkins-3/14/03
174/149.4/135
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

Hi Melissa..

I just want to echo all the suggestions provided so far. Get a cookbook or two. Another good one is "Living Low-Carb" by Fran McCollugh. It's also very important to get into the habit of pre-planning LC meals and snacks so you don't get stuck in a situation in which you're starving with no LC choices around you. In other words, create a fail-safe environment. There are also some great LC recipes on this site. This is a great opportunity for you to become someone who *can* cook! Something that has helped me tremendously as far as convenience and making things taste great is my George Foreman grill. Pop just about any kind of meat or fish in for 5-7 minutes and it will be done to perfection with little clean up to do. Also grills veggies pretty nicely. Good Luck!

And veggies! take some times to prepare veggies in ready to eat form. Run cabbage through a food processor to make your own cole slaw, cut up a bunch of celery into sticks, prepare a giant salad to last you several days with romaine, green onions, cukes, parsley; chop broccoli and cauliflower, jicama. Keep LC dips and dressings around, like bleu cheese, ranch, cream cheese, or natural peanut butter. Even easier than this is frozen or canned veggies.

xoxo

well until you get a hang of it maybe you can get some of the CHEF'S CHOICE low-carb dinners at wal-mart look on the first page of this site and you should find it and can read about them

good luck

Donna

Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly

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