Low carb desserts?

[wonderwoman]

Hey laura

How many carbs do you eat in a day? Just curious because I started atkins on monday the induction phase and i could only eat 20g a day for 2 weeks. So far Im doing to pretty good. I'm not hungry in between meals. I thought I would be starving!!! Sometimes I do wake up with a dry mouth though. It really hasnt been that hard like I thought because I would eat sometimes 150g a day of carbs. This has been a real eye opener for me! I didnt realize that fruits are so high in carbs. That is what I miss the most fruits and thats really it. I dont miss bread past cereal. I wanna know whats a good amount of carbs to eat in order to be healthy but not deprived you know what I mean because this induction phase is only 2 weeks?
Thanks laura or anyone else who chimes in.

 

[nancy324]

Not to mention, the title of the thread is LOW CARB DESSERTS!

Actually, I do think of apples as being relatively low carb, which is why I suggested them. I don't think a food that is low in calories and mostly water can accurately be described as carbs "galore". To me, pasta, rice, potatoes, cake and cookies constitute carbs "galore", and they cause me to gain weight. I've been eating lots of apples lately, and I'm losing weight, but I would eat them in any event because they always show up on the top 10 lists of nutritionistas.

 

[LauraMax]

Hey laura

How many carbs do you eat in a day? Just curious because I started atkins on monday the induction phase and i could only eat 20g a day for 2 weeks. So far Im doing to pretty good. I'm not hungry in between meals. I thought I would be starving!!! Sometimes I do wake up with a dry mouth though. It really hasnt been that hard like I thought because I would eat sometimes 150g a day of carbs. This has been a real eye opener for me! I didnt realize that fruits are so high in carbs. That is what I miss the most fruits and thats really it. I dont miss bread past cereal. I wanna know whats a good amount of carbs to eat in order to be healthy but not deprived you know what I mean because this induction phase is only 2 weeks?
Thanks laura or anyone else who chimes in.

Honestly, I stopped keeping track. I've been doing low carb for so long it's just instinct now. If I had to guess, I'd say 20-50 carbs per day. I agree about the lack of hunger between meals, which is probably the best thing about the low carb diet--if a food is low carb you can eat more of it. Suggestions I can give you is try to stick w/fish, turkey & chicken (I like to broil or roast), my favorite low carb veggies are broccoli & green beans, which I steam. And lots of big salads for lunch, usually w/some kind of protein in them. Personally I don't think the number of carbs you eat will effect your health. Your energy level probably, but not health--it's more fat content that can be problematic. And when it comes to fruits, most berries are low carb.

Yes, the induction period will dehydrate you. Make sure you drink lots of water! I've found that after 2-4 weeks my body adjusts & my energy level returns to normal.

Julie, I tried your protein cakes last night & they were pretty good! I slapped a little home made whipped cream on them. Tasty! And so easy to make! I'm thinking maybe a little cinnamon and/or confectioners sugar on top would be good too.

 

[kathryn]

How about avocado chocolate mousse? Just mix up some avocado with cocoa powder/cacao and add a sweetener (I haven't tried specifically low-carb sweeteners, but if you eat Splenda, that might work).
An online search could find some recipes with specific quantities.

 

[Fit_mommy]

How about avocado chocolate mousse? Just mix up some avocado with cocoa powder/cacao and add a sweetener (I haven't tried specifically low-carb sweeteners, but if you eat Splenda, that might work).
An online search could find some recipes with specific quantities.

Wow, this sounds really good and tons of recipes out there for it! I'm gonna have to try it!

 

[Stephanie0523]

On the whole apple thing, Nancy, you made me totally crave honeycrisp apples, so I bought some last night, and NOTHING beats a honeycrisp apple smeared with pb. Ate one last night and was down a pound this a.m. It reminded me that years ago when I lost a ton of weight, I ate an apple or a pear every single day. I wonder if the fiber content cancels out most of the carbs? Anyway, they are yummmmmmmmy!!!

Another lowish carb treat I like is to take a cottage cheese mini (isn't that low carb?) and stir in a little (maybe a teaspoon) strawberry all-fruit spread. It's very yummy!

 

[jldx2in2000]

Julie, I tried your protein cakes last night & they were pretty good! I slapped a little home made whipped cream on them. Tasty! And so easy to make! I'm thinking maybe a little cinnamon and/or confectioners sugar on top would be good too.

I think I remember adding cinnamon to the batter before nuking it to intesify the flavor. I might have added a drop or two of vanilla extract since that seems to improve flavor too. Sprinkling confectioners sugar on top would definitely increase the appeal in looks and taste!

You could also try leaving out the cocoa powder and trying vanilla protein powder with pumpkin instead of applesauce. Add pumpkin pie spice or just cinnamon and it would probably be like a spice cake.

That site I linked to has a lot of low carb ideas. Some are good and some are just ok. I think she actually had a recipe for the avocado pudding that Kathryn mentioned but I can't find it right now.

 

[kathryn]

I wonder if the fiber content cancels out most of the carbs?

The fiber would make the carbs absorb more slowly. Also, pectin (the particular fiber found in apples) is supposed to be good for slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates (or perhaps for giving a feeling of fullness? one of the two!).

 

[Dela]

I just made the pumpkin cupcake, added cinnamon, nutmeg, a little vanilla and 1 pack of purevia. I cooked it too long so it was very dry and not sweet enough on it's own, but right as I was going to toss it I remembered I had cream cheese, so I put cream cheese on it, and it was actually pretty awesome. Night and day difference. I have made the chocolate cake one before, but never added a nut butter, and I think adding something rich to it after it's baked is the trick.

http://foodsofapril.com/?p=4405

 

[PhyllisG]

Someone at VF mentioned Yoplait Lemon Yogurt. Freeze it and then microwave it for 30 seconds. I haven't tried it but it does sound good. No idea what the carb count is.

 

[jldx2in2000]

I just made the pumpkin cupcake, added cinnamon, nutmeg, a little vanilla and 1 pack of purevia. I cooked it too long so it was very dry and not sweet enough on it's own, but right as I was going to toss it I remembered I had cream cheese, so I put cream cheese on it, and it was actually pretty awesome. Night and day difference. I have made the chocolate cake one before, but never added a nut butter, and I think adding something rich to it after it's baked is the trick.

http://foodsofapril.com/?p=4405

I bet the cream cheese on top was awesome! Those cakes can be a bit dry if overcooked and adding nut butter would certainly make it more decadent and more dessert like.

 

[Carmen829]

Double Chocolate Brownies - Healthy version

Not low carb, but I just saw this on Healthy Decadence TV show. I'm going to try...

Ingredients
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
Butter-flavored cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch non-stick cake pan with spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, using a sturdy whisk or spatula, mix the applesauce, vanilla, egg whites and sugar until they are well combined.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir the mixture until it is just combined and no lumps remain. Pour it into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chips evenly over the top. Bake the brownies for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry (a few crumbs are okay).
Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow them to cool 5 minutes. Cut into 12 equal brownies. Makes 12 (1 brownie) servings.

Each brownie has: 88 calories, 2 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, less than 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 133 mg sodium

Traditional Double Chocolate Brownies have: 260 calories, 3 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 165 mg sodium