Keto, the time has come, long over due really.

[forktender]

Last week, my wife and I had our yearly physicals and I gained some unneeded Covid weight, so it's time to crack down and lose some of it for health reasons. This isn't going to be easy, as we love our carbs in our house. I need to find a few things, if you could help me, I'd surely appreciate it. Here are a few things that I need to find a substitute for.

#1: bread, both sandwich and dinner rolls.
#2: tortillas and pasta.
#3: flour.
#4:BBQ sauce .
#5: recipes, techniques, and ideas.


Thank you.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

I here you. Once you get the ball rolling good it not to bad. I still fighting getting back on board. My eyes getting blurry which telling me the party is over. I will give this some thought and get back with you.

 

[tx smoker]

Hey Dan, I respect that you recognize the need to make some changes. I have a feeling it's coming for me also at some point. There are a number of folks here that are into keto but the first that comes to mind if Jeff ( jcam222 ). He is a veritable wealth of information and can probably share some really good ideas with you. It is truly amazing to see some of the meals he puts together that are 100% keto. Hopefully he will chime in with some ideas and suggestions.

Robert

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

As far as losing weight intermittent fasting is what worked for me. I lost 40 lbs doing the 18/6. I learned a lot from Dr. Sten Ekberg and his videos kept me motivated. A search for Keto on this forum will give you a lot of recipes.

Bread is a hard one to replace and was the hardest thing for me to give up. I not a fan of almond flour which is what is mostly used. I have done a few things with pecan flour I have liked. For corn tortillas I a big fan of A La Madre. If you follow them on facebook they have a lot of sales. They also make will make great chips. There are several good flour brands. Just have to find the best for you. For me its Trader Joe's Carb Savvy and La Banderita.

Pork Rinds make a decent breading and snack. Pasta another hard one. I do use spaghetti squash and zucchini noodles sometimes.
As said Jeff and also tallbm will have good suggestions. I will add more as I think of them. Good luck.

 

[IA pigsNcrops]

I have been doing the low carb for about a year and a half. There are many benefits to it other than just weight loss. I always struggled with pizza, but found this to be excellent for a crust. Take one cup of mozzarella cheese, one egg, and a dash of baking powder. Mix it all up and into a small fry pan. Cook it like you would an omelet, and you have a pizza crust. Just be careful even with pizza and tomato sauces, many contain sugar, but you are able to find some that are low in carbs.

 

[mcokevin]

I have done "lazy" keto a couple of times, always really happy with the results but I have never found a good substitute for bread, flour, or pasta. I was much happier eating loads of veggies and moderate amounts of protein, fruits, nuts, seeds, etc...

Personally I hate having an altered version of something that "sort of tastes like" or "isn't too far off" the real thing, so I just focus on things I don't have to modify that are keto friendly.

EDIT: I do realize that my approach to it requires rethinking how and what we eat.. but for those of us that have gotten to a point where we need a drastic change like that, then maybe that is necessary.

I did get myself to a point where I don't have to be very strict on keto anymore, and have had great success using IF like BrianGSDTexoma

 

[Sowsage]

Ive done keto in the past and droped about 20lb. Slowly added in some healthy carbs and manage to maintain it for some time now. For me it was the breads also. I just cant build a big burger without a bun!. We have a brand here from Aunt millies bakery. They have burger and hot dog buns as well as loaf breads and dinner rolls. All would work with keto diet.. I think most of them are 1 net carb. The bakery is right here where I live. They have an outlet store where they sell all the products for less then half price. If you can't find that brand where your at id be more than happy to send a box of stuff out your way for you to try it out if you want. Also mission brand makes good low carb flour tortillas

Baking Memories From Our Family to Yours

You've stocked your pantry with the best breads, buns, and rolls - now let us take over.

products.auntmillies.com

 

[SmokyMose]

I would think you could just cut back on the carbs without going completely without and being miserable.
We don't have weight issues but last year the Mrs. had to go on a low sodium diet for her heart so I can sympathize.
It's almost impossible to find anything without or low salt in the store.
Sounds like you're getting some good ideas from folks above.
It's kind of a long shot, but I have niece who's allergic to gluten and can't eat most breads. Maybe there's some bread alternatives
on a website about gluten free diets?
Just an idea. Good luck!

 

[forktender]

I tried the full blow keto last yr, and it didn't work out for me. So this time around I'm easing into it by eating low carbs 6 days a week with one cheat day for pasta or pizza in moderation. With the idea that once I find alternatives to some of the things that I like that I will shoot for full keto. It's all overwhelming to me, really, and I know if I don't take this approach that I will fail once again.

I just caught a bunch of rock cod yesterday and will try breading them with the almond flour and some with the crushed pork rinds. I made up a bunch of pork rind chicken legs in the oven to take fishing and everyone enjoyed them, including me.

I'd love to hear what tips and tricks you guys are using, if you think of anything please post it up here.

Thank you all very much.
Dan

 

[Central PA Cowboy]

People think keto is a miracle diet. Why not just count calories? That’s literally the most proven way to lose weight. That way you can have what you want, but limit it.

 

[tallbm]

Last week, my wife and I had our yearly physicals and I gained some unneeded Covid weight, so it's time to crack down and lose some of it for health reasons. This isn't going to be easy, as we love our carbs in our house. I need to find a few things, if you could help me, I'd surely appreciate it. Here are a few things that I need to find a substitute for.

#1: bread, both sandwich and dinner rolls.
#2: tortillas and pasta.
#3: flour.
#4:BBQ same.
#5: recipes, techniques, and ideas.


Thank you.

Bread and rolls will be hard. You can use this product to make some biscuits and adequate flour and bread'ish replacements:

They key is that yeah it is much better and lower than using flower BUT you still have to limit to 1 or 2 bisquits or slices of pizza or pancakes, etc. etc. But it's something
This can work for flour in some cases.

BrianGSDTexoma has you hooked up for tortillas. If you look at how to make keto tortillas online 99% of the blogs are trash with what they produce, same with bread.
I make fantastic coconut flour tortillas and wraps BUT the process and the dough are not friendly to work with so I don't do it too often... but damn are they good!

For pasta the BEST option is shiritaki RICE... It's called rice because they cut it into little dots, it is more like dot pasta. The noodles have a texture that are good for Asian dishes but not italian or mac n cheese, etc. The RICE is where it's at.
It's made from a root vegetable that is like no calories or cars and all water. It can smell a little bit like feet but so do Tomatillos and those taste awesome. The smell does not translate to flavor at all. Also the rice takes on flavor of what you cook it with.
Here is the best price and brand I have found anywhere. I get em Llike 50 at a time when I get discounts or sales happen on this site:

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-shirataki-rice-non-gmo-and-gluten-free?&CSRC=GPF-PA-844197023622-Google_SEM_SSC_SplitTest-&network=u&keywordname=&device=c&adid=92700067220064605&matchtype=&gclick=Cj0KCQiA-eeMBhCpARIsAAZfxZDQ8LLe1E4EYlul6euNOb-9Hq9o-3X_xrlOvEUMiEhWezSXsCrfHDEaAvkGEALw_wcB&ds_agid=58700007478179836&targetid=&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-eeMBhCpARIsAAZfxZDQ8LLe1E4EYlul6euNOb-9Hq9o-3X_xrlOvEUMiEhWezSXsCrfHDEaAvkGEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Been cooking these for a bean option in the Instant Pot. Been making them like pinto beans though they taste somewhere closer to a mix of black and kidney bean. Looks like they are out of stock, first time i've seen that happen:

BBQ just don't use sugar and you are golden.
This is my favorite sugar free bbq sauce but it has dextrin, maltodextrin, and sucralose which may still elicit insulin responses but technically are not sugar so think of it as a better option but don't go wild eating these kinds of things. Treat them like a "half" sugar lol:

Head Country Sugar-Free Bbq Sauce - 17.5 Oz - Tom Thumb

Shop Head Country Sugar-Free Bbq Sauce - 17.5 Oz from Tom Thumb. Browse our wide selection of Barbecue Sauce for Delivery or Drive Up & Go to pick up at the store!

www.tomthumb.com

Finally, fantastic sugar substitute. It is not occurs in nature so is not a man created sweatner in a lab. It is zero calorie and zero net carb. Tastes just like sugar and is the softest on the stomach of all non-sugar alternatives of this type. It will still make you go to the restroom if you eat too much but you would have to eat like 80gms in a sitting. If in that range it makes you go like a cup of coffee makes people go. If you treat it like sugar in a lemonade, then it is going to make you go like a laxative lol.
I eat it all the time I just know better than to make a pitcher of Koolade with it :D
Best brand and cost is here, though out of stock at the moment too which is rare:

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-erythritol-sweetener-zero-calories

Finally, replace chips with pork rinds. Just the plain ones. The flavored ones all have dextrin, maltodextrin, and often sucralose which would be no good for avoiding insulin responses.


I hop all of this info helps! :)

 

[1MoreFord]

For your bread, pasta, and flour go to whole wheat or whole grain. There are some carb conscious tortillas. For BBQ sauce go to North Carolina sauces. Go with full fat everything because the low fat crap always adds carbs to make it edible.

 

[MSK2193]

Advise from a yo-yo weight loss / gain person. Keto works great, but the weight comes right back on as soon as you stop, and then some! Theo only thing that has worked for me is just cutting portions in half and walking a bit more. When I am dining out I ask for a box when the meal comes out and put ½ away immediately!

 

[sawhorseray]

I'd love to hear what tips and tricks you guys are using, if you think of anything please post it up here.

After having been told for the last 20 years that I was "pre-diabetic" last month I finally crossed the line with a blood glucose of 148. Don't overlook the importance of getting out for a nice 45-50-minute march every day, EVERY day. Control is established thru diet and exercise, not just cutting out carbs. A couple of miles was a little tough at first, piece of cake now, no meds for me yet, still like a nice glass of bourbon before dinner. RAY

 

[jcam222]

People think keto is a miracle diet. Why not just count calories? That’s literally the most proven way to lose weight. That way you can have what you want, but limit it.

Different diets work for different people and all of them require calorie moderation, keto included. In addition , self included it’s something I can adapt to better. For anyone concerned with diabetes keto or at least dirty keto / low carb is by far the best choice of diet to follow. Beyond diabetes concerns lots of folks simply feel better and more alert in the absence of carbs burning ketones instead of sugar. I am far more mentally alert , sleep better and manage to ride under the diabetes level with it. Others do better with balanced diets counting calories, some do great on low fat. Depends on your body chemistry.

 

[bauchjw]

First, congrats on wanting to take a step in a positive direction! Second, don’t be depressed, overwhelmed, or think life has to be boring. I have lots of friends and family that enjoy things they love to eat on occasion, but just don’t make it a regular thing. I try to do the same and it makes me enjoy them so much more when I do…I know, sounds lame.

Personality, and most critically, habits drive the best approach. For me, I need to go strict for some time to reboot habits, then ease in a bit, usually with splurge days included for future important holidays and events. I recommend doing “whole 30” first before Keto. It’s really strict, but you reset yourself and break habits that are difficult, you still eat meat, veggies, fruit, salt, etc, but no added sugars or bread/pasta/etc. It is hard the first week or two, but you’re only supposed to go 30 days, so there is an end in sight, but honestly by week 4 I’m feeling so good that I almost don’t want it to stop. But…reality. The important thing for me is it gives me an excuse to say no to stuff and makes reminds me that you can have great food without all the other stuff.

During that 30 day time research and get things lined up for what you can do to reintroduce stuff into sustainable eating and look for replacements to your current staples.

There are a lot of variations on Keto, I get very confused, but if you get some ideas on what will work for you with Keto long term, you can slowly reintroduce those into your diet after the 30 days to see how your body responds and allow some good bread or BBQ sauce on occasion. That way the dreaded substitutes aren’t an enemy to the end of fun. I’ve repeated this cycle twice. It helps when I start to stray for too long due to stress, life, etc. it feels great though when you are on track.

Good luck brother!

 

[jcam222]

Last week, my wife and I had our yearly physicals and I gained some unneeded Covid weight, so it's time to crack down and lose some of it for health reasons. This isn't going to be easy, as we love our carbs in our house. I need to find a few things, if you could help me, I'd surely appreciate it. Here are a few things that I need to find a substitute for.

#1: bread, both sandwich and dinner rolls.
#2: tortillas and pasta.
#3: flour.
#4:BBQ sauce .
#5: recipes, techniques, and ideas.


Thank you.

My recommendations below are based on the fact it appears you are looking keto / low carb to manage weight loss and blood sugar levels. Some folks broaden that to managing inflammation conditions which really narrows choices. I do not.
1: bread, both sandwich and dinner rolls. - Absolutely impossible to beat Aunt Millies Carb Smart bread for sandwiches. They have white, wheat and 5 seed along with hot dog and hamburger buns and dinner rolls. There are a lot of recipes for almond flour based breads and I don’t mind some of them but the Aunt Millies is great. I do have a jalapeño cheddar biscuit recipe here on the forums we love.
#2: tortillas and pasta. - Again as long as you aren’t avoiding wheat there are many low carb wraps and tortillas available. Beyond that I often make 100% cheddar shells for tacos, enchiladas etc. I have a few posts on the forums here of that. Pasta is trickier and there is no 100% replacement. That said we like shiritaki noodles for Italian pasta dishes and Asian noodles dishes. I have a lot of posts in the forums here on those with tips on how to use.
#3: flour. Flour would be easier to answer if I knew what you want to use it for.
#4:BBQ sauce . Honestly you can make your own, Ive done Jeff’s subbing in Brown Swerve sweetener and it’s good. Really though 99% of the time we use G Hughes ,several great flavors and our non keto guests don’t know the difference. They also have ketchup and many marinades and dipping sauces.
#5: recipes, techniques, and ideas. - cauliflower is your friend. Cauliflower and / or turnip mashed are awesome. I’ve posted many here along with keto versions of gravy. Sweetener choices are abundant. We prefer Brown Swerve or Golden Lakanto for dark sugar subs. Use it in desserts and rubs. Allulose is a newer “rare sugar” that doesn’t impact insulin response. It’s my favorite white sugar replacement and best for syrups as it doesn’t recrystallize. Swerve confectioner is great too. Fathead dough for pizza is great too, takes some practice to roll it thin and prebake. Black soybeans are a god send and ive created “baked beans and charro beans that we love. All also posted here in the forums. Any time you want to create a keto sub I’m always up to share an idea or try to figure it out. I think 95% of my threads are keto.

 

[Workaholic]

I applaud your effort here, and am well aware of how difficult it can be to change your diet, no matter the reason. I did it myself, for about 2 years, while stationed unaccompanied in Guam, only to fall back into bad habits once I came back home to the wife.

It can be a struggle at times, until you get used to it, so you might try what I did at first, to help. Stick to the diet as best as you can, during the week. Pick one meal or snack on the weekend, to address whichever craving hits you the hardest during the week. You can carefully use this as a splurge, whether it's pizza, donuts, or whatever. Just make sure you maintain portion control, and go right back to your regular diet afterwards.

Pasta. As was said above, no perfect substitute there. I use zucchini and spaghetti squash. They make these little things to allow you to make your own noodles from zucchini, or you can buy them already done, as "zucchini nests" in the frozen foods section. I believe we get our nests from Costco. I'll link a brand below that we use for pasta on a regular basis. Since we don't do things like buttered pasta as a dish at my house, it fits the bill quite nicely. It's made from chickpeas, so it has a bit firmer bite to it, similar to al dente pasta, but the flavor is very one to regular wheat pasta. If you use it, once the water boils, make sure the lid gets taken off the pot, and then place a wooden spoon across the top, to make sure it doesn't boil over.

Chickpea Pasta - High Protein, High Fiber, Gluten Free Pasta

The most delicious alternative to pasta. Celebrity chef AND dietitian approved. Changing pasta forever, for the better – it's pasta that loves you back!

www.eatbanza.com

You can order it from the website (I think), or get it from various stores, such as Target. I believe it's something like 2 carbs per serving.

I'm pulling for you on this, and though it can be a pain, it's rewarding, and you'll make it through.

Forgot: tortillas. Don't have any on the counter to give you the name brand, but ee use ones that have carb balance on the package, in big letters. I think the label is blue and white. Recipes, if the mods pipe in and say it's OK, I'll post a link to the website I use for a lot of keto friendly recipes. Most of the recipes have notes from the website owner, whether it's where she got it, how she felt about it, etc. As I recall, she had some of the nutrition stuff listed on a lot of them, as well, such as protein and carbs, and maybe even sugar content. If I don't see a post saying I can put the site up in here, pm me (anyone interested) in a day or two, and I'll get you the site.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

My wife has the Keto routine down and is happy.
Give yourself some leeway, phase into it

and exercise is important.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Aunt Millies Carb Smart bread for sandwiches

Looks like only option is to order Online?