Low carb diet recipes
Carbs, also known as carbohydrates, can be described as the main source of energy for the human body. Carbs are organic compounds, which can be found in many varieties of plant-based food. They are like nutrients that are required by the body. A deficiency of carbs in the body could lead to poor mental performance, muscle cramps and fatigue. Carbs can be of two types – simple carbs and complex carbs.
Simple carbs, as the name suggests, can be digested by your body quite easily. Once the simple carbs are digested, it is quite easy for the body to convert them into fat and store them for later use. They are usually found in foods like dairy products and certain fruits, as well as refined, sweet or processed foods which include cookies, soft drinks, honey, jam, jelly, chocolates, cakes, pasta and bread. Because they are unhealthy, simple carbs should be avoided. On the other hand, it takes much longer for the body to digest complex carbs and they are often used up by the body immediately. Complex carbs are often found in foods like brown rice, whole wheat, yams, lentils, root vegetables, oats, chickpeas, potatoes, nuts, sweet corn, parsnips and several whole grain products.
Low carb diet tips
People who are on a diet are often advised to limit their intake of carbohydrates. Following a low carb diet menu can enable you to lose weight and control obesity to a great extent. The total amount of carbs that you consume in a day should not exceed 20g to 60g each day; the amount of carbs present in your diet should be less than 20% of your total caloric consumption for the day. In order to make up for the lack of carbohydrates, it is important to increase your intake of foods that are rich in other nutrients.
There are several diet and support groups that have developed special menus, which are low in carbohydrates. Numerous low carb diet recipes are easily available on the net or through low-fat recipe books. Most such low carbohydrate diet recipes include preparations that are made primarily out of low carb food products. A proper low carb diet menu should include:
- Low carb breakfast recipes
- Low carb lunch recipes
- Low carb snack recipes
- Low carb dinner recipes
Following such recipes is not difficult; however, you need to be careful during the preparation and should make sure that you do not add any ingredients that may contain carbs. Given below is an example of low carb diet recipes:
Roasted Lemon Balm Chicken
Ingredients:
- Chicken - 1 whole or 3½ pound
- Fresh sage leaves, divided - ¼ Cup
- Lemon balm leaves, divided - ¼ Cup
- Butter, softened - ¼ Cup
- Garlic powder - 1 teaspoon
- Salt - to taste
- Pepper - to taste
- Chop up the lemon balm leaves as well as the sage leaves finely together.
- Then, place the herbs that you just chopped into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add butter to the bowl. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top and mix the ingredients in the bowl, until they are evenly mixed.
- Rub the herbed butter on the chicken, below its skin. Make sure the breast, leg and thigh areas are well covered. Mix the garlic, salt and pepper powders and rub the skin of the chicken with these spices.
- Roast the chicken in a preheated oven for around 30 minutes, before flipping it over and allowing it to bake a little longer.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes, before slicing it into pieces.
Before you decide to follow any low carb diet menus, it is advisable to check with your doctor about the feasibility of doing so, especially if you are suffering from any medical conditions.
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