If you are on a low carb or low sugar diet, you have likely already discovered the limitations on flavorings for foods. Typical creams, sauces, and other flavorings can be carb- or sugar-laden, causing you to ruin your diet without even realizing it. Read on for tips to flavor foods with great spices without adding any extra carbohydrates or sugar to your meals:
Skip the prepackaged spices – although you can read the carb or sugar count on the nutrition labels of prepackaged spices, they typically have excess salt or sugar that you likely want to avoid in your diet. Instead, choose your own spices and mix them to your preference.
Keep a resource handy to double-check carb and sugar count of your spices. This particularly comes in handy when you purchase fresh spices that don’t have a nutrition label (some spice containers don’t have this information, either). CalorieKing is a great option. This also comes in handy when making your grocery list or planning meals, as you can check in advance of your purchase to be sure you are purchasing the best low carb and sugar free options for you.
Dried vs. fresh spices – When you opt for dried spices, you usually want to add them while cooking to maximize flavor. For fresh spices, however, the best option is to add them just before your meal is done cooking.
Build confidence over time – When you begin cooking with spices and you have no idea what type of spice should be used with what type of food (is cumin for Italian food? is garlic good to use for Mexican style food?) When you feel clueless on making low carb or low sugar meals by using spices, there are many resources you can turn to. If you have a certain recipe in mind, you can usually find it available on the Internet. If you can’t find what you are looking for, you can look up a similar recipe in a cookbook or online
and use it as a resource. For example, if you want to make a low carb Italian dish, but you aren’t sure what type of spices to use, you can look up a recipe for lasagna or another Italian dish to get ideas.
If you still don’t feel comfortable spicing your foods on your own, or you prefer foods with more moisture, you can opt for low carb versions of sauces and other flavorings instead.
Find great low carb or low sugar flavorings and sauces at Linda’s Diet Delites to make every meal taste great!