Linda's Diet Delites Blog

For many of us, one of the hardest aspects of the low carb diet is giving up the potato. Sure, you can replace it with great meats and cheese and a variety of vegetables that are safe for a low carb diet. But the potato tastes great cooked so many ways, it can seem virtually impossible to replace it with something equally as tasty. It is possible, however, to learn to love substitutions for the potato and maintain your low carb diet, achieving better health, weight loss, lower blood sugar, and a variety of additional benefits. Read on for some ideas: 

Alternative root vegetables – For some, there are root vegetables that can act as a tasty substitute for the potato, while still allowing you to maintain your low carb diet. Turnips, celery root, and rutabaga. Although all of these root vegetables have a longer cook time than the potato, they can be cooked in a variety of ways. You can slice them and fry them, bake them as you would a potato, or bake them as you would scalloped potatoes.

Cauliflower – Cauliflower is one of the go-to replacements for potatoes for many low carb dieters. Although it doesn’t have the same texture, it is easy to mash and can be used as a mashed potato or potato salad replacement. When using them as a low carb mashed potato substitute, add in bacon and cheese to get a great baked potato flavor.

Store-bought replacements – Although many people like root vegetables or cauliflower as a potato substitute, if it just doesn’t seem to satisfy your craving for potatoes, you still have options. There are many store-bought low carb potato item replacements available on the market to choose from. You can find low carb potato chip substitutions and even low carb instant mashed potatoes.

Whatever type of substitution you choose to take the place of potatoes while on your low carb diet, keep in mind that you will likely develop a taste for the food over time. In the beginning, mashed cauliflower may taste nothing like the mashed potatoes you know and love. After weeks or even months of not eating a real potato, however, the substitution will begin to taste much better and offer a great low carb alternative to potatoes.

Thanks for reading our blog! For great low carb potato substitutions and other foods, visit us at Linda’s Diet Delites! 

Spring time is upon many of us, and with it comes perfect weather and more outdoor fun. Along with the nice weather and the time spent outdoors, however, barbecues and picnics typically take precedence over indoor meals. Unfortunately, however many of these types of outdoor meals contain massive amounts of carbohydrates, typically in the form of buns and sauces. Read on for some ideas for having your favorite traditional summer/springtime foods without the high carb count. 

Elimination of high carb foods – In some situations, it is easiest to simply eliminate certain parts of foods that contain high carb counts. One such food is the bun for hamburgers or hot dogs (two of the most commonly grilled foods). Additionally, you can eliminate sauces containing unnecessarily high carbohydrate counts. Even a simple barbecue sauce often contains close to 20 grams of carbs in a serving (two tablespoons). By eliminating these types of sauces, you can easily stick to your low carb diet plan while still enjoying a day of food in the great outdoors.

Substitution – If you love certain foods at picnics, barbecues, and other spring/summer meals, and don’t want to eliminate them from the meal, but you don’t want the excess carbs either, consider substituting low carb low carb buns, sauces and more that will allow you to eat the foods you love at any gathering without ruining your low carb diet.

versions of the same food items. By experimenting with different brands and types of foods, you are sure to find great-tasting

Altering recipes – Many common recipes available at barbecues contain high carb counts, such as pasta salad and potato salad. Instead of going without these great-tasting barbecue staples, you can use a low carb  recipe that will enable you to enjoy the food without anyone ever knowing that it is an altered recipe. Instead of a potato salad, you can mash cauliflower and add cooked bacon along with cheese and onions for a unique salad that is sure to impress. Altering the way meat is cooked can eliminate some unnecessary carbohydrates as well. Instead of slathering meat with a sauce for flavor, opt for fresh lemon or lime juice and spices that will ensure the food tastes great without ruining your low carb diet. You can create your own recipe through experimentation, or search online for low carb recipes to find a wide selection of great options.

Thanks for reading our blog! To stock up on great low carb buns and sauces to be prepared for any picnic or barbecue event, visit our store at Linda’s Diet Delites! 

When you begin living a low carb lifestyle, it is often a necessity to incorporate your entire family in the diet plan with you. While this isn’t always appealing for the other people who live in your household, there are many benefits to doing so. Not only does it prevent you from having to purchase two different types of most foods, but it also eliminates many temptations. By only purchasing low carb, healthy food options, your chances of sticking with the diet plan are much higher than if you had a variety of unhealthy food selections available at all times. But getting your family to welcome a low carb lifestyle with open arms can be tricky. Read on for a few tips: 

Consider the existing diet – If your family is already accustomed to eating healthy foods, switching to a low carb lifestyle might not be as difficult as it otherwise would be. If, however, your family regularly eats a lot of high carb pastas, breads and potatoes at every meal, the switch will be very shocking. By considering the current eating habits of your family, you can approach the change accordingly. If their daily diet is high carb, slowly incorporating low carb foods and eliminating those with high carbs is the best plan. By doing it slowly, the change won’t seem as drastic, and they will have time to adjust, making the transition into a healthier low carb lifestyle a much easier one for your entire family.

Use substitutions – If your family members love a lot of foods with high carb counts, simply eliminating those food options can make your family despise the diet from the beginning. Instead, stock up on low carb replacement versions of their favorite foods. In many cases, they won’t notice the difference in taste, and they will still be able to eat their favorite snack and meal items. For cooking, you can use low carb sauces and

dressings to create meals they love without such a high carb count.

Allow for some cheating for family members – It is difficult for anyone to switch to a low carb lifestyle, but this is especially true for children who are exposed to a lot of treats that are unhealthy at friend’s houses, school, etc. If you allow them to eat some unhealthy foods periodically in their mostly healthy diet, it can prevent binges that might otherwise occur when they are exposed to those types of foods.

Thanks for reading our blog! Are you ready to stock up on great low carb foods to change your family’s diet? Visit us at Linda’s Diet Delites to find everything you need to make the switch as easy as possible!

Any time you begin a new dietary lifestyle, the change can be difficult. This is particularly true when it is a complete overhaul of your existing eating habits, such as when you switch to a low carb diet. For those of you just beginning a low carb diet, you may have cravings that are hard to battle, you may not know how to make proper substitutions, or you may have a variety of other questions related to staying on track and achieving your low carb goals. Last week, we reached out to our dedicated followers and asked experienced low carbers to provide any advice they might give to those just beginning a low carb diet. The response was wonderful, and we have a lot of advice to impart to you given by those who have been in your shoes. Read on to get some of the best real-world advice you will find on low carb dieting:

Ignore negative comments – Cindy Loving pointed out that there will be people who will try to dissuade you from the lifestyle, telling you it is unhealthy or not the best option. As she said, “if you do your research and follow the principles, low carbing can be life changing.”

Be prepared – this was a recurring comment made by many of our low carbers. Preparing snacks and other foods in advance of traveling so you aren’t tempted to stop at a store and purchase foods that don’t adhere to the low carb lifestyle is one great tip. Three great items to keep in the car, according to follower Cheryl Burns Perkins, are water, pork rinds and peanuts. Another way to be prepared is by planning for meals in advance and making purchases for the week based on your low carb list. As Mary Ann Galvin Anderson stated, “If you don’t buy high carb junk food, you can’t eat it.”

Know your substitutions – Learning about substitutions for sugars (such as splenda) and finding ones that work for you can be key to sticking to a low carb lifestyle. The same is true with substitutions for flour (such as ground oatmeal) and bread crumbs (oat bran is a great option). Learning about, and using, substitutions when cooking can make sticking to a low carb diet much easier.

Take advantage of available foods – As Haroon Jawadi points out, with the low carb diet gaining more popularity over the last few years, there are more commercial products available that allow you to enjoy the foods you love without ruining your low carb diet. With these available options, unlike even 10 years ago, you are able to “eat breads and pastas and sweets and still be low carb,” as Haroon says.

Set realistic goals and stick with them – Any time you try a new diet, it is important to set realistic goals so you aren’t tempted to give up when you don’t reach a goal that was set too high in the first place. By doing so, you will be better able to stick with your low carb plan. Even on the hard days, it is important to try to stay on track to reap the benefits of a low carb lifestyle. As Josephine Sooknanan said, “Don’t give in or give up…the lifestyle is so worth it!”

If you want to take advantage of the available low carb products that make the lifestyle easier than ever, be sure to visit us at Linda’s Diet Delites! Thanks for reading our blog, and we would like to say a special thank you to all of our Facebook fans that took the time to offer their advice to new low carbers! 

Many of our customers have chosen to live the low carb lifestyle because they are diabetic and they want to manage or potentially reverse the disease. Many others do so because they are either prediabetic or may have a history in their family of diabetes, and they want to prevent the disease from ever presenting. It’s no wonder people are afraid of developing the disease – according to the International Diabetes Federation, one in ten adults will have diabetes by the year 2030. A low carb diet is one of the best things you can do for your body to help manage diabetes as well as prevent the disease. There are, however, additional things you can do in addition to maintaining this healthy diet that can benefit those who are diabetic or those who want to avoid the disease. Read on for a few things to incorporate into your daily life along with a low carb diet:

Limit alcohol intake – although most low carb dieters already do this, thinking consciously about limiting your alcohol intake can help you reduce your chances of acquiring diabetes even further than a low carb diet alone.

Stop smoking – studies have shown that smoking can be a contributing factor to the development of diabetes. Lessen the chances of a diabetes diagnosis by quitting as soon as possible.

Get regular exercise – some doctors recommend walking two miles per day several days a week. It doesn’t have to be walking, though. Getting at least 20 minutes of exercise at least three times a week can work well in conjunction with a low carb diet to reduce the risk of diabetes.

Maintain a healthy body weight – for those on a low carb diet for an extended period of time, this is often a naturally-occurring side effect. For those who have not yet begun the low carb lifestyle, doing so in order to achieve a healthy body weight (between 18.5 and 24.9 BMI) is a great start to the prevention of diabetes. Even if you don’t adhere to a low carb diet regularly, losing enough weight to achieve a healthy body weight can help in preventing diabetes from developing.

Thanks for reading our blog! Whether you choose to solely use a low carb diet as a prevention or for management of diabetes, or you opt to do so in combination with any of the above, be sure to visit us at Linda’s Diet Delites for some great low carb foods!

There are many side effects of having Celiac disease, but one of the lesser-known sufferings is migraine headaches. In a recent study, researchers determined that sufferers of Celiac disease and those with a gluten sensitivity are more likely to have migraine headaches than those who don’t have either of the conditions. Read on to learn more about the study and what researchers have to say about a gluten-free diet as a way to fend off migraines:

When on a low carb diet, it can sometimes be difficult to make a wide selection of foods. When this happens, you may feel like you are stuck in a food rut, and you will be more likely to splurge on a food that doesn’t fit into your low carb lifestyle. One way to prevent this from happening is to get creative with common staples in your low carb diet. A simple protein food, such as eggs, may seem boring and lose its great flavor after a while. But the ways of preparing an egg can vary so widely, it truly can be the low carb dieter’s best friend. Read on for just a sampling of the ways you can prepare an egg to add variety to your meals and help you stick with your low carb plan:

Variety in Fried Eggs – A fried egg can be boring if you make it the same way every time, but there are actually many ways to prepare a fried egg that will make it seem like a different type of food every time. You can fry it over easy, over medium, over well, break the yolk or leave the yolk intact. Changing up the type of grease you use can also change the flavor. An egg fried in butter will taste different than an egg fried in olive oil, for example. You can also use bacon grease as a great way to change the flavor of your fried egg.

Egg Salads – While many people make egg salad with ingredients that aren’t low carb, there are many ways you can make an egg salad without interfering with your daily carb count. A quick search on the Internet will turn up many different types of egg salads, and you can expand on them to create your own special recipe that is low in carbs and adds variety to your weekly meal selection.

Poached Eggs – If you have never poached an egg, it is definitely worth trying – you essentially boil an egg without the shell. But the egg can be boiled in a variety of liquid options, each of which adding their own twist on the egg. Serving it atop a slice of low carb toast will give added flavor.

Boiled Eggs – While boiled eggs are typically only made one of two ways – hard or soft – making your eggs this way periodically can help prevent you from getting bored with other methods of preparing your eggs. Boiled eggs also work great in certain types of salads, or they can be eaten on their own.

Scrambled Eggs or Omelettes – This is a type of making eggs in which there really are virtually no limits. You can add in other low carb friendly foods, including cheese, ham, bacon, turkey, sausage, spices, and much more. Create different combinations and it help you achieve a new appreciation for the egg.

Thanks for reading our blog! To find great additions for eggs that are low in carbs, such as sauces, dressings and more, visit us at Linda’s Diet Delites! 

The cost of foods are steadily increasing – particularly fresh and healthy foods. If you are buying foods for many people in a household, it can seem nearly impossible to maintain a healthy lifestyle without going broke. There are ways you can continue to eat healthfully without breaking the bank, however. Read on for tips on maintaining your low carb lifestyle on a budget: 

Purchase in bulk – If you evaluate your diet and determine the types of foods you eat most often, you can pick the foods that are consumed the most and purchase them in bulk to save. Eggs, for example, are a staple of any low carb diet, but can be quite expensive. By joining a local bulk store club, you can purchase these by the case and ultimately save money. In order to truly capitalize on buying in bulk, however, you only want to purchase food items your family consumes regularly or those that are nonperishable. If you purchase items in bulk that go bad before your family can eat them, you won’t be saving any money overall. 

Purchase fresh – Certain vegetables can be an important part of a low carb diet, and these can be quite expensive, particularly during colder months of the year. Consider purchasing in-season vegetables from local farmers to save money. You can visit your local farmer’s market to find great deals on vegetables. The same holds true on some types of protein, such as eggs. If you can find a local seller in your area, you can save on farm fresh eggs that will offer you nutrition and great flavor on your low carb diet. 

Purchase online – Big grocery stores typically have a limited selection of low carb foods available, and the prices can be outrageous. Online stores have more competition for customers, so you can often find the same great low carb staples on your list at an online store for a much lower price than at your local physical grocery store. Although you may have to pay extra for shipping, you can typically still save money by purchasing your low carb items this way. In addition, many online stores selling low carb foods will offer periodic discounts on select items, saving you even more.  

Thanks for reading our blog! Are you ready to start saving on your low carb foods so you can eat on a budget but still enjoy your healthy lifestyle? Visit us at Linda’s Diet Delites!