Low Carb Snacks

Having been on the Atkins thing for 5 months, I have found several things that satify my need for things to curb my need for something to munch on.

I enjoy the macademian nuts and the Slim Jims with my evening libations.

I bought some of the soy nuts and I really do not like those.

I would appreciate any other options on this process.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Pepperoni and cheese with my evening libations. I've also been eating Pork Rinds.

I just started munching on frozen blueberries this week. Sunflower seeds are pretty low in carbs, too. Word has it that pork rinds/chicharrones are great Atkins snacks, but I haven't ventured there yet.

Cheesewit: It is difficult finding good porkrinds that are good. I find those fluffy kinds that are not good. A lot of stores in East TN have Them but they are not good.

The best I have found are in the south where they are listed as hard and crunchie or moist and crunchie.

Those guys have the taste.

They are a bit greasy, but ood.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Almonds are great. Natural peanut butter is great too, but it must be eaten out of the jar of course ....

Not sweet or salty, but good pickles. I like the Kosher ones, Ba-taampe are my favorite.

A can of tuna in a pinch.

But I must confess. I went from 215 to 170, but then back to 188, where I have been on modified carb intake, with a blowout day or two ....

[|)]

In one of the supermarkets near my office, they stock a crunchy pork rind. I get the bbq or the hot bbq flavor.

LOL, bought my boss a case of pork rinds for Christmas, he was on Atkins and ate them constantly!

Jerky any kind - beef, tukey etc. & now they are making little junks of semi moist meats. Tyson even does chicken that way. They come in foil packs.

Buffallo wings and deviled eggs. Celery sticks.

The world will never be the same. When I went to Kroger's the other night for my grocery joruney of the week, I was floored to see racks and racks and racks of every kind of Pork Rinds and Cracklins, looking very uncomfortable and intimidated by being placed in the HEALTH FOODS section, between the miso's and the quinoa. I know that thousands of Bubbas and Bubbettes are turning over in their graves at the thought of their beloved sin, being placed there.


As far as low carbs , what about pork and chicken satays on a stick as well as shish kabobs and the like? Also there's a great fondue that's simple to make and good with meat, veggies or bread for the infidels. Melt 1 lb of havarti cheese, half cup of milk and a package of Knorr's Leek soup.......mmmmmmmmmm. Also on that note.......How about a dried Beef cheese ball? 2 packages of cream cheese softened, 3 scallions finely minced, I jar dried beef finely minced and a package of dry hidden valley ranch mix. Mix all together, shape into a ball.........roll in parsley or chopped nuts and stick in the fridge for an hour to harden up.

Thanks all for the suggestions. It is neat having different ideas about what to snack on. I am getting tired of being a carnivore. I particularly like the dried beef cheese ball. I wish I was at a place that had the cracklins that were not fluffy like all the stores sell in Knoxville.

I bought some down in Mississippi a few months ago that were so hard, they would crack your teeth if you were not careful. They were tasty though.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

You gotta be careful of all those cheeses, they do have carbs in them. Not in large quantities but they are there none the less.

Thought I'd throw this in if anyone is looking for the best pork and chicken cracklins. They're made by Kim's Cracklin's in Clarksdale, MS. You have to order by phone as I do not think they have a website yet, but they do have e-mail.
662-627-7102

You can get a sampler box of all their products very inexpensively.

carl reitz

Consider shrimp. When I did the low-carb thing I would buy a bag of frozen shrimp at the supermarket and defrost enough periodically to satisfy my snacking urges (with a little cocktail sauce, of course).

And pickles--any kind (I like green tomatoes and pickled cherry peppers). Admittedly, the percentage of carbs in these is not low, but they have so few total calories that it's OK to eat 'em.

My daughter goes for deviled eggs, and I think that small meatballs dipped into some sauce or bacon wrapped scallops (broiled) would be a good change

Does anyone have any new ideas on this old topic?

Like Paul, I go for the nuts, but I also go for the cheating on weekends. Beef Jerkey is good, but you need to read what is in it. A lot has added carbs. I don't have high blood pressure (yet), but all that salt can't be good either. I have also been pleased with the low carb wraps (but not bread). A low carb wrap gives you something to put the no carb stuff into. Be careful what you buy in the wrap dept. I have bought product that gets moldy quickly. I understand the the extra protien gives the bakers fits during the manufacturing process. Check the date, and use it fast.

My son likes hot dogs and lunchmeat for snacks.

Old topic, new ideas!

My absolute favorite snack when I'm being "good" on Atkins is "pepperoni chips" - take thinly sliced pepperoni (the Hormel "sack" type works well for this) and layer on a paper towel lined plate, then nuke for about 40 seconds depending on the strength of your microwave. It might take a few tries, but when they're "right" they'll be something you may have almost forgotten about... "crispy." Not chewy, not crunchy - but honest-to-goodness crispy. They are WONDERFUL for dipping into guacamole or sour cream. Oh, they're really good with cream cheese and green onions, as well.

As far as pork rinds go - don't just try one brand. I detest the Frito-Lay "Bakenetts" but LOVE the Turkey Creek brand. They are a cut and half above anything else, IMO.

One thing that satisfies my rare sweet/creamy cravings is a "mock" coke-float made with diet coke (I prefer diet vanilla coke or Pepsi One), a splash of SF DaVinci vanilla coffee flavoring "syrup" and a splash of heavy (aka whipping) cream. It tastes exactly like the "bottom" of a coke float - the good creamy/coke part.

I tend to keep it simple, staying away from too many pre-packaged items, so some of my favorite recipes are bizarre, to say the least. [WARNING TO NON-LOW-CARBERS --- gross factor ahead! LOL] You can grind unflavored pork rinds in a food processor until they reach a bread crumb consistency, and use them for a LOT of things. One of the "freakiest" is "french toast" make by making a stiff batter of eggs, heavy cream, those "bread crumbs," SF sweetener to taste, and cinnamon. Simply mix and drop onto a hot, buttered skillet and voila, "french toast." This, honestly, tastes like french toast with bacon or sausage on the same plate. With just a bit of SF syrup and butter, it's great for breakfast or a snack.

I do believe I've picked up that you're a Southerner from other posts, so I'm assuming salmon croquettes were part of your culinary bag somewhere along the way, and you can make absolutely fantastic salmon croquettes by using the pork rinds instead of corn meal and flour. No, really. Like BETTER than the "real stuff." Ditto for meatloaf, though that's hard to justify as a "snack" to anyone but low-carbers. ;-)

Are you generally a "salty/crunchy" snacker, or a sweet/creamy snacker? If I know that, I can suggest other ideas. (Not all nearly as scary as the pork rind stuff. But you have to understand, I started low-carbing over six years ago, when the ingredients list was pretty slim for us!)

By the way... that was about 5 1/2 years and 40lbs ago. I reached my goal weight in 2000 and have stayed within 5 lbs of that goal ever since. I pretty much eat what I want now - but what I want tends to involve a lot less white food.

Sheesh, how could I forget my second favorite, behind the pepperoni... Cheese crisps. Melt small piles of a good grated sharp cheddar in a non stick skillet, until they get crisp. No need to flip - just melt until "this close" to being burnt. They tend to get crunchy, and are also a perfect foil for guacamole. (Which is fine in relatively "normal" doses - avocados aren't that low in carbs, but they ARE low in "net carbs" and even if I make bacon and avocado rollups in fresh spinach, they've never bothered my ketosis levels at all. 2nd note of the day to non-low-carbers - that's ketosis, NOT keto-acidosis. Totally separate thing.)

OK... bump.

Summer's here, I'm back on the low carb wagon to lost a couple of pounds that crept up on me (probably with all of the tomato sandwiches I've been eating), and have rediscovered another awesome favorite - jicama. Just peeled and sliced/julienned, it's great salted as a crispy/salty snack.

Sugar free popsicles are a mainstay, and I've discovered some VERY good low carb yogurt. Blue Bunny makes a low carb vanilla creme yogurt that I love and eat almost every morning (I don't lose if I don't eat breakfast), and it's never messed with weight loss. (If you're a "stix" user - it doesn't mess with that either, which is a big clue it's just fine.)

Speaking of tomatoes - they're a quality of life thing with me, so I've been having several slices every other day or so in a BLT wrap (nothing fancy, just tomato, bacon and a bit of mayo wrapped in layers of spinach leaves. Low carb tortillas would be easier, but I prefer the spinach.

Anyone else back on the wagon and have anything to share?

My local bbq place -- Allen & Son -- does the whole hog chopped q thing. But they also sell the skins, at $1 per pack. A tasty no-carb snak is the skins sliced up, crisped in the microwave, and salted.

It's always good to check the carbs on the jerkey packs. More specifically, the number of carbs per serving against the number of servings actually to be eaten. There can be a lot of sugar or whatever, especially in the teriyaki style.

I do low carb, not no carb, but I don't eat white foods.
I love to snack on sliced cukes dipped in low carb dressing. yummy!
also try slicing and frying some zuchini til nice and brown, toss with a little grated cheese. great snack, and they fry up really quick. Also try putting your tuna salad on tomato slices or slices of green pepper, quick and very satisfying. Is it just me, or is tuna super filling? I noticed when I eat tuna and veggies on a low carb pita or wrap, I stay full for hours. And since i'm very active, that's saying something! No comment on the fried pork rinds though. lol.

LOL, pork rinds aren't for everyone. But I started lowcarbing back when there weren't ANY mass produced low carb goodies at all, so you do what you gotta do. Consider them regional roadfood and you might find you like them. (I prefer the Turkey Creek brand, chili lime flavor.)

The tuna thing sounds logical - it's high protein, usually mixed with high fat from the mayo (gotta love that part of this way of eating!), so you're getting a good mix of the stuff that keeps you feeling full.

My husband had a softball tournament this weekend, so convenience store snacks were a top priority for me. I revisited one old favorite - jalapeno flavored pistacios from Nature Kist. These aren't widely available in my area (only one convenience store carries them) but they are SO worth going out of my way for. www.naturekist.com probably exists. The only problem is that they're easy to overdo.

The only other notable snacks this weekend were Slim Jims and brisket burritos w/homemade pico de gallo - I just used a fork and gave the HUGE homemade tortilla to my son.

4th of July should be interesting. We're heading out to see the TX Rangers play the Red Sox on the 4th, then will spend the next two days in kid-heaven; Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor (water park). So my lowcarbing will probably take a serious hit on those three days, but oh well.

I've been on the low-carb thing for two weeks, and I'm just blown away by how quickly the weight is melting off. I've kept below 20 grams a day RELIGIOUSLY and have combined it with daily jogs on the track and treadmill.

The suggestions above are much appreciated. I'm going to buy a case of pork rinds tonight and try the salmon croquette trick.

If you live within driving distance of a Russell Stover outlet, as I do, go buy the leftover Easter sugar-free Pecan Delight candies. They are selling for 17 cents apiece. Net carb for each one is less than one gram. I reward myself with one of those after jogging. They are wonderful.

One of my favorite low carb snacks is pizza on a stick: A toothpick with a chunk of pepperonni, a chunk of mozzerella, and an olive. If I'm feeling generous to myself, I dip it in a wee bit of pizza sauce.

I have been on low carb for 6 weeks and have lost 14 lbs. I enjoy pork rinds. The only ones I can find are the Bakenetts. I like to dip them in a sour cream onion soup dip that I make, or one of the seafood dips that you buy in a small container. I also eat a lot of nuts at "cocktail" time. Vodka is the drink of choice, but have been cutting back on that as well. I'm making chili tonight if the heat doesn't do me in. That sits in the refrigerator until I nuke it with shredded cheese and a few onion pieces. It makes a fast snack. Good luck!

Twister, I hear you, we do have to get creative don't we?
too funny I have this picky friend who just hates everything but she eats pork rinds. I mocked her so bad, she won't eat eggplant, bbq, hot dogs, etc etc but she eats those. that slays me!
You might have better luck on the your fourth of july weekend than you think. I'm betting you can find low carb wraps, salads, and there's always the hotdog or burger minus bun. Good luck and have a great time.
Bill I know what you mean. Low carb is awesome. It's easy for me as I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I have a flat stomach, I'm over forty and have two kids. I love it! I was clued in to this by my Doctor years ago when I complained about getting a beer gut and I don't drink beer. she explained how the body stores extra carbs in the naval area of the stomach, after thirty five or so. Another quick snack or meal I love is to nuke some frozen spinach, add margarine and some cheese after it's cooked and well drained. this is a good one because it takes a long time to eat! lots of chew satisfaction.
thanks for sharing all the great ideas, and I'm so getting me some slim jims in the very near future.

If you have a local Sav-A-Lot store, they carry microwave pork rinds. Nuke 'em a little longer and they get that crunch that so many here seem to like.

http://www.turkeycreeksnacks.com

Great discovery for those of you that like (or can tolerate LOL) pork rinds - this brand really is a different animal altogether from Bakenetts, pun shamelessly intended. They have a lighter, crispy-rather-than-crunchy texture, and their seasoning mixes are toprate. Pleasantly "zippy" chili-lime, subtle sweetness to the BBQ, great Hot BBQ, (I use these a lot for cooking - the "hot" is awesome for the above mentioned meatloaf, croquettes and also as breading for pork chops - the rest of my family, kids included, loves 'em) and the Salt & Vinegar is what you'd expect - salty and vinegary. If you take a look at their seasonings on the nutritional info pages you'll find that they have some common "scary" ingredients - yeasts, corn starch, etc, so I pretty much assume that the flavored versions have about 2 grams or so per serving.

OK, enough about pork rinds for now (I'm perpetuating the pork rind and bacon myth about low carbing!) and onto some others I've forgotten about. Has anyone noticed the DRASTIC improvement in the taste of Atkins bars? As I mentioned, I have to eat breakfast, but I'm frequently too lazy to actually cook it, so these come in especially handy with a cup of coffee. They seem to lack that horrible "protein blend" taste almost altogether, which is pretty amazing.

Lately I'm also seeing a large assortment of flavored nuts and pumpkin seeds available everywhere - and I love that "chili lime" seems to be one of the seasonings of the day.

Sorry for so much chattering here - but I have to admit it's been inspiring to remind myself of the weird tips and tricks and legitimately wonderful snacks & read about your success with lowcarb, too.

For those of you that are considering or doing lowcarb for the first time OR are giving it another go-round and the weight isn't dropping as fast as you'd like, you might want to check out www.lowcarbluxury.com/goldenshot.html. It's an interesting idea - with many of us, you get one golden shot to do it right the FIRST time and lose the weight quickly. Going "off and on the wagon" might result in it being a bit more difficult the next time around. Personally, I lost 14lbs in the first two weeks back in '99, but this time, three weeks into it, I've dropped 5lbs. It's a PITA, and makes me wonder WHAT I was thinking by letting a couple of lbs creep up on me after all this time, especially since maintaining the loss for years and years was so easy. But my approach has always been laid back, so I'm just hanging in there, keeping the "stix" turned, and noting the other positive effects.

And babbling at y'all in the meantime. ;-)