The key to a successful eating lifestyle is to be able to maintain healthy choices, eat foods you enjoy, and not feel deprived.
Many fail to adhere to a specific long-term diet plan because of the feeling of 'missing out' on something they enjoy.
There are many ways to eat enjoyable foods without loading up on carbohydrates or sugars.
A satisfying method to take ownership over what you eat is to create or adapt interesting dishes to fit your low carb eating plan.
With a range of artificial sweeteners and commercially available low carbohydrate products - everything from chocolate to crackers - it is possible to indulge in wonderfully tasty treats, whether your preference is for sweet or savory.
A little imagination and a lot of experimenting can lead to a varied and far-from-deprived way of eating.
So how does one go about adapting a recipe to suit a low carbohydrate diet? Most people adapt recipes without thinking about it.
They choose to add sage because they've no fresh thyme, or substitute peanuts for walnuts because of the walnut tree in the back yard.
Naturally we make changes to suit what we have available or to suit our taste preferences.
Adapting a recipe to a low carbohydrate version is simply an extension of this process.
Here are a few principles to consider for adapting recipes.
Does the recipe have a good protein base? A protein-based recipe is a great starting point and adaptation should be quite simple.
For example: substitute sugar for artificial sweetened in a satay sauce to create an option with fewer carbohydrates.
Does the recipe have low flour content? Flour-based products, such as cakes and biscuits require a more complex adaptation, but it is certainly possible to enjoy such treats within a low carb diet.
Recipes with a small quantity of flour content may have the flour substituted with a soy protein powder, almond flour (finely ground almonds), soy flour, or a combination of these substitutes.
Each option has a definite flavour of its own so experimentation is necessary to find the combinations which suit an individual or family.
The variations still provide carbohydrates, but less than their traditional white flour counterparts.
Restraint in the amount one consumes must still be exercised, but one can enjoy the treats whilst knowing the choice is the best one for your body and chosen lifestyle.
What is the milk content of the recipe? Milk is higher in carbohydrates than cream and an easy way to reduce a recipe's carbohydrate content is to replace milk with a combination of cream and water.
These are the just the simplistic basics of recipe conversion; a mere stepping stone to the creative cookery which can result.
Always look for substitutions: swap dried fruits for nuts, chocolate chips for chunks of sugar-free chocolate, ground nuts in place of a biscuit base (e.
g.
a cheesecake base).
The options are expansive and the cook's willingness to experiment provides some pleasurable results.