Low Carb in the UK Low Carb in the UK Meat, fish, eggs, green veggies, cheese, butter, olive oil, cream, nuts and water are all widely available in any supermarket in the UK. ;-)
OK...I am being a bit facetious, but these are the best low carb foods
around for weight loss. Sometimes I actually think I am lucky in that there
are no pre-manufactured low carb products in the UK - as whenever a lot of people eat them it
stops their weight loss. Natural is best.
That said, sometimes we do need a bit of variety and may choose to have
slower weight loss, but enjoy the ride better.
Get Linseeds(Flax), Whey Protein, Soy Protein, Soy Flour, Scan Bran, and all your supplements from Holland and Barrett Health food stores
Sausages either from O'Hagans Sausages or The Sausage Shop
Flours, Linseeds, Nuts, Gluten, Gums are from Flourbin.co.uk
Protein Revolution bars/Designer Protein Healthy2day.com
General LC "reinvented" goods Sugar Lite
Some other foods I use from supermarkets :-
Bacon - have not found nitrate free in supermarkets (you can soak it before you use it.. this helps to get rid of these chemicals), but some of it is sugar (dextrose) free. Be careful, and always read lables, as even some of the more expensive brands contains sugar.
Sausagaes - Sainsburys have some good *lower* carbs sausages. Always check
the ingredients as well as the carb count. Look out for starches, sugars,
fillers etc. and avoid even if the carb count is low. Always think natural
is best.
Lidl - sausages (German, I think)....again check ingredients.
Ryvita - Dark Rye has the lowest carb (I think). Other crispbreads may be
"low carb" (like Carrs) but they contain often hydrogenated vegetable oils and these should be avoided. (Transfats are man-made solid fats that are now being linked more and more with Heart disease...) so again make sure you check ingredients.
Yoghurt. The GO! diet theory is that the most lactose (sugar) in the milk is eaten up by the bacteria making the carb count lower. Always go for full fat and natural (no sweetener) - not easy to find. Total Greek yogurt
is good. Most Supermarkets do a Greek Style own label, Sainsbury also do a
Whole Milk Natural Yogurt. ........watch most of the Bio Natural Yogurts, as these
are low fat (its a health craze, apparantly *G*).....You need the high fat
content to off-set the effect of carbs in your body, therefore reducing the
effect on your blood sugar when you eat it. (Ed's note: if you can find it, Losley do a LOVELY Full fat greek style yoghurt! yummy!)
LoSalt - great for flavour and potassium and sodium intake is not so much a
worry on low carb dieting - although if you retain water easily you may have
to look at this.
Enco - Cajun Hot Pepper Sauce - great stuff, although my Tesco only sell the
Hot Pepper variety which has sugar in it - so avoid. The Cajun one is from
Sainsburys - again check the ingredients as well as the carb count
Ground cinnamon - this is great stuff. I add this to a lot of my meat dishes
to improve the flavour. Thanks to Gary Rhodes for this tip.
Marmite - great for flavour in meat dishes. Lowish in carbs, great for
B-vits. Don't eat if you are sensitive to yeast. Great on crispbreads with
butter (oh yes!) (Ed's note: OH NO!)
Worcestershire sauce - Does contain carbs, but you don't use a lot, enhances
flavour.
Balsmic Vinegar....love this in gravy. Whenever I cook meat, I save the
stock. Add some Balsamic to the stock, splash of Worceshire sauce, sometimes
some peppercorns......Reduce on a high heat, when almost there, add some
butter to improve the texture. You could pour in some cream as well....Pour
over the meat and enjoy.
Soy Sauce, White Wine Vinegars, Cider Vinegar etc - use in sauces and stir
fries. (Ed's Note: I have found the best range of these in Safeway.)
Sichuan Pepper - love a few of these added to a stir fry (get mine in Tesco)
Flavourings - Tesco doing a good range at the moment. Supercook Extract,
Langdales extract. Madagascar Vanilla (contains sugar) These all contain
some ingredients that may not be so good, but I do fine eating them, and you
only use a small bit anyway.
Cream cheese ...easy dessert add some sweeteners and possibly some Flavour extract. Mix, put back in fridge to chill and then enjoy. Great simple dessert, not overly processed,
high fat content, filling and satisfying and very close to being an
Induction food so unlikely to cause a problem with weight loss.
Splenda. Now legal in the UK (as of 15/03/2002) but not as yet on sale, or in general product use! :-(
The Granualar product as produced for the Canadian and US markets contains the sweetener (Sucralose), and Maltodextrin which is a High-impact/Lower Calorie Carbohydrate as a Bulking agent, to make it measure "spoon for spoon". The "packet" Splenda, (we would call it a Sachet) that has been seen in Poundland contains both Maltodextrin and Dextrose as fillers. Not ideal, that is for sure. The addition of these fillers make this off-limits for anyone who is extremly "sugar sensitive". Get Both of these from Global Drugs.
The Liquid form is better, but has not been seen (It was produced for the Brazillian market) for an age now... It is made with water and Citric acid. (ie NO Carbs!)There is also zero-carb Tablet form, but again, this is rare...
There is a UK Splenda Helpline. Please call it, and pester them to get this product on our shelves! 0845 6024605
Pork Rinds - The american type have been spotten in Sainsburys in their
speciality section. Check Pork Scratchings sold in pubs and the supermarkets, as these often contain Dextrose (sugar).
Oils - wide range of Olive oils in supermarkets. Always go for Cold-pressed, Extra
Virgin to preserve Omega 9 EFA content. Nut oils also can be used in cooking. Tesco are currently doing a Macadamia nut Oil but it is expensive. (Ed's note: I just bought Hazelnut oil from Tesco's, very cheaply! Sainsbury do a good range of "exotic oils" as well) I personally stick to olive oil and butter for cooking. (Ed's Note: Remember, Always fry with a Saturated Fat.)
'Nut butters - You need to check the ingredients on this. No sugar is what you want. Most Supermarkets do an own-brand "Wholenut Sugarfree" Peanut Butter, and sometimes the More "exotic" nut butters in their specialty sections.
There are three main suppliers, Meridian Foods and Whole Earth Foods and Clearspring.co.uk
Nuts and seeds - Brazils, Macadamias, Pecans, Almonds, Sunflower seeds,
Pumkins seeds - all available from supermarkets (Ed's note: I have found Sainsbury's the best for nuts),Holland and Barrett and other health stores.
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2000 Nikola Howard. All rights reserved.