Tips to convert a normal recipe to low carb

While there are plenty of resources on the web for low carb eating there will be times when you want to make something you are used to, but without the carbs. Like spaghettiless bolognaise. Also there may be high carbers in your house or maybe you are not happy forcing a weird diet on your kids! Whatever the reason 

• Pick a recipe that does not rely entirely on carbs - potatoes boulangere for example are pretty much out
• Make sure there is enough protein and fat in the recipe to fill you up in the absence of carbs
• Add extra vegetables - both on the side and chopped small and cooked into sauces. This is both for fibre and nutrient reasons and to help fill you up
• Add a side salad as often as you can. Growing some leaves for this purpose yourself makes sense if you are going to be using a lot of them
• Make a note of what changes you made and whether they worked - you can fine tune this way

Some normal dishes that work well with this are

• Bolognaise sauce with vegetables and a side salad
• Veg curry without the rice - add a few handfuls of red lentils to increase the protein level
• Roast dinner on Sunday - without the roast potatoes and with extra vegetables

There are some brutal low carb recipes out there. Hopefully you can avoid the worst of them. They make the low carb lifestyle a tough sell. There is really no reason to suffer on this diet if you take some time to get used to what you can and can't cook.