Low GI Recipes - Low Carbers, WW Core, WW Flex etc - Please contribute!

brookcove

emphasizing avoiding "energy dense" foods. 

What are examples of energy dense foods? 

The famous example is grapes.  Grapes are mostly water, so 100 grams of grapes has X amount of calories (and corresponding glycemic potential).  Raisins are grapes, except with much of the water removed.  100 grams of raisins is more energy dense, and will also have a higher glycemic potential, incidentally.  So for me, I can eat as many grapes as I want, but raisins are off my list of magic foods that I can eat of much of as I want.

Obviously anything sugary is energy dense.  The less fiber a food has, as you know, the higher the glycemic index, so whole grains (like bulgar, wild "rice," or barley) are okay, but flour and cornstarch, and any processed or baked goods, are not.  Sweet potatoes are okay but white potatoes are not - except you are allowed one serving of either brown rice, a potato prepared without fat, or whole grain pasta. 

I can eat until I feel full on these foods, but I have to listen to my body and quit when I do feel full.  And honestly, if you eat Core foods until you are over-full, your body will punish you! 

Fat is also energy dense, so Core is also a low-fat plan, and a low cholesterol plan.  I have minor cholesterol issues as well, so this is a plan that works well for me.  

If you use the plan the way it was intended, you learn to change your tastes from icky processed stuff, to whole foods, particularly fruits and vegetables.  A meal is not a big chunk of meat, some kind of bread like object (or fried breaded coating), fried potatoes or gravy, and a tiny serving of veggies slathered with butter.  Instead, we're rethinking meals, making veggies or even fruit the center of attention, supplemented with a low fat protein, and a small serving of whole grain food. 

I drink water instead of sweet drinks, with the exception of nonfat milk occasionally and a morning cup of coffee.  It's weird, I don't even like soda anymore, where before I had times when I craved Coca-Cola so bad it hurt.

Here's a short list of Core foods just for example:

• Canola or olive oil cooking spray
• Sugar substitute
• Unflavored or sugar free gelatin
• Any Beans
• Canadian bacon
• Whole grain cereals (one a day)
• Skim milk
• Fat free dairy products (yogurt/kefir plain)
  
• Most condiments (not mayo or similar egg or oil-based dressings)
• Fat free dressings
• Eggs prepared without fat
• All fish and seafood, prepared without fat
• Lean meats, prepared without fat (90% lean or greater)
• Any fruit
• Any vegetable
• Tofu
• Soy products
• Meat substitutes (such as seitan) and meat substitute products (such as black bean burger)
• Broth-based soups made with Core ingredients
  

 It's not just the list though - you've also got to meet healthy guidelines like drinking a bunch of water and getting in five servings of fruits or vegetables - it all works together.

It sounds like good common sense healthy eating and I know I could do much better with my diet following those guidelines. I don't need to lose weight, but I'd like to eat healthier and I'm very sensitive (hypoglycemic?) to sugars of any kind, so I tend to avoid them. I wonder why canadian bacon is okay. I love it, but is it considered low-fat? 

What is the difference between the Core and Flex diets?

 Canadian bacon is essentially ham - very lean ham.  If you are sensitive to sugar, you'll want to check the ingredients of CB before really chowing down - but it's not "honey sweetened" or anything.

I think the two biggest changes one can make, other than avoiding processed foods, is drinking those six 8 oz servings of water (water, not sweet drinks or caffiene), and getting those five servings of fruits and veggies in.  You have really be creative sometimes but it sure is worth it!  By the time you've eaten all that good stuff, you'll be treading dangerous ground even trying to eat a bag of chips - overload!  

I plan my day - that's another big change.  I map out not only my three main meals, but I know now when my "munchie" times are and plan for those too.  That way when I go, hmm, I'm hungry, now what?  I go to my planner and see, "Oh, yeah!  I was going to have some of that three-bean salad I made last night."  Or I might use a point and have a light English muffin, toasted with spray butter and a teeny drizzle of honey (sugar's no problem for me, other than the calories).  Or I'll microwave some cauliflower with fat free cheese - or just plain with a bit of salt.

With Flex, you can eat anything, but you complete a little survey that determines the number of "points" you are allowed per day.  Everything that goes in your mouth has a "points value" - it's roughly based on calories, but fiber brings the points down while fat increases them.  So then you track everything you eat, subtracting from your allowed points as you go, like a checkbook.  You also get 35 "free" points that you can "spend" any way you like - but some people find they don't lose as fast if they spend these.  You also can "bank" points each day, if you exercise (or do any activity, like mowing the lawn or doing laundry), and you can eat those points, too, each day.

If I eat anything outside the Core foods, I have to follow the Flex points guidelines - I get 35 weekly points and I can "bank" points for the day for exercising.  I get a LOT of daily activity points because of the farm work I do, so that's cool.  But again, I still have to eat healthy - I find if I really go crazy on sweet or carby stuff I'll see it in the weigh in for that week.

It's Sunday morning!

Do you miss your Egg McMuffin?  I think this is the one fast food item that always sucked me in whenever I "dieted."  I could resist anything else, but I always fell off the wagon for an Egg Mc.

This is another one of my Core plus one recipes.

Core Plus One Egg McMuffin

• Thomas's Light English Muffin, split and toasted
• 1 slice Canadian Bacon
  
• 1 egg (or egg substitute if you are very limited on cholesterol)
• 1 slice fat free American

Heat small frying pan or skillet over medium heat.  Lightly brown the Canadian bacon, set aside.  Crack the egg into a small bowl (or measure out 3 tbsp of the egg substitute).  Take a metal round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter (at least 2 inches wide, 3 inches works best if you can find one), and spray liberally with cooking spray.  Spray the pan, too.  Set the cookie cutter or biscuit cutter on the pan and carefully slide the egg inside the ring.  Cover and cook for two minutes.  Uncover, remove the ring with tongs, and turn the egg.  Cook for a minute more or until yolk is set.  Stack the bacon, egg, and cheese on one side of the muffin and top with the other half.  Wait a moment for the hot egg to make the cheese a little gooey, and then enjoy!

This is really filling - I can never finish even one even when I've worked up a huge appetite.  The light muffin is higher fiber than the Mickey D's version, and it's a little larger - but it's only 100 calories.  I know McD's also uses small eggs, not large.  So keep that in mind when you are fixing this! 

Dinner tonight, served with baked salmon sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning:

Easy Brown Rice and Black Beans

• 2 cups brown rice, cooked (I cook rice ahead and freeze it in baggies - brown rice takes 45 min to cook right!)
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or two cups cooked)
• 1 15 oz can fat free chicken broth (or any broth you have on hand)
• Salt to taste
  

brookcove

Dinner tonight, served with baked salmon sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning:

Easy Brown Rice and Black Beans

• 2 cups brown rice, cooked (I cook rice ahead and freeze it in baggies - brown rice takes 45 min to cook right!)
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or two cups cooked)
• 1 15 oz can fat free chicken broth (or any broth you have on hand)
• Salt to taste
  

Combine rice and beans in skillet, add chicken broth and salt if desired.  Simmer until reduced and rice is fluffy (rice may be slightly sticky if starch was left on beans - it's okay).  Serve!  Makes four generous servings.  Hubby and sons both asked for seconds!

Can I eat at your house tonight?  DH forgot once again that I can’t stand red snapper… and guess what he made for dinner! ;)

  I really wanted fish with my salad, but none for me.. but I do love salmon!

I'm also doing WW Core.  One of my favorite Core recipes is in the Getting Started handout.  It is for Shepherd's Pie.  Did you see that recipe?  It is delish and the recipe (for four people) makes a huge amount of food. 

Some of my favorite meals on Core:

• oatmeal with blueberries or raspberries
• egg, canadian bacon and FF cheese on toast
• salad, soup for lunch
• veggie burger with homemade sweet potato french fries
• baked potato with veggies and FF cheese and FF sour cream

YUM!

I love veggie burgers.  Sometimes I'll use a point and have it on pumpernickel bread, but most of the time I like them just topped with lettuce, tomato and onion.   I make zucchini "fries" with them.  I'm mad for Zucchini.

For breakfast this morning:

Easy Huevos Rancheros

• Two eggs per person
  
• Jar of mild salsa (my grandfather was Mexican and we have an elaborate homemade sauce recipe for this, but 99% of the time I cheat)

In a large heavy skillet, heat the salsa until it's bubbly.  Break in the eggs, leaving some space between them.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until set to desired doneness.

Serve with warm tortillas, cornbread, or just by itself!  My family tops with sour cream and cheese but I just like it plain.