Lo Carb Snack Suggestions

Why are you snacking on jello and whipped cream? All that would be worse for you than the carbs you are restricting!!!

The "health plan" I am doing only allows cucumbers and celery for snacking in between meals. Lots of water, 5 small meals, limited portions, and try to not use any sauces.

If you want to nosh on something with whipped cream, put it on fresh strawberries, not jello! Any of the "berries" are packed full of nutrients and antioxidants (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries--just stay away from dried cranberries, b/c most of those have tons of added sugar).

For snacks:
Nuts (almonds or walnuts especially rock! But peanuts are good, too)
Pumpkin seeds
Greek yogurt (add in a few berries if you like)
Peanut butter (a couple of TB on some celery or apple slices, or toasted light wheat bread, sprinkled with cinnamon-not cinnamon sugar--just plain cinnamon)
cheese
eggs (deviled, boiled)

For meals, anything on a salad works... Make a nice green salad with romaine and some bell pepper, cucumber, olives (black or green), tomato, onion and an appropriate cheese as your basic salad. For chef, you add sliced boiled egg and ham/turkey diced or cut into pinwheels and diced monteray jack cheese or jalapeno havarti, or colby. For taco salad, you add taco meat (make your own with spices, not a "packet"), sour cream, salsa and shredded cheddar cheese. Or just add sliced grilled chicken breast meat for a grilled chicken salad. Deli rotisserie chickens work great for this!

I used to keep a container of egg salad made up in the fridge (to eat spread on single slices of toasted light wheat bread). Or make a double grilled cheese sandwich out of light bread. (Pepperidge farms light breads only have around 7 grams of carbs per slice--check the labels). Or a fried egg sandwich with 2 eggs (again, using light bread).

Munchies are fresh crunchy veg. Red bell pepper, celery, radishes, cucumber, broccoli. For side dishes, try to stick with green beans or asparagus or broccoli, or a side salad.
Main course: grilled _______ (chicken, steak, pork chops, chicken wings).
Breakfast is the easiest meal of the day: Scrambled eggs or an omelette or wrap with peppers/onions and cheese, bacon/ham, and coffee with cream only.

Oh... and for taste, Zone bars are the only "protein" bar out there that is any good. Kashi's are fantastic, but they have too many carbs if you are restricting very heavily.

Low carb does not meal low fat. You can have any meat item you want and there are lots of bread items that are supposed to be low carb, just make sure you understand what the label is saying about the carbs in it. There are so many cookbooks at the local library that can be checked out.

My FIL had open heart surgery about 12 years ago. His doc threw up his arms when my FIL told him he was going to use the low carb diet, he told my FIL he'd be buried within the year due to how "unhelathy" it is for heart patients.

Well, the doc now suggests it to his patients. My FIL brought down his cholesterol, his triglycerides, his blood sugar went from diabetic down to normal every single time he takes it, etc...the diet evened out his body functions so well he is more healthy than just about any time in his life.

He eats about 30 carbs per day. Of course there are days he splurges, like Thanksgiving, who can really pass on the most wonderful stuffing that has ever been made...?

Jello/whipped cream?
Sorry, that's not good diet advice (not sure where you got it?)
Lean, low calorie/low carb, high protein foods are what you need: beans, nuts, meat, veggies and fruit (but be careful re the meat and nuts, they are healthy but limit the amount because they are still high in calories.)
Try one of the free online calorie counters for help, it really works!

You need snacks with protein in them. Look at the grocery store (or Target's grocery aisle) for lowfat string cheese. It is low in calories, low in fat, and has good protein content. Also, have snacks with good fiber. An avocado has 9 grams of fiber, as compared to a serving of broccoli that has 4 or 5 (good grief - I just now forgot if it's 4 or 5!) Anyway, avocado does have high fat content, but it's the good fat that helps your heart.

No fat cottage cheese is also good. (I put a little no-sugar apple sauce on it). Also look at the Greek yogurts. Chobani, also at Target, has several different ones to choose from, but look at the label. The best one has over 20 grams of protein in it. I like the vanilla flavored best, and the calories and fat content aren't too high.

If you get the amount of fiber you are supposed to have per day, and drink as much water as you should, not only will you be nice and regular (LOL!), you will feel fuller and won't get as hungry on your diet.

Whatever you weigh, drink half that number in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150, drink at least 75 ounces of water per day. You'll pee like a fiend the first week or so, but then it tapers off a lot because you've flushed the water weight and toxins out of your body. The water you drink will just be the water you need, so you won't need to pee as much.

Hope this helps!
Dawn

You need to focus more on foods that have a higher protein value. Protein takes longer to digest, so your metabolism stays higher and you are fuller longer. Try an apple with string cheese, a small handful of almonds, celery or apples with peanut butter, or Greek yogurt with strawberries or other fruit.

For meals, build around a protein first. Choose lean meats and add tons of veggies on the side. Stuffed peppers can be good, meatloaf, fajitas (with whole wheat or no tortilla), or taco salad made with romaine or a spring mix (not iceberg). I always try to make enough for leftovers so I'm not scrambling for lunch the next day.

I'm doing Low Carb too (I do Atkins), so I know what you mean about needing a change from the Jello (sugar-free) & whip cream.

I get the Atkins bars. They have a REALLY great caramel/chocolate/peanut roll that is 3 net carbs. They have several different varieties, which you can find at most grocery stores and Target & Walgreens (in the nutrition aisles).

I like to snack on celery with cream cheese
raw veggies with Ranch dressing (regular, not Lite, which has more carbs)

Jello and whip cream even sugar free are NOT low-carb snacks! For choices I second Victoria W. If you want good results - no snacks at all is best.

Yeah, avoid the jello/whip cream, that's all sugar with no nutritional value, the very thing a lo carb diet is about avoiding. The other moms gave good suggestions, so I'll leave it at that. Personally, I cannot live without my carbs :)