Low-carb diets support thread

daska

Have you seen what constitutes a portion of veg in a scottish school dinner? Take a look HERE

This is where disguising some veg is helpful, but I must admit disguising leaves is more difficult than sticking a carrot in bolognese LOL. Cheese sauce works well with leeks, sprouts, broccoli. And if you don't have alternatives in the house they will have to start eating what you give them.

DS2 ate snails on Saturday - I HATE them but I dug in first to encourage him and he finished off the remaining 11. And he's now eating lettuce which he didn't 6 months ago.

Having said that, my understanding is that the hypothesis that plenty of fibre would protect us from bowel cancer etc appears to have little basis in fact (some diets include none at all - e.g. the inuit was almost exclusively animal fat/meat) and the change in our diet to include huge quantities of grain at the expense of fat has also coincided with increases in Chrohns, IBS etc. (not just the metabolic syndrome diseases more commonly mentioned). Can't think of a reference for this at the moment but when I do I'll post it.

murphydog999

marrbett wrote: »

I hope you don't mind me thinking aloud about all this, but I'm finding it all fascinating!

In an ideal world, what would a healthy diet look like for children?
No potatoes/rice/pasta/bread at all, or just small amounts occasionally. Pulses would be ok in moderation, is it all about being aware of your carb intake and adjusting as you go, or should children avoid carbs (the ones above?)

It all comes down to basics really. As much as humanly possible that is fresh and natural as nature intended, rather than worrying too much about 'type,' because a 'fresh/natural' diet will balance itself out anyway.

If you can stick with the max three ingredient rule when shopping, (any food item that lists 3 or more ingredients leave it on the shelf) or preferably just the one ingredient, it will focus the mind. Shop mainly in the outer edges of the shop.

Choose free range/ grass-fed meats (mainly from butchers and farm shops, not imported supermarket stuff (our animal welfare standards are far superior to those on the continent) and fish and the freshest fruit and veg you can find. (Can you grow your own?)

It means more prep and cooking (and imagination) but it is the ONLY way to eat, as you know what is in it. Make 'processed/pre-made/factory-produced' etc foods a thing of the past, and watch everyone's health improve.

For kids they don't NEED carby products for energy, as long as they are getting a decent fat percentage, but it's not going to be the end of the world if they never have pasta again, or taste a decent roast potato. All the items you list can be part of a meal, rather than the main component. Veg, is as we know, pretty important and if they are a bit funny with certain types, soup is a brilliant way of getting good stuff down their neck without then knowing. Cream of........adds the fat and chopped chicken/ham/streaky bacon etc gives them the protein, stuff mushrooms with blue cheese, coat in egg, then ground flax seed (or similar) and bake in the oven, for another choice of side dish.

Just a few ideas, I REALLY must go and make my quiche.

marrbett

daska wrote: »

Have you seen what constitutes a portion of veg in a scottish school dinner? Take a look HERE

This is where disguising some veg is helpful, but I must admit disguising leaves is more difficult than sticking a carrot in bolognese LOL. Cheese sauce works well with leeks, sprouts, broccoli. And if you don't have alternatives in the house they will have to start eating what you give them.

DS2 ate snails on Saturday - I HATE them but I dug in first to encourage him and he finished off the remaining 11. And he's now eating lettuce which he didn't 6 months ago.

Having said that, my understanding is that the hypothesis that plenty of fibre would protect us from bowel cancer etc appears to have little basis in fact (some diets include none at all - e.g. the inuit was almost exclusively animal fat/meat) and the change in our diet to include huge quantities of grain at the expense of fat has also coincided with increases in Chrohns, IBS etc. (not just the metabolic syndrome diseases more commonly mentioned). Can't think of a reference for this at the moment but when I do I'll post it.

Yes, I was just going to ask if we need so much fibre now because of the western diet. I think getting the children to drink plenty of water and eat home cooked food, being aware of carbs is the place to start for them.
:eek: at the scottish schooldinner!!!
Thanks daska.

Edwardia

Calculating carbohydrates for recipes which don't have nutritional information - Mary Jean Renstrom
https://www.insulin-pumpers.org/howto/carb-calc.html

daska

marrbett wrote: »

Yes, I was just going to ask if we need so much fibre now because of the western diet. I think getting the children to drink plenty of water and eat home cooked food, being aware of carbs is the place to start for them.
:eek: at the scottish schooldinner!!!
Thanks daska.

And to continue my post above:

Try taking the meat off the thigh and mixing it with the chopped broccoli and carrot and binding it with cheesy mashed cauliflower and an egg. One additional veg, a bit more bulk and it's not a healthy meal but a chicken burger LOL "no, of course you don't have to have any veg darling, just have a bit of salad"

For pizza bases try http://yourlighterside.com/low-carb-pizza-recipes/

marrbett

murphydog999 wrote: »

It all comes down to basics really. As much as humanly possible that is fresh and natural as nature intended, rather than worrying too much about 'type,' because a 'fresh/natural' diet will balance itself out anyway.

If you can stick with the max three ingredient rule when shopping, (any food item that lists 3 or more ingredients leave it on the shelf) or preferably just the one ingredient, it will focus the mind. Shop mainly in the outer edges of the shop.

Choose free range/ grass-fed meats (mainly from butchers and farm shops, not imported supermarket stuff (our animal welfare standards are far superior to those on the continent) and fish and the freshest fruit and veg you can find. (Can you grow your own?)

It means more prep and cooking (and imagination) but it is the ONLY way to eat, as you know what is in it. Make 'processed/pre-made/factory-produced' etc foods a thing of the past, and watch everyone's health improve.

For kids they don't NEED carby products for energy, as long as they are getting a decent fat percentage, but it's not going to be the end of the world if they never have pasta again, or taste a decent roast potato. All the items you list can be part of a meal, rather than the main component. Veg, is as we know, pretty important and if they are a bit funny with certain types, soup is a brilliant way of getting good stuff down their neck without then knowing. Cream of........adds the fat and chopped chicken/ham/streaky bacon etc gives them the protein, stuff mushrooms with blue cheese, coat in egg, then ground flax seed (or similar) and bake in the oven, for another choice of side dish.

Just a few ideas, I REALLY must go and make my quiche.

Yep, I so agree, thankyou. I already cook most things from scratch and make my own soups etc, so its not going to be that much of an adjustment, just upping the fats and being creative about the lack of pasta(which being half Italian, we used to eat alot of!!!)

SHEILA54

Flax, avocado pears, seeds, nuts, lentils, hummus, berries all have fibre as well as vegetables and can be disguised in sauces etc if they don't like them. I remember when my son was young he would not eat vegetables so I would mash them up in bolognese sauce, casseroles or similar. Broccoli mashes down well as do carrots and they don't show in a dark sauce. At that time Iceland brought out peas flavoured with chocolate to encourage kids to eat veg but I never bought any :eek:

Make your own hummus with chickpeas, avocado dips and serve with veg sticks or breadsticks.

You can make bars with melted dark chocolate, seeds & nuts and they would probably eat them as well

marrbett

daska wrote: »

And to continue my post above:

Try taking the meat off the thigh and mixing it with the chopped broccoli and carrot and binding it with cheesy mashed cauliflower and an egg. One additional veg, a bit more bulk and it's not a healthy meal but a chicken burger LOL "no, of course you don't have to have any veg darling, just have a bit of salad"

For pizza bases try http://yourlighterside.com/low-carb-pizza-recipes/

My daughter wouldn't go near it-everything has to be separate on her plate!! .LOL. She hates mince mixed with veg- give her the mince and the veg separately and she can do it, but together!!!!(many aspie traits me thinks!!!)
Thankfully she eats my soup!

SHEILA54

I understand, my grandson eats one thing at a time, the one he likes least first, and will not combine any together He is 11 now so I wonder if he will be the same when he gets older. My granddaughter will not touch anything if there is a sauce, e.g beans, and it touches another item on her plate. Fussy aren't they!!

marrbett

SHEILA54 wrote: »

I understand, my grandson eats one thing at a time, the one he likes least first, and will not combine any together He is 11 now so I wonder if he will be the same when he gets older. My granddaughter will not touch anything if there is a sauce, e.g beans, and it touches another item on her plate. Fussy aren't they!!

Yes Sheila, they are!! My eldest 2 children eat anything, my third is the challenge!!
My 4th tries to make a fuss, then gets on and eats it, so no real worries there!
The other hardship(sorry, am I moaning too much!) is with my soup, they are used to dipping hm bread and butter into it!!!