Class is inwards session! Welcome to the 2nd installment of Low Carb Cooking Class, a.k.a. LC3.
As I explained in the intro post, we’re starting things off alongside what is in all probability the most of import lesson: how to stock your kitchen hence that y'all tin can have got delicious depression carb meals ready rapidly too alongside no ask for advance planning. I realize that, equally a unmarried too childless individual, my notions of how unproblematic it is to railroad train nutrient is to a greater extent than or less seventeen 1000000 lightyears away from what moms and/or dads of large families experience. That beingness said, I still have got never understood some people’s certainty that they are incapable of sticking to a surely type of diet—be it Paleo, low-carb, keto, or anything else—without a “meal plan.” Even the phrase “meal plan” makes me cringe. It’s equally bad equally nails on a chalkboard for me.
I pass upwards to do repast plans for clients. I’m sorry, but y'all are a grown adult too I am non going to tell y'all what to have got for tiffin 3 Tuesdays from now. What I will do, too love to do, is demo people how slow it is to remain depression carb without a repast plan. (As they say, instead of cooking a fish for someone, I prefer to instruct them to fish.) When y'all have got a basic agreement of what to create too how to create it, y'all don’t need an teaching manual. (I did say this isn’t rocket science, yes?)
BUT: The thing is, fifty-fifty if y'all know what to create too how to create it, you can’t create it if y'all don’t have it. So that’s what today’s postal service is about: what to travel on on mitt inwards your kitchen hence that, when it’s mealtime too the solid (or your life inwards general) is inwards chaos, the i thing y'all won’t have got to stress over is what to create for dinner. (Or breakfast or lunch.)
Think of your kitchen—and the nutrient inwards it—like a wardrobe.
Ladies: whatever your size or shape, y'all probable have got a “go-to” clothes for special occasions that is flattering too ever makes y'all experience good. You also have got a broad diversity of shirts, pants, skirts, shoes, too accessories to select from, hence that no affair what your solar daytime holds, y'all tin can set together an appropriate outfit inwards minutes.
Gents: you in all probability have got at to the lowest degree i or ii skilful black, nighttime blue, or greyness suits hanging inwards the cupboard ready to become at a moment’s notice. (Or perhaps alongside i or ii days’ notice to run to the dry out cleaners, hehheh.) You also have got athletic shoes, clothes shoes, sandals, too perhaps a sports watch, clothes watch, squeamish couple of cufflinks, etc. You’ve got some clothes shirts, jackets, ties, casual weekend wear, too the old, ratty T-shirt y'all have on to ready the auto or create clean the gutters. Because y'all have got articles of article of apparel that “cover all the bases,” creating a hold back suitable for whatever occasion is a snap.
Having this diversity of article of apparel on mitt makes it really slow to honour an appropriate outfit for whatever occasion that comes up. You don’t have got to become shopping for something novel every fourth dimension life throws y'all a curveball, because these things are already inwards your closet. Start thinking close your fridge, freezer, too pantry the same way.
Let’s beak staples:
Staples—whether we’re talking close article of apparel or food—are the things y'all become to over too over, frequently, too pretty much couldn’t alive without. For clothing, perhaps it’s the couple of jeans you’ve had for iv years too still have on 3 times a week, or the flattering dark skirt y'all tin can couple alongside only close anything, hence y'all do, close vi times a month. Fellas, it’s the selection of khaki pants too clothes shirts y'all have got equally your “work wardrobe.” Ladies, it’s the pumps y'all ain that are genuinely comfortable, hence y'all have on them all the time. This form of stuff makes upwards the mass of your clothing. For food, staples are your go-to items. The tried-and-true. The things y'all tin can serve i time again too again, spiced too seasoned a hundred different ways hence it seems similar a completely different repast each fourth dimension too no i gets bored.
Now, let’s beak add-ons:
In add-on to the staples, there’s the extra stuff. For clothing, beyond your everyday go-to items, you’ve got dressier clothes too accessories for when an occasion calls for those, too you’ve got some old, worn out, stained stuff that y'all travel on around for performing chores that are especially heinous too probable to have got y'all getting filthy and/or sweaty. So there’s some stuff y'all want to have got on mitt because y'all piece of work it all the time, too there’s also some stuff y'all piece of work much less frequently, but which is notwithstanding skilful to have got tucked away somewhere hence that when the chance or necessity to have on it comes up, y'all already have got it.
It’s just the same alongside food.
The foods that create upwards your staples too add-ons should hold upwards determined, obviously, yesteryear your and/or your family’s gustation preferences too nutrient allergies/sensitivities. All I tin can do is portion the things that hap to hold upwards my staples too special add-ons. Don’t similar sardines? Don’t purchase sardines. Like I travel on saying: not rocket science. (Man, I wishing that domain hadn’t been taken!) As for why these detail items are permanent residents of my freezer, fridge, too pantry, that volition hold upwards revealed over time, i time nosotros root talking close constructing meals. You’ll run across all of these things create an appearance at some point.
Don’t similar the staples & add-ons analogy? I’ve got some other one, but I’m afraid it’s also article of apparel related. How close “foundations” too “extras?” This in all probability applies to a greater extent than to women than men, but deportment alongside me: when you’re getting dressed, at that topographic point are surely things that are pretty non-negotiable: shirt, pants (or skirt), shoes. Socks are squeamish most of the time, unless it’s summertime too you’re wearing sandals. (Men: STOP WEARING SOCKS WITH SANDALS. Just stop. Now.) Underwear too a bra are commonly a pretty skilful idea, too, although they’re non required. (Eek!) Foundation pieces are the things that do the bulk of the work: shirt, pants, dress, skirt, shorts. Once you’ve got those foundational pieces roofing your travel yesteryear too bottom inside full general social convention or your workplace clothes code, y'all piece of work the extras to jazz things upwards a little: a chunky bracelet, a “statement” necklace, a squeamish couple of earrings. For the men, perhaps it’s a shape ring, a squeamish tie, or some snazzy suspenders or cufflinks. (Or perhaps earrings, a necklace, too a bracelet…it’s all good! I’m only maxim it’s to a greater extent than common for these to apply to women.)
My point: your outfit starts alongside the foundations. If y'all wore nil else but those, you’d hold upwards able to become out inwards populace too hold back only fine. But if y'all want to stand upwards out a little, y'all add together the extras. Same alongside cooking. To piece of work the trial from the tweet that inspired this series: Foundations: Earth beef, onions, zucchini. Extras: salt, pepper, tikka masala powder, too additional turmeric. I could have got cooked the beef too vegetables alongside nil else—no seasoning at all—and it would have got been okay. Definitely edible, if a lilliputian bland. But alongside the add-on of the spices, it was delicious. It took something that someone else mightiness have got found dull too uninspired, too elevated it to something that looked, smelled, too tasted exotic, too similar I knew what I was doing. Making depression carb meals that y'all too your friends/family volition honey is genuinely that simple.
Here’s a hold back at what I to a greater extent than often than non have got on mitt inwards my kitchen. As I’ve said, I’m unmarried too have got no kids. Since I commonly alone create for one, I don’t have got all of these things on mitt all the time. (Plus, alongside multiple housemates, there’s alone hence much room inwards the refrigerator too pantry anyway.) But if y'all were to sneak into my solid too accept a hold back around, y'all would honour several of the next at whatever given time:
FREEZER
- Bacon
- Ground beef
- Ground pork (and/or loose sausage)
- Ground turkey
- Sausage grillers (the thick sausages – similar a Bratwurst, chorizo, or Andouille, equally opposed to the smaller too thinner breakfast links; I prefer pork, but piece of work whatever y'all like—beef, chicken, etc. – Trader Joe’s has some cracking turkey & chicken sausages that are depression inwards carbs.)
- Steaks (whatever cutting y'all like)
- Pork chops
- Salmon, tuna, other finfish
- Ground lamb or lamb sausage (when I experience spendy)
- Vegetables (plain, no sauce or breading) – I almost ever prefer fresh vegetables, but sometimes I have got frozen Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or spinach on hand
- Lard; tallow
FRIDGE
- LEFTOVERS!!
- Bacon fatty (reserved from cooking bacon; piece of work for sautéing greens, frying eggs, etc.)
- Cheese (an assortment)
- Eggs – consider keeping 2-3 dozen on hand; y'all volition become through them quickly, hence salvage yourself the problem of having to run to the store hence often. Ignore the dates on the cartons. They are basically meaningless. Eggs travel on for a long time. (If y'all larn them from a farm, y'all mightiness fifty-fifty hold upwards able to larn unwashed eggs, which don’t have got to hold upwards refrigerated at all!)
- Heavy cream or one-half too half
- Non-starchy vegetables: my staple selections differ depending on the season. During summer, I tend to stick to zucchini, yellowish squash, eggplant (I prefer the mutual “globe” variety but also larn more interesting ones from the farmers’ market), bell peppers (all colors: red, green, yellow, orange), cucumber, lettuce (different varieties), spinach. And too then at that topographic point are some veg that don’t ask to hold upwards kept inwards the fridge, but it’s only easier to listing them hither alongside the other veg anyway: onions (red, white, too yellow), tomatoes (lots of different colors & varieties – tomatoes are genuinely best not refrigerated.) Depending on what’s on sale, I also honey broccoli, cauliflower, too Brussels sprouts.
- Low-sugar tiffin meat (cold cuts), such equally turkey too roast beef, plus “fancier” ones, similar prosciutto
- Condiments: mustard (I’m a flake of a mustard freak too commonly have got several on hand: Dijon, horseradish, spicy brown), homemade ketchup (or sometimes this i from Heinz or this i from Westbrae, available at Whole Foods), bluish cheese dressing, homemade or store-bought vinaigrettes. If y'all are non a mayonnaise addict similar I am too tin can travel on some inwards the solid without eating ridiculous amounts of it inwards i sitting, mayo is skilful to have got inwards stock.
PANTRY
- Canned fish: tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel. Stock upwards when they’re on sale; they won’t become bad, too they’re an excellent snack or business office of a meal. (If y'all want to shell out for the best character stuff, experience complimentary to piece of work my affiliate link for Vital Choice seafood, but I hope I’ll notwithstanding honey ya if y'all only larn whatever’s on sale at the supermarket.)
- Nuts & seeds: all nuts & seeds are fine, but become slow on peanuts too cashews, equally these are technically legumes too are slightly higher inwards carbs than tree nuts. They also seem to hold upwards much easier to overdo than stuff similar almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, too pecans, at to the lowest degree for me. (Consider keeping nuts & seeds inwards the refrigerator if y'all don’t cry back you’ll larn through them inwards a timely manner. [The oils tin can plow rancid if they sit down around for a while, but this takes a long time. I have got the magical ability of making nuts disappear quickly, hence I never have got this problem.])
- Coconut oil
- Coconut milk
- Canned tomatoes: I ever travel on a diversity on hand—crushed, whole, diced, stewed, plain, fire-roasted, alongside light-green chilies, etc.
- Canned curry pastes (I similar this brand; some have got saccharide inwards the ingredients, but the amount that y'all destination upwards alongside inwards i serving of whatever dish y'all create is very small.)
- Olive fossil oil (or avocado oil, if y'all prefer)
Haha!Just kidding… - Toasted sesame fossil oil (for occasional stir-frying or finishing…*gasp!*…She uses sesame oil?! With all those PUFAs? Yes. Yes, I do.)
- Tomato sauce (read labels for carb content; some are around 8g per serving, but a serving is one-half a cup, too you’re unlikely to consume that much for i meal)
- Assortment of vinegars: apple tree cider, ruddy wine, balsamic (check out how awesome vinegar is)
- Salt & pepper (I prefer my pepper freshly ground, hence I’ve got a grinder alongside whole peppercorns inwards it. I’m non a nutrient snob by whatever means; it genuinely does create that large a departure too if you’re using the powdered stuff inwards the white tin, y'all mightiness equally good non fifty-fifty bother.)
- Dried and/or powdered spices & herbs: I’ll have got to a greater extent than information on what to do alongside these inwards an upcoming installment, but hither are the ones I ever have got on hand: cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ruddy pepper flakes, cumin, sage, thyme, chili powder, basil, oregano, curry pulverization (yes, inwards add-on to the curry pastes mentioned above), turmeric, cocoa powder. There are some blends I like, too: McCormick’s Montreal Chicken is great, equally is Roasted Garlic & Bell Pepper. There are a ton of other varieties; honour ones y'all like, but hold upwards careful alongside their dry rubs too other blends; some are high inwards sugar. (There are some ingredients I prefer to ever piece of work fresh—specifically, garlic too rosemary—but there’s no shame inwards using garlic pulverization too dried rosemary if that’s easier for you)
- Artificial sweeteners, if desired (I mostly piece of work stevia inwards my java but have got no work using Splenda or Sweet & Low if necessary. *Gasp!* She uses artificial sweeteners?! Yes. Yes, I do. [Also see here.])
- Pork rinds (a cracking snack on their ain or alongside homemade dip from sour cream, cream cheese, or guacamole; tin can also hold upwards used equally “breading” for chicken breasts, pork chops, too more) – yes, I experience similar Al Bundy from Married…With Children, when I consume these. ;D
- Dark chocolate (85% or higher)
- Canned pumpkin: 100% pumpkin – not sweetened pumpkin pie mix
Whew! That’s a long list!
I don’t consume all these things every day. Like I said: these are the things I similar to have got on mitt most of the fourth dimension hence that a delicious too slow depression carb repast is alone minutes away. Fine-tune things equally appropriate for your palate. The indicate is, y'all can’t create quick meals if y'all don’t have got the basic raw materials on mitt to do so.
As for what to do alongside these ingredients, we’ve got ii to a greater extent than posts to found some basics, too and then it’s on to THE FOOD.
P.S. Did I immature lady anything glaring? Is at that topographic point something you consider a depression carb staple that you’re shocked I didn’t mention? Tell me inwards the comments. I’m ever on the lookout adult man for skilful ideas.
Disclaimer: Amy Berger, MS, CNS, NTP, is non a Dr. too , LLC, is non a medical practice. The data contained on this site is non intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or forestall whatever medical status too is non to hold upwards used equally a substitute for the assist too guidance of a physician. Links inwards this postal service too all others may straight y'all to amazon.com, where I volition have a little amount of the purchase cost of whatever items y'all purchase through my affiliate links.