Sugar Free and Low-carb Tips and Recipe Sharing

[Geee]

I found this sugar free frosting recipe and used it for the sugar free cake I made for MR. Geee for Easter:

 

 

Can use whatever flavor pudding mix that you prefer.

 

Ingredients

1 (1.4 ounce) package sugar-free instant pudding mix

1 1/2 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) container lite frozen whipped topping, thawed

 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Mix well and let stand until thickened.

2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pudding and mix well. Finally, fold in whipped topping.

 

It is supposed to be refrigerated and I didn't really have room in the fridge to put the cake, so I just refrigerated the frosting and put a little on each slice when I cut it. It was more like a topping then a frosting anyway, but really good.

 

I have posted before that Pillsbury has a new sugar free cake that I use-yellow or chocolate. I add chocolate or vanilla sugar free instant pudding and an extra egg when I make it and nuts. It's nice and moist.

 

 

 

I also make a similar dessert to this. I make a pkg of sugar free vanilla pudding mix, cream cheese and add a can of crushed pineapple packed in it's own juices. I also sometimes use light peaches instead of the pineapple.

---

Links to info contained down thread:

 

Carb Smart

 

Stevia

Edited May 6, 2011 by Rheo
added links to opening

[Geee]

The bread that I get is Sara Lee 45 Calories and Delightful ( sorry if it not available in your part of the country cause I know it's not in Florida) . It is 19g Carbohydrate and 5g dietary fiber. I assume that every one know that you subtract the dietary from the carbs which makes it 14g and the serving size is 2 slices. So occasionally I can make Mr. Geee French toast. He can get away with 4 pieces but everyone must experiment with what works for them. He uses 100% real maple syrup sparingly and it does not raise his sugar, He cannot use most sugar free syrups or a lot of other sugar free products. You know where it says in REAL small print that 'excess consumption may have a laxative effect'-well that can be 3 jelly beans for him. We have found that it is Malitol or Sorbitol which is the #1 ingredient in most of these sugar free products. If we can find products without those he seems to be OK.

 

Sara Lee also makes a low carb hamburger bun-it is 14g carbs with 5g dietary fiber for each bun. We usually take wither the bread or the buns with us when we travel to Florida, and if we get take out from one of the hamburger joints, he switches buns.

 

Every couple of weeks he treats himself to a couple of slices of pizza. We get Bellatoria from Sam's. It has the least amount of carbs of any pizza we have found.I don't have any on hand right now to give you the actual carbs. We recently discovered within the last couple of months-it has 1/4 of the carbs of the one we found before that. Some people are more sensitive to carbs, some to sugar and some to both. Carbs raise Mr. Geee's blood sugar more than sugar. So he had to experiment with checking his blood with different things till he found out which he was more sensitive to and could have more leeway on, but I'm sure that a lot of you know that already.

 

More later and I'm anxious to get tips from you also.

[nickydog]

Thank you, Geee. I've already learned a lot!

[pollyannaish]

I love this thread Geee! Thank you!

 

There is one tip I share off the top of my head for others in our situation. I love creamy soups, but often have to avoid them because of the carbs and the impact they have on my blood sugar. The instability can last for days.

 

I used to have some sort of protein with them, because whenever I do that my glucose levels were more stable. But I hated the addition of the extra calories.

 

Soooo. I started taking one of those little cans of garbanzo beans and creaming them...and putting them into my cream soups. There is a little bit of a flavor shift, but I don't mind it and it saves on the calories of adding a completely different protein to my meal.

 

It may not work for everyone, but it works pretty well for me!

 

Edited to add: This isn't a complete protein in most situations...but if you use it in Corn Chowder it is!

[Geee]

Polly, I hadn't thought about the fact that you also don't eat meat-which would be an extra challenge in trying to balance proteins.

 

Mr. Geee is a rabid snacker-so I try to keep 'safe' snacks lying around. He also has problems maintaining balanced reading through the night. He has tried those protein drinks before bed and other things but it is still a problem.

[pollyannaish]

Polly, I hadn't thought about the fact that you also don't eat meat-which would be an extra challenge in trying to balance proteins.

 

Mr. Geee is a rabid snacker-so I try to keep 'safe' snacks lying around. He also has problems maintaining balanced reading through the night. He has tried those protein drinks before bed and other things but it is still a problem.

 

It can be challenging, but if I stay away from refined carbs it is much, much easier. I'm also trying to reduce fats.

 

My biggest issue is that when I go to bed with a low reading, I always wake up with an extremely high one. Drives me crazy!

[Geee]

Polly, I hadn't thought about the fact that you also don't eat meat-which would be an extra challenge in trying to balance proteins.

 

Mr. Geee is a rabid snacker-so I try to keep 'safe' snacks lying around. He also has problems maintaining balanced reading through the night. He has tried those protein drinks before bed and other things but it is still a problem.

 

It can be challenging, but if I stay away from refined carbs it is much, much easier. I'm also trying to reduce fats.

 

My biggest issue is that when I go to bed with a low reading, I always wake up with an extremely high one. Drives me crazy!

 

 

Yeah-I know. Even if Mr. Geee 'bulks up' on proteins before bed, he still wakes up with a high reading.

 

Unfortunately Mr. Geee is Mr. sweet tooth and that is why I am always constantly trying to come up with safe sweet treats that don't have the sweeteners with laxative effects. We usually drink our coffee black but he sometimes mid-day has a cup with the sugar free French-vanilla or Hazelnut Coffee Mate powder for a sort of treat. He also uses Stevia in his cereal(I eat my Cheerios with NO sweetener, but he has to have it)- I have tried cooking with this but have not gotten it down yet. I usually get it too sweet and then not only is it too sweet but has an aftertaste. I have read that people swear by it though. Anyone have any experience with it?

[Chickadee]

I am the opposite of Mr. Geee and Pollyannaish in some ways as I have hyperinsulinism (hypoglycemia). I sometimes can get away with different eating habits than a diabetic, but a sugar-free diet is the only way to control hypoglycemia. Sugar is my very real enemy--not only for the depression aspect which it can bring on, but also the 'fat gut' syndrome, too. Any sweet calories goes immediately to my muffin top.

 

I was told by some physician years ago that a vinegar taste will often take away a sweet craving. (I find that when I am craving sweets is EXACTLY the time I should not eat them.) I have found that dill pickle chips work for me--if I remember to use them when I am having a sweet attack. And actually, I am a huge fan of bread and butter pickles even though they do have some sugar in them. That's probably why they are more satisfying to me. (These can be made in the microwave with Stevia.)

 

Also, recently MrC and I have started using Organic 100% carrot juice as an appetite suppressant. It is low in calories but it IS high in carbs/sugars (19g), and not much fiber (<1g). Fortunately, I deal quite well with natural sugars found in most fruits and vegetables and I find the sweet cold taste of carrot juice very satisfying. It is all trial and error. I found that grape juice, particularly the dark purple varieties, to be absolute poison to me. Potatoes are OK; sweet potatoes, are a no no; yams OK in moderation; etc. etc. etc.

 

No doubt you are familiar with the recipes at Stevia.com?

[Chickadee]

Two drastically different sugar free bread and butter pickle recipes:

 

Stevia Sweet Pickles

 

3 ½ lbs pickling cucumbers (4-5 inches long)

2 ½ cups water

3 ½ cups apple cider vinegar

¾ cup + 1 tsp Kosher salt, divided

¾ oz pickling spice, tied in a cheesecloth

1 onion, chopped

Fresh garlic (optional)

20 packets Stevia (Be sure to check the sugar equivalency charts of your Stevia brand.)

 

1. Scrub cucumbers, quarter them lengthwise, and place them in a large glass bowl with salt and cover with ice water. Mix to dissolve salt. Ensure all cucumbers are submerged (use a dinner plate to hold them down) and put them in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

 

2. Bring canner water to a boil. Thoroughly wash 6 pint canning jars and lids, and place them in the water. Ensure the water level covers the caps on the jars. Leave them in simmering water until ready to fill.

 

3. Drain cucumbers and rinse 2 or 3 times in cold water. Set aside.

 

4. Bring vinegar, water, and 1 tsp Kosher salt to a boil. Add onion and cheesecloth filled with pickling spice. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add Stevia and stir until dissolved.

 

5. Bring the canner rack up and raise the heat to boil. Take one jar out of the rack, draining the water. Add optional garlic to the jar and fill with cucumbers. (It is easier to turn the jar on its side to do this.) Fill jar with simmering pickling liquid, leaving ½ inch head space.

 

6. Slide a non-metallic spatula or a chopstick between the cucumbers in the jar to release air pockets. Repeat a few times.

 

7. Remove a 2-piece lid from the hot water. Wipe jar rim and lid with a clean dry cloth. Screw the lid band down, just until resistance is met. Set the jar into the rack and repeat from step 5 until all jars are filled.

 

8. Lower the rack into the canner pot and put the lid on. Start a timer for 15 minutes and process the jars at a gentle but steady boil.

 

9. After 15 minutes, raise canner rack and carefully remove the jars, setting them on a dry towel to cool. Do not jar, shake or tip jars. Leave them be for 24 hours.

 

10. After jars have cooled, check lids for a seal by pressing on the center. (If the lid pops, the seal didn’t take, so just put that in the fridge and eat it up first!) Label and store sealed jars in a cool dark place.

 

 

Microwave Sugar Free Bread and Butter Pickles

 

Ingredients:

* 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

* 2 small sweet onions, thinly sliced

* 3/4 cup Splenda granular or Stevia (not certain they really compare 1:1)

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

* 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

* 1/2 cup vinegar

 

Directions:

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine all ingredients. (Pour vinegar over last).

2. Microwave uncovered on high for 4 minutes. Stir.

3. Cook for 3-4 minutes longer, until bubbly and cucumber and onions are crisp-tender.

4. Cover with plastic wrap.

5. Cool on a rack.

6. When cool, put in refrigerator and let sit overnight. (Garden cucumbers without wax are best).

[Geee]

Thank you so much for the recipes Chickadee. I also did not know of Stevia.com-why didn't i think that something would be on the net You can find EVERYTHING there now. Just a few minutes ago when I saw a new bird and couldn't find my bird book I found a site called Whatbird.com. It is great and better than my bird book-but I digress.

 

The sugar free, low sugar recipes that I posted on the Porch a few weeks ago are in recipes in Community incidentally. They are not all recipes that I have tried, but some of the ones that were in my file.

[Geee]

Pasta. The lowest carb one I have found is Barilla Plus. It is in the yellow box=not the blue. It has 34g of carbs per serving(2 oz dry? ) That sounds like a lot but it is made a grain and legume flour blend( semolina, lentils,chickpeas, flaxseed, barley, spelt, oats, egg white and oat fiber). It does not bring up Mr. Geee's blood sugar if he behaves himself with the portions. I usually ad a bunch of 'stuff' to the sauce before serving it - black or green olives, hearts of palm or artichokes along with the meat. He is 'supposed to use more of the sauce then and a smaller amount of the pasta. Most of the time it works.

[pollyannaish]

Pasta. The lowest carb one I have found is Barilla Plus. It is in the yellow box=not the blue. It has 34g of carbs per serving(2 oz dry? ) That sounds like a lot but it is made a grain and legume flour blend( semolina, lentils,chickpeas, flaxseed, barley, spelt, oats, egg white and oat fiber). It does not bring up Mr. Geee's blood sugar if he behaves himself with the portions. I usually ad a bunch of 'stuff' to the sauce before serving it - black or green olives, hearts of palm or artichokes along with the meat. He is 'supposed to use more of the sauce then and a smaller amount of the pasta. Most of the time it works.

 

We use that one too. The other key for me is to not cook it too long. That seems to keep my blood sugar in check.

 

And portion control. *spit* That seems to be the key to almost all of this. Which I hate because honestly I could very easily be a glutton for a living. I LOVE food!

[nickydog]

I made these muffins two nights ago. They are from the South Beach Diet Cook Book and are delicious. Do they work for this thread?

 

Wholesome Oat Muffins

3/4 c. oats (I used the longer cooking oatmeal, not the quick)

1 c. buttermilk (buttermilk is a nuisance in our house -- I used 1 T lemon juice and filled

the rest of the cup with skim milk, let sit for 5 min. and it is ready to use)

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp.. salt

2/3 c. chopped walnuts

1/3 c. canola oil

1 egg, beaten

1/3 c. brown sugar substitute (made by Splenda)

1 tsp. vanilla

 

In a small bowl, combine the oats and the buttermilk. Let soak for 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and walnuts.

In a large bowl, stir together the oil, egg, brown sugar substitute, and vanilla until well

blended. Stir in the oat mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not

overmix.

Divide the batter into 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 425 degrees for 11 to 15 minutes. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and cool.

 

Per muffin: 180 cal., 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 21 g carbs, 3 g dietary fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, 191 g sodium

[Geee]

They sure do work for this thread. I have never tried the Splenda brown sugar substitute, maybe I will have to. Tried a brown sugar substitute before they had theirs and it was so bad that it kind of turned me off to trying another. How does it taste separate from being in a recipe?

[nickydog]

They sure do work for this thread. I have never tried the Splenda brown sugar substitute, maybe I will have to. Tried a brown sugar substitute before they had theirs and it was so bad that it kind of turned me off to trying another. How does it taste separate from being in a recipe?

I put it on my oatmeal, but learned to use just a very little bit as it is sweeter than regular brown sugar. It can leave an aftertaste, too, so I was worried about how these muffins would turn out and could even smell the brown sugar sub as they were baking, but didn't notice it at all in the eating much to my delight, so maybe it is better to bake with than to put on food by itself.

[Rheo]

Interesting info. Thanks.

Have you tried any of the Stevia liquid products? They don't seem to have a brown sugar substitute. Bummer.

These sound interesting though:

SweetLeaf Liquid stevia with all natural flavors is convenient and easy to use. All natural. Zero calories. Zero carbohydrates. Zero glycemic index. 12 great flavors: Vanilla Creme, English Toffee, Dark Chocolate, Valencia Orange, Root Beer, Milk Chocolate, Lemon Drop, Apricot Nectar, Cinnamon, Grape, Chocolate Raspberry, and Peppermint. ($89.95)

 

 

I am the opposite of Mr. Geee and Pollyannaish in some ways as I have hyperinsulinism (hypoglycemia). I sometimes can get away with different eating habits than a diabetic, but a sugar-free diet is the only way to control hypoglycemia. Sugar is my very real enemy--not only for the depression aspect which it can bring on, but also the 'fat gut' syndrome, too. Any sweet calories goes immediately to my muffin top.

 

I was told by some physician years ago that a vinegar taste will often take away a sweet craving. (I find that when I am craving sweets is EXACTLY the time I should not eat them.) I have found that dill pickle chips work for me--if I remember to use them when I am having a sweet attack. And actually, I am a huge fan of bread and butter pickles even though they do have some sugar in them. That's probably why they are more satisfying to me. (These can be made in the microwave with Stevia.)

 

Also, recently MrC and I have started using Organic 100% carrot juice as an appetite suppressant. It is low in calories but it IS high in carbs/sugars (19g), and not much fiber (<1g). Fortunately, I deal quite well with natural sugars found in most fruits and vegetables and I find the sweet cold taste of carrot juice very satisfying. It is all trial and error. I found that grape juice, particularly the dark purple varieties, to be absolute poison to me. Potatoes are OK; sweet potatoes, are a no no; yams OK in moderation; etc. etc. etc.

 

No doubt you are familiar with the recipes at Stevia.com?

[Rheo]

Started a Sugar Free & Low Carb category in Community Recipes. Keep them coming!

Here they are so far. The Stevia Sweet Pickles is apparently too long to post as recipe card as it leaves off partway through #10

 

Sugar Free Frosting

Ingredients

1 (1.4 ounce) package sugar-free instant pudding mix

1 1/2 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) container lite frozen whipped topping, thawed

 

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Mix well and let stand until thickened.

2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pudding and mix well. Finally, fold in whipped topping.

 

It is supposed to be refrigerated and I didn't really have room in the fridge to put the cake, so I just refrigerated the frosting and put a little on each slice when I cut it. It was more like a topping then a frosting anyway, but really good.

 

I have posted before that Pillsbury has a new sugar free cake that I use-yellow or chocolate. I add chocolate or vanilla sugar free instant pudding and an extra egg when I make it and nuts. It's nice and moist.

 

I also make a similar dessert to this. I make a pkg of sugar free vanilla pudding mix, cream cheese and add a can of crushed pineapple packed in it's own juices. I also sometimes use light peaches instead of the pineapple.

 

~Recipe by Geee~

 

Microwave Sugar Free Bread and Butter Pickles

Ingredients:

* 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

* 2 small sweet onions, thinly sliced

* 3/4 cup Splenda granular or Stevia (not certain they really compare 1:1)

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

* 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

* 1/2 cup vinegar

 

Directions:

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine all ingredients. (Pour vinegar over last).

2. Microwave uncovered on high for 4 minutes. Stir.

3. Cook for 3-4 minutes longer, until bubbly and cucumber and onions are crisp-tender.

4. Cover with plastic wrap.

5. Cool on a rack.

6. When cool, put in refrigerator and let sit overnight. (Garden cucumbers without wax are best).

 

~Recipe by Chickadee~

 

Wholesome Oat Muffins

3/4 c. oats (I used the longer cooking oatmeal, not the quick)

1 c. buttermilk (buttermilk is a nuisance in our house -- I used 1 T lemon juice and filled

the rest of the cup with skim milk, let sit for 5 min. and it is ready to use)

1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp.. salt

2/3 c. chopped walnuts

1/3 c. canola oil

1 egg, beaten

1/3 c. brown sugar substitute (made by Splenda)

1 tsp. vanilla

 

In a small bowl, combine the oats and the buttermilk. Let soak for 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and walnuts.

In a large bowl, stir together the oil, egg, brown sugar substitute, and vanilla until well

blended. Stir in the oat mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not

overmix.

Divide the batter into 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 425 degrees for 11 to 15 minutes. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and cool.

 

Per muffin: 180 cal., 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 21 g carbs, 3 g dietary fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, 191 g sodium

 

~Recipe by nickydog~

[Rheo]

To bring a recipe card to a post:

 

In Community, Recipes.

Go to the recipe you want. Bottom right is Select Recipe Block Code. Click that and it will highlight the text below. Copy that and paste it to the post.

 

I found it helpful when using Geee's recipes for that last party. Just took notebook to kitchen and had the cards right there.

[Geee]

Great-thanks Rheo.

 

In the beginning of the thread I discussed Maltitol and its laxative effect. It is in the majority of sugar-free candy, cookies, chocolate bars etc that you buy at the store. We used to get these great chocolate bars on line many years ago but they went out of business. In doing a search I found this company:

 

http://www.carbsmart.com/choco.html

 

I may try them. They seem to have great ratings from their customers.

[Rheo]

Great-thanks Rheo.

 

In the beginning of the thread I discussed Maltitol and its laxative effect. It is in the majority of sugar-free candy, cookies, chocolate bars etc that you buy at the store. We used to get these great chocolate bars on line many years ago but they went out of business. In doing a search I found this company:

 

http://www.carbsmart.com/choco.html

 

I may try them. They seem to have great ratings from their customers.

Might have to try those.

[nickydog]

Having the opposite problem of Mr.Geee I may decide to seek out products that contain Maltitol.

[Geee]

Try fiber or Metamucil first

[Rheo]

Milk of Magnesia. (allow 2 hours at least the next morning before plans to leave the house).

Just sayin..

[Geee]

Fruit Crumbly(D)

 

1 quart fresh strawberries or 1 bag frozen, sliced

1 quart fresh blueberries or 1 bag frozen

1 tbsp flour

¼ cup butter

1 tbsp white sugar Splenda

¼ cup brown sugar Splenda

¼ cup plain oats

 

 

toss berries with flour and Splenda. Pour into glass baking dish. In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar Splenda and oats with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over berries. Add 2 pats butter, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until berries are bubbling and topping is browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

 

 

Fast & Easy Strawberry Shortcake

 

1 angel food cake(sugar-free is easy to find)

2 pkgs instant vanilla pudding(sugar free)

1 container cool whip(sugar free)

1 pint strawberries

 

Cut angel food cake into slices and cover bottom of 9x13 pan. Cover angel food slices with prepared vanilla pudding. Top with cool whip. Top with strawberry slices.

 

 

No Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam(D)

40 servings

 

1 ½ cups granulated measurable sweetener

1 1.59 oz pkg fruit freezer jam pectin

4 cups crushed fresh strawberries, or use 4 cups frozen unsweetened , thawed and drained

 

Combine sweetener and pectin in large bowl, stirring until well blended. Add crushed fruit to dry mixture. Stir 3 minutes. Ladle fruit mixture into 5 clean 8 oz. jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature until thickened, about 30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or store in the freezer for up to 1 year. Makes 5(8 oz) jars or 40 servings.

[nickydog]

Great sounding recipes, Geee. I especially want to try the crumbly.