This is the third in our series of articles designed to help you enjoy a healthy, happy holiday season!
Traditional Hanukkah foods are delicious treats you probably look forward to all year, but they’re decidedly not tummy-friendly. Combinations of wheat and dairy or wheat and starchy root vegetables put a strain on your digestive system. Combine that with the frying process and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect storm of digestive distress. While it’s important to honor the Festival of Lights with the frying oil (for dishes like latkes), here’s a new way to enjoy the foods you’ve always loved!
Traditional potato latkes get their carb content from the main ingredient, potato. This lighter version swaps starchy, carb-laden spuds with celeraic.
Low Carb Matzo Balls and Soup
The matzo balls are, of course, the source of all the carbs. Lighten the load by swapping the matzo meal for almond meal.
Watch your portion size and pass on high-carb sides, such as carrots and potatoes. (At 6 grams per carrot and 37 grams for potatoes, this traditional side dish packs more carbs than a classic, dairy-rich noodle kugel.)
Low-carb Smoked Salmon with Coconut Flour Blinis
The seafood lovers will finish every bite!
Noodle Kugel
This is probably going to be served every night of Hanukkah … at the end of the evening. At 30 grams of carbohydrates per serving, a portion of traditional kugel amounts to 10% of your RDA (based on a 2,000- calorie diet). The carb intake isn’t significant, but dairy-rich meals can aggravate intestinal gas and bloating.
If kugel hasn’t been a part of your recent celebrations, here’s how you can enjoy it once again.
Swap the dairy sour cream for almond sour cream.
Replace the cottage- and cream cheeses for almond milk cream cheese.
Use spaghetti squash instead of noodles.
Substitute 4 tbsp. of NOW Foods Organic Better Stevia Extract Powder for the cup of sugar.
Bonus: if you keep kosher, there’s no need to wait to eat this dessert after the brisket!
http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2012/05/sweet-lokshen-kugel/
http://eatwithinyourmeans.com/homemade-non-dairy-sour-cream/
http://plantepusherne.dk/almond-milk-cream-cheese/
Zero-carb Flourless Chocolate Cake
Swap out the sugar in this recipe’s ingredient list with stevia (see note) and ditch the carbs.
Note: To save carbs and eliminate the possibility of erythritol-related gastric distress, bake with stevia. Bookmark Stevita Stevia’s conversion chart for handy reference.
Lighten the carb load this year while you celebrate the holidays. If you just can’t pass on traditional versions of your holiday favorites, two CharcoCaps® capsules will help you enjoy your favorite foods without worry!
CharcoCaps® dietary supplement relieves gas and bloating FAST!*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Additional Sources:
Stevita Stevia conversion chart
http://www.stevitastevia.com/conversion-chart
Grams to ounces conversion chart
http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/weight/gram-to-ounce.htm