I've switched over to eating low-carb (instead of counting calories)...and I'm really loving it. Counting calories and subtracting calories burned through exercise/walking just didn't seem to be working as well as it used to when I was younger, plus, it was just getting downright BORING. By keeping my carbs under 120, that's right, 120, not 20 or 40 or 60....I have lost 6 lbs. in only 5 days. I really like making turkey and cheddar sandwiches on whole wheat bread (only 1 slice of bread/cut the crusts off)...but I've always liked to eat potato chips with a sandwich. A sandwich all by itself just seems lonely and it needs a side. I know potato chips are OUT, so what else would go well with a sandwich? Right now I've been eating my low-carb sandwiches with a side of soup, like vegetable, beef barley, or chicken noodle (I try to avoid the noodles.) But I still feel like I'd rather have something crispy with the sandwich...any suggestions? Thanks so much. Eagerly awaiting ideas....
How about a fruit? Or a raw onion if you are a fan? Tomato perhaps? If none of these appeal to you, you can try cucumber slices or a healthy salad.
I was thinking maybe an apple with peanut butter (on top). Not a big fan of onions or tomatoes, but I do like your salad/cucumber idea. Those are 2 perfect sides. I was also looking at the back of a potato chip bag, and the carbs per one serving are about 15. That really isn't as bad as I thought. Maybe only half a serving, then...so that would be 7.5 carbs. + 1 cucumber or salad (0 carbs). Thank you Decentlady for your suggestions.
How about veggie chips or low carb pretzels? You'll find lots of choices at your chip section. There's blue corn tortilla chips or nuts? Walgreens has some on sale all the time and you can check online about them. I take a little time for window shopping for like you I love crunchy with sandwiches especially. If you'd like to go fresh crunchy, there's carrots to cut like thin French fries to go with your sandwich. Carrots go on sale all the time too so they are a bargain. Most of the healthy chips go on sale time to time too.
When I am on low calorie diet, I try pop corn, oats, cabbage, cucumber, tomato, spinach, lettuce. I always try to avoid junk food, food containing saturated fats, spicy food. If you are eating low crab, pop corn, corn meal and oats are best. You can add fruits and vegetables to add a twist.
I could stick with all of the vegetable you've mentioned ^ ..... but not the oats, popcorn, or corn meal. Those are all high-carb foods. (20 grams and above for each.) But veggies are always a safe bet. Thank you!
Thanks, I need to look into those veggie chips....I see them all the time but always forget to check the back label. I'm hoping the carbs should be pretty low, since they are made from vegetables, right? I'll check it out. Thanks again!
Glad to help. I buy these chips once in a while the oz. and price is a bit high for me, so I buy it occasionally. If you got a CVS or Walgreens they got it sale usually. Both stores are online too if you don't get their ads from Sunday newspapers. Enjoy the crunch like I do too. If you like the taste of soy there's also mochi crunch. (image is fromLog In where the blog is funny.) There are different brands of arare or mochi crunch. It's crunchy, has a soy flavoring and all brands has their own distinct flavor too. (image fromLog In) Here is the nutrition specs for Tomoe brand and most of the mochi crunch as we call it here in Hawaii or arare as they call it in Japan. These mochi crunch is very crunchy. There is natural pop corn already popped from CVS too that's a soft good crunch. Like you I love crunch so I find them, lol.
@Krissttina Isobe See my post below this one. I double-posted but that's because it wouldn't go through the first time. (??) Sorry.....and thank you! These are awesome! Thanks so much for the info (and the pics) - will definitely go out searching around CVS and Walgreen's (we have them both.) Only problem is, something in the turkey sandwiches has been causing me to get these visual migraine auras whenever I wake up. I know it's the turkey, because I've had to eliminate it, and now it doesn't happen anymore. And I really loved those turkey sandwiches. Weird thing is, I can eat all other deli meats with no prob. What the heck could be in turkey that would cause this visual disturbance every day when I first wake up?? But anyway thank you for the above ^ .....because I'm sure I will still be eating other sandwiches now. I just know turkey was the healthiest and I hate to give it up. Thanks again.
How about a side of salad dressed in your favorite dressing and some nuts and craisins? You can always switch up the kind of salad you eat. I really like salad with grilled chicken strips or maybe some guacamole with baked tortilla chips.
I don't know too except that you might be allergic to turkey. I'm so glad that you found good suggestions with your post! I love crunch too, lol, so it seems I know a lot, not so just do a lot of window shopping and check out what's available. Have a happiest holidays and enjoy the crunch too!
One of the cheapest alternatives are low-carb crackers without salt. A pack usually costs less than a dollar and if you purchase an entire box, it's usually around 1.00 dollar or 2.00 dollars for the maximum price. They always hold a good amount of product, though. I recommend any dollar store. The ones that claim they're low in carbohydrates usually are made of something else than the usual.
I'd probably opt for roasted chickpeas, personally. So long as you don't have too many you should be fine. 1/2 a cup of them is 22 grams of carbs, but you could have less than that of course. I find a small handful is normally enough at a time for me, personally. If I didn't have time for roasting them though I'd probably be opting for a salad. Either of those should be a pretty cheap side to go with the sandwich too!
I am right there with you. I try to do lower carbs as well. You could try doing a lettuce wrap instead of the bread on the sandwich as well or using a low carb tortilla instead of bread. The carb savings there might allow for a few chips. Another alternative, one that's pretty cheap, is pork skins (or pork rinds). I'm not really a big fan of these, but some people like them. They are crunchy and they have zero carbs. They're usually only about a buck a bag. I usually get some crunch from things like celery, cucumber slices, or even popcorn (that you make yourself). Popcorn does have carbs, but it's also very high in fiber, which makes it better than a lot of the other snacks. If I'm craving something crunchy like chips, I might have just a bit of whatever it is I want and then try to cut carbs someplace else. I count out a few (maybe half a serving) on my plate and put the rest away.
A warm soup! Soup can warm your stomach and make it feel full. There are so many low calorie soup recipes you can find online that can compliment a soup. if your bread is toasted, I swear it will really work well with a very warm soup. Tomato soup works well with grilled cheese sandwiches while sea food chowder compliments a Tuna sandwich. You can experiment with different combinations to work with your sandwiches.
Soup does work well for making you feel full and satisfied, and it's certainly a more affordable alternative than a lot of other choices. Here, it's not just about calories though. When doing low carb diets, you start to crave something crunchy. Most crunchy stuff is high in that category, so you look for alternatives that don't have so many carbohydrates. Of course, any special "diet" food is going to be more expensive than the regular options, so finding alternatives that aren't specialty foods also helps with the grocery budget. Don't even get me started on substitutes for sweets.
Low carb can be hard, and I have tried, but I miss my carbs. I have a low carb vegetarian diet book which I still can't follow, but read for inspiration. They do have some good recipes and recommend having quiches on standby to snack on, and a spinach bread recipe ( you make a loaf made out of spinach and veggies) that can be used instead of bread.
It is hard, especially when you crave sweets and crunchies. I'm always on the lookout for places to shop for affordable low carb alternatives. There are many different substitutions you can use in your meal planning to still get some of those satisfying tastes and textures. Coconut flour and almond flour, or a combination of the two, can be used in place of the all purpose kind. I want to try this for making breading for chicken and such. I'm looking for someplace to purchase these on discount. Of course, I always shop around first for whatever it is. If you know where to get cheeses at a good price, you might want to try cheese crisps. You can apparently bake a slice of cheese on parchment paper until it's crispy, and it's a bit like a cracker. I just foundLog In, so I haven't tried it yet. I intend to soon.
I love potato chips actually on my sandwiches but I am also trying to cut down on not so healthy foods I switched my potato chips for cut up bell pepper slices (on or off the sandwich) I still get the satisfaction of the "crunch" but a lot healthier plus I think they are yummy.
Great idea. That is another good and cost effective alternative. I like them, but peppers tend to hurt my tummy sometimes. I also sometimes get my crunch fix from eating celery sticks. You can put chopped celery in things like chicken salad as well. I also like to do celery sticks with peanut butter or cream cheese in them for a snack. A friend of mine fills them with pimiento cheese. Cucumber slices work too, both on and off the sandwich. I can often find good deals on fresh vegetables at Aldi, so when I go there, I try to make sure that I stock up.
