Living La Vida Lo-Carb!

Update: Just tried another bagel from Low Carb U. It's a cinnamon raisin bagel by Carb Krunchers. A little more calories (135) and a few more carbs (13.5) than the Health Wise brand, but tastes JUST like regular bagels!-9/2


If you love carbs, and seriously who doesn't, then it's pretty disheartening to find out that most diets strictly forbid them. So while your co-workers are happily scarfing down their morning munchies on "Bagel Thursday," you are usually stuck enjoying a tasty low-fat yogurt. Well that time has come to an end.

Introducing "Low Carb U." Although the name makes me think of a slogan for a seedy strip-mall sashimi joint, this deliteful little store has every tasty treat you can imagine in low-carb/low-cal form.

I was a little skeptical at first but after trying out a few products I have two that are definitely not too good to be true.

"Carb-Nada" Egg Fettuccine: This awesome pasta packs 6 grams of fiber per 1 1/2 cup (2 oz) serving and only has 140 calories! It also has only 24 carbs total, none of which come from sugar. It is made from Semolina, a type of wheat.

Compare this to regular pasta. "White" and whole wheat both have about 40 more calories per serving and almost double the carbs (although whole wheat has a similar amount of fiber).

Mock Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

1 cup Carb-Nada cooked= 100 cal

1/2 cup cooked broccoli= 15 cal

4 oz cooked/chopped chicken= 120 cal

1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Olive= 40 cal

2 teaspoons Vegan "parmesan" cheese= 15 cal

=290 calories total! Beat that Olive Garden :)

HealthWise Bakery Bagels: These amazing bagels beat the competition by far with a mere 80 calories. They are the same size as a normal bagel and come in all the flavors offered at your favorite bakery. They have no fat, 7 grams of protein, and only 7 carbs! And get this: all 7 carbs are from fiber and since fiber is a "non-digestible" carb, that means there are technically NO carbs!

Now I'm not going to lie to you. Unlike the pasta above (which tastes just like normal pasta), these bagels do not taste as good as regular bagels. But then again, would you really expect them to compare to a normal 300 calorie/50 carb flour fest? I don't think so. If made properly though, and with the perfect topping, they are pretty damn good!

-Step 1, defrost in microwave for about 20 seconds. They come frozen and since they do not have preservatives, will go bad quickly if you don't keep them frozen.
-Step 2 pop in toaster till desired crispness.
-Step 3 spread on almond butter, fat-free cream cheese, low fat cottage cheese, or anything else you desire. And Enjoy!

For those who do not live in L.A., these Low Carb U products and many more can be found at:

http://www.locarbu.com/catalog/

*They also carry Walden Farms salad dressing and Baja Bob's drink mixers, mentioned in previous entries.