Food Frustrations

[VellaNova]

This is my second day on Atkins and I have already had a few food frustrations. I've been reading labels and just about everything in my stinking fridge and pantry has some sort of sugar in it. The carb count is low like no more than 1g carb per serving, but sugar is listed, or some other form of sugar is listed in the ingredients list. I can't just do away with it all, I have a husband and a 20 month old that are in the household who are still eating carbs, but I'm just stumped on what to do. Even my all natural Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage has sugar in it...blah..

[chauber]

I love to eat sausage for breakfast...but have been unable to find any that doesn't have some non-induction ingredient. This week while looking around at the store, I picked up a 1 pound roll of ground turkey (80% meat/20% fat) with white and dark meat. I made patties out of it and fried it with a little salt, pepper, and sage. I know what is in it and it's legal and tastes really good to me.

I have also learned that it can be a pain reading labels, they may look low carb...but when you read the ingredients there is always something illegal. I just try to buy fresh meat and fresh or frozen vegetables, plus no-sugar added bacon, and some cheese. It gets easier to spot what you can have and can't have.

I have a 21 month old, 9 year old, and 13 year old daughters, plus my biggest kid, my husband and they still eat pasta, fruit, ice cream, cereal....just not as often. Hopefully, you will be able to get in the right frame of mind to make your meals, and something a little different for them. One thing that I do is buy frozen hamburger patties. If they are having something like breaded chicken nuggets I fry up two patties and put bacon and cheese between them with spicy brown mustard on top. Then I add my veggies and I am good to go.

Good luck!

[RitaCeleste]

Well, just change as much as you can what you keep buying. I look for stuff on sale. Hamburger, chicken legquarters or breasts, Boston Butts or picnics, countrystyle ribs, are on sale a lot here so we eat meals built around this. Even the canned veggies have to be watched for sugar! GRRRR! But as long as its a real food, its pretty good to eat. Anything like the shakes I have had problems with. The other people in the house get their junky stuff, but with a little meal planning with the real foods, they get less of it. "I have made this for dinner people, eat up!"

[VellaNova]

Thanks for all the great tips. I think I kinda messed up today with some turkey I added to my omelet, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Just learn from it and move on.

[chauber]

Originally Posted by VellaNova

Thanks for all the great tips. I think I kinda messed up today with some turkey I added to my omelet, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Just learn from it and move on.

If it was turkey as in lunchmeat...just count it as a small slip (no where near the worst one you could ever make), brush off the dust and don't beat yourself up about it.

My best advice is to take it 'one bite at a time'. Good luck and have faith in yourself! You CAN do THIS!

[OzLover]

I believe that Bob Evans breakfast sausage has no sugar. Jones breakfast sausage has no sugar also.

It is frustrating trying to find foods without sugar. Keep reading labels & you'll find products that you can use. Don't give up VellaNova.

I love the quote in your siggy! So true!

[msanjelpie]

I just eat it... 1 carb of sugar isn't going to stall me... Considering the way I used to eat (before Atkins) being so strict just doesn't jive with reality in my book...

[liv]

Keep reading those labels. You are doing the right thing. That is what it takes. You have to turn into the food police.
In the end whole food rocks and these are the staples you will turn to time after time.
Even if your family eat carbs (mine does too) they will benefit from you cleaning out some of the chemicals that I bet you have in your cubbard and they will be healthier with you.
It is a bummer sometimes but it is a good thing in the long run