I’ve been low-carb for almost a year now, specifically doing the Atkins diet. Despite the negative press, it was wonderful for me. I have more energy, and the weight is coming off slowly but steadily. The symptoms of Syndrome X (pre-diabetes) have disappeared, so I have a lot to be thankful for. I also eat lots of fresh vegetables now, which I never did before, except for small salads sometimes or clear, translucent lettuce , which comes on the fast food Burger.
Most of the time, the low carb lifestyle is pretty easy to stick to, but every now and then (usually when I’m bored or stressed out) I get carb cravings that can only be satisfied by chewy, gooey, brown, fresh scotch. from the oven What to do? First, I tried some pre-made low carb energy bars from the grocery store. A completely inappropriate, pale imitation of reality. One of the fries even had a fishy aftertaste!
I’m not much of a cook, so cooking was a bit of a chore. Mix the rest of the pastry. Fortunately, a low carb diet is going crazy in full swing, leaving me plenty of choices. I’ve tried almost all of them, including the abysmally bad Atkins Nutritionals Bake Mix. I wasn’t going to beat around the bush, it was horrible. With the strong soy flavor and the course grind it was hard to imagine you were eating something made from real flour. It had a bitter aftertaste and a gritty, sandy mouthfeel. Even my normally ravenous golden retriever did not “paw”.
My experiences were not unusual. Talking to many other dieters I realized that most prepackaged diets are not very good. So, I hope my low carb cooking experience will save you time and money. Since we have briefly discussed the bad, I will tell you about two really delicious mixed cooking carbs, and the best things you use both of them.
I’ll compare my two favorite mixes, Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Bake Mix, and Tova Industries Carbquik Bake Mix. I buy both at my grocery store, but I’ve also seen them at health food stores and on the internet at the link provided below.
Let’s look at how well each recipe performs in three different tests: Brownies, Pancakes and Cookies. But before we talk about their differences, let’s talk about their similarities.
Bob’s Red Mill and Carbquik both cost about the same, about $4 a pound. They’re not as cheap as regular cereal or bisquick, but that’s not surprising when you’re a foodie. Because they are more of a treat than a staple, price is not a big consideration for me.
Carbquik has a light bank when it becomes a carb count. Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Bake Mix has 11 grams of carbs in a quarter cup. That includes 5 grams of fiber, for an effective carb count of 6 grams per serving. Carbquik has 12 grams per quart. Carbquik less, of carbohydrates by serving P.*III. With a difference of 3 P. per serving, it is likely that the material of the lowest carb dieters, except inductions.
Carbquik and Bob’s Red Mill both make excellent batter for fried chicken! I don’t eat many fried foods, but I have a weakness for good homemade fried chicken. Milk and salt and pepper mixed with the egg to taste, both mixes a super, crunchy coating.
To begin our test, I made two batches of brownies, identical except for the baking mix to be used. My test table included my 12 son and a 9-year-old granddaughter, in addition your truth
The brownies made with Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Bake Mix were delicious. They stayed chewy and moist even after they were cooled, and the kids couldn’t tell they weren’t made with regular sprinkles. Carbquik, on the other hand, produced a wonderful brownie that was still warm, but hard and dry after cooling. I was also able to taste the baked mix in the cooled Carbquik brownies, but it was subtle. The kids enjoyed both, but they definitely preferred Bob’s Red Mill.
The pancakes were a different story. After making my low carb smoothie out of frozen berries and stevia, I got out the grill and whipped up two batters. The clear winner here was Carbquik. Carbquik Bake Mix made a very fluffy pancake that tasted a little like butter. They took shape and stayed together well, while the buns made with Bob’s Red Mill Low Carb Bake were too grainy and fell apart in the pan and were added again with the berry syrup. They had an ok flavor, if a little bland, but Bob’s Red Mill had to grind the runner and it just didn’t work well. The vote this time was by consensus, with Carbquik being the clear choice for pancakes.
When it came to biscuits, our taste board was divided. Be sure to mix the cookies very well, and I would not hesitate to use them again. I prefer the textured cookies made from Bob Red Mill. It gives a great bite to the current corn, a great accompaniment to a plate of eggs or to an evening soup. But both kids preferred the cleaner, lighter tasting Carbquik crackers. I enjoyed them too, but they were more airy and less substantial than Bob’s Red Mill cookies. Neither type is best contained. They brought out a lot of bugs, but they are still quite a treat.
I hope my experience with low carb baking products helps you on your low carb journey. Happy baker!
