Mitra
03-26-2007, 08:40 AM
Do you have any good tips on putting together the day's menus?
Protein Power has a week of sample menus.
Protein Power Lifeplan has a list of suggestions for protein, and a list of suggestions for accompanying carb-foods for intervention, transition, and maintenance (with breakfast ideas listed separately from lunch and dinner)
The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution has, surprisingly enough, 30 days of menus - 24 days of Intervention level, and six days of transition/maintenance menus. There's also a "generic ultra-low ultra-easy mealplan."
The basic pattern is to take the appropriate amount of protein for your size (eggs, meat, fish ...) and add carbs. Most of the meal suggestions divide the carb allowance in half and have two servings. So, if you're at Intervention, having no more than 10g carb per meal, you can have two small servings of veg or fruit (there are lists of what constitutes a small serving in Staying Power and the 30-Day book) or two 5ecc servings (there are lists of what gives you 5, 10, 15, 20, 25g in PP). If your main protein source has some carbs (such as dairy, nuts, soy) remember to allow for that.
Regina Wilshire wrote a blog entry on menu planning last year: Low-Carb Menu Planning Made Easy (http://weightoftheevidence.blogspot.com/2006/03/low-carb-menu-planning-made-easy.html). Her example is a Atkins-compliant 20g ecc menu, but the principles still apply. One useful point is that she suggests that up to 40g ecc per day, you use at least half of your carb allowance on non-starchy vegetables, to get plenty of nutrients for your carbage. Over 40g, you should still use the first 20g on non-starchy veggies, then the rest however you like to add variety to your menus.
Protein Power has a week of sample menus.
Protein Power Lifeplan has a list of suggestions for protein, and a list of suggestions for accompanying carb-foods for intervention, transition, and maintenance (with breakfast ideas listed separately from lunch and dinner)
The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution has, surprisingly enough, 30 days of menus - 24 days of Intervention level, and six days of transition/maintenance menus. There's also a "generic ultra-low ultra-easy mealplan."
The basic pattern is to take the appropriate amount of protein for your size (eggs, meat, fish ...) and add carbs. Most of the meal suggestions divide the carb allowance in half and have two servings. So, if you're at Intervention, having no more than 10g carb per meal, you can have two small servings of veg or fruit (there are lists of what constitutes a small serving in Staying Power and the 30-Day book) or two 5ecc servings (there are lists of what gives you 5, 10, 15, 20, 25g in PP). If your main protein source has some carbs (such as dairy, nuts, soy) remember to allow for that.
Regina Wilshire wrote a blog entry on menu planning last year: Low-Carb Menu Planning Made Easy (http://weightoftheevidence.blogspot.com/2006/03/low-carb-menu-planning-made-easy.html). Her example is a Atkins-compliant 20g ecc menu, but the principles still apply. One useful point is that she suggests that up to 40g ecc per day, you use at least half of your carb allowance on non-starchy vegetables, to get plenty of nutrients for your carbage. Over 40g, you should still use the first 20g on non-starchy veggies, then the rest however you like to add variety to your menus.