Making Your Own Vinagrettes

As with many people, salads are an important part of my low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diet. While there are many commercial salad dressing that only contain 2 – 4 carbohydrates per tablespoon, these extra carbs can add up really fast. The type of salad dressing most often recommended by proponents of the LCHF lifestyle are oil and vinegar dressings known as vinaigrettes. In most cases, these vinaigrettes contain no carbohydrates so you can use as much or as little as you want on your salad. The added benefit is that because of their high fat content, they help your body to feel sated thereby making you feel fuller and less hungry.

Vinaigrettes as mentioned are a combination of oil, vinegar, herbs and spices that are mixed together to form a temporary emulsion. Because the emulsion is temporary, and the oil and vinegar will separate, therefore it is best if the vinaigrette is placed in a bottle or container that can be shaken each time before use to mix the oil and vinegar together again. In this article I will teach you how to make a basic vinaigrette to use as a base so that you can add any number of herbs, seasonings and or flavorings to suit your own personal tastes. In addition to vinaigrettes there are a variety of creamed dressings (avocado, blue cheese, and creamy garlic) that use the oil and vinegar base with additions of heavy cream and other components that are then pureed or blended together to form a creamy style vinaigrette.

Basic Oil and Vinegar Base Dressing (Yield: 1 cup)

Oil and vinegar (vinaigrette) is the salad dressing most often recommended by those following a LCHF, Paleo, or Keto eating regimen because it is carbohydrate free and you can use as much as you want. Making a basic vinaigrette is also one of the first salad dressings that everyone learns to make in culinary school. A basic vinaigrette is a vinegar and oil based dressing made with a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar (3:1). There are some chefs that prefer a 4:1 or even a 5:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, my suggestion would be to start with a 3:1 and experiment later. Keep in mind that less oil will make the dressing more tart, while more oil makes the dressing taste milder, but has a heavier oil taste.

¾ cup vegetable or olive oil

¼ cup wine or apple cider vinegar

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

Combine the vinegar, salt, and white pepper in a small mixing bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Then using a wire whisk, slowly add the oil a few drops at a time. Gradually increase the the oil stream and continue to mix until the oil is totally incorporated and an emulsion has formed.

Total Recipe – Calories 988, protein 0 grams, fat 109 grams, carbs 4 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 62, protein 0 grams, fat 6.8 grams, carbs 0.25 grams

Below I have included recipes for some of the more common vinaigrettes as well as a few creamed dressings that you might find at a restaurant or on your supermarket store shelves. This is by no means a complete list as any one vinaigrette or dressing can have multiple variations. Feel free to experiment and adjust the seasonings of the dressing to suit your particular needs. Remember as long as you keep the oil to vinegar ratio at 3:1, you will have a neutral flavor palate in which to play with.

Asian Vinaigrette – Substitute rice wine vinegar for the wine vinegar, for the oil use 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons peanut oil, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Avocado Dressing – Add ¼ of an avocado to the basic recipe or Herbed vinaigrette and beat until smooth with a wire whisk or immersion blender.

Blue Cheese – Add the to the basic recipe 1 ounce crumbled blue cheese or Roquefort cheese and 1 ounce of heavy cream and beat with a wire whisk or immersion blender until throughly combined.

Balsamic Vinaigrette – In place of the wine vinegar, use 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon wine vinegar (total of 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup).

Herbed Vinaigrette – Add to the basic recipe or to the Mustard Vinaigrette ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon dried chives

Italian Vinaigrette – Use olive oil in place of the vegetable oil, add ½ teaspoon minced garlic, ¾ teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley. Another option would be to use 3 – 4 teaspoons of dried Italian seasoning in place of the oregano and parsley).

Lemon Vinaigrette – In place of the wine vinegar, use 3 tablespoons wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice (total of 4 tablespoons or ¼ cup).

Mustard Vinaigrette – Add ½ to 1 teaspoon of yellow prepared or Dijon mustard to the basic recipe.

Picante Vinaigrette – Add to the basic recipe ½ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon paprika, and 2 teaspoons finely minced or pureed onion.

Choosing Your Oil

When it comes to choosing an oil for your vinaigrette, almost all of the nutritional values are the same as you can tell by the comparison below. I realize that I may not have listed every conceivable oil you can use in a vinaigrette, but the oils listed will compromise 99% of all the oils that most people will use to create a vinaigrette dressing. The oils listed in this article are considered all-purpose, and should have a mild, sweet flavor. While some strong flavored oils (peanut, walnut, and sesame oil) can make excellent salad dressings, they should be used sparingly and are not generally appropriate for every type of salad.

Canola, Cottonseed, Grapeseed, Safflower, and Soybean Oil – These oils are all nearly tasteless, and some would say have a bland flavor profile.

Corn Oil – Has a light golden color and is nearly tasteless, but has a slight cornmeal-type flavor profile.

Vegetable Oil – Sometimes called 'salad oil' it is the most common oil used in the restaurant for making vinaigrettes. Vegetable or salad oil is a blend of oils and is popular because of it's neutral flavor and relatively low cost.

Olive Oil – Has a unique flavor profile that is somewhat fruity and greenish in color. Because of it's strong flavor profile, olive oil is not an all-purpose oil, and should generally be used only in specialty dressings. In theory, the best olive oils are labeled 'virgin' or 'extra virgin', which means they are made from the first pressings of the olives. In practice, many companies mis-label their olive oil as 'virgin' or 'extra-virgin' when it is really not. Something to think about when you go to the store to buy olive oil, if the bottle is less than $7.00 for 16 ounces, it is probably not extra-virgin, no matter what the label says.

Chef's Note: My recommendation is too buy standard olive oil and move on. The bottom line, most of us cannot taste the difference of the quality of the olive oil when it is used in a vinaigrette as the spices and flavorings change the flavor profile.

The following is a comparison of the nutritional values of all the common oils listed in this article for the use of making vinaigrette dressings.
 

Canola Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1927, protein 0 grams, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 16 grams, polyunsaturated 61 grams, monounsaturated 138 grams

Corn Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1962, protein 0 grams, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 28 grams, polyunsaturated 119 grams, monounsaturated 60 grams

Cottonseed Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1927, protein 0, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 56 grams, polyunsaturated 113 grams, monounsaturated 39 grams

Grapeseed Oil (1Cup) – Calories 1927, protein 0, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 21 grams, polyunsaturated 152 grams, monosaturated 35 grams

Olive Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1910, protein 0 grams, fat 216 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 30 grams, polyunsaturated 23 grams, monounsaturated 158 grams

Safflower Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1928, protein 0 grams, fat 218 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 14 grams, polyunsaturated 31 grams, monounsaturated 163 grams

Soybean Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1663, protein 0, fat 218, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 33 grams, polyunsaturated 99 grams, monounsaturated 24 grams

Vegetable Oil (1 Cup) – Calories 1984, protein 0 grams, fat 224 grams, carbs 0

Fat Breakdown – Saturated 32 grams, polyunsaturated 74 grams, monounsaturated 112 grams

So there you have it, a quick run down on the most common varieties of oils used to make vinaigrettes. I realize that many of you are probably shocked that the lowly common vegetable (aka. salad oil) is the most common oil used to make vinaigrettes, and believe it or not, as an all-purpose oil it is the workhorse of the restaurant industry. Not all of the oil choices available to you are listed here, but the goal was to list the most common oils that many of us a familiar with. So the big question that I often hear is which oil is the best choice for making salad dressings? If you are just starting out on a LCHF diet, the simple answer is the oil with the most amount of monounsaturated fats, that has a decent amount of healthy saturated fats. With that in mind here are my top four choices.

1. Olive Oil (1 cup) – 30 grams saturated fat, 158 grams monounsaturated fat
2. Safflower Oil (1 cup) – 16 grams saturated fat, 163 grams monounsaturated fat
3. Canola Oil (1 Cup) – 16 grams saturated fat, 138 grams monounsaturated fat
4. Vegetable Oil (1 Cup) – 32 grams saturated fat, 112 grams monounsaturated fat

Remember, you have to decide what is best for you, obviously some oils have more beneficial fatty acids (omega 3, omega 6, linoleic acid, vitamin E etc…). The goal of this article is not to argue about oils made with 'genetically modified seeds', or how 'free radicals' get into your food, but about making better choices. Obviously you can look at the references for this article and you can see that the ranking of these four oils (canola, olive, safflower,and vegetable) may appear in a slightly different order, but any of these will work well for you. If all you have and or can afford is vegetable oil, then by all means use it. You can always decide to upgrade your oil choice at a later date. Using a vinaigrette made with vegetable oil may not be the best choice, but it is  a better choice than using a dressing that is loaded with carbohydrates.

Choosing Your Vinegar

Just as different oils have different flavor profiles, so do vinegars. Most often in the restaurant we used a wine vinegar as a base for all of our vinaigrette dressings. At home my personal taste preference is the use of apple cider vinegar as I like the slightly fruity flavor profile of the vinegar. In this section of the article, we will be examining the slight differences in the flavors of the more commonly used vinegars to make vinaigrette dressings.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Sometimes simply called 'cider vinegar', is made from apples and has a distinctive brown color and a slightly sweet apple taste.

White Vinegar – Also known as 'distilled vinegar' is vinegar that has been distilled and purified so that it has a neutral flavor, generally white vinegar is made by fermenting and distilling corn. This is common vinegar that you find on supermarket shelves generally labeled as 5%, which means it contains 5% acetic acid.

Wine Vinegar – Is vinegar made from red or white vinegar which leads it to have a winy taste.

Sherry Vinegar – Is a special wine based vinegar that has a distinctive, somewhat bitter wine flavor.

Balsamic Vinegar – The type found in most supermarkets here in the United States is made from wine or wine vinegar and caramelized sugar, which gives it a sweet taste. I may or may not be aged in wooden barrels which contribute to it's dark brown color.

Chef's Note: True balsamic vinegar is made from white grape juice not wine, it is then aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of 10 years and as long as 50 years per Italian law. Because it is only made by small artesian producers and the ageing process is so long, it is simply to expensive to be mixed with salad dressings. It is said that the flavor is so intense that it is used as a condiment in Italy measured out in mere drops.

Obviously there are a number of other vinegars such as rice wine, malt vinegar, and a variety of specialty fruit vinegars (raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, etc...). In addition, there are a number of flavored vinegars which incorporate a variety of herbs such as garlic, tarragon, and rosemary. Having said that, when it comes to making vinaigrettes, white, apple cider, and wine vinegars are the most common.

Conclusion

The bottom line, making your own vinaigrette and creamy salad dressings is fast and easy, and it allows you to add some healthy fat to your diet without adding any carbohydrates. Understand that I am not the food police, I will not chastise you for your choice of the oil or the vinegar that you use in your dressings. Rather it is my goal to give you all the information that I can so that you can make the best decisions that suit your particular needs and or desired outcomes. Going back and looking at this article I may have went into overkill mode and listed more information here than was necessary, but that is the way that I research my food choices based on both cost and nutritional analysis. 

I have also included a link in the references on how to make your own flavored vinegars so that you can add additional flavors to your salad dressings without adding any additional calories or carbohydrates for those who might be interested. As always, I hope that this article was informative and has shed a small amount of light on the sometimes controversial subject of making healthy salad dressings. As always, if you have found this article informative, we ask that you share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and or add us to your circles on Google+.

References

Beyond the Olive: 9 Healthy Oils For Cooking, Dressing Dishes, Today Food February 26,2013

Don't Fall Victim To Olive Oil Fraud, 60 Minutes, January 3, 2016

The Olive Oil Scam:If 80% is Fake, Why Do You Keep Buying it?, Forbes February 10, 2016

The Healthiest Oils For Cooking And Frying, Atkins, Accessed September 12, 2016

The 5 Best Cooking Oils For Health! Bodybuilding November 4, 2015

Preserving Food: Flavored Vinegars, University Of Georgia Cooperative ExtensionService

Making Your Own LCHF Condiments

 

If you have diabetes or are following a low carb high fat (LCHF), Paleo, or Keto eating program, then condiments are those hidden little surprises that can quickly hinder your success. It is amazing how many sauces, dressings and condiments that we consume everyday that have carbohydrates and sugars that many new to such dietary programs fail to think about. If you are following a liberal (50 to 100 carbs) or moderate (20 to 50 carbs) per day carbohydrate eating plan, then 1 or 2 carbohydrates here or there may not mean much, but if you are a diabetic or are following a more strict carbohydrate intake (less than 20 carbohydrates a day) then those 2 to 4 carbohydrates per tablespoon in that mayonnaise in your chicken salad, or barbecue sauce that you just brushed on your grilled chicken can really make a difference.

Believe me, if you are trying to keep your blood sugars under control or your carbohydrate count below 20 carbohydrates a day, making your own condiments is a good way to control those unforeseen carbohydrates that most of us don't think about. The great thing is that most of these recipes only take a few minutes to make and they taste great. In this article I will focus on some of the most common condiments that many of us keep in our refrigerator. In the future I will be writing additional articles on making your own low carbohydrate salad dressings as well as other less common condiments that many of us enjoy.

LCHF Mayonnaise (Yield: 1 ¼ cups 20 tablespoons)

Mayonnaise is the most popular condiment in the United States and is consumed by more Americans than any other beating out both ketchup and salsa. So why make your own mayonnaise? Well if you are on a LCHF diet, then making your own mayonnaise is definitely worth the 10 minutes it takes to make for a number of reasons. While there may not be much difference in the nutritional value between homemade mayonnaise and store bought, the primarily reason to make it is for the taste. After all, making your own gives you total control of the amount and type of ingredients in your mayonnaise and you will definitely taste the difference.

1 egg yolk

1 cup canola, or vegetable oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon iodized salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard or ¼ teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
¼ teaspoon Splenda or equal or liquid sweetener of your choice
¼ teaspoon white pepper

Place the egg yolk, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and Splenda into a wide mouth pint mason jar, then add the canola oil on top. Take your immersion blender and push it down into the mason far until it touches the bottom and pulse it a few times. As the ingredients in the jar begin to form an emulsion. Once the bottom quarter of the jar is emulsified, slowly raise the blender while it is running until all of the ingredients have become emulsified. Slap a lid on it and place it on the refrigerator to chill.

Total Recipe – Calories 2042, fat 228 grams, protein 2.8 grams, 1.4 grams carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon – Calories 102, fat 11.4 grams, carbohydrates 0.07 grams

Hellman's Mayonnaise

Per Tablespoon – Calories 90, fat 10 grams, carbs 0 grams

LCHF Miracle Whip (Yield: 1 ¼ cups 20 tablespoons)

In my family there always seems to be a few people who prefer Miracle Whip over mayonnaise. I admit I will use mayonnaise, but I prefer the additional sweetness of a Miracle Whip style dressing. Because I am both a diabetic and have shifted my eating regimen to a more LCHF regimen, making my own Miracle Whip is definitely worth the 10 minutes it takes to make for a number of reasons. First, it is essentially a no-carb condiment (it takes 4 tablespoons to make 1 carb, Miracle Whip as 2 carbs per tablespoon). Second, it's higher fat content helps to make you feel sated, and third, homemade Miracle Whip just tastes better.

1 egg yolk

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

4 teaspoons Splenda or liquid sweetener of your choice

4 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon iodized salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard or ¼ teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

pinch of garlic powder

pinch of paprika

Place the egg yolk, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and sugar into a wide mouth pint mason jar, then add the canola oil on top. Take your immersion blender and push it down into the mason far until it touches the bottom and pulse it a few times. As the ingredients in the jar begin to form an emulsion. Once the bottom quarter of the jar is emulsified, slowly raise the blender while it is running until all of the ingredients have become emulsified. Slap a lid on it and place it on the refrigerator to chill. Store in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 days.

Total Recipe – Calories 2049, fat 229 grams, protein 2.8 grams, carbohydrates 2.96 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 102, fat 11.4 grams, protein 0.14 carbohydrates 0.15 grams

Kraft Miracle Whip

Per Tablespoon – Calories 40, fat 3.5 grams, carbs 2 grams

Chef's Note: For a in-depth article on making your own mayonnaise or Miracle Whip style dressing, check out my article 'Homemade Mayonnaise, It'sEgg-ceptional' on our blog.

LCHF Ketchup (Yield: 1 ¼ cups, 20 tablespoons)

I have tried a couple LCHF ketchup recipes and this one is hands down the best I have tried. It stores well and tastes as good or better then any of the leading commercial ketchup brands. The best part is that it has no sugar and it only has 0.9 carbohydrates per tablespoon whereas commercial ketchups contain 5 carbohydrates or more per tablespoon. Having a good ketchup recipe is a must as many of the other condiments that we use on a daily basis contain some ketchup as an ingredient (barbecue sauce, tartar sauce, Arby's sauce, salad dressings, as well as many Asian sauces).

8 ounces tomato sauce (12 grams of carbs)

1 tablespoon tomato paste (3 grams carbs)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon Splenda or liquid sweetener of your choice

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly just until the sauce begins to boil, then remove the sauce from the heat and cover and allow to cool. Pour into a covered container or squeeze bottle and store in the fridge. Good for 1 – 2 months.

Chef's Note: Spicy ketchups are all the rage now, and an easy way to make this recipe nice and spicy is to add 1 tablespoon of Tabasco to the original recipe. You could add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, but adding additional powdered ingredients to the recipe without the addition of some liquid will cause the ketchup to solidify. Another option would be to add one minced pickled jalapeño and then substitute the apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons of the pickled jalapeño juice.

Total Recipe – Calories 121.5, fat 0 grams, protein 2.6 grams, 19.8 carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon – Calories 6, fat 0 grams, protein 0.13 grams carbs 1 gram

Hunts Tomato Ketchup

Per Tablespoon – Calories 20, fat 0 grams, carbs 5 grams

Texas Style Barbecue Sauce (Yield: 3 ½ cups, 56 tablespoons)

This is the barbecue sauce that I use most often, it is a bold and slightly spicy Texas style barbecue sauce which goes good with brisket, ribs, pork or chicken. If you like your sauce to have a little more kick, then increase the red pepper flakes or add a minced jalapeño or two (0.9 carbs for a medium to large jalapeño). This sauce has a vinegary twang, if you do not care for that particular flavor simply omit the apple cider vinegar.

2 cups LCHF ketchup (36 grams of carbs)

½ cup water

2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (6.6 grams of carbs)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon onion powder (5 grams of carbs)

1 tablespoon garlic powder (7 grams of carbs)

2 teaspoons cilantro, dried (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder (1.42 grams of carbs)

½ teaspoon mustard powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper

In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove sauce from heat and cool before bottling in jar or plastic squeeze bottle.

Total Recipe – Calories 422, fat 12.4 grams, 56.6 carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon – Calories 7.5, fat 0.2 grams, carbs 1 gram

Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce

Per Tablespoon – Calories 30, fat 0 grams, carbs 15 grams

Chef's Note: For a in-depth article on making your own barbecue sauces and how they differ from each region of the country, check out my article 'Sauce-A-Pallooza, A BBQ Sauce Primer' on our blog.

Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce (Yield: 2 ½ cups, 40 tablespoons)

This thin flavorful sauce is more like a vinaigrette than the thick and hearty barbecue sauces of the Midwest. Because of it's low sugar content it is a great basting and mopping sauce as it will not burn like the thicker more sugary sauces we use here in Texas. It is great on pulled pork, shredded chicken, and don't tell anyone I said so but it's also great on chopped brisket.

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup water
½ cup LCHF ketchup (9 grams of carbs)

1 tablespoon onion powder (5 grams of carbs)

1 tablespoon garlic powder (7 grams of carbs)

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons Splenda or liquid sweetener of your choice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon chili powder (0.71 grams of carbs)

½ teaspoon paprika (0.14 grams of carbs)

In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and cool before lacing in a jar or plastic squeeze bottle.

Total Recipe – Calories 121, fat 0.6 grams, 22 carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon – Calories 3, fat 0 grams, carbs 0.55 grams

Heinz Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce

Per Tablespoon – Calories 17.5, fat 0 grams, carbs 4 grams

Picante Sauce (Salsa) (Yield; 3 cups, 48 tablespoons)

If you live in Texas, then you know that picante sauce is a condiment that every kitchen must have. Throw some salsa on eggs and you have Huevos Ranchero. Slather it on a hot dog in place of pickle relish, and of course as a topping for your lettuce wrapped tacos or taco salad. This recipe is a pretty close proximity to Pace's Medium Picante sauce which I happen to like. Not only does this salsa taste great, it has only 0.6 carbohydrates per tablespoon, whereas Pace Picante Sauce has 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon.

8 ounces tomato sauce (12 grams of carbs)

6 ounces of water

10 ounces Great Value Tomatoes & Green Chiles (10 grams of carbs)

1 medium (2 ½” diameter) yellow onion (10 grams of carbs)

2 jalapeños, diced, with seeds

2 tablespoons white vinegar

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon Splenda or liquid sweetener of your choice (optional)

Combine all the ingredients into a medium saucepan, do not drain the tomatoes and green chilies. Bring all ingredients to a boil and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, Remove from heat and allow to cool, place in a container with a lid and refrigerate (salsa will thicken some as it cools). Store for up to 4 weeks in the fridge.

Total recipe – Calories 174, fat 0.1 grams, carbs 32 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 3.6, fat 0, carbs 0.6 carbs

Pace Picante Sauce Medium

Per Tablespoon – Calories 10, fat 0 grams, carbs 1.5 grams

LCHF Tartar Sauce (Yield: 4 tablespoons)

Fish is an important protein in the LCHF, Paleo, and Keto eating lifestyle, and who doesn't love a good tartar sauce to go with it? After all, making your own tartar sauce gives you total control of the amount and type of ingredients you use and you will definitely taste the difference. I use dill pickle relish in my recipe and add Splenda to give it a slightly sweet taste as using sweet pickle relish increases the overall carbohydrate count of the recipe by 1.6 carbs, making the tartar sauce 0.7 carbs per tablespoon. Again this is not a lot, but if you are on a strict carbohydrate plan, it adds up.

4 tablespoons LCHF mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dill pickle relish

½ teaspoon Splenda or liquid sweetener of your choice (optional)

¼ teaspoon LCHF ketchup (0.08 grams of carbs)
¼ teaspoon onion powder (0.5 grams of carbs)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder (0.6 grams of carbs)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and you are ready to go. I do not mix my tartar sauce up until I am ready to use it.

Total Recipe – Calories 333, fat 36 grams, 1.1 carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon – Calories 83, fat 9 grams, carbs 0.3 grams

Kraft Tarter Sauce

Per Tablespoon – Calories 30, fat 2.5 grams, carbs 2 grams

Measuring Is They Key To Success

Measuring the ingredients that you add to any recipe is extremely important when you are following a LCHF diet or any diet in which you need to keep track of the total amount of carbohydrates that you consume in one day. This is especially true if you want to add additional vegetables and or other items to any of the condiments listed in this article. For example bell peppers would be a nice addition to the picante sauce recipe, however care must be taken as one medium green bell pepper contain 6 grams of carbohydrates. While that would only increase the carb count for one tablespoon from 0.6 to 0.8 grams, adding several different ingredients at one time could have an overall substantial effect on the final carbohydrate count.

For that particular reason, I have listed some of the more common measurements used when creating or adjusting your favorite recipes in this section of the article. It is my goal that this will help you to make informed decisions regarding adding additional ingredients, specifically how they impact the overall dietary intake of the recipe.

Measuring Wet Ingredients

1 Cup = 8 ounces, or 16 tablespoons, or 48 teaspoons

¾ Cup = 6 ounces, or 12 tablespoons, or 36 teaspoons

½ Cup = 4 ounces, or 8 tablespoons, or 24 teaspoons

¼ Cup = 2 ounces, or 4 tablespoons, or 12 teaspoons

1 Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons

Measuring Dry Ingredients

1 Cup = 12 ounces, or 16 Tablespoons, or 48 teaspoons, weighs 340 grams

¾ Cup = 9 ounces, or 12 tablespoons, or 36 teaspoons, weighs 255 grams

½ Cup = 6 ounces, or 8 tablespoons, or 24 teaspoons, weighs 170 grams

¼ Cup = 3 ounces, or 4 tablespoons, or 12 teaspoons, weighs 85 grams

1 Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons, weighs 15 grams

1 teaspoon weighs 5 grams

Conclusion

So here are some of the most common condiments that many of us use on a daily basis, and you can see that making your own condiments is a great way to cut back on hidden carbohydrates that most of us never thought about before engaging in the LCHF lifestyle changes. Even though I did not get totally on board with the LCHF lifestyle until my doctor wanted to put me on insulin for my diabetes, I have been making all of these sauces for over a year now, and they all taste great.

They are quick to make and you do not have to keep a lot of extra ingredients or condiments on your pantry shelves to start eating LCHF. In fact, making my own sauces the way I was taught many years ago in culinary school actually frees up my pantry space and saves us money. The best part is, we have total control of the amount of fat and carbohydrates that these condiments contain. As I mentioned earlier, there were be more articles regarding making your own LCHF condiments and salad dressings, but these are the most common ones that people have in their fridge or pantry so I started with these first. As always, if you have enjoyed this article and find the information useful, we ask that you share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook, or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:

America's Most Popular Condiment, The Gothamist, January 30, 2014.

Homemade Mayonnaise, It's Egg-ceptional, October 6, 2015.

Sauce-A-Pallooza, A BBQ Sauce Primer, CulinaryYou, March 19, 2016.

MyFitnessPal.com, accessed September 11, 2016.

Diet Doctor: Revolutionize Your Health, Accessed on June 17, 2016.

No Curn Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) Ice Cream

Let's face it, I have not found to many people who do not like ice cream. One of the hardest things for someone that has been diagnosed with diabetes is to be able to find a decent low sugar, low carbohydrate dessert that will not affect their sugar level. When you go to the freezer section in your local grocery store you are inundated by labels that read 'Low-Fat', 'Lite', 'No Sugar Added', and or 'Fat-Free'. A variety of products that are classified as 'low sugar' or 'low fat' that are touted as being diabetic friendly, but the problem is most of them include added carbohydrates (some disguised as sugar alcohols, tha still raise your blood sugar) to make up for the lack of natural or added sugar.

Since we have truth in labeling laws here in the United States, then logically if the label says it's 'Lite' or 'No Sugar Added' then it must be better for people with diabetes right? Well, no. The problem is that the truth in labeling act pertains more to the nutritional content on the back of the product label, and not the terms 'lite' or 'no sugar added' which companies use as a ruse to make consumers think they are purchasing a more healthy alternative than they really are. The fact is, most of the ice creams that are inferred to be diabetic friendly contain the same number or more carbohydrates as that of regular ice cream. These carbohydrates when consumed are processed by the body into sugars which raise the blood sugar levels in your body. So while the so-called 'lite' or 'no-sugar' varieties may contain less simple sugars, for the diabetic the overall carbohydrate count is the important number on the label.

So, the goal of this article is to show you how to make a delicious no-churn diabetic, low carb high fat (LCHF), and keto diet friendly ice cream that you can make at home that will will have a minimum affect on raising your blood sugar as it only contains a total of 1.15 grams of carbohydrates in ½ cup serving, or 2.3 carbohydrates for a 1 cup serving (about 2 large scoops).

No-Churn Diabetic (LCHF) Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

The first thing that I want to tell you about this recipe is that is has all of the ingredients of a traditional homemade ice cream: eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, and a sweetner (in this case Splenda instead of sugar). But just in case you think I am off my rocker, check out the article 'The Only Ice Cream Recipe You'll Ever Need' from The New York Times, or Alton Brown's Vanilla Ice Cream recipe on the Food Network website, and you will see they contain almost the exact same ingredients.

The Recipe

4 large eggs, seperated

1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream

½ cup Splenda or other preferred sweetner

1 tablespoon sugar-free pure vanilla or vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

First, separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. I place the yolks in a small cereal bowl and the egg whites into the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer. Add the cream of tartar (helps to stabilize the egg whites) and then turn on your mixer to high to start beating the egg whites. As the egg whites begin thicken, slowly add the Splenda (or your preferred sweetner) ¼ cup at a time. Continue to beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Next, you must transfer the whipped egg whites to another bowl. Then without rinsing the bowl of your stand mixer add the heavy cream and the vanilla and whip until soft peaks are formed. Do not overwhip the heavy cream. While the heavy cream is whipping, beat the egg yolks with a fork until well combined.

Chef's Note: If you are using a standmixer like I am you will need to place the whipped egg whites into another bowl in order to whip the heavy cream. If you are using a hand mixer then you do not have to do this as you will mix both the egg whites and the heavy cream in different bowls and combine them per the directions in the recipe.

Gently fold the egg whites into the mixing bowl with the whipped cream with a spatula. Once these two are fully incorporated, then add in the beaten egg yolks and slowly fold them into the combined egg whites and heavy cream.

Place the mixture in a loaf pan or a freezer-friendly container and freeze for at least 4 hours. I found any time less than this in my freezer and the ice cream had not hardened yet. It still tasted great but it wasn't quite ice cream yet. Like all homemade ice creams, this ice cream will get hard when frozen overnight. One option is to portion it into small individual containers not only for convienance, but for better portion control. The following is the nutritional information for the no churn diabetic friendly ice cream.

No Churn LCHF Ice Cream (Serving Size 1 cup) – 258 calories, 22.2 grams fat, 2.3 grams carbs.

No Churn LCHF Ice Cream (Serving Size ½ cup) – 128 calories, 11.1 grams fat, 1.15 grams carbs.

The Ice Cream Facts

One of the hardest things for a diabetic to get used to is the fact that so many deserts or 'treats' that are made today that most of us would think are diabetic friendly simply are not. Unfortunately, Joe consumer who has just been diagnosed with diabetes really wants to make better food choices. He scans the internet looking for ways to improve his diet and still have a few treats such as his favorite ice cream. In his attempt to be better informed and to shop more conscientiously, he purchases one of the ice creams recommended in an article on the Diabetic Living website 'What To Eat With Diabetes: Winning Ice Creams' with disastrous effects. But don't take my word for it, the following information comes directly from not only the ice cream manufacturers websites, but from the Diabetic Living website.

Lite Vanilla Ice Cream

Blue Bunny Hi Lite Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 100 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 17 grams carbs.

Blue Bunny Premium Lite Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 100 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 16 grams carbs.

Breyers Smooth and Dreamy ½ Fat Creamy Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 100 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 16 grams carbs.

No Churn LCHF Ice Cream (Serving Size ½ cup) – 128 calories, 11.1 grams fat, 1.15 grams carbs.

No Sugar Added Ice Cream

Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 90 calories, 3 grams fat, 17 grams carbs.

Breyers Smooth and Dreamy Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 90 calories, 4 grams fat, 15 grams carbs.

Edy's Slow Churn

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 90 calories, 3 grams fat, 13 grams carbs.

No Churn LCHF Ice Cream (Serving Size ½ cup) – 128 calories, 11.1 grams fat, 1.15 grams carbs.

Frozen Yogurts

Blue Bunny Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Homemade Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 90 calories, 0 grams fat, 20 grams carbs.

Kemps Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Homemade Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 90 calories, 0 grams fat, 19 grams carbs.

Regular Vanilla Ice Cream

Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 180 calories, 9 grams fat, 20 grams carbs.

Blue Bunny Premium Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 130 calories, 7 grams fat, 15 grams carbs.

Breyers Homemade Vanilla

(Serving Size ½ cup) – 140 calories, 7 grams fat, 16 grams carbs.

No Churn LCHF Ice Cream (Serving Size ½ cup) – 128 calories, 11.1 grams fat, 1.15 grams carbs.

I quick examination of the nutritional labels of these products definitely gives you a different picture than what the label on the front of commercially prepared ice creams claim. What you will find is that almost all of the so called 'diabetic friendly' ice creams have the same or in some cases even more carbohydrates per serving than their normal vanilla ice creams. No good for someone with diabetes.

Why This Carbohydrate Stuff All Matters

While there is some variation in the types of carbohydrates and how the body converts them into sugar, for this article we are primarly looking at simple sugars used in ice cream such as sucrose (pure cane sugar), frutose (fruit sugars), and glacatose (milk sugars) which are considered 'high glycemix' index sugars (i.e. they casue your blood sugar to spike the most). According to Diabetes.net, a good rule of thumb is that for each gram of carbohydrate that you consume your blood sugar will increase by about 5 points.

So all of the so called 'diabetic friendly' ice creams in this article as recommended on the Diabetic Living website will raise your blood sugar by 65 (13 grams) to 95 (19 grams) per ½ cup serving. Heck, plain of Blue Bunny Premium Vanilla only raises it 75 points (15 grams carbohydrates), that's less than two of the no-sugar added varieties. In comparison, our homemade vanilla ice cream made with Great Value granulated sweetner (Splenda clone) contains only 1.15 carbs per half cup serving, increasing your blood suagr by only 5.75 or 6 points. Thats a 60 – 93% less increase in your blood sugar over commercially prepared ice creams which is the major factor to consider for diabetics.

Conclusion

Good diabetic education is the only way that Joe consumer can make good choices regarding foods that are out on your grocers shelves that are labeled as 'Lite', 'Low-Fat', and 'No-sugar Added'. Do not take their word for it, turn the label around and look at the total carbohydrates that are listed per serving. Ninety-nine percent (99%) of all carbohydrates in ice cream come from sugars and or sugar alcohols. No matter how you look at it, carbohydrates, redgardless where they come from raise your blood sugar as much as 5 points per carbohydrate when they are consumed.

For those of us who need a good diabetic or keto friendly ice cream, then this recipe is definitely for you. It is quick and easy to make and can be eaten without the fear that it will raise your blood sugar significantly as a 1 cup serving only contains 2.3 grams of carbohydrates. So I hpe you will enjoy eating this diabetic friendly treat without the fear that it will significantly raise your blood sugar. As always, if you have enjoyed this article and have found it informative we ask that you share if with your friends, and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook or add us to your circle on Google+.

References:

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, Breyers Corporation, Accessed on September 8, 2016.

No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream (low carb/keto/paleo), Keto Diet Blog, Accessed on May 2015.

The Only Ice Cream Recipe You'll Ever Need' from The New York Times, Accessed onSeptember 9, 2016.

The Nutrition Source: Carbohydrates and Blood Sugars, Harvard University School of Public Health, Accessed on September 6, 2016.

Vanilla Ice Cream –Ice Cream Flavors, Blue Bunny Corporation, Accessed on September 8,2016.

What Are Sugar Alcohols?, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Accessedon September 10, 2016.

What To Eat With Diabetes: Winning Ice Creams, Diabetic Living, Accessed on September 9, 2016.

Making Your Own Greek Yogurt

 

I don't know about you, but I like Greek Yogurt. The combination of sweet and tart flavor as well as the creamy texture make this a favorite snack around our house. There are only a couple of things wrong with most of the brands of Greek yogurt available on the supermarket shelves in my area. First, is the cost, those little 5.3 ounce containers of Greek yogurt are expensive. Second, they just have way to much sugar for those of us who are diabetic.

So what's a Greek loving yogurt guy supposed to do? Well here at Culinary You, there is only one option and that's to make our own. Hold on now, before you get the wrong idea, I am not talking about making our own Greek yogurt from scratch, what I am talking about is buying the large 32 ounce containers of plain Greek yogurt and adding our own flavorings and sweeteners to make it not only more affordable, but most importantly more diabetic friendly.

The Recipe

I got the idea for making this recipe when I picked up container of Great Value Vanilla Greek yogurt and flipped the container around to look at the ingredients. I was somewhat shocked to find that it contained 27 grams of sugar per serving, whereas the plain Greek yogurt only had 9 grams of sugar per serving (without the Splenda). The vanilla flavored yogurt had three times the amount of sugar as the plain. I knew I could do better job of managing the sugar content by making my own version of Greek vanilla yogurt using Great Value no-calorie sweetener (Walmart's version of Splenda). This yogurt is now the base for my own variety of fruit flavored yogurts made with fresh or frozen fruits that have no additional sugar added. Adding fresh fruit does increase the sugar content of the final finished product, so if you are really trying to manage your sugar intake you may want to omit the fruit. But generally fresh or frozen fruits do not increase the overall sugar content of the yogurt that much.

Todd's Greek Yogurt (Yield: 6 5.3oz portions)

1 32oz container Great Value Plain Greek Yogurt (36 carbs)

1 cup fresh fruit of your choice (optional)

½ cup Splenda or Great Value no-calorie sweetener (12 carbs)

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and/or other flavored extracts

Empty the yogurt into a large bowl and add ¼ of Splenda or Great Value no-calorie sweetener, and mix it thoroughly. Taste the yogurt and if it is sweet enough to suit your tastes then stop here. I find for me it takes ½ cup of Great Value sweetener to get the desired taste that I like. Once the yogurt is sweet enough, then add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract mix again until the vanilla is thoroughly combined.

At this point you can add any fresh fruit that you like. Make sure to mix the fruit so that it is evenly distributed throughout the yogurt before placing it into individual containers and return it to the fridge.

Total Recipe - Calories 528, protein 92 grams, fat 0 grams, carbohydrates 48 grams
5.3oz Portion - Calories 88, protein 15.3 grams, fat 0 grams, carbohydrates 8 grams

Cost Breakdown

While cost is not the primary motivator in this case for making my own yogurt, it is still cheaper to mix your own than it is to buy one of the name brands. Great Value no-calorie sweeter is $6.98 for 19.4oz ($0.37 per ounce), a ½ cup of the sweetener weighed is 0.4 oz, so total cost for GV no-calorie sweetener is $0.15 (37 x 0.4 = 14.8). The cost of the vanilla is minimal as well totaling $0.01. The total cost even with adding the no-calorie sweetener and the vanilla when rounded to the next penny is still $0.12 per ounce (actually $0.123).

Great Value 32oz Plain Greek Yogurt $3.78 ($0.12 per ounce)

Great Value Granulated no-calorie Sweetener $6.98 ($0.37 per ounce) ($0.37 x 0.4 = $0.15)

Molina Vanilla Extract $0.23 per ounce (6 teaspoons per ounce = $0.04 / 4 = $0.01)

Total Cost of my recipe: $3.94 ($3.78 + $0.15 + $0.01 = $3.94) or ($0.12 per ounce)

Chobani 32oz Plain Greek Yogurt $4.78 ($0.15 per ounce)

Dannon Lite & Fit 32oz Vanilla Greek Yogurt $4.88 ($0.15 per ounce)

Fage 35oz Plain Greek Yogurt $5.78 ($0.17 per ounce)

Great Value 32oz Plain Greek Yogurt $3.78 ($0.12 per ounce, actually $0.118)

Oikos 32oz Plain Greek Yogurt $4.54 ($0.14 per ounce)

Chobani 5.3oz Greek Yogurt (Fruit On The Bottom) $1.00 ($0.19 per ounce)

Dannon 5.3oz Greek Yogurt (Assorted Flavors) $1.00 ($0.19 per ounce)

Yoplait 5.3oz Greek Yogurt (Assorted Flavors) $1.00 ($0.19 per ounce)

Todd's 5.3oz Greek Yogurt (Vanilla Flavor) $0.66 ($0.12 per ounce)

While buying the 32 ounce container of Great Value yogurt only saves you 13% from the next cheaper alternative Oikos, it is 32% cheaper than the more expensive Fage brand. The big savings however, comes from making your own individual 5.3 ounce portions. Using this recipe and making your own individual 5.3 ounce cups of yogurt is 37% cheaper than buying the already packaged name brand yogurts.

The Diabetic Factor

The primary reason I mix my own yogurt is to keep the sugar content at a manageable level. The pre-made Great Value vanilla yogurt has a total of 19 grams of sugar per 5.3 ounce serving, while the Great Value plain yogurt only contains 9 grams of sugar for the same portion size. That means that the vanilla flavored yogurt has twice the sugar, and 3 times the carbohydrates of the plain Greek yogurt. Other than the addition of vanilla (no caloric value) the only difference between the two yogurts is the addition of sugar. By using the Great Value no-calorie sweetener, I can adjust the sweetness of the yogurt without increasing the carbohydrate content dramatically (2 carbs per serving) which is a major concern for people who have diabetes, or who are following a low carbohydrate high fat diet (LCHF).

Adding fresh or frozen fruit does give your yogurt added taste as well as texture, but it comes at the price of increasing the total amount of sugar in your yogurt. While the actual amount may vary depending on the type of fruit, I have included a list of the approximate overall value of sugar for one cup of fruit.

1 cup of Banana = 28 grams of sugar.

1 cup of Blackberries = 7 grams of sugar.

1 cup of Blueberries = 15 grams of sugar.

1 cup of Raspberries = 7 grams of sugar.

1 cup of Strawberries = 7 grams of sugar.

As you can see, the natural sugar of many of the popular fruits added to yogurt varies with banana being the fruit with the most sugar. Keep in mind that the amount of sugar added using these fruits is for 32 ounces of yogurt. So even if you use bananas in your yogurt, you will only be raising the sugar content of each 5.3 ounce serving by 4.6 grams (28 grams / 6 servings = 4.6).

If you do not want to add fresh or frozen fruit to your yogurt you can flavor your yogurt's through the use of imitation flavorings which you can find on your grocer's shelves or via the Internet. Some of the more popular flavors are: orange, strawberry, raspberry, coconut, maple, and pineapple. Start by adding 1/8 of a teaspoon at a time as these flavors are pretty concentrated. Although they are an additional investment, for the diabetic the advantage is that they add flavor without adding any sugar.

Conclusion

Mixing your own flavored Greek yogurt can not only save you up to 37% over the more popular brands, but the biggest advantage is that you have control of the amount of sugar you want your yogurt to contain. While this alone may not be of concern for many of you, if like me, you have diabetes, then using this recipe to help you managing your sugar is paramount. The best part is that this recipe takes very little time and can be whipped up in less than five minutes. You can place the yogurt back into it's original container after mixing or divide it into 6 individual portions to take in your lunch fro a low carb snack (8 grams per serving). As always, if you have found this article interesting and informative we ask that you share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and or add us to your circle on Google+.