Xanthan Gum

[DHARMA BUM]

Hi, :wave:

Can someone, please, explain a few things to me?

What is Xanthan Gum?

Is ok for Atkins induction?

How many Carbs does 1 teaspoon have?

Does it stall you?

Thank you, in advance, for your help

[Kisal]

You can read all about xanthan gum in Wikipedia here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthan_gum

I would think it would be okay to use during Induction. It's just a gum. I've used it for a long time to thicken foods such as gravies and soups. However, I now use Expert Foods ThickenThin not/Starch and their not/Sugar, which are mixtures of gums (there are many types of gums.) I think the mixtures work better and are easier to incorporate into liquids than plain xanthan gum.

ETA: My package of Bob's Red Mill Xanthan Gum says it contains 8g carbs/tsp, and 9g fiber/tsp. I don't believe that's totally accurate. My guess would be that you'd probably end up with very, very few carbs, but not less than 0! :lol: It takes 1 to 2 tsps of xanthan gum to thicken 2 cups of liquid. You have to be careful not to use too much, or your food can end up with a slimy mouth-feel. :p Give liquids about 10 minutes to thicken, so you don't accidentally add too much xanthan.

HTH! :wave:

[ElleH]

I use guar gum and I really like it. It doesn't take very much to thicken a sauce or a serving a soup. I keep it in a salt shaker with uncooked rice in it (just like I do for salt to keep it flowing smoothly) and I sprinkle and stir, sprinkle and stir, until it starts to thicken, and then stop as it will continue to thicken. I love it and am very glad I found it!

[connie7]

I am a xanthan gum fan, too! I use it to make gravy.

My family likes my gravy better than flour or cornstarch gravies. I do just like Elle does, with the salt shaker. It works very well.

When I reach the desired thickness, I add a little heavy cream to lighten it up a bit. It's wonderful!

I think it's pretty close to 0 net carbs -- the fiber cancels out the carbs.

Yay xanthan gum!

[zuzzan]

I have tried both thick´n´thin and xanthan gum and honstely i cant see the difference. Except i seem to need more thick´n´thin than gum to get the gravy thick. And then there is price. Xanthan is cheaper.

[mike_d]

I tasted some of the powder once and the tip of my tongue went numb :P

It gets gloppy if you put in coffee as a fiber supplement I use inulin or gar gum.

[annasophia]

i just bought some, will use to make gravies and some of those desserts in linda's section..

[DHARMA BUM]

Hi all,

Thank you so much for your imput.

I did not find any Think n Thin but I did find and buy some Xanthan Gum. I made my very first pot of from scratch soup.(Not really a cook) I made an amazing batch of Cream of Mushroom Soup. :yum:

The only downside I found to the Xanthan Gum was a weird aftertaste. Is this normal?

I will look for some Guar Gum next to try.

thanks again all. :daizy:

[JustAGirl]

Connie,
Which brand of xanthan do you use?

[connie7]

I use Bob's Red Mill, although I have only bought one bag. It takes so little, and the bag is pretty big.

I use it sparingly (in a salt shaker, like Elle), and have never noticed an aftertaste. To me it has no taste at all. Was the aftertaste actually more like mouth-feel? It does get gummy if you use too much.

Good luck, and don't give up! Maybe you should try Guar gum for comparison. Maybe you'll like that better? You never know until you try!

[slimmama]

you only need a little. It can have a slimmy feel if you get it wet on your skin. It is virtually carb free. I would never use it as a fiber supplement. there are much better options for that.

[xray_girl]

where did ya'll find the bob's red mill xanthan gum? i've looked at my super wal mart and at a pulbix and can't find any! *frowns*

[bike2work]

where did ya'll find the bob's red mill xanthan gum? i've looked at my super wal mart and at a pulbix and can't find any! *frowns*
Whole Foods. I haven't tried it though. I've been using ThickenThin.

There are lots of recipes at the Expert Foods Website for vegetable gums. Those that I have tried have been very good. I've been making some great puddings and mousses.

[connie7]

I got mine at a health food store. It's a bit pricey, but a bag will last practically forever.

[xray_girl]

i don't think we have a whole foods..hmmm...is that a chain store, or just a general term for a kind of store?

[bike2work]

i don't think we have a whole foods..hmmm...is that a chain store, or just a general term for a kind of store?
It's a specific chain. It's sort of a health food / gourmet food amalgam. Look in health food stores.

[Lickrish]

I use NOW brand and I have it in a shaker too. Its come in handy quite a bit but you do have to be careful with it or it will turn things..."snotty". :lol: