Active Low-Carber Forums - View Single Post - Questions -- agave and Indian food

Quote:

Originally Posted by -o-

Hello all. I had this board recommended to me by a friend a few days ago, and thought I'd pop on to see if you guys knew anything about these things that I've been wondering about the South Beach plan.

1) I read something yesterday about agave nectar as a substitute for honey. It was being flogged to diabetics, and one of the claims made was that it was slow to absorb, so didn't spike the GI. Has anybody else heard of this, and whether agave might be a good choice for later stage SB eating? (I'm a honey junkie, and while agave nectar isn't quite as appealing as the real golden stuff, it would do.)

2) Does anybody have a recommendation about eating Indian food? I'm also all about the occasional curry, but the curry concept doesn't seem to have occurred to Dr. Agatston. Some lovely person posted a recipe for coconut milk curry with shrimp, and I will be eating that, oh yes, but it's more of a Thai-style dish. I'd like to work out what I can eat when I go to the Indian restaurant -- I know you can't have any of the traditional curry substrates (rice, or flatbread of any kind), but can you have the curry itself? I think vindaloo is out because it's definitely got potatoes in, and you can't have raisins so much until Phase II, so that lets out some of the other curries, but other than that, I'm not sure what's in a curry, so it's hard to tell. Pakora, I think, should be okay, because it's just either veggies or meat or both in a chickpea batter (yeah, I know, you're not supposed to eat stuff that's deep-fried, but I don't think it will kill me every once in a while), and chickpea flour seems to be not a problem. Other than that, I don't know. Does anybody have any input on that?

Thanks!

Hi there

With regard to the agave nectar, according to the official SB site:

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You may use agave nectar if you would like. If you do use it, it must be counted toward your Sweet Treats allowance of 75-100 calories per day.

Marilyn Jess, Registered Dietitian

So, going by that, it can be used in all Phases. I haven't tried it myself, but I may do in future.

If you haven't already done so, I suggest you take a look at the South Beach Diet Food Lists and Meal Plan Charts thread: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=254313

As for Indian food, it's a favourite of mine, and I often eat it

Here's an excerpt from a recent edition of the South Beach Daily Dish free email newsletter, which should help you with the correct choices to make:

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Indian food is based on good carbs, particularly legumes like chickpeas and lentils, and veggies such as spinach and eggplant. The downside is its abundance of starchy carbs (like potatoes) and bad fats. Many appetizers are deep-fried, and vegetables and meats are typically fried or sauteed in the Indian butter called ghee.

Still, most Indian restaurants provide several tasty choices for the South Beach dieter. Try Mulligatawny soup, dals (legume dishes-choose those without cream), chana (chickpea curry), kachumbars (vegetable salads), raitas (salads with a tart yogurt dressing), or dishes described on the menu as masala (a combination of spices with sauteed tomatoes and onions) or tandoori (seasoned meat, poultry, or fish roasted in a clay oven).

Stay away from Samosas (deep-fried pastry filled with vegetables or meat); puri (a puffy, deep-fried bread); and entrees described as biryani, malai, or korma, which are heavy on the oil and cream.

Have you checked out the South Beach Recipe thread: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...714#post6665714
If you scroll up the page you will find a recipe index, and there are several Indian dishes featured. Check out foxgluv's Chicken Tikka Masala for instance.

HTH