Now that I’ve broken the news to the world that my kiddo can only have 10 net carbohydrates per day, I’m guessing that many of you were left wondering, “What on earth do you feed him?”
His diet consists mostly of fat and protein, but I work diligently to make sure that he eats as many fruits and vegetables as possible. Prior to beginning this diet, he preferred produce to meat and it was really difficult for me to start saying, “No, you can’t have more carrots/apples/whatever.” Really, who says that? Well, I do. Do you know what I say yes to and NEVER thought I would: diet soda and pork rinds. The longer I write this post the deeper and deeper I dig myself into the redneck stereotype I’ve tried to squash all my life. Hahaha. I do have to continue to say no to Hostess Snack Cakes, so we are safe on that front.
The other night, I had an epiphany in regard to a new food we could give him that would ramp up vegetable intake: tuna salad.
Leafy greens are the lowest carbohydrate member of the vegetable family, but I have had no success in getting him to eat them. Then, one night, he asked The Man in Plaid if he could eat what was left of his salad. WHAT?!? Sure enough, that little bit o’ ranch left on the few bits of lettuce, cucumber, and apple was enough to get him to eat all of it. After experimenting with some traditional green salads and having success, I remembered this side salad that my mother used to make when I was a child. It is so basic its genius:
Tuna Salad
Iceberg lettuce
Tuna
Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper
I know what you are thinking: “Iceberg? What a waste. Why not use a lettuce with some actual nutritional value?” Trust me, I’ve been there. But I found out that there is actually quite a lot of nutritional value in Iceberg.
Information from http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/
I even found one resource that shows Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Who knew? I am certainly not in the Iceberg Hater Club any more. This salad was a huge hit with my little guy and with 1 net carb per cup of chopped iceberg, he can eat that salad until he pukes and still be under his carbohydrate allotment for the day.
I bet you can all guess what I’m bringing to the next church potluck.
Now, how did this salad fit into the rest of the meal, you ask? I grilled chicken tenderloins on which my husband and I had BBQ sauce and Wild Man had yellow mustard (no carbs!). We had cantaloupe (1/3 cup has approximately 3 net carbs) and then the tuna salad. Simple, nutritious, low in carbohydrates, and a big winner with the kiddos.
Grilled chicken tenderloin, cantaloupe, and tuna salad
Are you willing to give iceberg a chance? I hear wedge salads are all the rage these days…
Do you need some context? Try my last post: An Answer: 33 Months in the Making
Máthair Fiona 