Good afternoon class!

We get a lot of anguished posts here at the Forum from newbies who have a LIFE and it doesn't seem to involve a kitchen.
Eating the LC way is not just a change for most of us, it's an ENORMOUS change. We are so used to zapping dinner in the microwave, or opening salad packet B and pouring it over salad packet A, or simply ordering pizza that the thought of a) not only changing what we eat but b) changing HOW we eat ....well, it can get downright overwhelming.
I think there's a direct correlation between how little time we spend in our own kitchens (and/or on thinking about what we're going to eat) to how fat we are. The more you relegate food to an afterthought, the greater the likelihood you will find yourself in a fast food line s'meres about to inhale transfat.

Today's lesson is on PLANNING and organization and includes:

1) menu planning and why it's NOT a foreign concept,
2) shortcuts, tips, strategies for reducing kitchen time (when your own personal chef is not an option),
3) This here part goes in that there recipe (otherwise known as Jicama, et al, 101)
4) In the beginning - KISS (keep it simple, silly)('course, you could always make it a practice to get a real kiss from your SO at the start of each kitchen adventure...)

So, let's discuss some key organizational concepts and plans that should help you get your LC kitchen-act together.

1) PLAN AHEAD! If you have no plan for breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks, chances are you will either skip the meal OR find yourself caving in to <insert junkfood here>.
We're not talking Martha Stewart, here. In the beginning while you are trying to wrap your head around the concept, just look over the recipes (some lovely ones posted here!) pick 2-3 that look easy and tasty and make those. Keep your shopping list simple.

Planning out your menus for 2-3 (or even the whole week!) days can help you organize your shopping list.

2) SHORTCUTS & TIPS
Devoting some concentrated food time (most typically on weekends) can greatly reduce your meal prep time throughout the week.
> If you boil a dozen eggs, you’ve got a quick grab-n-go snack later in the week.
> If you cook up 2-3 pounds of lean ground meat and spice half with cumin/cilantro/garlic and the other half with mushrooms/fennel/garlic you’ve got protein ready for Mexican salad or taco roll-ups (using lettuce leaf or nori) and you’ve got protein ready for marinara or spaghetti squash. (freeze what you don't intend to use in the next couple of days)
> Buy precut and washed lettuce.
> Get your breakfast ready the night before.
> wash and chop veggies so that during the week you’ve got a quick snack and it’s easy to throw together a salad/soup/stew.
> Double and triple recipes. Freeze in single/double servings for future dinners/lunches.
> George Foreman grill, wand mixers, lemon squeezers, crockpots, etc. are wonderful time savers

3) EXPAND YOUR FOOD HORIZONS
Many of us got fat by eating the same foods over and over. We’ve become new-food-averse which is really a shame. Many of the LC veggies and spices add so much flavor to a salad, a stew, a maindish.
Jicama (hic-a-ma) is a lovely salad ingredient when raw, cooks up to tasty potato-like carb, and even makes an interesting chip.
Fennel bulb is one of my fave new foods. Again, it’s tasty (faintly licorice-y) in salads and yummy in soups and stews.
Celery root, bok choy, kale, daikon....each are delish in their own way and can really jazz up a plain ol’ salad/soup/stew. Don’t be put off by their appearance or the fact you may not be able to say it.
Now I don’t expect you to like every new food you try (I still have a hate-hate relationship with eggplant ) but I can promise you this - LC changes the way food tastes (it also retrains your taste buds) and foods you may have disliked in the past (particularly if you’ve only had the canned version) may become your new fave food!
Your food needn't be bland and unexciting. Try fennel in your beanless chili. Try cinnamon on your chicken. Try wasabi on your salmon.

4) KISS - Keep It Simple, Silly!
Don’t make this harder than it has to be! Waiting until the last minute is a recipe for eating off plan. PLAN AHEAD. Choose pre-chopped and washed salad stuff. Don’t make one recipe - double it and freeze half for a later meal. Cook the entire package of chicken breasts and freeze for later. Make up a batch of salad dressing to last for the week. Turn last night’s left over veggies into today’s soup/stew or into a breakfast frittata. Next weekend, make DIFFERENT recipes.

Don’t fall into that famous LC-newbie trap: food boredom. Or before you know it, you'll be off plan and wondering wot happened. D'oh!

Ok, class, I’m now going to turn over the podium to other LC veterans who can give you their own strategies, plans, tips, and hints for succeeding on the a Low Carb Plan. Take notes. There WILL be a test!

Very good post, hail to thee Ceasar!

This change kitchen-awareness may be more important than what diet one chooses to follow.

Congratulations!!!!!
Lots of good ideas and mostly using veggies, I personally get tired of bacon n' eggs.
A little piece of advise, I am really enjoying cooking with fresh veggies instead of frozen, it makes the world of difference. Also, make your salads interesting, lettuce mix with marinated artichocke hearts, fennel, strawberies, cheese, olives, red onion, you choose. I also make my one dressing: olive oil, vinegar, mustard and splenda, salt and pepper. Everybody loves my salads!!!!!
Thank you again for the great ideas.

Thanks for the insights on keeping to the LC WOL. I have been LC'ing about 11 days and this AM found myself thinking, I'll just have a bowl of cereal (the bad stuff). Then I remembered, I have hard boiled eggs, to the rescue and no brainer! The one thing I have noticed about cooking LC, it does take planning, but seems to be getting easier every day. I already love to cook, so it is just a matter of switching to the right ingredients. In fact, I think prior to LC, I was in a cooking rut, meat, potatoes, veggie, nothing spectacular. Now, I can look for more interesting recipes and also revamp the ones I have. Thanks for the reminder about planning and the pep talk!

Granted fresh veggies taste better, but frozen veggies are oh so convienent.

Great post! That's all stuff I do and I think it has made it easy for me to stick to the diet.

I dont know if anyone has tried this....but as an alternative to breading...i take a half bag of pork rinds (the regular flavor) and i put them in the food processor to make them the consistency of bread crumbs. I then season them with parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. This makes an awesome breading for fried chicken (dip chicken in a mix of heavy cream and one beaten egg before rolling in the rind mixture), it tastes great on fried fish..and it also makes an awesome "crust" for a casserole or dish...there are tons of options!

thanks for the info. i agree that the key to sticking to lcing is preparing in advance. i buy meats on sale and put in the deep freezer along with frozen veggies (vs. fresh so that i don't waste money on spoilage) and i plan the weeks menu on Sat or Sun. i may cook a couple of times mid week so that i have some fresh foods but that's it!! i plan breakfast, lunch, and dinners for the week. it's really not that hard at all. no fancy gourmet meals, just roasted meats and veggies seasoned differently for variety. and it tastes great!! my dishes are ones that i can roast in the oven, boil in a pot..with minimal preparation and easy clean up. and if i cook too much..then then leftovers are sliced and put into indiv containers and frozen. so no excuse for cheats or eating out at fast food. and even eating out is planned on where and what to eat. i know believe this is the simpliest plan to follow and i am five months into lcing and lovin' it. LOL. my 1st weighin is mar 13 and i will tell you my 6-mo results.

I tried a pork rind topping on a casserole once but it wasn't the least bit crunchy, just sort of sat there limply.

wow, what a great post!

I definetely agree-- planning ahead is the key to success.
Today was one of those days that I didn't plan ahead, it's 5:45pm and I'm defrosting some meat in the microwave, drinking a coffee with heavy cream in it and nibbling on cheese. Cheese being the first thing I've eaten all day...
I know I should plan ahead and be prepared.... now I need to put what I know to practice.
To the rest of you- good luck with the planning ahead.
H

I agree so much, that I wanted to bump it up.