Wondering if it's possible to find a variety of low carb foods in Negril. My boyfriend is currently following a strict low carb diet. I would hate for him not to have options for whenever we go out to eat in Negril. Personally, I LOVE carbs, especially Jamaican carb-y type foods! Restaurant recommendations welcome,too! Thanks! .
Last edited by Eden; 06-21-2011 at 08:13 PM.
Chicken, fish, and veges
It is do-able, but not easy. I live here and have followed a low-carb menu off and on for years (when I'm on is when I tend to be healthiest). Most places will let you request cooked or raw veg and subsitute it (sometimes for a bit more) for the rice, etc. Make sure you go ahead and specify though that you mean green veg (ie cabbage, etc.) NOT things like pumpkin, yam, potato, etc. which for a low-carber is no better than rice....
I always carry a small pack of peanuts or almonds in my purse, you can also get things like string cheese, etc. at mega mart (depending on if nuts and cheese are in his version of low carb). Keep in mind that many sauces, etc. are made with ketchup, etc. that has a lot of sugar. When I'm not cooking for myself at home I'll get things like jerk chicken with pepper on the side and no bread, curry chicken with veg, roast chicken, etc. I'd get fish (if I liked it, and other seafood) He might get weird looks for not having the rice, etc. but they'll get over it.
More or less I'd just tell him to plan with the snacks, either bring stuff from home or stop at a bigger supermarket and stock up.
even if they still serve the plates of food with rice, yam, and all that - he can just pass it over to you!
there's plenty of various proteins & fresh vegetables, jerk chicken can be ordered without sauce, and you can always order an extra side order of just green veg ..... callalloo is awesome, it's also great with eggs for breakfast, even without toast or dumplings.
I just got curious and looked up ackee - it is also a low carb food! (0.8 carbs - less than ONE carb - per 4 oz. serving!!) So he doesn't have to skip ackee and saltfish for breakfast.... yum yum yuuummmm!
Last edited by MissBlue; 06-22-2011 at 12:07 AM.
Ackee is low carb and delicious BUT FULL of fat!! BEWARE .
true, but more than half the fat content is Linoleic acid - an EFA, the same kind of fat in fish oil - not saturated fat like in red meat.... and no cholesterol.
http://www.squidoo.com/ackee#module10274093
While I applaud anyone who is making an attempt to drop some weight, I would strongly advise those who are trying a low-carb (Atkins) diet to reconsider.
Any attempt to lose weight that restricts a balanced diet while consuming a large percentage of food that is high in fat content is simply not healthy. Not only that, but stayiing on this diet long term is extremely tough, trust me, I know.....I've tried it. Sure, you drop weight quickly, but it comes back even quicker if you don't follow the strict plan. Plus, who wants to go through life constantly denying themselves the pleasure of trying new food or food that they enjoy?
I've found that the best (and healthiest) way to lose weight is by following a regiment of eating healthy "real" foods. Try and minimize the amount of processed foods like white bread and pasta while eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein. Notice I said "minimize" the amount of food like pasta and not totally eliminate it. If you like pasta, eat it....just not as much as before. Instead of twice a week, cut back to twice a month. Eat smaller portions and don't go more than 3 waking hours without eating something to avoid that hunger feeling. Combine this with a regular excercise program and you will find that you feel better and the weight stays off for good. I don't need to deny myself any longer. If I want that piece of chocolate cake after dinner, I eat it. No guilt. Just be sensible.
I don't mean to come off sounding preachy....it's just that, from the experiences of the many I know (including myself) who have done the low-carb diet, the end result is that the pounds come back after time.
EDIT: For those that are interested, here are the results of a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that details the hazards of a low-carb, high protein diet.
http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/full/43/5/725
Last edited by Muck; 06-22-2011 at 09:05 AM.
I think it is easy going low carb in JA because there are so many fish/chicken/veg options. I usually don't eat the festival. boiled banana, dumplings, rice, etc--just because I am used to not eating that kind of thing at home and don't really care for it. Yes that is how most meals come--with all the starchy sides--but I order a la cart from smaller mom n pop places and let them know what I want/don't want. And if you have a fridge in your room, hi lo has a great variety of items you can buy for snacks/meal replacements etc.
While I agree with portion control as being effective in the long-term, I also believe it is important to minimize carbs in your diet. And don't get me started on good carbs v. bad carbs....sugars are sugars. Atkins isn't no-carb in the maintainence phase, you just simply adjust your carb intake until you gain weight, that will tell you what your body's sugar resistance is. The reason I say minimizing carbs is important is that adult onset diabetes, obesity and sugar/carbs are intimately related. There isn't one good reason to have a diet that subjects you to the potential of that malady....YMMV
"Enjoy Every Sandwich"-Warren Zevon
i tend to agree rockrobster..... low carb eating does not have to necessarily also mean high fat, and a general diet high in starch is just bad for the body, especially now that i'm over 50 - it ALL turns right to sugar. I reduced carbs in my diet as a general change in my eating plan, so i take in less starch/sugar overall, and I also cut out the high-fat items like red meat and most dairy .... i didn't follow the 'atkins' plan per se, i just limited carbs to less than 100 carbs/day for a while, and lost 25 pounds. Once that was done, i maintained the loss by just not loading up on the starches the same way i always used to; i just keep it to small portions. so I still 'enjoy every sandwich', (LOL) - i just no longer have three of them in a day, or eat pasta every other day like I used to; cookies or pastries, or a cheeseburger, are a treat, not an everyday thing any more. I don't use cow milk anymore, just almond milk. Although I do love real cheese - so I have it, i just don't go overboard with it. it's kinda ruined me for things like pizza and calzones though, which just taste greasy and heavy to me now, dangit. LOL.
And after doing this for a while, i notice that a very small piece of cake, or one roll with a meal (instead of 3 or 4) is really satisfying now, and many sugary foods no longer taste good to me. the other day i thought i was gonna give myself a real treat and eat a donut and it just tasted horrible.... yay!!! hahaha
Last edited by MissBlue; 06-22-2011 at 12:18 PM.
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