Low Carb Freedom

How can you eat low carb with NO work?

Yesterday was busy, but today was even busier. I went to BJs AND Costco. At Costco, I grabbed two of those already cooked roasted chickens on the way out. I also grabbed their bag of precut lettuce for $2.99. Added some cukes, onions, mushrooms to the lettuce, tossed it Ken's Italian dressing. Easy, great, and quick!

Low Carb Hummus or Hommus: Costco Versus Trader Joe

I had glanced at Hommus before and thought it was fairly high carb so I didn't pick any up.  I really didn't like the taste and I never bought it before I low carbed, so I didn't think of it as a loss.

Well, that was before a Costco taste tester got hold of me.

They were showcasing Hannah's Roasted Peppers & Jalapeno Hommus with crackers. I ate a small piece of cracker, but it was the hommus that was fabulous! Spicy and full bodied, nothing like other hommus I had tasted. I immediately bought a 32 oz. container, and I've already been back to buy another one.

In fact, we ran out and I wanted people to try it for Thanksgiving but I couldn't get over there so I tried Trader Joe's to see if they had something similar closer to home. Trader Joe's has their own brand of Chipotle Pepper Hummus in a 8 oz. container for $1.79. Frankly, there is no comparison to the Costco version -- the Costco version is that much better. (I was very surprised!) And ounce for ounce, the Costco version is cheaper.

However, you have to eat the Costco version with the Trader Joe Soy & Flaxseed low carb chips!

Hommus or Hummos Nutrition Facts

	Costco: Hannah Roasted Peppers & Jalapeno Hommus	Trader Joe's: Chipotle Pepper Hummus
Serving Size	2 Tbsp (28g)	2 Tbsp (28g)
Calories	70	50
Total Fat	5g	3g
Saturated Fat	.5g	0g
Cholesterol	0g	0g
Sodium	120mg	75mg
Total Carbohydrates	5g	5g
Dietary Fiber	1g	1g
Sugars	0g	1g
Protein	1g	1g
Ingredients	chick peas, tahini (crushed sesame seeds), canola oil, water, anaheim peppers, roasted red pappers, garlic scallions, jalapenos, extra virgin olive oil, citric acid, sea salt, spices, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (to perserve freshness)	chick peas, roasted red peppers, sunflower oil/olive oil blend, tahini, roasted poblano peppers, lemon concentrate, chipotle peppers, spices, sea salt

Low Carb Drinks: Fuze Slenderize versus Sparkling Ice

Lois, a reader, sent the following email:

I ran across your website looking for Fuze. I like Fuze no matter what flavor. Now COSTCO appears to have replaced it with Sparkling Ice. I love the grapefruit. I hate the mango or whatever it is; my husband drinks those. The real problem is I don't like the raspberry either. It tastes to me like diet Kool-aid. But I have to drink the darn things so I can have the grapefruit. Out of all them I love the Sparkling Ice grapefruit better than anything I've had in a long time, but I'd rather buy Fuze because I like all the flavors. The problem is I can't find it anywhere. Do you know where I can buy it?

Lois

Well, my family agrees with Lois about the Sparkling Ice drinks... we all prefer the grapefruit, and we like the Mango, but we don't like the Raspberry. If you agree, please go to Sparkling Ice and let them know! (However, one word about this survey. It MAKES you put it in order, along with peach. I have never tasted the peach flavor, but it has to be better than the raspberry! )

Now about Fuze. I don't know where to buy it, except in convenience stores for a lot of money. Anyone else know? (I, too, would prefer to have mostly grapefruit in the Sparkling Ice. I think that this would be a great solution!)

Sparkling Ice is also available at BJs, etc.

Update:

Connie just wrote in comments:

I have found 4 packs of Talking Rain beverage that is the same as Sparkling Ice only a different name , at Target. I got the wonderful Grapefruit and brought it home before I realized it was the same.

So there may be another way to just get the grapefruit... although I don't know the cost.

Also, I just found Fuze Diet Tea at Big Lots for 59 cents a bottle... It isn't the Slenderize, but they may have other types at other Big Lots. It is worth checking!

Update: Fuze is available again at Costco!

New Low Carb Costco Products and Updated Low Carb Costco Food List

I know I go into Costco and see people buying all of these ready-made dinners and snacks -- and -- I'll be honest here -- sometimes I am envious. I can seldom feed my family a "quick" mean with absolutely no preperation because we are all low carbing. Well, Costco has added some new items that makes this dream possible.

I can feed them Barber Chicken Cordon Bleu or Morton's Beef Pot Roast with Gravy or shrimp scampi. I can also feed them quiche, but they wouldn't like that too much...

The Chicken Cordon Bleu is in the freezer section. It costs $10.69 for four breasts. (I wonder if it is the same stuff that you would get on an airplane?) Anyhow, it received a thumbs up from my daughter and my husband. My son only touches chicken if it is a chicken finger or chicken strip. Oh, well, two out of the three of them "ain't" bad.

Here is the nutritional information:

Serving Size: 1 piece
Servings per container: 4
Calories: 240
Calories from Fat: 70
Cholesterol 115mg
Sodium 960mg
Total Carbohydrates 4g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 38g

The second choice is Morton's of Omaha Beef Pot Roast with Gravy. You can find this in the refrigerator freestanding section near the cheese, etc. It is $4.59 a lb. So the one pot roast that fed the three of us with some leftovers cost $11.61. (Again, my son only eats hamburgers -- that is why it only fed three of us.) I presume all of the carbs come from the gravy, but there isn't that many carbs, especially if you don't eat all of the gravy. The meat is pretty good. I would probably only buy this if I had an especially hectic time where I knew I needed something to pull out quickly. It also seems to last a long time in the refrigerator too... so you don't need to use it right away. It is fully cooked so you just have to heat it up in boiling water (it comes in a pouch) for 10 minutes.

Serving Size: 3 oz.
Servings per container varies
Calories 160
Calories from fat 45
Cholesterol 55mg
Sodium 310mg
Total Carbohydrates 2g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 27g

The pot roast has a lot less sodium and cholesterol than the chicken, but I know we ate more than a 3 oz. serving each.

Costco also has the Seapak Shrimp Scampi, the Phillip's Crab Cakes, and the La Terra Vina quiches that are listed on the updated Costco Low Carb Shopping List. I haven't tried these yet.

I have also listed Costco's prices and selections on low carb bars, which I don't buy. Remember, Costco has at least two buying offices (maybe more) so your Costco may differ on some items. (I'm just happy that I also have a BJ's around too! They have more variety!)

Costco Shopping List

Fruits & Vegetables
Lettuce	We go through a lot of it with a family of four. $2.99 for 6 heads.
Celery	$2.59 for three celery hearts
Frozen Broccoli Florets	This is GREAT for kids. Takes 2 ½ minutes to warm up in the microwave. The only broccoli that my kids will eat. $2.95 for a LARGE bag.
Vitamins
Kirkland Fish Oil	$6.99 for a large bottle
Kirkland Vitamins	$9.99 for a large bottle
Dairy Cases
Polly-O String Cheese	$5.29
Hormel Cooked Bacon	They now only carry the thicker cut at $9.99, I try to buy the precooked bacon at BJs now because the slices are thinner. (My one time-saving indulgence.)
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Balls	3 lbs. For $10.95. These come in a tub and can last a long time, depending on how many people are in the family. Much cheaper to buy in bulk than it is in the grocery stores.
Assorted cheeses including Garlic Salsa Cream Cheese and Vermont Garlic	Cheese is always a plus, especially when coupled with low carb crackers. I find I eat hard cheeses with no crackers now.
Guacamole Dip	This is prepackaged guacamole that is already mashed and spiced. It has four packets. I buy it and freeze it so I can always make a seven layer dip at a moment’s notice. Can also be found at Trader Joe’s in a two packet size, which my Trader Joe’s never has in stock!
Whipping Cream	They now sell this individually instead of in two packs. Roughly $3.69. (Same thing with less sugar can be found for the same price at Market Basket.)
Klondike CarbSmart Ice Cream Bars	15 bars for 7.99. (Of course, they are debuting these in the middle of winter so they will probably be replaced. The Costco buyers in VA, versus Atlanta, don’t give much attention to low carb. It keeps my BJ’s membership up though!)
Land O Lakes Whipped Cream	$5 something for “light” whipped cream in the can (a three pack.) It has less sugar than most whipped cream.
Phillips Crab Meat	$12 and up per can. This makes fabulous crab cakes. I use low carb bread crumbs made from low carb bread or Atkins Bake Mix. Also great for crab salad.
Barber Foods Chicken Cordon Bleu	4 seasoned boneless stuffed chicken breasts filled with blended cheeses & cooked ham, ready to cook, only 4g net carbs. $10.69
Progresso Carb Monitor Soup	This is in a big pack of 8 cans for $9.99. It has the beef and the chicken.
Morton’s of Omaha Beef Pot Roast with Gravy	$4.59 a lb. 3 oz. serving has 2 grams of carbs.
Phillips Crab Cakes	18 oz. 6 grams per 3 oz. crab cake, 6 cakes per box
Seapak Shrimp Scampi	2 pounds at $5.39 a pound or $10.79, 4 oz. serving, total carbs 4
Oscar Mayer Bologna	2 lbs. (2 1 lb. Containers) $3.79
General
Chopped Clams	$9.99 for a big can of chopped clans. Imagine being on a diet and being able to eat linguine with clam sauce! Lots of butter, olive oil, and low carb pasta. (See my recipe in the recipe index on the left hand side of the page.)
Hummus	The red pepper hummus is lower carb and absolutely delicious!
Slim Jim small size beef jerky	I used to keep these in my pocketbook for emergencies. Stopped buying them.
Marinated Mushrooms	$4.99 for a large jar of marinated mushrooms. Can get the same jar for the same price at Market Basket.
Kirkland Chicken Breast Cans	Can be used to make wraps. Always good to have in the cabinet.
Atkins Shakes	They may have a limited selection of flavors.
Low Carb Bars	Powerbar Pria Carb Select Variety Pack, 18 for $19.99, Powerbar Protein Plus Carb Select 15 bars for $21.69, Carb Solutions Low Carb breakfast bars 24 for $19.99. They recently had a coupon buy one get one free with coupon and I didn't use it. The first ingredient in these things is malitol -- no thanks!
Frozen plain chicken wings	These are great to have in your freezer. They are pre-cut so you don’t have to get your cutting board all messy. They are also large. Sprinkle them with pepper, salt, and Old Bay Seasoning on a baking sheet with tinfoil We bake them at 350 for an hour, turning them every twenty minutes. At the end, we may broil them, then put them in a bowl with chicken wing sauce and toss.
Fuze Slenderize	This tastes like Kool-Aid, but great for making mixed drinks! 12 for $10.99. They stopped carrying this.
Crystal Light
Fruit2O	$9.99 for 24 bottles
Planter’s Peanuts	These are in the snack aisle and come in small packs, great for your glove compartment or purse. I eat these things instead of bars. 10 minutes later, you aren’t hungry at all! And they are portion controlled!
Atkins Carb Counting Bread	$4.99 for 2 loaves

About Costco

For those of you who have never visited, Costco is a large warehouse store, with lots of staples and luxury items. Costco has some basic food that very easily fits into living low carb, but it doesn't have many specialty foods. Costco has a book in the front of the store that you can use to communicate with "someone" in the central office who replies very tersely and without much encouragement regarding low-carb foods. Kudos to Costco for having a mechanism, even though I am usually not happy with the response.

To find the closest Costco, go here.