Dana Carpender

1000 Low-Carb Recipes rates as a four-star or a five- cookbook, depending on who you are. If you’re a serious low-carb dieter — you’re willing to stalk the health-food stores for Vege-Sal, Carb Countdown milk substitute, black soy beans, raw wheat germ, rice protein powder, and guar or xanthan gums; grind your own flaxseed, raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and almonds to make meals and flours, and order Ketatoes (don’t ask), wheat protein isolate, and low-carb Bisquick substitute onlne show more — well, this is a five-star cookbook for you. Dana Carpender enables the steadfast low-carb true believer to lose lots and lots of weight with delicious and very varied recipes ranging from smoothies to appetizers to soups to entrees — even pancakes, crackers, breads, alcoholic beverages and desserts!

But what if you never hit the health-food store and the thought of making your own almond flour or ordering Ketatoes or xanthan gum creates a sense of dread in the pit of your stomach? In other words, what if you’re like me? Well, Carpenter still packs this cookbook with hundreds of recipes for the Great Unwashed like us that don’t require specialty or hard-to-find ingredients. For example, the various chicken wing recipes would delight anyone, whether on a low-carb diet or not. So would her Perfect Protein Pancakes, Garlic Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, Autumn Salad, Broccoli-Bacon-Colby Quiche, Oyster Stew, Shrimp Scampi, Aioli Fish Bake, Mustard-Pecan Turkey Cutlets, Marinated Sirloin, Easy Shrimp in Garlic Herb Cream Sauce — well, you get the idea. There are literally hundreds of low-carb wonders in 1000 Low-Carb Recipes that don’t require unpronounceable or unobtainable ingredients. Just don’t expect any recipes with a smidgeon of grains — not even the brown rice or whole-wheat pasta allowed in South Beach’s Phase 2 — nor any bananas or beans other than canned black soy beans, although the former is allowed in Phase 2 and beans (in moderation) are allowed even in South Beach’s Phase 1. For those following a South Beach diet, as I am, 1000 Low-Carb Recipes provides some great recipes but using nothing but this cookbook would exhaust me with its restrictiveness.

So whether you’re a low-carb warrior or just a low-carb dilettante interested in adding to your repertoire of diet recipes, 1000 Low-Carb Recipes provides exactly what you want: some excellent recipes. Whether it’s all you need depends on who you are. show less

I’ll be honest: I’ve dabbled in ketogenic diets, but I’ve never been hardcore. My son, on the other hand, is serious. He never eats dessert. Ever. He won’t even eat soup if it has had potatoes in it. No pizza, no cow’s milk, no baked goods, no grains, no pasta, no beans, very little processed foods. He’s a true believer, and it has paid off for him, as he’s losing weight.

So I wanted to help my son, but I feed the whole family, including his sister who’s a super-picky eater. show more She’s not about to eat cauliflower rice — why, even my son turns his nose up at that! So the meals I cook aren’t always keto-friendly. But I thought with a book like this, he and I could ensure he had some healthful to eat without spending as much as he has been on meat and keto specialties.

Yes, The Keto for One Cookbook is great for singletons, but it’s always easy to quadruple for a regular family (or sextuple for ours). And a lot of the recipes would work for his lunch — and mine. I liked a previous cookbook I got by Dana Carpender, but I truly love this one. show less

Dana Carpender preaches low carb with an evangelical zeal in How I Gave Up...and... You Can Too. I found her overview of the three general low carb plans and their variances very informative. The book is written in straightforward terms and the testimonials from Dana and some of her low carb converts give it a conversational feel. The book also includes chapters on supplements, indulgences, plateaus, and exercise plus loads of resources in the appendix. If you're on the fence about reading show more this, check out her blog and podcasts on her internet site, Hold the Toast. show less

Some interesting recipes but I had problems with her inconsistencies.She should have titled it paleo-inspired recipes because they aren't really truly paleo.
"This isn't really paleo but a little bit is ok" She wrote sentences to that effect several times in the introduction.
"Grain is an evil poison, no exceptions" but includes baking powder in at least one recipe. You have to buy specialty baking powder or make a substitute if you want one without corn starch in it. I have never found a show more corn free baking powder just from any grocery store. And corn is a grain, for those who didn't know.

Also had issue with her statement that she would chose feedlot meat over organic wheat. #1 So unhealthy for us and for the animals and for the environment! Feedlots stuff animals with grains. How is that better? I happen to believe that a healthful diet is possible without harming the environment.

As a side note- I don't eat a paleo diet but picked this up hoping to get some meal ideas for my son who is dangerously allergic to dairy. I appreciated the section on coconut yogurt which I want to try. show less