How Fruit Fits Your Low-Carb Lifestyle :

Here’s the dilemma: You love living a low-carb lifestyle, but you also love fresh fruit. Well guess what? There’s no dilemma!Dana Carpender, of Bloomington, Indiana, is a nationally syndicated columnist and the author of several popular low-carb cookbooks, including 500 Low-Carb Recipes , 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes and The Low-Carb Barbecue Book .

Dana’s newest cookbook is 500 More Low-Carb Recipes , and in it there are many, many recipes that include fruit. She says people watching carbs can even enjoy fresh berries, cantaloupe and bananas.

The key, of course, is moderation.

"I think the claim that people can eat unlimited calories on a low-carb diet is oversold," Dana said in a recent phone interview, "but I think you can eat more calories and still lose weight .

"I just think there’s not evidence that a low-fat diet is good for much. People knock fat out of a diet and they’re hungry all the time. Americans have lost sight of the idea to eat when you’re hungry and until you’re satisfied, and then wait until you’re hungry again. They have the habit of mindlessly eating while watching TV. They’re terribly uncomfortable without food when they sit down to watch a movie.

"And the only thing you can eat a lot of without feeling physically sick is carbs, like chips. Low-carb foods, because they’re high in protein and fat, have high satiety value and make you feel full."

Some of Dana’s recipes are extremely high in calories and fat, and she reminds readers that these are not foods meant to be eaten regularly. Different people can tolerate different daily calorie levels, she says, and it should be kept in mind that the word "treat" means once in a while, not every day.

So while enjoying fresh fruit is an option, people who love fruit can get that lovin’ fruity feeling in other, trickier ways. Dana uses a lot of fruit-flavored sugar-free gelatins, fruit extracts and fruit vinegars in her recipes. And in the recipes that do call for fresh fruit, "A little goes a long way," she says.

So today let’s work our way through some popular fruits, and learn how to use them with Dana Carpender’s low-carb method.

Apples

Nutrition: 1 medium apple has 80 calories, zero fat, cholesterol or sodium, 22g carbohydrate (5 fiber, 16 sugars) and less than 1g protein.

Vitamin and mineral daily requirements: 2 percent of vitamin A, 8 percent of vitamin C.

In a low-carb lifestyle: Apples contain enough sugar that low-carbers will likely want to consider a substitution. Dana Carpender offers a recipe for mock fried apples that will fulfill an apple craving. Guar and xanthan gum can be purchased or ordered from health food stores; Dana recommends putting it in a salt shaker and keeping it by the stove, so you can shake it into recipes that need thickening.

Anne Logston’s Mock Fried Apples

2 chayote fruits (usually available in the fresh produce section, near Hispanic items)
1/3 cup (80 mL) apple cider vinegar
3-5 packets Splenda or 2-10 tsp. granular Splenda, to taste
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 stick butter
Guar or xanthan (optional)Wash chayote thoroughly and quarter lengthwise, removing seeds. Cut quarters crosswise into thin pieces. Place slices in a bowl or zipper-lock bag. Wash your hands immediately, because dried chayote juice leaves a stubborn sticky film on your fingertips.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, Splenda, cinnamon and salt. Add to chayote slices and toss or shake to coat thoroughly. Let marinate at least one hour.

Melt butter in a hot skillet. When butter is sizzling, add chayote and any juice. Cook until chayote is hot but still crunchy, or cook until tender if desired. About eight minutes is good. If desired, thicken pan juices with your guar or xanthan shaker to create a thick, yummy glaze.

Makes 3 servings, each with 167 calories, 16g fat, 1g protein, 7g carbohydrate and 3g fiber.

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