Q: Do you know of a good comprehensive site with nutritional info -- or at least the carb count -- for most foods and ingredients, including things like vanilla extract, which I cannot find anywhere?
A: I know... that pesky vanilla extract! How in the name of all that's good and low-carb, are we going to figure out the carb content??? Well, I did a search and came across a really good link that has the carb content of common foods. You can find it HERE. According to this site, vanilla extract has .53 carbs per teaspoon. Not bad. That's actually what I "guesstimated" it to be with some of my recipes - counted one teaspoon as one carb, and I wasn't too far off. Well - ya know, I'm just cool like that.
Keep in mind that this site only gives TOTAL CARBS. It doesn't provide dietary fiber, or any of the other things we're supposed to subtract in order to get our NET CARBS. (Remember, we only count net carbs. Dietary fiber is our friend.)
The Atkins counter, however, does provide net carbs - and they have a pretty comprehensive list of foods. I've never come away disappointed when I searched for something on the Atkins carb counter - well, with the exception of vanilla extract - which I was beginning to think was some sort of vanilla bean conspiracy or something with as hard as it was to find the nutritional information on it!!!
So, go... explore! Learn! Educate yourself about what you're really putting in your mouth! Ignorance makes you fat, ya know.
I am totally on board with the whole low-carb thing just as I'm on board with knowing what it is I'm putting in my mouth, but worrying about the carb content of vanilla extract? People do this?
Posted by: Kimberly | January 07, 2004 at 11:48 AM
Remember that the alcohol in vanilla disappears when cooked. I bet the carb content goes down in it after that.
Posted by: Kim | January 08, 2004 at 12:57 AM
What would I do without ya? Tanks. :D
Posted by: Nattie-dahling | January 08, 2004 at 01:37 PM
~Hey~ was that beautiful birthday cake for EM low carb and if so can I have a piece.
Posted by: naomi | January 13, 2004 at 03:31 PM
Why do you call yourself the low-carb Nazi? Maybe you are unaware that the Nazi's killed 12 million people of various religions just because.
It's a shame that you are showing your ignorance because the Nazis were not nice people and I think you are trying to have a nice website. You site could be a benefit to many people. I hope you consider changing the name
Posted by: Robin | January 25, 2004 at 01:39 PM