I wanted to pop in to make a brief(ish) statement on recipe macros: namely, why I include them, and what it all means.
Most people are used to seeing macros and a suggested number of servings listed for each recipe across the ketosphere, and thus including them is pretty much in-line with what others do. I think it’s perfectly reasonable for an author to give his or her audience an idea of what kind of yield and macronutrient impact can be generally expected from any particular recipe.
At the same time, most of us have, at one time or another, excitedly made a recipe we thought would be very low carb- because that’s what it says on the wesbite or in the cookbook!- only to get a nasty surprise when we enter the ingredients into our tracker. I think we pretty much all hate that.
Of course, it also must be noted that just because the ingredients in a recipe are all clean and compliant, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is suitable for a ketogenic lifestyle. For example, large quantities of higher carb, albeit approved, vegetables can quickly blow out your carb count. Triple meat and cheese dishes may have perfectly acceptable ingredients, but if it takes up most of your protein count for the day, you won’t be doing yourself any favors eating it. Etc., and so on.
What is important for everyone to understand is that the numbers I (and every other keto chef out there) provide are as accurate as I can get them, assuming you’re using the same ingredients I did (down to the brand), and are portioning the end result out in the same quantities. In as many cases wherein it is reasonable, I will try to measure out ingredients- especially those that contribute most heavily to the carb count- in grams or ounces, so as to eliminate the fairly wildly varying counts you can get from brand to brand when using cups. I will also try to list out any specific brand name products I’ve used where it might make a difference in macronutrient counts or in the quality of the finished product generally.
For convenience, I also list the “NET” carb count for each recipe, where applicable, in the recipe description field. I personally count total- which is why sweets and treats are very limited in my household’s regular meal rotation- but many people choose to exclude dietary fiber and sugar alcohols, and so I’ve already done the math for those that prefer to count this way. In each case, I will also list out the fiber and any sugar alcohol counts, all in grams, so you can see how I tallied the final “NET” carb count.
In case anyone is curious, I prefer to use the recipe feature in Cronometer to calculate macros per serving, as I have had a very positive experience with this particular tracker, and I think it is one of the more detailed and accurate of those available. But please, don’t be afraid to check the numbers against your own tracker of choice. In fact, I encourage it! It is my hope that the numbers I provide will get you a solid ballpark figure that you can reasonably expect to work into your individual macros, but it’s important that you take ownership of your own journey. If you fall into the category of persons wherein you need to keep a tight reign on your intake, checking macros on foods you’re eating may be part of that. You do you, and I will do my best to help along the way!
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