Low Carb Sparkling Lemonade
One of my current frustrations is that my health issues mandate that I follow a low carb diet. This means I must learn to live without any of my favorite foods, including anything made with sugar, flour, grain or starch. I also need to avoid chemicals and processed foods, including most restaurant and packaged foods.
Unfortunately, I have not yet mastered the art of cooking this way. I am just beginning to experiment and discover healthy yet delicious substitutes for my forbidden favorites. Here is today’s triumph–read on for the recipe.
Photo from Flickr user D. Sharon Pruitt under Creative Commons license
Low Carb Sparkling Lemonade
1 c. club soda
juice of 1 organic lemon
drops of liquid stevia to taste
Stir together in a glass, add ice, and enjoy.
Stevia is a natural sweetener made from an herb, not an artificial chemical. Add a few drops at a time and taste as you go–a little goes a long way, because it is much sweeter than sugar. If you use a brand dissolved in water or alcohol, it will mix into a liquid drink better than if it is dissolved in oil. There is also a powdered form that is more convenient for baking, but like the liquid, just use a tiny bit at a time and taste the result–don’t try to substitute it for the same amount of granulated sugar.
If you keep the club soda and lemon in the refrigerator ahead of time, you will not need ice, and the fizz won’t get watered down. This doesn’t quite taste like a soft drink, but maybe like fancy party punch. It certainly seemed luxurious and made me smile, and now I have something I can sip in a rocking chair on a sweltering front porch next summer.
