Review: Carb Conscious Vegetarian

Carb Conscious Vegetarian
by Robin Robertson

Warning: if you are in the first or second phase of a low-carb diet, this cookbook will likely be of no use to you. "Carb Conscious" was, sadly, not a synonym for low carb. These recipes have carb contents that would make them suitable as small side dishes in either a maintenance phase or the last month or two of a low-carb diet when you’re upping carb intakes to much higher levels. The bigger recipes tend to be fairly low in fat, rather low in protein, and have at least 20 carb grams if not more; the smaller recipes are super low in fat and protein and have around 5 to 10 carb grams. I haven’t the time or inclination to add up all the recipes’ macronutrients and come up with a true average, but I suspect the typical fat, protein carb ratio would work out to something like 1g fat, 3g protein, 9g carb, 1g fiber. Clearly an early to middle phase low-carb dieter using this book would fail quickly and spectacularly.

So now that I’ve gotten that warning out of the way, if you’re still interested, these are my impressions:

This text is printed on pleasant pale cream paper with sage green typeface. For someone with low vision, the text would be difficult to read and long periods spent crouched over the pages would likely bring on eye fatigue. Most people, however, don’t "read" their cookbooks. On a casual level I do find the pages warm and welcoming. I suspect most people would enjoy the book’s presentation and layout.

The text’s introduction includes Robertson’s take on carbohydrates’ role in her weight gain and loss. Her dietary philosophy seems to combine low-fat theory (though she doesn’t state it) with an avoidance of refined/processed carbs and high GI/GL carbs such as potatoes and rice. She believes that a healthy diet is based on whole foods. A short section called “Carbology” briefly touches on the concepts of net carbs, the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load. Though she states her cookbook would be useful for a low-carb dieter in any phase of their plan, I disgree strongly. This particular cookbook is, sadly, barely more functional for my needs even at maintenance than the vegetarian classic Laurel’s Kitchen. (In fact, a quick glance at the nutritional breakdown table for Laurel’s recipes reveals that they are, for the most part, quite similar to the breakdowns for Robertson’s dishes.)

Robertson cautions against the use of Glycemic Index, pointing out that a chocolate bar has a better GI value than rice and carrots. While a carrot’s GI is high, the Glycemic Load of a carrot is low. (She actually covers the carrot GI/GL topic on page 143.) She could simply have pointed out that Glycemic Load is a better dietary reference than Glycemic Index. What worries me about Robertson’s carrot statement is the subtextual assumption that a bowl of rice is superior to a chocolate bar--so clearly superior, in fact, that she doesn’t feel a need to back the insinuated claim up with any sort of scientific data. But the scientific facts of low-carb dieting—-however unsettling this may be to us vegetarians—-show that such foods as bowls of rice are exactly what fattened our bodies and imperiled our health. In my opinion, Robertson’s brief carrot, rice, chocolate statement distills her dietary philosophy and exemplifies the content of the book. (I also believe that chocolate, without sugar, IS a better food than rice, but apparently she disagrees.)

I know she truly meant to meet the needs of LC dieters with this book. I appreciate her effort and thank her for trying, but this is not the book vegetarian Low Carb dieters need.

Nonetheless, I shall continue with the review…

A few staple ingredients she uses concern me. Robertson’s recipes are "dairy free" (though she does allow for the optional use of dairy in a few recipes), so she uses soy versions of common milk products instead. Too few vegetarians are aware of soy’s pitfalls and it worries me that Robertson didn’t mention its possible risks.

It also troubles me greatly that she advocates the use of stevia as a sweetener by saying that it is natural. The safety of stevia is by no means certain. Natural does not mean safe. Oleander, rhubarb leaves and peach pits are natural plant parts that I don’t want anywhere near my mouth. I would prefer that a low carb cookbook author present all the sweetener options out there, include the scientific data we have on each, and let dieters make informed decisions on how—and if—to sweeten for themselves.

And using agave as a sweetener as Robertson does seems, to me, terribly unwise even for non low-carb dieters. (I think it’s especially perilous for those on LC plans, but I digress…) If I understand correctly, fructose is processed differently by the liver than other forms of sugar. In high concentrations—such as in High Fructose Corn Syrup—it can lead to unhappy health consquences. Robertson acknowledges it is not low carb, but seems to believe it is nonetheless acceptable. I wouldn’t touch it with a flagpole, let alone a fork or spoon.

I’m also distressed by her use of flax, though I realize that, like soy, flax is a controversial diet topic.

Okay, so those are the iffy ingredients. Are there good ones?

Absolutely. She makes frequent use of beans such as black beans and chickpeas. I also deeply appreciate her avoidance of whole grain bread and wheat in this book. Her use of spices seems creative and her inclusion of lots of low GI veggies in many recipes makes me hold out hope that something truly lovely may arise from this book.

Realistically, the soy-based ingredients she calls for can be replaced with egg, milk or Quorn products, so those recipes may still be useful in altered form. Furthermore, just because Robertson calls for a potentially risky sweetener in a recipe doesn’t mean you must use it. You can always opt for erythritol or inulin or one of the many other low-carb sweeteners instead. Or you can do the truly prudent thing and just not sweeten your recipes. (No, heck no: I’m no dietary angel. But I believe in informed consent when it comes to dietary risk. I don’t believe in glossing over potential dangers with a wishful wave of the hand and a nod to the gods of "Natural".)

Shrug.

One more note: The book has a carbohydrate content table of common foods in the appendix. It also includes a small Glycemic Index chart.

The book lists for $18.95 US.

Since my gripes outweigh my applause, it probably seems as if I hate this cookbook. I don’t. I look forward to trying some of the recipes as side dishes in hopes that Robertson can dazzle with spices. It’s no worse than the average vegetarian cookbook—perhaps even a wee bit better—it’s just a huge disappointment when I had hopes of finding new, tasty low carg veg dishes.

Should you buy this book?

If you’re in a higher-carb maintenance and either don’t mind soy or don’t mind tweaking recipes, it could be a somewhat useful addition to your cookbook shelf. If you can find it at your local library, I would suggest perusing it before committing to a purchase.


~L