6 best places in Dubai for low-carb foods

Dubai isn't exactly a low-carb-friendly city, but that does not mean there aren’t alternatives for those who are on a strict low-carb lifestyle

Dubai: If there was a certification for low-carb-friendly cities, Dubai would not get it. But that does not mean that there aren’t alternatives for those who are on a strict low-carb lifestyle.

An increasing number of restaurants are happy to wrap your burger in lettuce, but that’s about it.

Shops in Dubai have not yet learned to make a distinction between sugar-free and low-carb. If you want to make low carb dessert, there are almost no options. It is a known fact that sugar-free powdered sweeteners are very high in carbs, and zero-carb liquid sweeteners are nowhere to be found in the city (try Sultan Centre in Muscat).

Despite that, there are options that can make life easier for carbophobes.

Low carb peanut better (Yum Yum), sugar free, low carb jam (Smucker’s), hazelnut butter, low carb chocolate sauce (American Garden) and almond powder can be found in supermarkets like Carrefour and Geant.

For everything else, try these places:

1. Healthy Eats and Treats (H.E.A.T)

This is a restaurant that understands low carb, and is obviously owned or run by someone who does. It provides options for those on low-carb, low-fat and gluten-free diets.

The menu colour-codes each item according to diets. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have carb or calorie counts so there’s no way to tell how much you’re having.

Their coffee is great and they will accommodate for all kinds of milk requirements, whether you’re looking for full fat milk, like many carbophobes do, or if you want the much less tasty almond milk.

The ambience is casual, designed for a quick pick up, unless if you’re willing to eat under uninviting white lights. Their outdoor seating is pleasant in winter provided that you can put up with the noise from all the supercars that whizz by Jumeirah Beach Road.

Location Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai Phone 04 338 8831 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HEATCAFE Coordinates 25.14713,55.197244

2. Kcal

This is a healthy foods restaurant that focuses mostly on low calorie diets. It does however take the initiative to list carb values for every item on its menu, and some items are worth trying for low-carb eaters.

Look for Stuffed Chicken (6g), Red Beef Curry (6g), Herbed Beef Italiano (6.7g), Bombay Chicken Salad (5g).

Location 23, Lake Terrace Tower, Cluster D, Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT), Dubai Phone 04 447 3844 Home Delivery Yes (online, SMS, phone) http://www.kcalhealthyfastfood.com

3. MAX Burger

While a growing number of restaurants will be happy to wrap your burger in lettuce, few actually put that on the menu. That is why the Swedish MAX Burger deserves a mention here. Their lettuce-wrapped burger (at Dh24 for a meal with a side and a drink), and the salads (starting at Dh13) are probably the few things you can have on their menu, though.

Locations on their website http://www.maxarabia.com/en/UAE/Find-Max/Store-Locator

4. Park ‘n’ Shop

This is perhaps the only store that carries specialized, imported low carb goods. Things to pick up from here are:

Breyer’s CarbSmart low carb ice cream. Dh 22 for 6 fudge bars, at 7g per bar. (Note: ignore the carb values on the front of the packaging and look at the nutrition table, which shows the real values)

Low carb bread; 6g per piece of large flat brad (keep an eye out for occasional specials, when prices halve) Yum Yum creamy peanut butter; 2g per tablespoon.

Blue Diamond almonds. Dh16. While these almonds are available in other stores, Park ‘n’ Shop carries a much wider variety, including those that are targeted for low-carb eaters. The Blazin’ BBQ flavor is one to try, at 2g of carbs for a serving of 28 almonds.

5. Carrefour

This hypermarket has a decent selection of low-carb pizza sauce, Caesar salad dressing, and jam. While the pizza sauce and salad dressing may be found in other supermarkets

too, Carrefour is the only supermarket I have found low carb jam in, and it’s delicious.

Look for:

Smucker’s sugar- free varieties. They have two net carbs per table spoon. Not bad. American Garden sugar-free chocolate syrup; 2g of carbs per tablespoon American Garden US mayonnaise. Virtually carb-free (available in most supermarkets) Xanthan Gum, the low carb thickener.

Almond powder. Great for cooking a range of low carb items; Dh50 per kg (also available in Union Co-op and Geant; not available in Carrefour Express)

6. Carboholix

This oddly-named store is in fact targeted at those who are trying to avoid carbs. It may be the first store in Dubai to tap into a growing market of carb-watchers. While it is a welcome initiative, it does not carry many items for those who are on strict low-carb programs (of 20g per day or less). The items stocked here are for those who are either starting to wean themselves off carbs, or have a dietary lifestyle that tries to avoid them. Either way, it is worth a visit.

Location Ajyal Building, Shop 2, Al Barsha, Dubai, UAE Website http://www.carboholix.com Coordinates 25.117932,55.205956

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