In this diet, is it better to thicken sauces using the roux method (with normal flour), to use cornflour or neither?
Thanks

I can’t pretend to be able to give advice on the BSD because I do my own thing most of the time while trying to get as close to the diet as I can, but I think the answer from most people would be “neither” because of the processed carbs in both products.

It depends on which version of the diet you’re doing as well… on the fast 800 roux and cornflour based sauces are probably best avoided, while on the med diet or maintenance you could use them occasionally.

There are some good BSD alternatives for thickening, such as egg yolks or psyllium husk (I tried the latter and it was horrible, but I probably should have given it more of a chance).

Or try a little bit of chia seed, only half a teaspoon in warm water. It wont taste and it goes thick but a bit jellified. On whether it is better to use flour or corn flour, I would say corn flour as you only need a teaspoon to thicken a sauce. To be honest I would just make things like that as I always have but not have it too often, I doubt a little flour in a sauce will enrage the carb monster and one tablespoonful in say gravy would be just a few grams per person.

For moussaka and lasagne and the like, I use full fat Greek yoghurt and an egg, well seasoned and all whisked together with Parmesan grated on top. It sort of thickens up like a savoury custard and sets, cheesy and creamy, low carb. Find it best not to try to replicate, but find new things to like. I find flour thickened sauces too slimey these days. You don’t need much of a covering to make things tasty. Mkx

I don’t often make sauces these days , tbh that kind of cooking seems a bit irrelevant these days, but if I do I use a teaspoon of cornflour…it doesn’t seem to have much impact on my calories and certainly does wake the carb monster.

Xantham gum. All you need is a tsp of it which is 12 calories and zero net carbs because it’s all fiber. It thickens like a charm. Agar agar — a kind of gelatin derived from seaweed — works well too, and it has basically no calories and carbs. My preferred thickener nowadays is a combination of plant gums that I get from an online low carb shop. I use a half teaspoon to thicken dressings and sauces. It is odorless, flavorless and you get immediate results as soon as it’s thoroughly whisked in to the liquid.

Sorry of course I meant that cornflour doesnt wake the carb monster!