UPDATED 29th August 2026) PUBLIC LIVE DRAFT The following is a sneak-peek draft Answer to a feature Question; for the pending Manuscript entire re-write and rebranding to sufficiently complete. REMINDER: the book will be written in third person. Live-it-forward  ~ AW.

Buffer Foods

Buffer Foods here refer to any foods that can be used in place of, or complemented as an acessory to prolong other food items with higher perceived function and/or value.

But what determines or qualifies a Food as “Buffer” and how does one distinguish this from a “Primary” food item? One way to distinguish this is weighing their worth in their nutritional quality, not just their calorific value.

A “Primary” food item is any whole food that likely bears its usability as a consumable, solely-featured item that one can comfortably confidently consume that as a feature meal without excessive additional accessories.  These are likely to be satiating in terms of macronutrients, with provision of micronutrients.

However, readers may or may not know how to go about determining as such. Hence precisely why This Book and initiative gently suggest low carbohydrate as narrative and central to this idea at gradually developing such intuition, overtime. Later, as circumstances may (shall we hope not) predispose readers to food shortage; they are therefore – well equipped with habituated experience at ascertaining and acknowledging which food worth saving, and which food are prone to abusive overconsumption / overindulgence.

One quality or criteria perceived as valuable (despite still seen as debateable by some) that as far as  general needs and contexts of “satiety” and also as “quality” ~ at provisioning immune function, general physiology and psychology beyond maintenance of lean tissues  – is simply protein. 

Hence much throughout this section will surround the need to cover various examples of these Buffer Foods that provide alternative means of protein.

Buffer Foods – Animal Based

» Mixed Beef Bones. (Alternatively known as Soup Bones). As the name implies these are bones from either  limbs, necks, ribs, backs, or other joints usually perceived as discard(s). So long as they are labelled for human consumption (as such are mainly marketed as pet foods) they hold potentially tremendous calorific value that lasts considerable amount of time. Be sure to:

» Look for batches composed of small not large cuts. Smaller bones are much easier to identify how much proteins relative to fats in the packaging. Smaller cuts also help reduce the amount of  pressure cooking time.

» Off cuts / bone-dominant cuts. These can be either lamb, chicken or beef – providing an abundance of more fats than proteins. Readers may frown at how much fat it provides. However, this alone is in actuality a distinct advantage as it affords one to SAVE other fats one typially deems more “valuable” – coconut oils, butters or extra virgin olive oils for instance. Like Beef Bones (above) – try to look for offcuts that are relatively meaty in apperance to indicate higher calorific / satiation value than just crude bone parts.   

Buffer Foods – Plant Based

» Legumes / lentils / chickpeas. Certainly subject to individual tolerance according to FODMAPs and quantity – these can be incorporated amongst both low and high also carbohydrate allowance days in place of other starchy or high net sugars; thus serving not only as carbohydrate buffers but also more importantly – saving apart other valuable Proteins in one’s inventory. They are certainly far from being ideal as protein replacement but not entirely too far off either from being unusable.  Be sure to:

» Experiment with various types during carbohydrate allowance days. For readers already practising intermittent fast(s) and/or acquainted with exclusion and/or reinclusions may find effects and/or repercussions surrounding digestion and gut conditions during fasting windows that much more readily palpable.

Certainly there many, many other food items that can be perceived as “Buffer”. Chicken bones, other meat offcuts, or mock plant based meat proteins (assuming they’re afforded within short-dated discounts) that cannot be adequately shared here in one (1) writing. Suffice to say readers’ own curiosity should pre-empt enough exploration for them to decide at their own end, whether their palatability and physiology tolerance may allow incorporating these foods for time indefenite.

Practical Meal Examples (CKD+IF)

The following is a few examples how the above can be used, depending on the nutritional formatting presuming Cyclical Keto + Intermittent Fasting as dietary formatting. Here we assume that weekdays are allocated to 18- 21 hours of fasts on LC (low carbohydrate) meals. And for HC or higher carbohydrate days – allow longer feeding window to promote practical feeding window to one’s comfort.

» Off cuts / bone-dominant cuts.
LC: Use the stocks and/or the meat and fat portions generously as buffer accessory to the more valuable  feature meat proteins.
HC: Use the stocks on a bed of rice or bread as main feature meal. Eat to satiety

» Legumes / lentils / pulses (eg. Chickpeas).
LC: aim to consume no more than 100g dry weight (equating to anywhere between 45-50 grams of net carbohydrate).
HC: simply adjust / consume to satiety in conjunction to other high carbohydrate starches and/or staples.

“What if I am incorporating both (eg off cuts) with plant Buffer(s)? How should I prepare my meals accordingly to either high or low carbohydrate meals?”

This, being an inevitable situation obviously obligate some planning before hand. Generally speaking, the rule one may abide during either/or Low carbohydrate allowance days would be to approximately halve or reduce by 50% of the amout according to the plant buffer’s net carbohydrate foot print per 100g (raw, uncooked weight). On higher carbohydrate allowance days, simply consume to satiety.

What  this means essentially is:

» On LC days. consume no more than 50% of the pulse  100g raw uncooked weight on the feature meal.

» On HC days. consume up to 100% of the pulse  100g raw uncooked weight per feature meal or until satiety is reached on the feature meal.

Assuming one is using 500g worth of dry weight of the pulses ~ be sure to physically and carefully portion the overall finished (bulk) cooking  into five (5) separate container(s). This facilitates comfort and confidence knowing that each portion represents 100g of the 500g raw beans/pulses.

This Author (AW) generally recommend cooking both Buffer(s) – the pulses/beans with the off cuts at the same time. But only and strictly only – if the type of pulse does not require necessary extra steps; mainly removing the indigestible husk or cellulose often found during the cooking process.

Chickpeas, in particular require additional / attentive preparation at stopping the  pressure cooking halfway (typically around 30- 40 minutes mark), rince away the cooking water. Then manually peel / rub away the  indigestible husks by hand with running water. Repeat the entire pressure cooking process for another 20-30 minutes. Release pressure valve. Then re-check the results.

Keep in mind that it is simply impossible for one to remove all indigestible husks found among pulses.

For the unacquainted, beginning dieter this may seem overly unjustified given how small these husks are. Only until one prepares through a small batch, even as small as just 250g raw weight amount – the amount of shells that can be seen separating away can quickly mounts to a surprising sum.   

In Summary

Readers may sulk at the idea of “eating humbly”. But little do they know what awaits a month or even one  year later, having incorporated these strategies reveals a certain “net” self-gratitude; (that as one may argue) may easily be earned elsewhere.

“Buffer”  here in this case, often connotates as filler. But given the patience, and introspection – they are anything but filler.  This Author (AW) would not condone, for sake of general decency of its audience – long term abstinence or exclusion inbetween plant of not plant-based foods.

However it is very hard to argue that as far as Economics are concerned ~ one must nonetheless be fulfilled from both animal as well plant based sources.

<END public live draft of chapter>