A crispy, flavorful treat for low-carb dieters, but not trick-or-treaters

This column is about trick-or-treating, not about Halloween.

Since I'm following a low-carb food plan, I want to make sure that I stay on that path until I arrive at my destination; a healthy weight, and steering clear of the possibility of diabetes. The trick is doing so without consuming sweet treats.

Almost 30 years ago, I used a low-fat food plan to lose weight and keep it off, achieving only partial success. I lost weight (more than 100 pounds) and battled to keep it off for over 10 years with limited success.

Later, when the weight ultimately returned with a vengeance, I went to Weight Watchers and lost 150 pounds and kept it off for nearly nine years.

Was that easier than the time before? No. It was hard, and then what is called "weight creep" started, and I put some (fortunately, not even close to all) of the weight back on.

It's a study-based fact: after five years, only 5-percent of weight losers maintain their weight loss. Doubt that? Check on how many of The Biggest Losers maintained their weight loss. I believed I could beat those statistics; I only did for a while.

Over time I learned that sugars, highly processed carbohydrates and high-starch vegetables (like potatoes and rice) could cause sustained weight gain.

Low-carb meals became my dietary path. I wasn't happy about giving up bread, but a low-carb T-shirt I saw said it all: "Don't blame the butter for what the bread did."

One of the things I used to enjoy was potato chips fried in avocado or olive oil. Good choice of oils, but the potato was now a goner.

At that time, I came across Oven-Baked Parm Crisps made by That's How We Roll LLC at $4-plus for a 1.75-ounce bag. They had only one ingredient, Parmesan cheese, and zero carbs. It's a decent product with an expensive price tag.

I decided that I could make my own crisps using imported Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese, the real deal. Ina Garten supplied the method.

Garten used parchment paper to keep her crisps from sticking to the pan (remember, you're frying the cheese in the oven), and that could be really sticky at the end.

Using my food processor made it easy to grate the cheese. Using a measuring spoon to measure out the cheese made for uniform crisps, that would all finish at the same time.

My crisps took more than twice the oven time of Garten's to get a nice golden brown. I was surprised at how greasy the parchment paper was once they were done.

Once my crisps had cooled, it took a spatula to get them to release from the parchment, which was interesting since parchment paper is supposed to make anything release easily.

I tasted a warm crisp, and it didn't have the crunch for which I'd hoped. The flavor was definitely Parmesan, and since it had zero carbs, it was a guilt-free snack.

Can I eat my crisps by the hands-full? No. But they are a definite crispy treat, and they were fun to make. They just won't work as treats on Halloween. Give them a try.

• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at don@ theleanwizard.com.