Adding veggies over startches

Wendy__D
Wendy__D Posts: 51 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So lately I've wanted to limit starchy carbs in favor of more nutritious and less Calorie dense veggies. Does anyone have any good "swaps"? For instance we've tried mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, cauliflower and cheese instead of macaroni and cheese. We're about to try spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti, too. Anyone have other ideas for swaps or different ways to use veggies?

Replies

  • cheerchicksie
    cheerchicksie Posts: 51 Member
    spinach pasta is a really good way to get some vegetables in - it's generally much lower carbs and calories.

    I also like throwing chopped broccoli inside almost any pasta/rice dishes I eat.

    I also puree spinach/lettuce/romaine etc. inside smoothies and yogurt. i literally can't even taste it half the time! :)

    hope this helps!
  • RMLMoore
    RMLMoore Posts: 130 Member
    Lightly stirfried cabbage is a good alternative to Asian noodles. I also went on the recipes.com website and searched out veggie recipes. There is lots of ideas, even if you ignore all the ones covered in cheese, breadcrumbs and French fried onions! We now have fennel, chard and parsnips in the rotation as well as several kinds of squash and cabbage.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Broccoli, cabbage, zucchini and a basic salad are my staples now. Broccoli works great for cheesy sauces -- like an Alfredo sauce over chicken and broccoli or a homemade hamburger helper (ground beef & diced broccoli with a cheese sauce). Cabbage works great in place of egg noodles or rice like in a goulash or casserole type recipes. Zucchini works great for lasagna and makes a delicious creamy soup. Green beans with ham or bacon is another.

    Basically, take a vegetable and add some natural fats in whatever form you like and you have a healthy side that's satisfying and everyone is going to want to eat.
  • MFPfriend
    MFPfriend Posts: 1,121 Member
    Zucchini tator tots! They're sooooooo good!
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    Cauliflower Rice, Zuchinni "pasta"

    http://mistyyoon.com/2012/06/19/paleo-cauliflower-rice/

    http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/09/recipe-for-julienned-zucchini-spaghetti.html
  • Wendy__D
    Wendy__D Posts: 51 Member
    Thank you all so much! :-)
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    Zucchini tator tots! They're sooooooo good!

    Nice! Are they breaded? If so, that defeats the purpose lol.

    Raw cauliflower grated with diced onion in sesame oil makes "rice."
    I love eggplant. You can make a nice veggie curried puree with it.
    All about mashed cauliflower, I make my own pesto sauce and add a tbsp.
  • MFPfriend
    MFPfriend Posts: 1,121 Member
    Zucchini tator tots! They're sooooooo good!

    Nice! Are they breaded? If so, that defeats the purpose lol.


    Not necessarily breaded, but they do contain breadcrumbs (1/4 cup total for all 12 muffin-pan-sized tots). Grated zucchini, some cheese, some onion, some breadcrumbs. About 25 calories per tot.
    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/07/zucchini-tots.html
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Dont discount starches completely though.
    Great stuff on lifting days post workout.

    Look at it this way:

    Rest days=green leafy carbs
    Lift days=starches
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
    Zucchini Sticks they are kinda like mozzerlla sticks without the cheee if you dip em in marninara sauce you can almost pretend yes they are braded but so lightly it honestly hardly batters... 1/2 a cub of bread crumbs makes SO many
    INGREDIENTS
    3 large zucchini, sliced longways, halved and cut into sticks
    2 eggs
    1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
    1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
    1 tsp dried oregano
    1/2 tsp dried garlic powder
    Olive oil spray

    INSTRUCTIONS
    Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray olive oil spray on large baking sheet. Set aside.

    Slice zucchini into long planks. Cut planks in half then slice long into sticks.
    stiks_zps7027b38b.jpg
  • notmac
    notmac Posts: 89
    I have found some great idea's on Pinterest. Check to see if you find something that will work for you there. Use all the resources/social media's you can.
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    Dont discount starches completely though.
    Great stuff on lifting days post workout.

    Look at it this way:

    Rest days=green leafy carbs
    Lift days=starches

    Great point. Although I think the overall objective it to come up with ways to lower daily carbohydrate intake which is always a plus.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Dont discount starches completely though.
    Great stuff on lifting days post workout.

    Look at it this way:

    Rest days=green leafy carbs
    Lift days=starches

    Great point. Although I think the overall objective it to come up with ways to lower daily carbohydrate intake which is always a plus.

    True!
    I totally understand when and where to cut carbs.
    But lets not forget the leptin boost you get from eating proper carbs.

    Case and point:
    Marypatmccue lost more fat on weeks she ate pizza than on weeks she ate nothing but salads.
    You just have to realize than the "bad" carbs are right at certain times ie post workout or on your weekly cheat/spike/refeed day.
  • Wendy__D
    Wendy__D Posts: 51 Member
    Dont discount starches completely though.
    Great stuff on lifting days post workout.

    Look at it this way:

    Rest days=green leafy carbs
    Lift days=starches

    Oh yeah, not cutting them out entirely. But we'd fallen in a rut of eating a protein w/ either rice, potatoes, or pasta and maybe a veggie (or not) for a meal to feel "complete." My sister-in-law once described our holiday meal together as "no carb left behind" so I'm definitely not in the cutting them out entirely camp, I just need to learn to limit them better. :-D

Categories