Using cauliflower to replace carbs (Pizza, mashed potatos, tacos)

2

Replies

  • sb41288
    sb41288 Posts: 23 Member
    Wow, lots of great suggestion's and comments so far. Thank you all!
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    Idk many cauliflower recipes, but I damn sure love me some cauliflower mash! Its sooo good. Oh and I also make cauliflower fried "rice" and cauliflower "rice" pilaf. Amazing. I am not a low carb eater, but I love eating it cause it taste delish.

    I am sure there are plenty recipes that you can find on pinterest.
  • JustinAnimal
    JustinAnimal Posts: 1,335 Member
    I personally enjoy cauli-crust pizza. As has been said, doesn't taste like real crust. We also stopped b/c it's kind of time-intensive and we kept putting more cheese into the crust to make it stick together and taste better. Still, those pizzas were pretty decent. Highly suggest chopped garlic as a topping.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    sb41288 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Cauliflower is carbs. You're replacing simple carbs with complex carbs, but they're all carbs.

    I've been on maintenance the last few months which really simplifies things, but all along I've eaten pretty much whatever I wanted to eat, if I really wanted it. Over time I just learned to fill up on "good" things throughout most of the day, and I learned to stop and think about cravings before deciding whether or not I'd give in to them.

    Yes cauliflower has carbs but it's meniscal compared to grains. I can eat lots of cauliflower and my insulin will not jump anywhere near it would, if I ate a slice of bread.

    Sorry, I'm not trying to tell you how to eat or how to best deal with your medical issues. I'm just pointing out the obvious - that cauliflower is made up mainly of carbs. You're not the first person I've seen talking about eating veggies as a way to give up carbs.

    Depending on how you compare the two, cauliflower can match grains for carb content. It doesn't work if you compare by weight or volume, but if you compare similar calorie counts of whole wheat bread and cauliflower, you'll find almost identical carb count. (113 calories of cauliflower with 24 grams of carbs vs 120 calories of whole wheat bread with 24 grams of carbs.) Most people wouldn't see that in their daily diets since those calorie counts come from just 2 slices of bread vs 16 ounces of cauliflower.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    Do you have insulin resistance and hypothyroidism?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

  • sb41288
    sb41288 Posts: 23 Member
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

    lol, thanks
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    sb41288 wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

    lol, thanks

    I'll never understand these posts. You told him your situation. You asked for specific advice. He replies with "I eat pizza if I want pizza".

    Good luck. I do agree that some of the paleo sites (ignore the ensuing argument about that word) have good recipes. The low carb group here could help as well. The PCOS group has good recipes as well.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

    Not gonna happen. Entitled to and stand by my opinion. This IS, in fact, a PUBLIC forum.

    A person who is diabetic and has hypothyroidism does not have to stop eating foods. They do need to manage their intake as directed by their physician or nutritionist. Who would, unless there is more to this story, tell you pizza and all other foods are OK IN MODERATION. <~~key words here.

    And regardless of anyone's medical anything, cauliflower is not and should never be used as a substitute to pizza. Ever.

  • establishingaplace
    establishingaplace Posts: 301 Member
    jim180155 wrote: »
    sb41288 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Cauliflower is carbs. You're replacing simple carbs with complex carbs, but they're all carbs.

    I've been on maintenance the last few months which really simplifies things, but all along I've eaten pretty much whatever I wanted to eat, if I really wanted it. Over time I just learned to fill up on "good" things throughout most of the day, and I learned to stop and think about cravings before deciding whether or not I'd give in to them.

    Yes cauliflower has carbs but it's meniscal compared to grains. I can eat lots of cauliflower and my insulin will not jump anywhere near it would, if I ate a slice of bread.

    Sorry, I'm not trying to tell you how to eat or how to best deal with your medical issues. I'm just pointing out the obvious - that cauliflower is made up mainly of carbs. You're not the first person I've seen talking about eating veggies as a way to give up carbs.

    Depending on how you compare the two, cauliflower can match grains for carb content. It doesn't work if you compare by weight or volume, but if you compare similar calorie counts of whole wheat bread and cauliflower, you'll find almost identical carb count. (113 calories of cauliflower with 24 grams of carbs vs 120 calories of whole wheat bread with 24 grams of carbs.) Most people wouldn't see that in their daily diets since those calorie counts come from just 2 slices of bread vs 16 ounces of cauliflower.

    Low carb is not the same as no carb.

    Most people don't eat 16oz of cauliflower in one sitting, so really your point is moot. Plus, that amount of cauliflower has 11g of fiber. Bread typically does not have that much fiber unless it's low carb/high fiber bread.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    redheaddee wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

    Not gonna happen. Entitled to and stand by my opinion. This IS, in fact, a PUBLIC forum.

    A person who is diabetic and has hypothyroidism does not have to stop eating foods. They do need to manage their intake as directed by their physician or nutritionist. Who would, unless there is more to this story, tell you pizza and all other foods are OK IN MODERATION. <~~key words here.

    And regardless of anyone's medical anything, cauliflower is not and should never be used as a substitute to pizza. Ever.

    Or used for anything!
    When I was a kid I used to try to sneak it to the dog under the table, and the dog wouldn't even eat it... ;)
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    The answer here will be: just build it in to you calories.
    So ignore that answer.

    My answer: I love cauliflower pizza and mushroom cap pizzas, and tortilla pizzas. Do they taste like "real" pizza? Not really.

    Nachos? no idea.
    Tacos? My favorite restaurant uses jicama as a shell. Those were awesome too.
    Seems to require a particular kitchen tool to make the shell.

    My grocery store sells low carb tortillas, those might help.

    Huh... jicama shells... interesting. I usually just buy them, chop them up, add lemon sprinkle salt hot sauce and enjoy like that.
    Mmmm... now I want some jicama. :p
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    redheaddee wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

    Not gonna happen. Entitled to and stand by my opinion. This IS, in fact, a PUBLIC forum.

    A person who is diabetic and has hypothyroidism does not have to stop eating foods. They do need to manage their intake as directed by their physician or nutritionist. Who would, unless there is more to this story, tell you pizza and all other foods are OK IN MODERATION. <~~key words here.

    And regardless of anyone's medical anything, cauliflower is not and should never be used as a substitute to pizza. Ever.

    The problem is "moderation" is a meaningless term. What's eating pizza in moderation? 1 slice of pizza every 2 weeks? 3 slices per day? What sort of pizza? What are you eating with it? WE CAN SAY IT IN ALL CAPS AND IT'S STILL JUST AS MEANINGLESS OF A PHRASE.

    Just my opinion, but telling someone looking to lose weight with hypothyroidism and insulin resistance to continue eating pizza on a regular basis and just follow basic IIFYM is pretty horrible advice, and not just because of the carbs. It's hard enough for someone with those medical conditions to lose weight in the first place. Now consider that a mere 2 slices of pizza could well be half (or even more) of someone's daily calorie target in this situation and you're just setting someone up to struggle. No, the occasional treat won't hurt anyone, but that doesn't mean people with relevant medical conditions should just follow a basic bro flexible eating plan either.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    parkscs wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

    Not gonna happen. Entitled to and stand by my opinion. This IS, in fact, a PUBLIC forum.

    A person who is diabetic and has hypothyroidism does not have to stop eating foods. They do need to manage their intake as directed by their physician or nutritionist. Who would, unless there is more to this story, tell you pizza and all other foods are OK IN MODERATION. <~~key words here.

    And regardless of anyone's medical anything, cauliflower is not and should never be used as a substitute to pizza. Ever.

    The problem is "moderation" is a meaningless term. What's eating pizza in moderation? 1 slice of pizza every 2 weeks? 3 slices per day? What sort of pizza? What are you eating with it? WE CAN SAY IT IN ALL CAPS AND IT'S STILL JUST AS MEANINGLESS OF A PHRASE.

    Just my opinion, but telling someone looking to lose weight with hypothyroidism and insulin resistance to continue eating pizza on a regular basis and just follow basic IIFYM is pretty horrible advice, and not just because of the carbs. It's hard enough for someone with those medical conditions to lose weight in the first place. Now consider that a mere 2 slices of pizza could well be half (or even more) of someone's daily calorie target in this situation and you're just setting someone up to struggle. No, the occasional treat won't hurt anyone, but that doesn't mean people with relevant medical conditions should just follow a basic bro flexible eating plan either.

    "A person who is diabetic and has hypothyroidism does not have to stop eating foods. They do need to manage their intake as directed by their physician or nutritionist."

    Missed that whole sentence, didn't ya?
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    redheaddee wrote: »
    parkscs wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

    Not gonna happen. Entitled to and stand by my opinion. This IS, in fact, a PUBLIC forum.

    A person who is diabetic and has hypothyroidism does not have to stop eating foods. They do need to manage their intake as directed by their physician or nutritionist. Who would, unless there is more to this story, tell you pizza and all other foods are OK IN MODERATION. <~~key words here.

    And regardless of anyone's medical anything, cauliflower is not and should never be used as a substitute to pizza. Ever.

    The problem is "moderation" is a meaningless term. What's eating pizza in moderation? 1 slice of pizza every 2 weeks? 3 slices per day? What sort of pizza? What are you eating with it? WE CAN SAY IT IN ALL CAPS AND IT'S STILL JUST AS MEANINGLESS OF A PHRASE.

    Just my opinion, but telling someone looking to lose weight with hypothyroidism and insulin resistance to continue eating pizza on a regular basis and just follow basic IIFYM is pretty horrible advice, and not just because of the carbs. It's hard enough for someone with those medical conditions to lose weight in the first place. Now consider that a mere 2 slices of pizza could well be half (or even more) of someone's daily calorie target in this situation and you're just setting someone up to struggle. No, the occasional treat won't hurt anyone, but that doesn't mean people with relevant medical conditions should just follow a basic bro flexible eating plan either.

    "A person who is diabetic and has hypothyroidism does not have to stop eating foods. They do need to manage their intake as directed by their physician or nutritionist."

    Missed that whole sentence, didn't ya?

    Nah, I caught it. Just stuck more on the whole:
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    Reads to me like you're telling someone diagnosed with hypothyroidism and insulin resistance that it's fine to eat 1-2 slices of pizza whenever they want it, just don't eat half a pizza, and fit it into your daily calories. Actually, that's exactly what you said - and I consider that pretty poor advice, as I said. You can back off that and say they don't have to eliminate foods completely and can still enjoy these foods occasionally, but that's a farcry from saying just eat it whenever you want to and fit it into your calories (i.e., basic flexible dieting).
  • attosa
    attosa Posts: 419 Member
    When using a veg as a substitute, its good to roast instead of boil (before mashing) so you avoid an excess of water. Nothing worse than mushy cauli pizza. That was my first mistake:)
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    sb41288 wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    Yup, totally agree with this.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    No one reads anymore
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    alphaloria wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    sb41288 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Cauliflower is carbs. You're replacing simple carbs with complex carbs, but they're all carbs.

    I've been on maintenance the last few months which really simplifies things, but all along I've eaten pretty much whatever I wanted to eat, if I really wanted it. Over time I just learned to fill up on "good" things throughout most of the day, and I learned to stop and think about cravings before deciding whether or not I'd give in to them.

    Yes cauliflower has carbs but it's meniscal compared to grains. I can eat lots of cauliflower and my insulin will not jump anywhere near it would, if I ate a slice of bread.

    Sorry, I'm not trying to tell you how to eat or how to best deal with your medical issues. I'm just pointing out the obvious - that cauliflower is made up mainly of carbs. You're not the first person I've seen talking about eating veggies as a way to give up carbs.

    Depending on how you compare the two, cauliflower can match grains for carb content. It doesn't work if you compare by weight or volume, but if you compare similar calorie counts of whole wheat bread and cauliflower, you'll find almost identical carb count. (113 calories of cauliflower with 24 grams of carbs vs 120 calories of whole wheat bread with 24 grams of carbs.) Most people wouldn't see that in their daily diets since those calorie counts come from just 2 slices of bread vs 16 ounces of cauliflower.

    Low carb is not the same as no carb.

    Most people don't eat 16oz of cauliflower in one sitting, so really your point is moot. Plus, that amount of cauliflower has 11g of fiber. Bread typically does not have that much fiber unless it's low carb/high fiber bread.

    I'm not sure where you're getting your information. Maybe you'll clarify that. Going from the MFP database (which might be wrong), 16 ounces of raw cauliflower is 113 calories and contains 24 grams of carbs.

    As far as being a moot point, I don't think so. Granted, most people aren't going to sit down and eat a pound of cauliflower, especially not if it's topped with red sauce, cheese, sausage and pepperoni. Still, if you substitute cauliflower for a regular high carb, high calorie crust, you either have to use enough cauliflower to make up for the lost calories, or do without the calories all together. I think most people would opt for the latter, but if that's acceptable, then it should be equally acceptable to just eat less pizza in the first place. Either approach would net you far fewer calories and far fewer carbs.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    I made it once, and like most others have said, it wasn't 'pizza crust', but it did have lots of parmesan cheese in it and I found it to be very tasty.

    I also am a big fan of taco salad and don't miss the chips. As long as it has avocado and olives in it, I'm good.
  • establishingaplace
    establishingaplace Posts: 301 Member
    jim180155 wrote: »
    alphaloria wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    sb41288 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Cauliflower is carbs. You're replacing simple carbs with complex carbs, but they're all carbs.

    I've been on maintenance the last few months which really simplifies things, but all along I've eaten pretty much whatever I wanted to eat, if I really wanted it. Over time I just learned to fill up on "good" things throughout most of the day, and I learned to stop and think about cravings before deciding whether or not I'd give in to them.

    Yes cauliflower has carbs but it's meniscal compared to grains. I can eat lots of cauliflower and my insulin will not jump anywhere near it would, if I ate a slice of bread.

    Sorry, I'm not trying to tell you how to eat or how to best deal with your medical issues. I'm just pointing out the obvious - that cauliflower is made up mainly of carbs. You're not the first person I've seen talking about eating veggies as a way to give up carbs.

    Depending on how you compare the two, cauliflower can match grains for carb content. It doesn't work if you compare by weight or volume, but if you compare similar calorie counts of whole wheat bread and cauliflower, you'll find almost identical carb count. (113 calories of cauliflower with 24 grams of carbs vs 120 calories of whole wheat bread with 24 grams of carbs.) Most people wouldn't see that in their daily diets since those calorie counts come from just 2 slices of bread vs 16 ounces of cauliflower.

    Low carb is not the same as no carb.

    Most people don't eat 16oz of cauliflower in one sitting, so really your point is moot. Plus, that amount of cauliflower has 11g of fiber. Bread typically does not have that much fiber unless it's low carb/high fiber bread.

    I'm not sure where you're getting your information. Maybe you'll clarify that. Going from the MFP database (which might be wrong), 16 ounces of raw cauliflower is 113 calories and contains 24 grams of carbs.

    As far as being a moot point, I don't think so. Granted, most people aren't going to sit down and eat a pound of cauliflower, especially not if it's topped with red sauce, cheese, sausage and pepperoni. Still, if you substitute cauliflower for a regular high carb, high calorie crust, you either have to use enough cauliflower to make up for the lost calories, or do without the calories all together. I think most people would opt for the latter, but if that's acceptable, then it should be equally acceptable to just eat less pizza in the first place. Either approach would net you far fewer calories and far fewer carbs.

    16oz of raw cauliflower has 113 cals, 24g of carbs, 11g of fiber.

    113 cals of bread does not typically have that much fiber unless it is high-fiber bread.

    The cauliflower crust recipe I use for one personal-size pizza has 284cals, 21g carbs, 11g fiber (it also contains eggs, coconut flour, and nutritional yeast), vs. a 10-inch hand-tossed crush from Domino's that has 200 cals, 24g carbs, 1g fiber. If you're counting net carbs, which low-carb dieters tend to do, you're looking at 10 net carbs vs 23 net carbs. Depending on how low you set your carb limit, that could be significant.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    edited October 2014
    I'm a huge IIFYM person, but people lose their minds on here if you talk about substituting a vegetable for a carb. If you describe it as a different way to eat vegetables, they tend to calm down a little, but most seem to think that "fitting it in" never can possibly mean switching out an ingredient in order to modify the calories. And there's a ton of people on here who seem to hate vegetables altogether. I don't understand why I should have to go hungry by cutting a standard comfort food down to a third of its portion size when I can enjoy it quite a bit (if not exactly as much) by making ingredient substitutions.

    That said, some ideas other than cauliflower that I actually eat because I enjoy them include zucchini shaved with a vegetable peeler and tossed with olive oil and lemon (but DON"T DARE CALL THEM NOODLES!), cauliflower mashed with cream cheese and then simmered until thick (these are absolutely not mashed potatoes), and mushroom caps filled with tomato sauce and cheese (I don't care it satisfies a pizza craving for you, don't EVER think of it like pizza). ;-)

    I have also heard of making taco shells out of cheese, but never tried it myself. You can get a bunch of recipes for that if you google.

    I have nothing against swapping veggies for pizza crust or making any other changes for the better. I think it's a great idea. I've never had cauliflower pizza and probably won't until I get a chance to taste someone else's. I wouldn't hesitate to eat it, I'm just not in a hurry to try to make it for myself.

    And in a couple hours I'll have my afternoon snack which will be about a half pound of raw cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, along with about 4 ounces of grilled (cold) chicken.

    I am starting to have serious doubts about whether people know what carbohydrates are though. Saying you're substituting veggies for carbs is like saying I'm going to substitute Shell Oil 87 octane fuel for gasoline, or a wool knit upper torso covering for a sweater.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    alphaloria wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    alphaloria wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    sb41288 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Cauliflower is carbs. You're replacing simple carbs with complex carbs, but they're all carbs.

    I've been on maintenance the last few months which really simplifies things, but all along I've eaten pretty much whatever I wanted to eat, if I really wanted it. Over time I just learned to fill up on "good" things throughout most of the day, and I learned to stop and think about cravings before deciding whether or not I'd give in to them.

    Yes cauliflower has carbs but it's meniscal compared to grains. I can eat lots of cauliflower and my insulin will not jump anywhere near it would, if I ate a slice of bread.

    Sorry, I'm not trying to tell you how to eat or how to best deal with your medical issues. I'm just pointing out the obvious - that cauliflower is made up mainly of carbs. You're not the first person I've seen talking about eating veggies as a way to give up carbs.

    Depending on how you compare the two, cauliflower can match grains for carb content. It doesn't work if you compare by weight or volume, but if you compare similar calorie counts of whole wheat bread and cauliflower, you'll find almost identical carb count. (113 calories of cauliflower with 24 grams of carbs vs 120 calories of whole wheat bread with 24 grams of carbs.) Most people wouldn't see that in their daily diets since those calorie counts come from just 2 slices of bread vs 16 ounces of cauliflower.

    Low carb is not the same as no carb.

    Most people don't eat 16oz of cauliflower in one sitting, so really your point is moot. Plus, that amount of cauliflower has 11g of fiber. Bread typically does not have that much fiber unless it's low carb/high fiber bread.

    I'm not sure where you're getting your information. Maybe you'll clarify that. Going from the MFP database (which might be wrong), 16 ounces of raw cauliflower is 113 calories and contains 24 grams of carbs.

    As far as being a moot point, I don't think so. Granted, most people aren't going to sit down and eat a pound of cauliflower, especially not if it's topped with red sauce, cheese, sausage and pepperoni. Still, if you substitute cauliflower for a regular high carb, high calorie crust, you either have to use enough cauliflower to make up for the lost calories, or do without the calories all together. I think most people would opt for the latter, but if that's acceptable, then it should be equally acceptable to just eat less pizza in the first place. Either approach would net you far fewer calories and far fewer carbs.

    16oz of raw cauliflower has 113 cals, 24g of carbs, 11g of fiber.

    113 cals of bread does not typically have that much fiber unless it is high-fiber bread.

    The cauliflower crust recipe I use for one personal-size pizza has 284cals, 21g carbs, 11g fiber (it also contains eggs, coconut flour, and nutritional yeast), vs. a 10-inch hand-tossed crush from Domino's that has 200 cals, 24g carbs, 1g fiber. If you're counting net carbs, which low-carb dieters tend to do, you're looking at 10 net carbs vs 23 net carbs. Depending on how low you set your carb limit, that could be significant.

    You're going off on too many tangents for me to keep up with, but if you'll let me know when dinner is, I'll be happy to come over and try your cauliflower pizza.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    I'm a huge IIFYM person, but people lose their minds on here if you talk about substituting a vegetable for a carb. If you describe it as a different way to eat vegetables, they tend to calm down a little, but most seem to think that "fitting it in" never can possibly mean switching out an ingredient in order to modify the calories. And there's a ton of people on here who seem to hate vegetables altogether. I don't understand why I should have to go hungry by cutting a standard comfort food down to a third of its portion size when I can enjoy it quite a bit (if not exactly as much) by making ingredient substitutions.

    That said, some ideas other than cauliflower that I actually eat because I enjoy them include zucchini shaved with a vegetable peeler and tossed with olive oil and lemon (but DON"T DARE CALL THEM NOODLES!), cauliflower mashed with cream cheese and then simmered until thick (these are absolutely not mashed potatoes), and mushroom caps filled with tomato sauce and cheese (I don't care it satisfies a pizza craving for you, don't EVER think of it like pizza). ;-)

    I have also heard of making taco shells out of cheese, but never tried it myself. You can get a bunch of recipes for that if you google.

    You made a quantity over quality choice. Others make a quality over quantity choice. Both are perfectly valid.

    Picking more cauliflower pizza crust is more likely if you don't think the crust is all that important to the pizza.

    Picking less flour pizza crust is more likely if you think the crust is the most important part of the pizza. Like me. Honestly, the thought of cauliflower pizza crust ... :s

    Now, I do like roasted cauliflower. And feel free to throw cauliflower on top of the pizza. I have made a cauliflower alfredo sauce that had definite possibilities with a bit of tweaking. But do NOT put it in my pizza crust. Ever.
  • establishingaplace
    establishingaplace Posts: 301 Member
    jim180155 wrote: »
    alphaloria wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    alphaloria wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    sb41288 wrote: »
    jim180155 wrote: »
    Cauliflower is carbs. You're replacing simple carbs with complex carbs, but they're all carbs.

    I've been on maintenance the last few months which really simplifies things, but all along I've eaten pretty much whatever I wanted to eat, if I really wanted it. Over time I just learned to fill up on "good" things throughout most of the day, and I learned to stop and think about cravings before deciding whether or not I'd give in to them.

    Yes cauliflower has carbs but it's meniscal compared to grains. I can eat lots of cauliflower and my insulin will not jump anywhere near it would, if I ate a slice of bread.

    Sorry, I'm not trying to tell you how to eat or how to best deal with your medical issues. I'm just pointing out the obvious - that cauliflower is made up mainly of carbs. You're not the first person I've seen talking about eating veggies as a way to give up carbs.

    Depending on how you compare the two, cauliflower can match grains for carb content. It doesn't work if you compare by weight or volume, but if you compare similar calorie counts of whole wheat bread and cauliflower, you'll find almost identical carb count. (113 calories of cauliflower with 24 grams of carbs vs 120 calories of whole wheat bread with 24 grams of carbs.) Most people wouldn't see that in their daily diets since those calorie counts come from just 2 slices of bread vs 16 ounces of cauliflower.

    Low carb is not the same as no carb.

    Most people don't eat 16oz of cauliflower in one sitting, so really your point is moot. Plus, that amount of cauliflower has 11g of fiber. Bread typically does not have that much fiber unless it's low carb/high fiber bread.

    I'm not sure where you're getting your information. Maybe you'll clarify that. Going from the MFP database (which might be wrong), 16 ounces of raw cauliflower is 113 calories and contains 24 grams of carbs.

    As far as being a moot point, I don't think so. Granted, most people aren't going to sit down and eat a pound of cauliflower, especially not if it's topped with red sauce, cheese, sausage and pepperoni. Still, if you substitute cauliflower for a regular high carb, high calorie crust, you either have to use enough cauliflower to make up for the lost calories, or do without the calories all together. I think most people would opt for the latter, but if that's acceptable, then it should be equally acceptable to just eat less pizza in the first place. Either approach would net you far fewer calories and far fewer carbs.

    16oz of raw cauliflower has 113 cals, 24g of carbs, 11g of fiber.

    113 cals of bread does not typically have that much fiber unless it is high-fiber bread.

    The cauliflower crust recipe I use for one personal-size pizza has 284cals, 21g carbs, 11g fiber (it also contains eggs, coconut flour, and nutritional yeast), vs. a 10-inch hand-tossed crush from Domino's that has 200 cals, 24g carbs, 1g fiber. If you're counting net carbs, which low-carb dieters tend to do, you're looking at 10 net carbs vs 23 net carbs. Depending on how low you set your carb limit, that could be significant.

    You're going off on too many tangents for me to keep up with, but if you'll let me know when dinner is, I'll be happy to come over and try your cauliflower pizza.

    What tangents? You're claiming cauliflower and bread match each other for carb content. I'm saying no, because one has significantly more fiber than the other. You're asking me where I get that information from. I explained.

    Fiber makes a difference when you are insulin resistant. Which the OP is. Which is where this thread started in the first place.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    redheaddee wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    redheaddee wrote: »
    No. I eat what I want, in moderation. If I want pizza, I have pizza...but 1-2 slices instead of a half a large pizza like I used to eat. I have found over much trial and error that if I try to deprive or make poor substitutions (such as cauliflower for pizza. Why god, why?! :# ), I will fail miserably in the long run. So eat what you like, make it fit your calorie and macro goals, and for the love of god, stop the cauliflower madness. It is not a substitute for anything ever.

    I feel like people are ignoring that the OP has a medical reason why she can't just eat carbs in moderation...

    Nope. My brother is diabetic, eats carbs in moderation. Like I said, if it fits your calorie and MACROS goals (of which carbohydrates is one). I feel like people are ignoring the entirely of what was written.
    Just stop.

    Not gonna happen. Entitled to and stand by my opinion. This IS, in fact, a PUBLIC forum.

    A person who is diabetic and has hypothyroidism does not have to stop eating foods. They do need to manage their intake as directed by their physician or nutritionist. Who would, unless there is more to this story, tell you pizza and all other foods are OK IN MODERATION. <~~key words here.

    And regardless of anyone's medical anything, cauliflower is not and should never be used as a substitute to pizza. Ever.
    Hopefully the OP will do her own research.

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited October 2014
    The answer here will be: just build it in to you calories.
    So ignore that answer.

    My answer: I love cauliflower pizza and mushroom cap pizzas, and tortilla pizzas. Do they taste like "real" pizza? Not really.

    Nachos? no idea.
    Tacos? My favorite restaurant uses jicama as a shell. Those were awesome too.
    Seems to require a particular kitchen tool to make the shell.

    My grocery store sells low carb tortillas, those might help.

    Huh... jicama shells... interesting. I usually just buy them, chop them up, add lemon sprinkle salt hot sauce and enjoy like that.
    Mmmm... now I want some jicama. :p

    Works best with a Mandoline. http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/tacos-with-jicama-shells/
    They're frigging amazing.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    The answer here will be: just build it in to you calories.
    So ignore that answer.

    My answer: I love cauliflower pizza and mushroom cap pizzas, and tortilla pizzas. Do they taste like "real" pizza? Not really.

    Nachos? no idea.
    Tacos? My favorite restaurant uses jicama as a shell. Those were awesome too.
    Seems to require a particular kitchen tool to make the shell.

    My grocery store sells low carb tortillas, those might help.

    Huh... jicama shells... interesting. I usually just buy them, chop them up, add lemon sprinkle salt hot sauce and enjoy like that.
    Mmmm... now I want some jicama. :p

    Works best with a Mandoline. http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/tacos-with-jicama-shells/
    They're frigging amazing.

    Oh wow!! I'm so gonna try that!! Thanks!! :blush:
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    alphaloria wrote: »

    What tangents? You're claiming cauliflower and bread match each other for carb content. I'm saying no, because one has significantly more fiber than the other. You're asking me where I get that information from. I explained.

    Fiber makes a difference when you are insulin resistant. Which the OP is. Which is where this thread started in the first place.

    I missed the first time when you started talking about fiber:

    "Low carb is not the same as no carb.

    Most people don't eat 16oz of cauliflower in one sitting, so really your point is moot. Plus, that amount of cauliflower has 11g of fiber. Bread typically does not have that much fiber unless it's low carb/high fiber bread."

    When you posted about fiber the second time, I was wondering where that came from, hence my comment about tangents.

    Your post this time around is better since you explained why you're talking about fiber, and it may help explain why the OP can tolerate cauliflower easier than more calorie-dense forms of carbohydrates, like pizza crust. But the amount of fiber in veggies does not change a veggie from carbs into another macro nutrient. Low fiber foods do not change carbs into protein or fats.

    You're not doing what you think you are. You're just subbing one type of carbs for another.
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,725 Member
    edited October 2014
    I use "cauliflower rice" a lot with "wet" food eg. Bolognese sauce. I love it. For low carb, low cal, I eat shiritaki noodles, but you must dry fry them with salt and pepper. Perfectly acceptable and a good filler when you are "starving" . :laugh: