Carb replacement??

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dbailey96
dbailey96 Posts: 13 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I usually have a lot of carbs in my diet; bread, potatoes, pasta, rice.. and I really struggle to stay full without having some form of carbs in my main meal, does anyone have any low carb recipes that are satisfying/filling? Or any particular food which is an effective carb replacement?

Replies

  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Do you have a medical condition requiring you to go low carb, or a reason for going low carb? I'm just trying to figure out if you're asking because you need to go low carb (for medical or lifestyle) or you think you need to cut out carbs in order to lose weight.
  • dbailey96
    dbailey96 Posts: 13 Member
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    yes because I have a high carb diet which is resulting in a high calorie diet. I need to cut down and focus my meals in a healthier way and cutting down on carbs will reduce my calorie intake. I'm not suggesting never having them in my diet but I'd like to try replacing them with something healthier but still being full.
  • salemthecat27
    salemthecat27 Posts: 16 Member
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    Cauliflower is a great lower carb alternative. I have made cauliflower rice (shred in food processor, cook/brown in pan with a little coconut oil, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley flake) and I make mashed cauliflower (steam, put in food processor with a little butter, garlic, parsley or whatever you like).
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    dbailey96 wrote: »
    yes because I have a high carb diet which is resulting in a high calorie diet. I need to cut down and focus my meals in a healthier way and cutting down on carbs will reduce my calorie intake. I'm not suggesting never having them in my diet but I'd like to try replacing them with something healthier but still being full.

    Ok, so no medical condition and not trying to eat low carb, but just reducing carbs somewhat. :) Ok, so here's the issue that you're going to need to work out - You want to get into a calorie deficit to lose weight. Most low carb (or lower carb) diets increase the fat and protein ratios in the diet, usually fat because people find it helps with satiety. However, fat has 9 calories per gram, while carbs only have 4 calories per gram. The fat generally helps you feel full, resulting in eating fewer calories, but you still have to watch that you don't inadvertently cancel out the calorie deficit if you happen to be one of those people for whom fat does not decrease satiety.

    I find that eating a protein and lots of veggies fills me up and cancels out the need for rice, potato, pasta, etc. For example, I might have 6 oz of chicken and an entire bag of frozen veggies (with some butter on them to add fat). I'm not sure if it does fill me up, or just that it takes so long to eat that I have no time/desire to go through the processing of making rice, but there's one suggestion.

    I'm not sure what kind of bread, rice, etc, you are eating, but some people find the type of food they eat to get their carbs (i.e. brown rice vs white rice) to have an impact. They also make rices with mixtures (quinoa, lentils) that add extra protein and make them more filling, helping you eat less, which might be an option for you.
  • dbailey96
    dbailey96 Posts: 13 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    dbailey96 wrote: »
    yes because I have a high carb diet which is resulting in a high calorie diet. I need to cut down and focus my meals in a healthier way and cutting down on carbs will reduce my calorie intake. I'm not suggesting never having them in my diet but I'd like to try replacing them with something healthier but still being full.

    Ok, so no medical condition and not trying to eat low carb, but just reducing carbs somewhat. :) Ok, so here's the issue that you're going to need to work out - You want to get into a calorie deficit to lose weight. Most low carb (or lower carb) diets increase the fat and protein ratios in the diet, usually fat because people find it helps with satiety. However, fat has 9 calories per gram, while carbs only have 4 calories per gram. The fat generally helps you feel full, resulting in eating fewer calories, but you still have to watch that you don't inadvertently cancel out the calorie deficit if you happen to be one of those people for whom fat does not decrease satiety.

    I find that eating a protein and lots of veggies fills me up and cancels out the need for rice, potato, pasta, etc. For example, I might have 6 oz of chicken and an entire bag of frozen veggies (with some butter on them to add fat). I'm not sure if it does fill me up, or just that it takes so long to eat that I have no time/desire to go through the processing of making rice, but there's one suggestion.

    I'm not sure what kind of bread, rice, etc, you are eating, but some people find the type of food they eat to get their carbs (i.e. brown rice vs white rice) to have an impact. They also make rices with mixtures (quinoa, lentils) that add extra protein and make them more filling, helping you eat less, which might be an option for you.

    That definitely helps thank you!! It's helpful to have someone clear up what I should be looking for!
  • dbailey96
    dbailey96 Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    salemthecat27 wrote: »
    Cauliflower is a great lower carb alternative. I have made cauliflower rice (shred in food processor, cook/brown in pan with a little coconut oil, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley flake) and I make mashed cauliflower (steam, put in food processor with a little butter, garlic, parsley or whatever you like).
    this is a great idea, I'll definitely try this thank you!:-)

  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Options
    dbailey96 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    dbailey96 wrote: »
    yes because I have a high carb diet which is resulting in a high calorie diet. I need to cut down and focus my meals in a healthier way and cutting down on carbs will reduce my calorie intake. I'm not suggesting never having them in my diet but I'd like to try replacing them with something healthier but still being full.

    Ok, so no medical condition and not trying to eat low carb, but just reducing carbs somewhat. :) Ok, so here's the issue that you're going to need to work out - You want to get into a calorie deficit to lose weight. Most low carb (or lower carb) diets increase the fat and protein ratios in the diet, usually fat because people find it helps with satiety. However, fat has 9 calories per gram, while carbs only have 4 calories per gram. The fat generally helps you feel full, resulting in eating fewer calories, but you still have to watch that you don't inadvertently cancel out the calorie deficit if you happen to be one of those people for whom fat does not decrease satiety.

    I find that eating a protein and lots of veggies fills me up and cancels out the need for rice, potato, pasta, etc. For example, I might have 6 oz of chicken and an entire bag of frozen veggies (with some butter on them to add fat). I'm not sure if it does fill me up, or just that it takes so long to eat that I have no time/desire to go through the processing of making rice, but there's one suggestion.

    I'm not sure what kind of bread, rice, etc, you are eating, but some people find the type of food they eat to get their carbs (i.e. brown rice vs white rice) to have an impact. They also make rices with mixtures (quinoa, lentils) that add extra protein and make them more filling, helping you eat less, which might be an option for you.

    That definitely helps thank you!! It's helpful to have someone clear up what I should be looking for!

    You're welcome. I don't know where you are carb-wise now with your numbers, but small changes can make a difference, and you'll find an intake that works for you. Some people are fine with low carb; I average between 100-150g and seem to be happy there; another mod here needs 200g minimum or he feels crappy.

    One other piece of advice - don't try to do too much. Maybe pick one meal where you cut back on carbs, log your intake (weighing/measuring food), stay in a calorie deficit, and see how you feel. Do that for a little while, then make other small tweaks to find what numbers work for you. I find myself feeling yucky after a few days when my carbs are the lower end, which can lead to poor eating decisions on my part, so I try to make sure I have enough to keep myself on track. It's a learning process for everyone.

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