Carb Substitutes
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In soups? Things like yellow squash, zucchini, etc. I don't restrict carbs, though. I just put the squash in there because I
it.
ETA: Forgot - cabbage works well for this, too.0 -
Love cabbage in soup! Squash too. And I'm the same, I put lots of non starchy veg in soup because I like them. Similarly, don't watch carbs, but more often than not have soup without potatoes or pasta because it's totally normal for a soup not to have those ingredients and so many do not. I don't then try to find a substitute, but focus on the ingredients I am using.0
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Note that if you're trying to reduce carbs, spaghetti squash is high in carbs. I also do cauliflower rice a lot. If you're tired of zucchini noodles, try the Shirataki noodles - but rinse well first! Many people will try to get you to eat carbs, but some people (such as myself) gain weight on them regardless of whether they're whole grain or complex or refined. Figure out what works best for your body.0
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Look for Pasta Zero in your grocery store. It might be in the Vegan section, but it's great. I eat it a lot.0
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spaghetti squash.0
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shilohron, I sent you a private message with some options.
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Miracle Noodles. If you've never heard of them look them up on Google. You can buy them on Amazon or on their website. Also most health food stores sell them. They taste good and are virtually calorie free. They have a ramen noodle consistency.0
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BackwoodsDarlin wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »I always think that boiling a radish would ruin what's delightful about radishes (the bite plus the crunch). Is there some reason why you'd use radishes instead of turnips?
Because turnips don't taste like potatoes, they are the same consistency, just nowhere near a comparable taste.
And why couldn't you have both LOL Raw, when you want that crispness and cooked when you want the taste of a potato without all the carbs.
Just a note: I grew up on turnips, grew them, canned them, ate them raw etc... but they are a very different taste and sometimes an acquired taste for most people.
A never-acquired taste for me. I loathe turnips, rutabaga, and parsnips. The 'earthy' taste others love tastes spoiled to me. They're the only vegetables I've ever tried that I just can't eat. I've even tried them in several 5-star restaurants thinking it must be the way they are prepared, but no.
I have to say, I'd never mistake radish for potato. Even thoroughly boiled there's a definite texture difference. I think they'd make a perfectly acceptable substitute, though.
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@stealthq a science experiment I tried as a child was to try and distinguish potato from apple, with the nose closed. Perhaps you can happily substitute apple.
A lot of the substitutes offered are simply lower-carb carbs. With perhaps a little more fiber. Which makes one wonder, why bother substituting? Put in fewer potatoes and add something more fibrous. Like carrots. This also works for people watching their blood sugars.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Even better with a touch of feta.Chrismadison100 wrote: »I have the perfect substitute for mashed potatoes...... Mashed Califlower.
Take a couple of Califlower and boil them. I use a slow cooker for about 6 hours. Then drain the water and using a hand blender, I blend it until it is creamy. For added flavor , I sometimes add some garlic, sage, chives for color. Then I save it is plastic containers and freeze them. I usually eat one per meal.
Not in soup!
I know I'm weird or something in that I prefer cauliflower (which I eat all the time -- I had some WITH potatoes and other ingredients tonight, even) unmashed. But then I even prefer potatoes unmashed (and roasted), although they do mash well. (I like sweet potatoes and parsnips and, I suppose, turnips mashed too, often mashed with potaties. But I prefer my cauliflower to have the look and texture of cooked cauliflower.)
I think this is a reaction to not getting why people seem to only like a perfectly good and delicious vegetable for the way it can (badly) mimic foods like potatoes and rice they decide they should not eat. I know, it's fine to substitute, I do it all the time, and if people actually enjoy cauliflower other ways, why not mash it -- people eat potatoes multiple ways. And speaking of substituting, I'm currently eating a sauce I intended for pasta on some potatoes (yeah, I know, all those carbs!) because dried pasta isn't going to need me to find a place to store it where it won't sprout, and I've got a ton of potatoes at the moment. (Less of a problem than tomatoes, which are becoming the backbone of my diet and are why I made the pasta sauce and the gazpacho -- soup without starchy carbs! -- I had with it, weirdly.)
Soup? I replied to a post about mashed cauliflower.0 -
People try to "get you" to eat carbs? i would find that a very odd experience. I second the other poster: spaghetti squash can fit in plenty of low carb diets.Note that if you're trying to reduce carbs, spaghetti squash is high in carbs. I also do cauliflower rice a lot. If you're tired of zucchini noodles, try the Shirataki noodles - but rinse well first! Many people will try to get you to eat carbs, but some people (such as myself) gain weight on them regardless of whether they're whole grain or complex or refined. Figure out what works best for your body.
Carbs in a medium zucchini about 97 grams:6
Carbs in 100 grams of spaghetti squash: 7.
Carbs in 100 grams of cauliflower: 5
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Even better with a touch of feta.Chrismadison100 wrote: »I have the perfect substitute for mashed potatoes...... Mashed Califlower.
Take a couple of Califlower and boil them. I use a slow cooker for about 6 hours. Then drain the water and using a hand blender, I blend it until it is creamy. For added flavor , I sometimes add some garlic, sage, chives for color. Then I save it is plastic containers and freeze them. I usually eat one per meal.
Not in soup!
I know I'm weird or something in that I prefer cauliflower (which I eat all the time -- I had some WITH potatoes and other ingredients tonight, even) unmashed. But then I even prefer potatoes unmashed (and roasted), although they do mash well. (I like sweet potatoes and parsnips and, I suppose, turnips mashed too, often mashed with potaties. But I prefer my cauliflower to have the look and texture of cooked cauliflower.)
I think this is a reaction to not getting why people seem to only like a perfectly good and delicious vegetable for the way it can (badly) mimic foods like potatoes and rice they decide they should not eat. I know, it's fine to substitute, I do it all the time, and if people actually enjoy cauliflower other ways, why not mash it -- people eat potatoes multiple ways. And speaking of substituting, I'm currently eating a sauce I intended for pasta on some potatoes (yeah, I know, all those carbs!) because dried pasta isn't going to need me to find a place to store it where it won't sprout, and I've got a ton of potatoes at the moment. (Less of a problem than tomatoes, which are becoming the backbone of my diet and are why I made the pasta sauce and the gazpacho -- soup without starchy carbs! -- I had with it, weirdly.)
Soup? I replied to a post about mashed cauliflower.
The first post asked about soup, but lots of the others were clearly not noticing that bit of it -- responding to the title and not the first post, maybe. I just used yours to joke about it.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Even better with a touch of feta.Chrismadison100 wrote: »I have the perfect substitute for mashed potatoes...... Mashed Califlower.
Take a couple of Califlower and boil them. I use a slow cooker for about 6 hours. Then drain the water and using a hand blender, I blend it until it is creamy. For added flavor , I sometimes add some garlic, sage, chives for color. Then I save it is plastic containers and freeze them. I usually eat one per meal.
Not in soup!
I know I'm weird or something in that I prefer cauliflower (which I eat all the time -- I had some WITH potatoes and other ingredients tonight, even) unmashed. But then I even prefer potatoes unmashed (and roasted), although they do mash well. (I like sweet potatoes and parsnips and, I suppose, turnips mashed too, often mashed with potaties. But I prefer my cauliflower to have the look and texture of cooked cauliflower.)
I think this is a reaction to not getting why people seem to only like a perfectly good and delicious vegetable for the way it can (badly) mimic foods like potatoes and rice they decide they should not eat. I know, it's fine to substitute, I do it all the time, and if people actually enjoy cauliflower other ways, why not mash it -- people eat potatoes multiple ways. And speaking of substituting, I'm currently eating a sauce I intended for pasta on some potatoes (yeah, I know, all those carbs!) because dried pasta isn't going to need me to find a place to store it where it won't sprout, and I've got a ton of potatoes at the moment. (Less of a problem than tomatoes, which are becoming the backbone of my diet and are why I made the pasta sauce and the gazpacho -- soup without starchy carbs! -- I had with it, weirdly.)
Soup? I replied to a post about mashed cauliflower.
The first post asked about soup, but lots of the others were clearly not noticing that bit of it -- responding to the title and not the first post, maybe. I just used yours to joke about it.
ok...1 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
People try to "get you" to eat carbs?Note that if you're trying to reduce carbs, spaghetti squash is high in carbs. I also do cauliflower rice a lot. If you're tired of zucchini noodles, try the Shirataki noodles - but rinse well first! Many people will try to get you to eat carbs, but some people (such as myself) gain weight on them regardless of whether they're whole grain or complex or refined. Figure out what works best for your body.
i would find that a very odd experience. I second the other poster: spaghetti squash can fit in plenty of low carb diets.
Carbs in a medium zucchini about 97 grams:6
Carbs in 100 grams of spaghetti squash: 7.
Carbs in 100 grams of cauliflower: 5
Yeah but they are usually just shills for Big Potato.4 -
I would not substitute I would replace. You would be in a much better mood if you just accept your are done with high carb foods. Spiralizing zucchini as a substitute for pasta sets up expectations of an experience similar to pasta. Neither the taste nor the texture would satisfy in that case. Now if you accept your aren't going to have pasta, but look for NEW dishes that are low in carbs, spiralized zucchini would be a great experience in itself when you eat it because you want zucchini, not pasta. Same with things like mashed cauliflower, spaghetti squash... etc.
NOTHING will give you the same food experience as potatoes. That characteristic starchiness is simply irreplaceable. It's best to stop torturing yourself looking for a half decent substitute that kinda sorta mimics high carb foods but fails, and just use soup variations that don't include potatoes and eat them for what they are. Trust me you will feel much better.3 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »I would not substitute I would replace. You would be in a much better mood if you just accept your are done with high carb foods. Spiralizing zucchini as a substitute for pasta sets up expectations of an experience similar to pasta. Neither the taste nor the texture would satisfy in that case. Now if you accept your aren't going to have pasta, but look for NEW dishes that are low in carbs, spiralized zucchini would be a great experience in itself when you eat it because you want zucchini, not pasta. Same with things like mashed cauliflower, spaghetti squash... etc.
NOTHING will give you the same food experience as potatoes. That characteristic starchiness is simply irreplaceable. It's best to stop torturing yourself looking for a half decent substitute that kinda sorta mimics high carb foods but fails, and just use soup variations that don't include potatoes and eat them for what they are. Trust me you will feel much better.
I kind of have to agree with this. It's a mental game.
I've been low-carb for over 2 years, and I've yet to maul cauliflower to make it like potatoes or rice. I cook it in fat and/or sauce and devour. I look forward to my plate of fatty veggies with anticipation. I discovered a love for brussel sprouts, zucchini, fried cabbage, asparagus, and all other manner of veggies as they are. I told myself from the beginning how things were going to be. I tried a few mock-recipes at first but I gave up on that pretty quickly...I still cringe every time someone mentions a cream cheese pancake. That experience was the only time in my adult life I spit food out and gagged.
Yeah, I don't eat this, this and this. But the list of what I do eat is a mountain tall. I'd rather focus on the CAN and not the CAN'T. The CAN'Ts get me nowhere but frustrated, and it wastes time where I could be doing better things with my energy and focus.
"It's not having what we want. It's wanting what we've got."
Where we are is where we are, and we have to figure out how to embrace and be happy with that. We have to rig the game in our favor, and a lot of that is brain hackery. Which can sometimes be as simple as taking a good look at the grass on our own side of the fence and deciding it's really pretty awesome as it is.
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@stealthq a science experiment I tried as a child was to try and distinguish potato from apple, with the nose closed. Perhaps you can happily substitute apple.
A lot of the substitutes offered are simply lower-carb carbs. With perhaps a little more fiber. Which makes one wonder, why bother substituting? Put in fewer potatoes and add something more fibrous. Like carrots. This also works for people watching their blood sugars.
I love both potatoes and apples and am not looking for substitutes for either
However, while I can see mistaking apple for potato if both are raw and I had no sense of taste, I can't imagine mistaking them if either or both are cooked, again for texture reasons (relevant since I was answering for a substitution in soup).1 -
BackwoodsDarlin wrote: »You can use radishes in place of potatoes.... It's actually really good! If you boil a radish until the "redness" turns opaque like a new potato, most people can't even tell the difference. Below is a picture of my Crockpot Chicken Green Chili Stew. Tastes amazing and I've served it to many people. I've asked each one about how they liked the "potatoes" and they said loved them... even though it was really radishes, they never knew the difference. LOL
Because of your post, I tried baking/roasting radishes tonight, using this recipe:
http://www.thekitchn.com/roasted-radishes-are-the-vegetable-thats-missing-from-your-life-215614
OMG! So good!!
In baked form not *exactly* like baked new potatoes, but nothing like radishes (which I love). I'm envisioning all kinda of things I can do with these. SO YUMMY! Thanks for posting this! In stews etc. it would be FABULOUS as well.0
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