What do you eat instead of pasta / potatoes / rice

[LadyLooLaa]

A while ago I lost a load of weight, then with Covid, stress and general gluttony I have put most of it back on.

I am determined that 2024 is going to be the year of health. So along with being more active I am going to sort out my diet.

I know that I do best when I avoid obvious carbs like pasta, rice and potatoes. I will have these on occasion and in moderation, but need some inspiration for what to have instead of these as an accompaniment to the ‘main’ part of my meal.

I am a pretty good cook so don’t mind a bit of effort but am also a bit overwhelmed at the moment so can’t face anything too onerous.

Oh and I don’t really eat meat. Not sure if that makes a difference.

All and any ideas are gratefully received.

Hi,I’ve not read all the replies in full, but I like what I’ve scanned so far.

However may I add that you can eat carbs like potatoes, pasta and rice, if you cook it first, then eat it either cold, (cold potato and or pasta stirred into a chopped up salad is enjoyable to me, and I add avocado as a healthy fat, and stir in last minute some balsamic vinegar.), or then reheated and eaten… the potatoes extraordinarily keeps it’s resistance to give you the same benefits as cold.

This method results in in creating a “resistant starch” which is a vey good way of feeding your gut probiotics with prebiotics, and will help you lose weight.

I have been doing this since May 2023, and by December I went down in weight from 9.5 to 8.5 stone.

I also upped my exercise regime to include weight bearing.

Hope this and all the other pp suggestions help you.

You could Google Resistant Starch to gain more in depth info.

I also have been drinking (first drink on an empty stomach) organic apple cider vinegar with the mother (Aldi £1.99 - 500ml) to aid with weight loss and to also help with acid indigestion.

So two tablespoons of the acv mixed with a quarter of a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda.. let fizz out and then add a third of a cup of cold water… then fill to top with boiled water, then I add a spoon of raw honey to sweeten.

Note-Boiling hot water may destroy the benefits of the raw honey.

Make sure you brush your teeth BEFORE you drink above 8oz solution.

Good luck and determination to you.

PS… I stopped eating meat and dairy back in Jan 2014, and that reduced my weight from nearly eleven stone to 9.5 stone p to May last year, when I started the Resistant Starch method and lost the further stone.

to all the other posters too, as you all have given me inspiration 🙏🏻

Prior …. (to May last year) !!! Sorry..

Bubble and squeak! I just use some mashed root veg (swede, sweet potato, carrot etc) to bind it together but to be fair a boiled potato or two won’t harm this situation

Not a real wookie
You are eating resistant starch by re heating your potatoes for your b & s…
so that’s so beneficial to your gut, as per my previous post.

Cauliflower Rice. Pre-prepared In a packet that you just snip off the top, then stick in the microwave for 2 minutes. With chicken or fish, + roasted veg on the side. With a dash of guacemole mayonnaise (I can't resist that also can't eat food 'dry' & I don’t like ketchup). I eat veg every single day. Also, Soy Bean Spaghetti is good for a stir fry; it's low carb, low calories and high protein. Aldi is a godsend.

I've not done any more exercise than I usually do but all of this has made such a big difference in terms of weight loss and keeping it off. Carbs make me put on weight and feel sluggish so the above works well for me

Veg. I know you said you don't eat meat but an example, instead of having steak and chips have steak with mushrooms and onions.

Various beans, fresh, tinned or frozen. You can get a tinned, "bean salad".

Have a few 'picky meals' similar to tapas or a mezze so hummus, a single pita bread, bean salad with a bit of grated garlic, mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, pickled beetroot - you get the idea.

I also love cauliflower cheese, Iceland do a rozen packet so you can just do the amount you want.

For snacks try pork scratchings, cheese, nuts and eggs (boiled and pickled will stay in the cupboard for ages).

Sweet potato much healthier than ordinary potato. You can do all the same things with it.

@ErrolTheDragon I chop it up, add olive oil & a bit of salt. Put baking tray in oven for 10 mins ish with a bit of a stir/shake on approx 180 (fan). You can add different seasonings/sesame seeds etc. Lasts a few days in the fridge.

I don’t have anything else.
i do eat meat though, but just team it up with veggies- carrots, cauliflower, peas, beans, tomatoes, broccoli, parsnips, pumpkin. Whatever is growing in the garden/ what’s in season.

I generally don't eat pasta/potatoes/rice because I don't care for them. I just have a double portion of veg instead.

Just leave them out . I have veg or salad.

https://www.dillonorganic.co.uk/products/original-flax-keto-bread-250g

these breads are really nice, low carb and packed with fibre.

Green beans are pretty filling, so a rather bigger helping than usual.

I also make a coleslaw with white cabbage, onion, celery, carrot and apple - and only just enough mayonnaise to hold it together. A big helping of that is nicely filling.

Butter beans, black beans, chickpeas, all the legumes.. cheap, filling, flexible, easy to make into soups or stews, have on own or with some quinoa, cous cous, oatcakes.

Celeriac, cauliflower and mushrooms are my go to. I can’t eat legumes/beans. Occasionally I will buy Konjac noodles if I want something a bit different. I have heard that there’s some low carb pasta in Aldi, but I’ve never seen it.