Less Starchy or No Starch Substitution

Question
Hi Evelyn,

I have high cholesterol and triglycerides and am on medication for them. I switched from potatoes to rice but have still been gaining a little excess weight. Since rice is starchy and I tend to eat large helpings with vegetables, I was wondering if there would be a decent rice substitute that would have much less starch or maybe no starch at all?

Would you know of any foods, vegetables, or grains, where I might be able to eat a large helping and not have the starch to contend with?

Thank you greatly.

With best regards,

Mike E.

Answer
Hi Mike,

Make sure you steer clear of:
# Beets /carrots/parsnips
# Corn
# Peas
# Potatoes
# Squash/pumpkin

Courgette (zucchini) is less starchy than pumpkin, but the top lowest starch containers are:
# bean sprouts (alfalfa) Have yourself heaps of them! They are wizzard for your overall health, full of dynamic life-force! Have them in lots of green salad (incl. ruccola, herbs, endives, etc): make the portions massive! Low on starch are also tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, but much better are celery and radishes. Have nuts and seeds, which are also starch free, however note they are high in calorific value, so use in moderation (a sprinkling, not handfuls!).

Seaweed is great and very nutritious (and good against high cholesterol levels, some believe). Have it not as sushi (sushi rice is indeed very high in starch) but make a stew or soup to go with a tablespoon size portion of BROWN (wholegrain) rice: the fibre is much better for your condition; besides it is more filling and takes more energy to process (hence less fattening).

Other veg you can worry less about the starch content of are: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage (also sauerkraut), and mushrooms (which take a long time to digest so are also filling for a longer period of time.).

In some cases it is bit of a toss up: for example: avocados contain a lot of carbohydrates, but they have more fibre than carbohydrates which make them a better choice than a bowl of pasta. Also they contain vitamins and minerals you wouldn't like to pass up on: so just go easy on such products (once a week max).

Also don't forget to have a portion of fruit a day, but do NOT have grapes,tangerines/oranges, kiwi or pineapple regularly (definitely never tinned!!) for these are too rich in sugars (starch). DEFINITELY steer clear of bananas and     mango. Dried fruit also has too highly concentrated levels of sugar, although an occasional apricot or prune (in emergency situations) can be a great source of fibre and minerals. Think rather in terms of berries, grapefruit, melons, fresh pears/apricots/peaches and apples. Don't overdo it on fruit, either, though: all contain sugars (but the ok kind!).

Grains are generally starchy; but not all grains are really grains: millet and buckwheat and quinoa are technically not "grains" and also low in carbohydrates. Amaranth is fantastic. But oats, however starchy, is great for lowering cholesterol, better to use wholegrain in muesli than in an instant porridge though. Go easy on bread, never ever eat white bread, always stick to wholemeal bread, if possible vary with barley and rye or spelt and kamut. I recommend (aquiring a taste for and) buying freshly baked (bakery style) bread which is a way more honest product than supermarket loaves.They will prove to be a lot less fattening, as long as you don't have an excess of 3-4 slices a day. Remember simply to always opt for high fibre choices when dealing with starchy products, such as bread and pasta.

Also note some potatoes are less starchy than others (a roasting potato less than a mashable one): so it's okay to have an occasional serving of boiled/baked potato, as long as you don't use any cream or fat! Although sweet potato is one of the top carb veg you can use is sparingly in your diet for the sake of all its other good (anti-oxidant) properties, just be aware it is not lurking in a pie as a treat, because then you have made a foolish choice (since the vit/mineral content of it then will have dimished almost to nothing yet you will suffer the calorie intake and the carb overload).

Double check to see where those extra ounces could be coming from: sugary dressings, heavy toppings, creamy sauces, dollops of butter, splashes of oil, energy bar snacks, break-time smoothies, alcoholic beverages, lumps of sugar in hot drinks? Cutting out one food stuff usually leads to some kind of sneaky compensation elsewhere! Just so you know...

Stick to the heaps of vegetables, Mike and enjoy organic where you can (early research indicates the carb construction of fruit/veg differs from regular cultivation and may underpin deeper issues regarding our growing obesity problems). Stay away from pre-packed stuff, since there are notoriously many ways to stuff extra carbs in places you really don't need them.

Good luck and hopefully your health will improve. At least there are plenty of wonderful foods for you to still enjoy out there.
Take care,
Evelyn

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