TRUTH! We love starchy carbs. It's baloney if someone says they don't. We have developed immediate reactions to something satisfying like french fries, pasta, bread, rice. I know. I'm Italian. That's me eating an adult-sized portion of my grandmother's pasta while on summer vacation in Chiavari, Italy.
Even as an active kid, I'd gain 5-10 lbs. during our annual 4-week visit to the homeland (I was a lucky boy). From Pesto and Spaghetti alle Vongole (clams), to real Focaccia (check out the picture at the end, not what you see in the USA, eh!). Big carb days were, well, every day... But as adults, we can't keep up that pace. Reluctantly, I eat much less pasta today than I want to.
Everyone knows it's healthier to eat lots of nutrition-rich vegetables. Thing is, they get boring, unsatisfying (for many of us). Recently, Kellie and I tried out Green Chef. Since we like to cook, generally, it didn't totally win us over from a cost/value proposition. But it did re-invigorate how we cook vegetables. We'd fallen into a routine of roasting or steaming a single veggie each night, dressed with salt, pepper, and maybe some garlic or paprika. Also, we do eat lots of roasted potatoes. We love them. But it was still a lot of sameness.
The two weeks of Green Chef were Paleo-oriented, so they had no starches. What surprised us was how satisfied we felt after eating just the protein and the super flavorful veggies. They had new combinations (always two or more in a medley) accompanied by great spice blends, often with some type of nut - we didn't know what pepitas were - or aromatic cheese sprinkle.
So we took the cue. Now we're putting a little more effort into making combinations of vegetables each night, nicely spiced, instead of just one. We've always made our own spice blends, we'd just become lazy.
Give it a try!
Skip the potatoes or rice or pasta most nights.
Make your own spice blend. Wing it. It's fun. Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Coriander, Garlic, Onion Powder, Paprika and Chipotle Chili powder are your friends!
Mix at least two vegetables or more for a colorful blend (e.g. diced butternut squash, red pepper, red onions; tossed with spice mix, a bit of olive oil, roasted at 400 for 20 mins.)
Make a double portion and you won't miss the carbs (as much....!).
Then, occasionally, indulge and enjoy your starchy carbs....
Have any personal secrets for reducing starchy carbs? Let us know!
Emilio
We do the same thing-one veggie roasted or steamed. A medley sounds great!! I will definitely give that a try!!
Thanks Emilio! 🙏❤