Give me some complex carb recommendations

[LauraMax]

Now that I'm trying to eat like a normal human being, I want to start incorporating some breads, potatoes, etc. back into my diet. So I'm just opening this thread up to everything. What's the best whole grain bread? Any good recipes for potatoes? (OMG I'm gonna eat potatoes! ) What's your favorite fruit, & how do you eat it?

Please don't limit your responses just to my questions. Any ideas would be much appreciated!

 

[orphylea]

Laura: Woo hoo for carbs! I really like Ezekiel bread toasted with peanut butter. I also eat this random thing called blueberry goo- mix 1 serving of cottage cheese with frozen blueberries and a handful of slivered almonds. It sounds random but is really good. Try greek yogurt and crush up frozen (slightly thawed) strawberries in it with a little honey. Eat sweet potatoes topped with cottage cheese that you put in a blender with some vanilla, cinnamon and honey (another random one, but good, I swear).

Enjoy carbing it up!

 

[upnorthchick]

Hi Laura,

Trader Joe's FROZEN Organic Brown Rice - located in the frozen foods section.

Whole Wheat Couscous - I prepare all my couscous with chicken broth instead of water.

These are my favorites for a couple of reasons:
1) They are fast & easy
2) They are yummy!

I've tried Quinoa a few times, and it is tasty, it just takes a little longer to prep and cook. Worth it if you have the time. Like the couscous, I boil it with chicken broth instead of water.

I have been grilling potatoes lately. I use your basic, Idaho potato and slice it into 1/8" thick slices. One potato goes a long way. I spray a large piece of heavy duty foil with cooking spray, place slices of potato on the foil. Then I add a few slices of an onion and place those on top of the potato. Season with some salt and pepper. Then, I dot the whole pile with about 1 TBL butter or drizzle some olive oil on it. Tightly seal the potatoes in the foil and grill (medium-high heat, turning once) for about 15 min.

My favorite fruits are definitely watermelon and mango. I cube the watermelon and slice the mangoes.

HTH!

Good luck and happy complex carbing!!

 

[SRP]

Hey Laura - Three cheers for carbs! And good luck with your new way of eating. I couldn't live without carbs. LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

Anyhow, here's a favorite for breakfast. Mix equal parts of quinoa, millet, steel cut oats and bulgar wheat. Cook. Top with a little brown sugar and a small handful of walnuts.

As for bread, I always bake my own, so I can't recommend any brands. I just like knowing that all that goes into my bread is flour, yeast, salt, and milk/water.

Fruits .... any and every kind. Apples are always a good stand-by because they keep well and have lots of filling fiber. Strawberries. Definitely strawberries and other berries.

Don't forget beans. Of course as a vegetarian, I couldn't live without them. But they're great, low-cal and very satisfying. And very flexible - there are tons of bean-related recipes out there.... lentils, chickpeas, etc.

 

[orphylea]

Here is my favorite quick soup recipe- it uses quinoa.

Creamy chicken tomato soup

1 cup of plain, nonfat greek yogurt
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 carton of chicken broth
1 yellow squash, shredded
Chicken breast (about 12 ounces)
Juice from fresh lemon
Couple of glugs of soy sauce

Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Put the chicken in a pan and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut up chicken and add to quinoa when it is done. Add yogurt, yellow squash, lemon juice, soy sauce, broth, some garlic and tomato sauce. Simmer and serve.

Whole recipe:
1631 cal / 166 carbs / 29 fat / 161 protein / 21 fiber

If serving four:
408 calories / 42 carbs / 7 fat / 40 protein / 5 fiber

 

[Beavs]

Yummus...I mean hummus with baby carrots, sliced peppers, or even broccoli.

 

[upnorthchick]

Yummus...I mean hummus with baby carrots, sliced peppers, or even broccoli.

mmmmm...hummus!! Cucumbers and celery are good with hummus too!!

 

[banslug]

OH! Another vote for hummus!

My favorite combo meals right now:

Gala apple with 2 lite string cheese
3 egg whites with 1 C cantaloupe
banana with 1T almond butter (SUPER yum)

Gayle

 

[LauraMax]

Oooh it all looks so good! Thanks everyone, keep 'em coming! I've never tried quinoa. Heard of it but never tried it. Where is it? Rice or pasta section? I wonder if it can be cooked in Gayle's wonder-Oster steamer.........

Oh, & I've looked for the ezekiel bread before but can't seem to find it. Baked goods or bread aisle?

Patti, that looks so good, but 42 carbs for one meal? OMG! I think I need to ease myself into this.

 

[Fitnessfreakk366]

Oooh it all looks so good! Thanks everyone, keep 'em coming! I've never tried quinoa. Heard of it but never tried it. Where is it? Rice or pasta section? I wonder if it can be cooked in Gayle's wonder-Oster steamer.........

Oh, & I've looked for the ezekiel bread before but can't seem to find it. Baked goods or bread aisle?

Patti, that looks so good, but 42 carbs for one meal? OMG! I think I need to ease myself into this.

Ezekiel is in the frozen organic isle. Go see my post in our check in.

 

[Beavs]

I find Ezekiel bread in the organic freezer section at my store.

 

[AmyWI]

Now that I'm trying to eat like a normal human being, I want to start incorporating some breads, potatoes, etc. back into my diet. So I'm just opening this thread up to everything. What's the best whole grain bread? Any good recipes for potatoes? (OMG I'm gonna eat potatoes! ) What's your favorite fruit, & how do you eat it?

Please don't limit your responses just to my questions. Any ideas would be much appreciated!

I'm on a homemade salsa kick right now. Actually I took the "salsa" recipe and made it as a pasta salad. (The dressing is fat free italian, anyway!) If you like that sort of thing, let me know and I'll type in the recipe. It's extrememly healthy and yes, there are carbs, but a lot of veggies and fiber too. YUUUUMMMMYYYY.

 

[LauraMax]

Frozen organic aisle? I don't know where the hell that is! OK, I suppose checking the frozen section would be a start.

Amy, salsa has carbs? What carbs? There isn't sugar in it, is there? If so I've been kidding myself for years! Oh, nevermind, PASTA salsa salad. Got it now. And it's making me drool.

 

[hriacobacci]

I've only found quinoa at a higher end or health store like Whole Foods. Keep waiting for Kroger to carry it. The great thing about quinoa is that it also has protein so it's a 2-for-1 kind of deal!

I also vote for hummus and sweet potato "fries." I cut up sweet potatoes like fries, spray with Pam and spice them up with pepper, red pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and a bit of salt then bake. Yum!

You might also look a pearl barley too. I use that as a sub. for rice and cook with veg. stock. It's more filling to me than brown rice. I like the texture and flavor better. Personal preference of course.

Heather

Oooh it all looks so good! Thanks everyone, keep 'em coming! I've never tried quinoa. Heard of it but never tried it. Where is it? Rice or pasta section? I wonder if it can be cooked in Gayle's wonder-Oster steamer.........

Oh, & I've looked for the ezekiel bread before but can't seem to find it. Baked goods or bread aisle?

Patti, that looks so good, but 42 carbs for one meal? OMG! I think I need to ease myself into this.

 

[RunnerGirl]

I was going to say sweet potato fries, but I see that someone beat me to it. I love them!

 

[kathryn]

Food For Life sprouted-grain wraps are good (and one of the only types of 'bread' product I ate when I was eating bread products).

For grains, I prefer the 'pseudo-grains' that are actually seeds: buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth.

For fruits, the list is long: mangos, persimmons (in winter), blueberries, açaí, raspberries, strawberries, apples, plums, peaches (though I haven't found any good ones this year)... I just eat them as-is. I also have made fruit salads with a whole chopped mango, some blueberries, some raspberries, a dollop of soy yogurt and a drizzle of agave nectar (and maybe a sprinkle of coconut).

 

[AmyWI]

Frozen organic aisle? I don't know where the hell that is! OK, I suppose checking the frozen section would be a start.

Amy, salsa has carbs? What carbs? There isn't sugar in it, is there? If so I've been kidding myself for years! Oh, nevermind, PASTA salsa salad. Got it now. And it's making me drool.

Ha ha, you know, I don't really count carbs....I look at calories, fat and sugars, fiber, oh and protein. Maybe I should start....anyway, here's the recipe:

8 oz Italian dressing (I used fat free....only 10 calories/serving)
2 cans black beans-rinse and drain
1 can white corn-rinse and drain
cut up green onion (I LOVE these, so I used 5)
1 green pepper-cut into small pieces
1 garlic clove
Cilantro to taste

Combine in large bowl. I mix it with orzo or some other small pasta. I realize there are carbs....don't know how many. I guess it depends a lot on how much pasta you have on your plate. Yes, beans have carbs, but this is WORTH the carbs! There is also lot of protein and fiber in this recipe.

 

[orphylea]

Laura: I never should have posted the carb count on that recipe! Just jump in with both feet girl, you can do it!

I second Heather's recommendation of pearl barley- love it. Here is another crock pot recipe.

Crockpot Chicken Barley Soup
1 14 ounce can of chicken broth
1 (16oz) package frozen vegetables for soup or stew
-- In this instance, I used about a cup of frozen spinach (from Trader Joe’s) and most of a bag of TJ’s Soycutash
2/3 c. pearl barley
1 c. fresh mushroom slices
2 c. water
1 (1.8oz) envelope dry vegetable soup mix (Knorr’s Vegetable recipe mix)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Combine all ingredients in crock. I even used frozen chicken and threw them in whole, then shredded them in the pot right before serving. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.

Total recipe:
1727 calories / 173 carbs / 29 fat / 172 protein / 41 fiber

 

[meowracer]

Laura - YIPPEE! I have been worried about you since I read that you only were eating 20-30grams of carbs a day. That just can't be good. Go for low glycemic foods, which it looks like you are...high fiber, few ingredients and clean ingredients. You are going to feel so much better!

Ezekiel bread is just in the frozen bread section, BTW, at my grocery store. It has its own little section but you will notice it b/c the wrappers are clear and each variety has some bright color, like purple or orange on the wrapper.

 

[LauraMax]

LOL Patti! You'd better post the single serving information, b/c 174 carbs is like a week's worth for me! I'm still working on that big step of eating the whole grain pasta I've had in my cupboard for maybe 3 mos. now. Oh crap, does that stuff spoil?

Shana Banana, you are so sweet to worry. I've been low carbing for a really long time though. Like 6 years. I guess it will be an interesting experiment, if I can stick to it.