The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[iammissruth]

I got this from MSN Health and the article title is "The Carb Lover's Survival Guide". I have omitted a few recipes since they don't apply to us. The others, I thought were good, and some are repeats of what we already have here.

"Weight Loss

The Carb Lover's Survival Guide
12 ways to satisfy your cravings without the calories.
By the Editors of Men's Health

More on this in Health & Fitness

Your No-More-Cravings Meal Plan
The Easiest Diet Ever
Eat Out Without Guilt

More of us would become citizens of Low-Carb Nation if it weren't for the daunting loyalty oath. We're asked to renounce allegiance to such potentates as bagels, pasta, and potatoes. And even though we know that low-carbohydrate dieting works, giving up your favorite carbs can be tough.

"The best way to cut carbs from your diet is to make creative substitutions," says Arthur Agatston, M.D., author of The South Beach Diet. "That way you can still eat the foods you love, without busting your diet." Dr. Agatston told us how to make cauliflower taste like mashed potatoes.

Other nutrition experts gave us tricks for cutting white flour, pasta, and potatoes and replacing them with lower-carb alternatives that taste nearly identical. We then had some loyal carbo-cravers taste-test these dishes. Turns out some of them are so good, you'll wonder why you weren't eating them in the first place.

Hash browns

Substitute: Squash for potatoes

Summer squash (the football-shaped yellow kind) tastes similar to potatoes when cooked—but has just a fraction of the carbs. Grate the squash, mix in an egg as binder, make patties, and fry them in olive oil, says Mary Dan Eades, M.D., co-author of The Low-Carb Comfort Food Cookbook.

Carbs eliminated: About 15 grams (g) per hash-brown patty

The taste: "Not as firm and crispy as regular hash browns, but the potato flavor is there."

Mashed potatoes

Substitute: Cauliflower for potatoes

One of Dr. Agatston's favorites: Steam some fresh or frozen cauliflower in the microwave. Then spray the cauliflower with butter substitute, add a little nonfat half-and-half substitute, and puree in a food processor or blender. "Salt and pepper to taste and you've got something that quite honestly can compete with the real thing any day," says Dr. Agatston. To make it even better, try adding roasted garlic, cheese, or sour cream to the mixture.

Carbs eliminated: 30 g per cup

The taste: "After a couple of bites, you forget it's not potatoes."

Lasagna

Substitute: Zucchini slices for noodles

Slice four to five medium-size zukes lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick strips, instructs Lise Battaglia, a New Jersey chef whose past clients include Jon Bon Jovi. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the strips, place them in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet, and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. You want them firm, not crisp. "Then simply make the lasagna as you normally would, replacing lasagna noodles with the baked zucchini," she says.

Carbs eliminated: 36 g per serving

The taste: "Delicious. The zucchini provides texture that you don't get from noodles alone."

Spaghetti

Substitute: Spaghetti squash for spaghetti

A cooked spaghetti squash is like Mother Nature's automatic spaghetti maker — the flesh becomes noodle-like strands. "All you have to do is cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Then place each half — cut side down — on a plate with a quarter cup of water," says Elizabeth Perreault, a chef at Colorado's Culinary School of the Rockies. Nuke the squash for 10 minutes or until it's soft to the touch. Let it cool, then scrape out the "spaghetti" strands and top with pasta sauce and cheese.

Carbs eliminated: 30 g per cup

The taste: "Great. Spaghetti squash has exactly the same consistency as real pasta."

Pancakes (I don't know if this would be good for maintainers or not.)

Substitute: Oatmeal and cottage cheese for pancake mix

Here's a can't-fail recipe from The South Beach Diet. Mix together half a cup of old-fashioned oatmeal, a quarter cup of low-fat cottage cheese, two eggs, and a dash each of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Process in a blender until smooth. Cook the mixture like a regular pancake.

Carbs eliminated: 45 g per pancake

The taste: "With syrup, you could never tell the difference."

Pizza (are portobello mushrooms allowed? possible for maintainers)

Substitute: Portobello mushrooms for pizza crust

Cut the gills out of the inside of the mushroom, says Ruben, "then place the mushroom on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes so it dries out slightly." Add tomato sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni or other toppings and broil until the cheese begins to melt.

Carbs eliminated: About 20 g per slice

The taste: "Like pizza, but moister. Give me a fork!"

Beef-a-Roni

Substitute: Eggplant for pasta

Mixing diced eggplant with ground beef is healthier and more highbrow than this old skillet special — call it moussaka American style. You have to soften the eggplant first, says Williams. Cut it in half, brush it with olive oil, and then broil for 10 to 20 minutes. "Let it cool, dice it up, and mix with hamburger, tomato sauce, and spices," she says.

Carbs eliminated: 26 g per cup

The taste: "Exactly like Hamburger Helper, in a good way."

Sandwiches

Substitute: Napa or Chinese cabbage for bread

Slap your turkey and Swiss onto a leaf of cabbage and roll it up. "I've made some great-tasting BLTs using cabbage instead of bread," Battaglia says. Dip the roll in low-fat mayonnaise or mustard.

Carbs eliminated: 29 g per sandwich

The taste: "Better than eating plain cold cuts."

[Mike]

Great article Ruth, thanks.

A couple of things we have found...

Turnips instead of potatoes works well (I don't care for cooked cauliflower in any way, shape, or form), but turnips aren't bad at all.

Also, the medifast oatmeal mixed with medifast eggs (recipe in Lean Cuisine) is tasty, and its compliant (makes two medimeals).

[rodeomom]

I made the mashed cauliflower for Thanksgiving. Nobody was fooled, they knew it wasn't mashed taters, BUT everyone loved it. I actually liked it better than taters.

[ascicles]

Also, portabella mushrooms ARE allowed. The "use sparingly" statement is no longer valid, according to medifast. I think I'm going to try a few of these (making some changes to stay on plan). The pizza looks the best though, as I love mushrooms and would eat this anyway.

I'm thinking that I can use probably two big portabella mushrooms (I'll try breaking some apart to measure the size...but I think that would be about right), along with some sliced chicken (about 3.5 ounces) and a half serving of lowfat cheese (I can't remember the allowed amount). That would cover the entire lean and green...and it sounds awesome.

I may also add some steamed brocolli if I need some additional veggies to add.

I'm convinced that this time I'm going to do better with creating meals. I go so incredibly sick of grilled chicken, mushrooms, and zuchinni every meal.

I decided to delay my restart on the plan because I have four seperate lunch meetings this week, so it will be easier to start next week without the distractions...but I think I'm going to try a test run of this recipe this weekend.

I've tried the cauliflower thing before and it was terrible...but that's only because I don't like cauliflower.