The Starch Solution (30 page)

In parts of Asia and the Philippines, avocados are enjoyed as fruit. Avocado and olives, also a fruit, are notable for their high fat content compared with other fruits and vegetables. Like peanuts, tree nuts like almonds and walnuts are comparatively high in fat and thus should be limited or avoided altogether if weight loss is a primary goal. In dried fruits, sugars are concentrated as moisture evaporates in the drying process, leaving a highly concentrated food that is supersweet and high in calories.

There are a few foods that won’t spoil your success with the Starch Solution, but will slow your progress. If you seek to accelerate your weight loss, or if you suffer from a chronic disease or are on the cusp of developing one, I recommend avoiding these foods altogether. If, on the other hand, you are already happy with your weight or not in a hurry to lose, and you do not suffer from a chronic illness, you might wish to consider including small quantities of these higher calorie foods in your starch-based meals.

• Avocados
  
 

• Dried fruits
  
 

• Flours (whole grain, white, all-purpose)
  
 

• Fruit and vegetable juices
  
 

• Nuts
  
 

• Peanuts and peanut butter
  
 

• Seeds
  
 

• Simple sugars (i.e., table sugar, maple syrup, molasses, agave)
  
 

There are endless ways to prepare starchy grains, legumes, and vegetables. As you are getting started, you might like to choose familiar foods, the ones you grew up with. I was raised in the Midwest on potatoes. If you were raised in a family of Asian ancestry, rice may well be your favorite starch. If your
nonna
and
nonno
called Italy home, you might turn to pasta (without eggs) for sustenance and comfort.

Spices and other seasonings can help to keep your food varied and interesting. They can also help you to make familiar-tasting foods from
less familiar ingredients. Try adding curry powder as you cook if you enjoy Indian foods, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce for Asian-style food, and chili powder, cilantro, or salsa for a Latin flavor.

Most any supermarket offers a broad array of both fresh and dried herbs and spices. Natural food stores often have even more. Stores that sell the most spices have the greatest turnover and therefore the freshest, most flavorful ones. Store spices in a cabinet away from heat and light to keep them tasting fresh. Buy in small quantities and use liberally. For the freshest flavor, replace older herbs and spices every 6 months.

Salt and sweeteners used in reasonably small quantities also help to enhance taste and make adjusting to a new eating plan a little easier (see
Chapter 12
). When you purchase prepared sauces, or any prepared product, read the label carefully to avoid oils and other fats. Choose products with the fewest artificial ingredients.

Mary and I recommend making the recipes in this book in large quantities and packaging them in individual or family-sized servings in the refrigerator and freezer. That way there is always something good to eat on hand when you get hungry.

The suggestions that follow can help you find foods that are healthy and part of the Starch Solution to substitute for your favorite familiar foods.

The best way to ensure that you stick with the Starch Solution is to keep an assortment of healthy ingredients on hand in your kitchen. A well-stocked pantry and refrigerator will make the difference between success and failure. These ingredients can be used to prepare a wide variety of quick and easy meals.

The following guidelines will help you choose soy foods that fit with the Starch Solution (see
Chapter 10
).

Enjoy
traditional soy foods, like soy milk and tofu, as a small part of your diet—no more than 5 percent of your calories, or about 2 ounces per day. These foods aren’t necessary for good health, but they do add richness and variety without the hazards of vegetable oils and animal foods.

Avoid
synthetic and highly processed soy products, like soy burgers, soy sausage, soy bacon, soy cheese, and soy-based protein powders and energy bars.

Instead of commonly consumed soy meats and dairy:

• Replace soy burgers with low-fat bean and grain burgers.
  
 

• Add rice to your bean chili instead of fake sausage.
  
 

• Pass up the soy margarine on your baked potatoes and vegetables.
  
 

• Use recommended dips, sauces, and spreads.
  
 

• Skip the soy cheese on your whole wheat pizza. (Eat it topped with tomato sauce and vegetables.)
  
 

• Finish dinner with fruit or sorbet rather than soy ice cream or cheesecake.
  
 

To enjoy soy in healthy ways:

• Splash a little soy milk on your morning cereal.
  
 

• Add a few ounces of tofu to a stir-fry.
  
 

• Season grains with a small dollop of miso paste or a squirt of soy sauce.
  
 

• Occasionally whip up a tofu pudding or pie filling for dessert.
  
 

Keep the following shelf-stable foods in your pantry and you will always be prepared with the components to make a quick meal or snack, and the flavorings and condiments to give your foods flavor and variety.

     Agave nectar

     Apple juice

     Applesauce

     Baking powder (aluminum free)

     Baking soda

     Barbecue sauces (oil free)

     Beans (canned, all kinds, including fat-free refried; dried)

     Brown sugar or Sucanat

     Canned chopped tomatoes (with herbs or plain)

     Canned green chiles

     Canned vegetables (artichokes, roasted red peppers, pumpkin)

     Cereals (made from whole grains with minimal ingredients and no added fat)

     Coffee substitutes (Teeccino, Roma, etc.)

     Cornstarch

     Dip and dressing mixes

     Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods soups, cereals, and cup meals

     Dried fruits (prunes, raisins, currants, figs, dates, apricots, etc.)

     Ener-G Egg Replacer

     Flours (unbleached, all-purpose white flour; whole wheat flour; whole wheat pastry flour; white whole wheat flour)

     Grains (brown rice, barley, rolled oats, steel-cut oats, other grains as desired)

     Herbal teas

     Hot sauce (Tabasco, hot chili sauce, etc.)

     Kabuli pizza crust

     Ketchup

     Molasses

     Mustard (prepared)

     Pasta (egg free, and made from whole wheat, corn, quinoa, spelt, or rice)

     Pasta sauces (fat free)

     Peanut butter

     Pimiento (chopped, bottled)

     Pure maple syrup

     
Salad dressings (fat free)

     Salsa (bottled)

     Soy or rice milk

     Soy sauce (regular or low sodium; no MSG)

     Sunsweet Lighter Bake (butter and oil replacement)

     Tomato sauce and tomato paste

     Vegetable broth

     Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

     Vinegars (balsamic, rice, wine)

     Wonderslim Wondercocoa Fat-Free Cocoa Powder

     Bread (from a local bakery: 100 percent whole grain flour, low fat, low sodium)

     Garlic

     Onions

     Potatoes

     Tomatoes

     Garlic (minced, bottled)

     Ginger (minced, bottled)

     Jellies and jams

     Lemons or lemon juice

     Limes or lime juice

     Milk (nondairy soy, nut, or rice)

     Miso paste

     Salsa (“
salsa fresca
”)

     Tofu, silken or regular

     Variety of fresh vegetables and fruits

     Brown rice (precooked)

     Burgers (made from beans and grains; free of meat or soy products)

     Corn tortillas (no added fat)

     Fruit

     Fruit sorbet

     Hash brown potatoes (no added fat)

     Vegetables (without sauces)

     Whole wheat buns

     Whole wheat tortillas

To keep your food tasty and appealing, in addition to the condiments, sauces, and seasonings previously mentioned, McDougallers following the Starch Solution do best when they keep a well-stocked spice cabinet. Stock up on whatever herbs and spices you like best. Here are some suggestions:

     Allspice

     Basil

     Bay leaf

     Celery seed

     Chili powder

     Cinnamon

     Cloves

     Coriander

     Crushed red pepper

     Cumin

     Curry powder

     Dill seed and dill weed

     Garlic powder

     Ground red pepper

     Marjoram

     Mustard (dry)

     Nutmeg

     Onion powder

     Oregano

     Paprika (smoked and/or sweet)

     Parsley flakes

     Pepper (black, red, or smoked)

     Rosemary

     Sage

     Tarragon

     Thyme

     Turmeric

     Vanilla beans or pure vanilla extract

     Vegetable seasoning mixture

The two most popular seasonings are salt and sugar, and they add the most value when they are sprinkled on the surface of your food before eating, rather than lost in the mixture as it cooks. (See
Chapter 12
for more information about salt and sugar.)

To add familiar flavorings of meat or fish, look for vegetarian products that mimic these flavors, such as beef and poultry seasoning mixes made from spices, and seaweeds that provide a fishy taste.

Keep the following foods on hand to feed a midday or late night snack attack: