can anyone help this pasta/rice loving family to reduce carb intake please

lulu_92

BigAunty wrote: »

How about switching to Quinoa or another type of protein grain rather than rice? Q is actually a good rice replacement - I have it with curries and chillis and it goes well. I can't remember the names of other low carb grains but there are others on the market.

There are flavoured packets of cooked lentils sold in packets that are also good side dish/potato replacements.Sweet potatoes in place of traditional potatoes.

cous cous is one I love. I started having the giant cous cous made with a chicken stock cube in boiling water and it's so nice, and filling!

purpleshoes_2

lulu_92 wrote: »

cous cous is one I love. I started having the giant cous cous made with a chicken stock cube in boiling water and it's so nice, and filling!

Cous cous is very carby though, so if someone was trying to reduce their carb intake they'd be better with quinoa.

purpleshoes_2

I cant think of anything worse than zero noodles/pasta Cost a fortune as well as someone else said earlier on.

lulu_92

purpleshoes wrote: »

Cous cous is very carby though, so if someone was trying to reduce their carb intake they'd be better with quinoa.

Yeah but you don't need as much to feel full IMO.

Quinoa is a good idea, though.

TBagpuss

I agree with the suggestion to look at cutting portion size rather than trying to cut out completely.

Use a smaller plate / dish - if you have a full small plate then you folol your rain into thinking you've got a bigger portion than if you have the same amount of food on a larger plate.

If you don't already, try sitting down to eat at table and don't have TV or radio or other distrtactions - you focus on what you are eating and again, because you are paying more attention,your brain 'notices' you've been fed.
Remember it takes about 10 minutes for you to feel 'full' after you stop eating, so wait 10 minutes before offering / taking any seconds.

Having a simple green salad dressed with a little balsamic vinegar about 10 minutes before you eat your main meal can help, too. Partly because it feels you up a bit with something low in calories, and partly because the vinegar does something to reduce appetite, so you feel less hungry.

purpleshoes_2

Barley, rye, corn and millet are alternatives to wheat, spelt as well.

Izadora

purpleshoes wrote: »

Cous cous is very carby though, so if someone was trying to reduce their carb intake they'd be better with quinoa.

I would agree that Quinoa is probably better for you but it's actually higher in carbs than couscous - 64/100 compared with 23/100.

Seeing as most of my meals involve bread, pasta, rice or potatoes I really should try to take some of the advice in this thread!!

gayleygoo

Carbs are the bulk of our meals too and we don't have weight issues (yet, I'm aware that our metabolisms may change in the next 10 years!) OH eats a LOT of bread and potatoes, but then he's a postie so he walks it off. If he ever has a week off work, he feels heavier at the end of it!

I like cous cous, and buy wholewheat versions of it, as well as wholewheat pasta and rice. See if your serving size of carbs needs reduced, and try to match it with plenty of veg at each meal.

In our house, homemade oven chips tend to be healthier than making mashed potatoes - the chips only get a drizzle of sunflower oil and a little seasoning, whereas mashed potatoes get a huge whack of butter, milk, and loads of seasoning, and probably have the vitamins boiled out of them too!

If your meal portions are already reasonable and usually fairly healthy, it may not be the pasta and rice to blame. Lots of people all over the world have these as their staple diet and are not overweight. Keep an eye on what you eat for snacks and the calories you might be consuming in drinks. Consider whether you need more activity in your daily/weekly routines.

Someone mentioned chopsticks - I think that's a great idea! When I worked in a Chinese restaurant we got very good at using them, and smaller amounts of food seemed to go further. A small bowl of rice (absorption method so it sticks enough to pick up with chopsticks), a few pieces of meat and plenty of veg in a flavourful sauce was very filling.

[Deleted User]

Try the LCME diet.

purpleshoes_2

Izadora wrote: »

I would agree that Quinoa is probably better for you but it's actually higher in carbs than couscous - 64/100 compared with 23/100.

Seeing as most of my meals involve bread, pasta, rice or potatoes I really should try to take some of the advice in this thread!!

But it's high in protein too which cous cous isn't.