Read The Starch Solution Online
Authors: MD John McDougall
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.
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.
AVOID | ENJOY |
Butter and margarine | Bean spreads, jellies and jams, tofu mayonnaise |
Cereals, refined and sugar coated | Hot or cold whole grain cereal without refined ingredients |
Cheese | Tofu ricotta |
Cookies, cakes, and other desserts | Fresh fruit or a McDougall dessert |
Chocolate, in recipes | Fat-free cocoa powder |
Coffee, decaf coffee, and black teas | Noncaffeinated herbal teas, cereal beverage, hot water with lemon |
Colas and other sodas | Mineral water, club soda, or unsweetened seltzer (flavored or plain) |
Eggs, to eat | Tofu scramble, Eggless Egg Salad |
Eggs, in recipes | Ener-G Egg Replacer |
Fats, in baking | Prune puree, fat replacers, or applesauce |
Flour, white | Whole wheat, white whole wheat, or other whole grain flours |
Ice cream | Banana ice cream, pure fruit sorbet, frozen juice bars |
Meat, poultry, fish | Starchy vegetables, whole grains, pastas, and beans |
Oils, vegetable, for pans | Use nonstick pots and pans |
Oils, vegetable, for sauteing and in recipes | Omit oil, or replace with water, vegetable broth, or other liquids; sauté in water or broth |
Mayonnaise | Tofu Mayonnaise |
Milk, as a beverage | Water, juice, or herbal tea |
Milk, on cereal and in cooking | Soy milk, rice milk, nut milk, fruit juice, or water |
Rice, white | Brown rice or other whole grains |
Salad dressing | Squirt of fresh lemon or lime juice, or a low-fat dressing |
Sour cream | Tofu Sour Cream |
Yogurt | Soy or nut-based yogurt |
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:
To enjoy soy in healthy ways:
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: