potato substitute?

[mumnpops]

hello
what can i have that is low in carbs as a substitute for potatoes?
i don't like pasta.
but i love rice, but that is out as its high in carbs?
any ideas would be welcome.

 

[hanadr]

The classic substitute for potaoes is cauliflower. Also Vivaldi potatoes have less carbohydrate than most other varieties. Sainsbury's sell them.
My personal strategy is to eat only tiny portions. Perhaps 2 walnut sized new potatoes with a meal about 2 to 3 times per week.
Although I adore rice, I've practically given it up.
I find it easier to do without the high carb foods than to look for substitutes. I top up on salads and green veggies.
I now eat very much less than I used to.
However, Low carb Megastore and AvidLite sell all sorts of stuff you might find useful. Tends to be a bit pricey though and you have to pay for P&P
Hana

 

[Spiral]

A leafy green salad with a nice dressing

Once I dropped the carbs I stopped being hungry between meals. I swallowed all that rubbish about starchy carbohydrate filling you up for years, I'd be hungry within an hour or so of eating a big meal. I still felt like I hadn't had a proper meal without bread or rice or pasta or potato :?

The only starchy carbs I still eat are oats and rye - crackers and crispbread. 2/3 oatcakes or 1 rye crispbread is my max at any one meal. But I rarely do that these days, unless I'm about to get a fair bit of excercise or having a need for something crispy (we won't mention the very small handful of crisps I had at lunch time today because the lunch was provided :roll: ).

 

[AliB]

Cut a butternut squash in half lengthways, place it upside down on a baking tray/sheet and bake on 180 degrees for about 20 - 30 minutes. Eat as is with a good dollop of butter mushed in, or scrape out of the skin and mash in a bowl with said butter and a little salt if required. Yum. Nice with a sprinkle of coriander mixed in too.

Failing that, why bother with the potato at all? There is no substitute in low-carb. Anything potato-like is going to be starchy, so it won't be low-carb.

You have to try and overturn your entrenched habits with this. We get programmed to think that it can't be a proper dinner without potato. Not true of course, but its all about reprogramming and breaking the habits. Cereal for breakfast, biscuits with the coffee, potatoes/rice/pasta with the dinner. Pudding, snacks, chocolate, crisps, etc., etc.

If we lived somewhere where none of these foods were eaten, we wouldn't miss them!

You won't starve. Honest........

 

[Romola]

As some of you may know, I am not a dedicated low carber - more into low GL BUT I would certainly agree that you can live happily without potato.

I have had very little potato for years - long before I was diagnosed with T2 - because I followed the diet recommended by the arthritic association (which works, bye the way). I don't miss it.

I also agree that carbs don't prevent hunger from setting in - protein is what does that - which is why I think it is a good idea to have some protein at all main meals.

Substitutes are rarely convincing - and it is easier just to accept that you will only have something, eg potato in very small amounts and only occasionally. There are lots of things to try instead - as has been suggested.

 

[mumnpops]

hello
thank you to you all for your replies, your comments have been noted.
this has been my first day of trying to eat right.

for breakfast i had a mushroom omlette, which was cooked with a no carb oil. i really enjoyed it and i was not hungry for about 2 and a half hours later.

i had some crisps with my son as a snack.

about 4.00 i was getting really hungry, it was driving me crazy as i wanted to snack, but im pleased to say that i didnt.

for dinner i had a mushroom omlette again with a small piece of meat.

then 2 hours after my meal my bs was 11.6

im hoping my bs will be better in the morning.

i did find that i got full quicker than normal.

is that meant to happen?

i used to snack a lot between meals, which im not proud of.

one question, i love pork scratchins, i looked on the packed and it has 1.6g carbs, and 0.1 sugar. i had some after i did my bs so after 2 hours i will do it again, so i hope it will be lower.

thanks again.

 

[mumnpops]

hi
one thing is puzzling me, when i did my bs when it was 11.6, i had a lot of trouble getting blood out of my thumb, in the past when that happened my bs was low, so could that have been a false reading?

 

[mumnpops]

hello
i just did my bs after 2 hours and it is 8.6
its a start in the right direction.

 

[hanadr]

mumnpops
You don't need to use nocarb oil. Butter is just as good for diabetics.
Hana

 

[mumnpops]

hello
im very confused
i did my bs when i got up this morning and it was 12.3
i only had a drink of dandelion and burdoch last night, and a few sips of strawberry flavoured water in the night that has a trace of carbs and a trace of sugar.
can someone explain it please?

 

[cugila]

First of all what was your Bg reading just before bedtime ? Could just be the dawn phenomenon effect along with a high reading the previous night.

Here is a link to previous postings and an explanation.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=7885&hilit=+dawn+phenomenon#p73438

 

[mumnpops]

hi
thank you for the reply.
my bs was 8.6 before bed.
take care

 

[AliB]

As I have posted before on other threads, it may be a few days before you see a proper result. Your body has to change from the carb-burning mode it has been used to, to fat-burning and until you, and it, gets used to working in the fat-burning mode things will fluctuate a bit.

The reason your BS was over 11 after you had your lunch, was probably not the mushroom omelette at all, but it may still have been elevated from when you had the crisps earlier. Crisps are usually pretty high in carbs. Perhaps you could get some nuts and have those instead - but not peanuts. Almonds, brazils and walnuts are lower in carb and a handful of those can often be enough just to satisfy the 'snacky' urge. Don't get the ones with dried fruit - that is VERY high in carbs.

In order to see how different foods affect your blood sugar you need to know what it is before you eat, as well as after.

If, like me, you are very carb-sensitive, then even a small amount could send your BS levels flying.

Now I am in proper low-carb mode my levels are pretty stable with night and morning levels of around 5.5 - 6.5 and I don't get the dawn phenomenon either.

You may find it helpful to get hold of a little carb counting book - I think WH Smith sells them and they aren't that expensive. That will give you the carb levels of most foods - both natural and processed and will help you understand more about which foods to avoid and which are acceptable.

 

[Patch]

I just go cold turkey. Cut the carbs RIGHT out, and don't check my BG for at least 5 days. After these 5 days are up I can feel a change, and know with quite a high degree of certainty, that when I measure my BG, they'll be well below 7mmol...

 

[mumnpops]

hello
thank you both for your replies.
ive just done my bs and it is 10.9
ive had nothing to eat since breakfast.
im starting to feel a little despondent.
but yes i think you are right, i think it will take a little while for my body to adjust.
i wish it would hurry up lol.
take care

 

[goji]

Celeriac root is seriously low carb and when mashed up with butter can make a good mash substitute.

 

[Moogie1947]

I also used a celeriac last week, once boiled so it is soft I found I needed to put it in my food processor with some Creme Fraiche and butter to get it to a lovely smooth mashed potato texture - it was much nicer that the cauliflower mash I thought. As a vegetarian, I often use cauliflower as a main dish with a low carb cheese sauce so don't really want it as the potato as well.
Once medium sized celeriac served 3 generously and the family liked it. it hardly tasted of celery.

 

[Sweet enough]

I'm a great believer in this low carb malarkey simply because it works for me.
- Just tested @ 6.9 which made me feel fantastic and as if something was happening at last. I was 15.8 on dx 10 days ago and never fell below 11 or 12 whatever I did. Ive been one 1 500mg Metformin for 4 or 5 days so I cant say its that helping yet and have to put the fall down to low carbing so it does seem to be worth sticking with it. I intend to control my carb intake more closely as Im so happy with the results.

I have been looking for a potatoe substitute and suggest boiled mashed turnip, with added herbs / garlic /chille/pepper to taste, You could also roast chunks of it for roasties and I'm told you can even make chips with turnip ! I'll try it sometimes this week and let you know.

Its great browned in a pan with a dash of olive oil and served instead of potatoes and would make a cracking shepherds pie topping.
Tomorrow I'm trying it on top of a half tin of chille con carne as a sort of Mexican shephards pie ! Yum.

 

[Doczoc]

Celeriac for me too. Makes great oven roasted chips too!

 

[mumnpops]

hello
well its now been 10 days since i went on a low carb diet.
ive gone from my bs being as high as 12 as was on 08/10/09 and now since yesterday they have been 7.2, 8.8, 6.6, 7.1, 7.9
a lot better from what it was before i started my low carb diet.
and this morning it was 9.1.
i am very pleased with this especially the 6.6
its not as low as it should be but it is a start.
i am also loosing weight.
im seeing my dr in 2 weeks, will he be able to see from my bs that i am trying?