reduced carb vegetarian?

Cafe Society
1

I have diabetes and high cholesterol. My doctor wants me to stop or extremely reduce the meat that I eat (he would prefer that I go vegetarian completely but I said no way.) I agreed to reduce the meat that I eat down to basically one serving a day. Since I am diabetic I am supposed to not eat starchy foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, peas, beans etc and that doesn’t leave me anything to eat but vegetables. He said that I can have a limited amount of starchy foods about 35 to 45 grams per meal.

so any ideas for meals? I need something filling and satisfying. he said I can have all of the vegetables and fruit I want but I would think too much fruit would be a lot of sugar.

I don’t like to cook but I can cook pretty well and of course need food I can take to work. I can during the week spread the one serving of meat out between several meals for instance yesterday, I had an egg mcmuffn for breakfast which is 44 carbs and about 1 ounce of meat. for lunch I had a very small piece of chicken so maybe 2 ounces along with a salad, small sweet potato and some sliced tomato so again about 45 carbs (30 for the potato and 15 for the breading). for dinner I had a rice bowl with brown rice veggies and tofu. It was very filling but I think it was over the my carb/starch limit. When I buy bread it is 16 carbs for 2 slices so that is a possibility but a sandwich of just lettuce and tomato is kind of depressing.

Suggestions, reassurances etc would be great!

2

Riced cauliflower is a great way to add mass without adding lots of calories, IMO. It can be seasoned and has great texture.

I’d also like to offer unsolicited advice: try Garde In and Morningstar Farms chicken and steak strips. Both are vegetarian meat substitutes, have excellent texture and consistency, a good base taste and accept seasoning very well. Both companies also make a form of “crumbles” that can be used in place of ground beef; I can recommend those products highly as well.

Keep in mind that you can make a salad with all the same ingredients that go into a sandwich, but you don’t need the carb-heavy bread to hold it.

3

I would suggest you look into a ketogenic diet. If not that, then vegetarian keto. I’m sure there will be many people who disagree with me, but it seems to help diabetics a lot. The thing that convinced me is this YouTube video, if you want to take the time to watch it, it’s kind of long.

4

Carbs aren’t evil in and of themselves. The problem is with refined carbs because they are metabolized so quickly they cause glucose and insulin blood spikes. IIRC that causes more of the food to be stored as fat rather than used for fuel. I think it also contributes to insulin resistance. But I’m not a doctor so you’d need to verify these statements.

You should use your 35-45g allocation of carbs to eat low glycemic index foods. These are foods that contain significant amounts of soluble and insoluble plant fibers which slow the absorption of the carbs and smooth out your glucose spikes.

BTW, I also highly recommend Gardein products and most of the Morningstar line. I’m not very fond of their veggie burgers but some of their products are quite good. For example you could try their veggie spare ribs and veggie buffalo wings. These products do have carbs though but the latter product as an example only has 20g per serving and 3g of fiber.

I would suggest joining one of the online diabetes support groups that you can probably find with a quick google search. They’ll be able to offer you a lot more in the way of advice and support.

5

Portobello mushrooms are a pretty great substitute for a burger. Roasted eggplant sandwiches are awesome too. Don’t forget eggs and cheeses.

Look at different kinds of flours that are low in carbs. Soy flour, almond flour. Low carb pancake/waffle/breading mix is usually made with this and they are quite good and high in protein so they are satiating.

I really like sugar free jam. Smucker’s sugar free strawberry jam is great. I’ve even been known to make my own - mash up some berries and add Splenda, you’ve got jam. Get some sugar-free peanut butter (favorite - Trader Joe’s) and your lower-carb bread and you have a pretty good sandwich there.

Black soy beans (not black beans - black soy beans) are a great low carb staple. You can use them to make your own baked beans and it’s a great side. You can make your own cole slaw with slaw mix, vinegar and Splenda, add a grilled “hot dog” sans-bun and you’ve got a great lunch!

Netrition.com is a good place to browse low carb foods. You don’t really need to buy from there but you can look for ideas, like low-sugar Heinz and low-sugar salad dressing.

6

The OP should clarify, but I think he or she means the 35 - 45g of “carbs” per day are of the refined kind. Vegetables are “carbs”, but the doctor said it’s OK to have an unlimited amount.

I would strongly suggest a meal that I wrote up in another recent thread: Stir-fry vegetables. What I do is is saute a shallot and some garlic for a minute or so, then add some coarsely chopped mushrooms, broccolini, asparagus and/or string beans or other fibrously vegetables. Cover and stir occasionally, but keep them al dente. Salt and pepper to taste (I go light on the salt), and sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on at the end. Add a bit of chicken if you like, or even some lightly cooked fish. Add in a bit of chicken stock or white wine if you like-- just a few tablespoons is all. You can use almost any vegetable you like, but the key is to keep them al dente, and they really do taste delicious.

Really tastes good, and fills you up nicely. I love mushrooms, so I use a lot.

Takes me maybe 5 minutes prep and 5 -10 minutes cooking time. Easy-peasy.

7

that is correct 30 to 45 grams starchy carbs. potatoes, rice, pasta, breads, corn etc.

8

The GF and I have been on a low-carb kick for quite awhile now, and these are our two greatest discoveries so far:

  1. Cauliflower - makes great faux mashed potatoes and even tater tots. Also makes a nice base for skillet meals instead of noodles or rice. You can buy it riced and frozen in lots of places.

  2. Carbquik - despite the name, it is a very low-carb baking mix, a substitute for Bisquick. Makes great pancakes, among other things! Pretty much only available online, and kinda spendy, but worth it.

9

First of all, I’m instantly suspicious when they want you to cut down on meat for diabetic issues. I had borderline gestational diabetes and was advised to basically triple my carb intake…wha…?? Suffice to say, it didn’t work. AT ALL.

That out of the way, Healthy Life brand bread is pretty low carb. Like 5-7 net carbs per slice. I think they make up the difference with pencil shavings, but it isn’t bad toasted. There are some Wasa crackers that have a similar profile. And I eat a tomato and cream cheese sandwich for breakfast on the regular, so it isn’t that depressing. :slight_smile:

N-thing the mushroom suggestion. Very few calories/carbs, tasty, filling. Green beans and spinach (even canned) can provide bulk when you need it. I often take a can or two of spinach, squeeze all the water out in a mesh strainer, and saute it with a tsp of butter, garlic salt, and some lemon pepper for a healthy snack or side dish. A can or half a bag of frozen green beans sauteed with a plop of marinara goes well with a serving of lean protein in lieu of pasta.

Frozen seafood can be your friend, too, if you like it. Shrimp is practically a free food. Use it well. Shrimp stirfried with garlic, broccoli, mushrooms, is great and quite low cal/carb. Use ghee or sesame oil for a flavor punch.

Canned tuna is a bit more calorie dense, but can get you a big umami hit in a small package. One can of drained tuna (under 100 cal) mixed with a scoop of cottage cheese, some spices, some citrus or vinegar, served over salad veggies of your choice is quite satisfying–or just mix the fish and cottage cheese with salsa. Crumble up a Wasa cracker and some almonds over the salad if you want a bit of a carby crunch.

Hmm, what else. You can drain plain Dannon yogurt mixed with herbs and salt and lemon and maybe cucumber for a delicious dip/cream cheese that won’t break the diet bank.

Also, I know it’s trendy, but it’s also old school–learn to make your own stock. Vegetable and/or meat based. Every time you chop veggies, put the scraps in a freezer bag in the freezer. Onion skins, celery bases, tomato ends, etc. Not brassica veggies though. Do the same with your meat scraps and bones, cooked or not. When you fill up a big bag, make stock. A good mug of stock can curb cravings and also provide a nutritious base for light soups and stuff.

10

35-45 carbs per meal? You lucky bastard…I’m trying to hold my total carbs to 8 or fewer per meal for breakfast and lunch, and while I don’t count carbs at dinner I try to keep them to a small portion of my total meal.

Anyway, you don’t say anything about needing to watch your weight, so lo-cal may not be a concern. Whether or not it is, nuts can be your friend. They are pretty low in carbs, high in nutrients, and very satiating. The only thing is, if you DO have watch your total calorie intake, they add up pretty fast.

The thought of eating salad after salad may sound grim, but in fact you can vary what you put in your salads so much that every meal is a new taste sensation. I’m practically living on salad at the moment, and while I would love to nosh on cake and chips and bread if I could, it’s really not so bad, and I feel good knowing that I’m eating tons of dark leafy greens every day, which is excellent for overall health.

A very incomplete list of low-to-moderate carb yummy things you can put in a salad:

Dressing: oil & vinegar, ranch, or tahini (I like to whir tahini in the blender with some olive juice for a delicious dressing)
Slivered almonds or other nuts
Cottage cheese
Shrimp
Tuna
Very thinly sliced steak (a little goes a long way)
Chicken breast
Chickpeas or other canned beans
Sliced bell peppers
Shredded carrots
Chopped grilled/baked vegetables (for example, thin-slice some zucchini, salt generously, brush with olive oil and bake til they brown)
good quality cherry tomatoes
Interesting lettuce: arugula, spinach, watercress, etc.

You can also add modest amounts of corn, winter squash, or croutons as long as you are careful not to overdo the carb count.

ETA: I don’t know how readily available it is where you live, but if you can get tempeh, it’s awesome stuff. Slice it, let it marinate for a while in some soy sauce, and fry it in a little olive oil. It’s not carb free but it isn’t high carb, and it’s a delicious vegetarian source of protein. (Unless it costs a fortune in which case I wouldn’t bother; here in Indonesia it is practically free.)
.

11

45 grams of carb per meal is a pretty standard recommendation. That would be three 15 gram carb servings, which is actually quite a bit.
You may find the following links from the ADA helpful - I use them a lot in my work:

ADA List of Low-Carbohydrate Vegetables (there are many more than you think!)

Meal Planning for Vegetarians From the ADA (General principles and tips)

As with all diabetes dietary advice, give it a try, continue to monitor your blood sugars, and use the parts of the advice that work for you and your body. There is no ‘one size fits all’ here. Monitoring your sugars is key to developing a plan that works for you.

12

The no meat is for the cholesterol, the low carb is for the diabetes.

No meat is no animal protein, no fish, chicken,pork, beef etc. I couldn’t give it up completely with the low carb so we compromised on one serving of meat a day either in one meal or divided throughout.

I have eaten tofu several times this week, but have been hungry most of the time. I am hoping my system will adjust so it isn’t so much of a struggle.

Yes I need to lose weight but veggies don’t fill me up.

13

Have you tried drink lots of water just prior to eating? You’d think it wouldn’t do much and just go right through you, but it makes a lot of sense because food in general is mostly water anyway.

14

Red lentil dahl:

Filling, tasty
Low carbohydrate, resistant starch
Simple and quick to make

15

Sounds great - can you give an approximate recipe (doesn’t have to be detailed, I cook by the seat of my pants anyway)? I make a delicious red lentil dahl, but I doubt mine is low-anything by the time I’m done, as it contains generous amounts of potato and ghee. I can leave the potatoes out, but do you add anything to the lentils besides oil, garlic, ginger, onions, and spices?

16

IMHO, low carb and low fat is a very difficult combination. You aren’t eating anything that’s going to fill you up and keep you full for longer than 30 minutes. It is possible to do vegetarian low carb but you need to get enough fat. Add things like olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, macadamia nuts, etc. Can you do cheese or eggs? Those will help a meal stick with you.

IANAD (and definitely not your doctor!) so ultimately go with what you need to do.

17

Fill your plate with sautéed or grilled broccolini. Stalks and all. That stuff will fill you up!

ETA: Don’t overcook it. It should be crunchy!!