Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

[quotidianlight]

Okay, I am confused. Someone mentioned spaghetti squash and since it's a winter squash I thought that was a starchy veggie???? That made me wonder about acorn squash. Then there is jicama... it looks like a starchy veggie but it's not Carrots are full of sugar but... they don't seem patatoe-y. The veggie lists in the book aren't as extensive as the veggies at the super markets around here. Is there a really good long list or definition of a starchy veggie so I don't accidentally eat one.

[julirama723]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

If it's a veggie NOT on the induction list, there's a 99% chance it's a starchy veggie.

On Rung 1 of OWL, you simply eat another serving of induction veggies. Rung 1 means you are eating the same foods as induction, just 5g more of veggies each week.

[julirama723]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

Starchy veggies:
(corn is actually a grain)
potato
carrot
acorn squash
butternut squash
lima beans
yams
peas
plantain
beet
parsnips

[quotidianlight]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

But what about all the veggies not on either list? i

[julirama723]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

What veggies are you referring to??

[quotidianlight]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

A lot of ethnic veggies I can't place. Like cactus, edible flowers or lemon grass (is that a veggie or grain?) etc. If pumpkin is okay I would like to know which squashes are starchy and which aren't. Would looking at a GI list help me tell some of the more rare veggies apart? I am super lucky living in the bay area of california we have so many ethnic markets and organic stores that I could stay on rung 1 forever if I didn't miss berries and nuts so much

[julirama723]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

Ahhhh. See, living in the middle of Podunkville, MT, I don't have that problem. Lucky you!

That is the one major drawback of Atkins--it's a very ethnocentric plan which really does ignore a lot of veggies from various cultures and regions.

As for squashes, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, yellow squash, and zucchini are the only ones allowed on induction. The rest are considered starchy veggies. For your other veggies, I would agree that looking up GI and GL would be the way to determine what rung they're on, and if it's "iffy" wait until starchy veggies to eat said veggie.

Perhaps someone with more expertise will be along to help you out shortly!?

[not2late]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

A lot of ethnic veggies I can't place. Like cactus, edible flowers or lemon grass (is that a veggie or grain?) etc. If pumpkin is okay I would like to know which squashes are starchy and which aren't. Would looking at a GI list help me tell some of the more rare veggies apart? I am super lucky living in the bay area of california we have so many ethnic markets and organic stores that I could stay on rung 1 forever if I didn't miss berries and nuts so much

Lemongrass is a herb---I haven't come across any recipe where you actually eat it, but only used to flavor a dish.

Edible flowers: I considered them to be a part of Rung 1: squash blossoms, pepper flowers, rose petals, violets, calendula petals, hollyhocks, okra blossoms, etc. I've never found any carb/nutritional info on them, but I suspected they weren't as carby as their grown-up fruits.

Leafy Asian veggies, like mizuna, taisoi (or however it's spelled), etc. I categorized as Rung 1. Fruit-vegetables like bittermelon, Chinese fuzzy melon, etc. I also categorized as Rung 1---if I could find a carb count or if I could find what plant family they were in. For example, if a melon type veggie was in the same family as cucumber, then I would lump it into Rung 1. If the veggie was in the same family as potato, I'd put it in the STarchy veg Rung.

But if you can find the carb counts for the vegetables/fruits, it will be easier for you. I read in one of Dr. Atkin's other books that the Induction veggies were determined based on their % carb. The "salad" list was comprised of veggies/fruit-veggies that had 5% or less carb. The "other" list were veggies with % carbs between 6-10%.

The other bit of advice is to check your local library for a book called The Hampton's Diet. It's written by Fred Pescatore, MD who was the Associate Medical Director of the Atkins Center during the 1990s. In that book, he has charts of veggies and fruits arranged in pyramids that can be used for OWL.

[quotidianlight]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

Thank you so much Not2Late! I love trying new things and a lot of non-western cooking is much more atkins friendly if you take away the flat breads and noodles. I just dug out some of my old cookbooks and was shocked at how much I would still be able to use!

[not2late]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

Thank you so much Not2Late! I love trying new things and a lot of non-western cooking is much more atkins friendly if you take away the flat breads and noodles. I just dug out some of my old cookbooks and was shocked at how much I would still be able to use!

With the exception of baked goods and most desserts, many recipes are either naturally low carb or can be made low carb. Pasta/noodle dishes can be made low carb by eliminating the pasta/noodles and substituting them with "Veggie" noodles like zucchini strips, cucumber strips, leeks, sliced cabbage, etc.

If you take out the noodles from many pasta dishes, you can use the remainder as fillings for omelettes or quiche.

I hardly use "low carb" cookbooks, because I found out the hard (and expensive) way, that they aren't very useful unless you are into the low carb desserts/breads/etc.

[astrogirl]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

I hardly use "low carb" cookbooks, because I found out the hard (and expensive) way, that they aren't very useful unless you are into the low carb desserts/breads/etc.

I had become totally disgusted with low-carb cookbooks for the same reason, then I finally saw a copy of Dana Carpender's 500 Low Carb Recipes in a bookstore. I haven't read the whole thing yet, but most of the recipes are actually induction friendly. I was really impressed with it. Next time you're in a book store, flip through it and look for yourself!

There is a dessert section, but it does not dominate the book.

The recipes are mostly simple and contain easy-to-find whole foods. I'm mostly interested in the appetizers (for snacking), veggie dishes and salads at the moment. I like my meats presented simply, so no challenge there, and I'm already pretty creative with eggs (love them!).

[not2late]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

I have Dana Carpender's book. And I hardly use it, ever since I found that many of the main course and veggie dishes are either low carbed versions of regular dishes or are regular recipes. So I've gone back to my regular cookbooks, like Julia Child, etc. If something is naturally low carb, like creammed zucchini, I just plug the numbers into fitday.com to figure out the carb count.

[julirama723]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

Honestly, I don't even own a LC cookbook. My most-used cookbook? The Joy of Cooking. Soooo many of the recipes are naturally low carb.

[quotidianlight]

Re: Starchy Veggies versus non-starchy

I used to collect cook books and the thought of getting new... makes me sad. So I was going through them and you are totally right, most recipes are naturally low carb once you get away from traditional american cooking. My favorite cook book right now is Julia Child's The Way To Cook. The French had it right, all those sauces and veggies and cheese, and meat and eggs! I also have a very old provincial france cook book that super small and ratty and just amazing. I really don't see the need for a low carb book unless I wanted to make a dessert or something and even then t isn't too hard to alter a cheese cake I was just thinking... the custard you make when making lemon meringue pie from scratch and the meringue could be made without sugar and in one of those little white baking cups. I think I'll give it a go once I find a good sweetener than doesn't bug me.