Go Low Starch!

As a diabetic and weight loss novice, I’ve learned I had to give up my starches. No, not talking about starch in my clothes, but my food.

Which foods have a lot of starch?

Grains (wheat, rice, barley, oats), potatoes, corn, and beans are all very starchy foods. Grains are made into bread, cereal and pasta, as well as crackers, biscuits, cookies, cakes, pie crust, and anything else made with flour.

 

That wasn’t as hard as I thought, giving up those foods. All I did was replace then with healthier versions. There are low-carb/starch breads out there. If you’re craving mashed potatoes? Try mashed cauliflour! It has a similar appearance and you can put any topping on it (low-fat, of course).

 

Surprises: One processed food that seems to be digested more slowly than would be guessed is pasta. Apparently the starch molecules are so tightly packed that only about half is rapidly digested when the pasta is cooked “al dente” (slightly firm). Cooking time and thickness of the pasta greatly affects how the glycemic it is.

 

Additionally, when some cooked starches, such as potatoes and rice, are cooked and cooled, a small percentage of the starch takes longer to digest.

 

I could not give up my pasta! I’ve found a low-carb pasta, and it’s readily availabe in most grocery stores. You just have to do a little investigating.

 

What Starches Should We Eat?

The best starchy foods are whole beans or lentils. The starch is mostly either slowly-digested starch or resistant starch.

When choosing grains, eat ones which are whole and intact when cooked, such as brown rice, barley, amaranth, or quinoa.

Avoid most baked goods or anything made with flour. Best choices are specially-made low carb breads which have less starch and more fiber.

Avoid processed cereals with little fiber. Best choices are cold cereals, such as All-Bran with Extra Fiber, are which are mostly fiber.