Want to lose weight fast and get a smaller waistline? Are you tired of tracking your daily macros and calories? If so, cut starches from your diet. Use cauliflower instead of rice, swap your burrito for a burrito bowl, and replace potatoes with leafy green vegetables. Even though some starches are healthy and nutritious, it doesn’t mean they support weight loss. When consumed in large amounts, starch may cause insulin resistance, obesity, inflammation, and diabetes.
Here are three easy ways to eliminate or reduce starches from your diet:
Replace Starches with Cauliflower
This cruciferous veggie can replace potatoes, rice, bulgur wheat, and grains in most recipes. You can use it for making pizza crust, mashed “potatoes,” chips, rolls, tabbouleh, mac and cheese noodles, risotto, fritters and other mouthwatering dishes. This is a simple yet effective way to cut back on gluten and eat fewer calories.
Load Up on Veggies
Serve poultry, steak, or game meat with vegetables instead of starches. Make a big bowl of salad, grilled zucchini, or steamed broccoli. You can even stir-fry tomatoes and Brussels sprouts, and top them with basil for extra flavor.
Replace noodles and spaghetti with zucchini pasta, cook spaghetti squash, and snack on kale or parsnip chips instead of potato chips. Vegetables are much healthier and lower in calories than starches, so include them in your diet. Greens can replace almost everything, from pasta to taco shells and tortilla wraps.
Find Starch-Free Substitutes
Nowadays, most stores are offering paleo-friendly foods and snacks. Starches are not allowed on the paleo diet. Even if you’re not a paleo fan, you can use the cooking tips and recipes promoted by its followers. When shopping for starch-free foods, fill your cart with paleo-approved pasta, bread, cake mixes, tortillas, and crackers. This way you can be sure there are no starches in your meals.
