So i'm absolutely bored out of my mind with vegetables. I've run out of ideas as to how to make them exciting. I can't even look at salad anymore. Anyone have any suggestions? Also, how are turnips allowed? They have a bunch of carbs???

What vegetables are you allowed? I ask because I am still really restricted. I don't get ANY root veggies and non of the occasional. (don't tell but I sneak in 1/4 c total a week anyway) I can't stand it otherwise and, after 5 months, find I am staying in ketosis just fine!

So, for veggies! Depending on what you can have and what you like options are:

Pan tossed/roasted brussel sprouts
kale chips
zucchini chips
turnip chips
turnip fies
turnip faux potatoes
stir fry style spinach and garlic
southern style greens (collards, kale, mustard, turnip)
edamame (soy beans - the black soy beans are great and a low substitute for black beans)
pan tossed mixed peppers, onion, and sausage. This is a really fast cooking dish because you don't want to many sugars from the pepper and onion but you want the pepper cooked.
roasted asparagus
summer squash toss
fennel salad
spinach salads
broccoli cauliflower bake
rhubarb stew (like a dessert)
rhubarb jello
sugarfree rhubarb jam
crepes with vanilla pudding and rhubarb filling
steamed mushrooms
seafood stuffed mushrooms
stuffed zucchini
stuffed cabbage
stuffed peppers
broccoli slaw (no carrots. use broccoli, red cabbage, radish shreds, rutabaga shredds)
rutabaga potatoes
rutabaga hash brown bake
tomato and zucchini salad
homemade vegetable stock with veggies soup
cauliflower puree soup
broccoli puree soup
grilled veggies
veggie stew... use okra in the stew at the end. the okra gets a little gelatinous and replaces the "starchy factor" to thicken the liquid
roasted beet greens
green bean and mushroom bake
vegetarin lettuce wraps
vegetarian lettuce rollups
veggie omelettes
spinach/mushroom crepes
asparagus crepes
stuffed celery sticks: use egg, seafood, cooked ground meat, wf peanut butter or french onion dip
stir fry style celery
boiled cabbage
roasted cabbage
low carb cauliflower rice or cauliflower couscous
cucumber red onion salad
braised bok choy


veggie lasagna: sort of.... use layers of zucchini, asparagus, eggplant, peppers, yellow squash, and cauliflower between layers put ground meat mixture. you can use the WF marinara as a sauce or just drizzle with olive oil, garlic, and lemon mixture, use italian seasonings. You can find a low fat soy cheese, in mozzarella flavor or provolone, use that if you're allowed ( veggie shreds is good if my memory is right) make a small pan and cut into appropriate serving sizes. If you are allowed the spaghetti packets, you could probably layer that as the sauce/meat mixture between the veggie layer.


there are a few ideas. I am sure you will get a few more!

Carla,


Thank you so much for that list. I am on day 7 and was hoping for some ideas this morning and low and behold...they appeared. You are having good results....are subbing the IP products with any others? I tried the Lindora bars and they are YUMMY but have very little fiber.

Again thank you for your great posts...you are appreciated uphere in Cottonwood, AZ by a newbie!

Pam

Hey Pam! Glad to know you enjoyed the list. Let me know if you need any recipes or just search the "idea" on google and you should find options. I do a lot of recipe adapting to make vegan/diabetic/low carb/raw/gluten free/vegetarian/Paleo diet recipes work for IP.

No! I WISH! I haven't subbed any other products. I feel guilty having my milk, veggies (brussel sprouts, green beans, colored peppers, egg plant, onion, tomatoes, rutabaga, turnip, root veggies in general are all still on my "no-no" list. I use them if it keeps me from a cheat.) The closest I get to a cheat is adding extra oil to my diet. My best weight loss weeks were where I had more fat and at red meat or fatty fish. SO, I try to keep those in my diet.

Good luck with this! Nice to have another Arizonan in the group!

Just discovered rhubarb. It tastes so good i feel like i'm cheating!!!

showgirlaz:Do you have recipes for these? I saw them in one of your posts.

stuffed cabbage
cauliflower puree soup
broccoli puree soup

I looked up carbs for red peppers versus green and there seems to be little difference that I could see. I have only been on IDP for a little less than 2 weeks and am wondering if eating the occasional veggies more than twice a week could make that much of a difference ? I have not "cheated" so far and eating a lot of veggies is what is helping me stick to the plan. Any advice appreciated.

How did you make it? I've only had it once, and that was in a strawberry rhubarb jam a million years ago... I'm not exactly a veggie lover and I would love to try something new, since I can't seem to make celery not have a bitter aftertaste, and broccoli is so high on the carb list.

Any one know if we can eat artichokes? They used to be one of my favorites but are not on my list the coach gave me.

That is so funny because I just looked into this today. I ate them last week in a chicken piccata type dish I ordered in a restaurant. I probably ate 5 artichoke quarters. I thought they were an occasional veggie. Well, they aren't. Not supposed to have them. I stayed in ketosis eating them. And when I looked into the carb content there seems to be different info. I had a hard time finding the same info from site to site. So, kind of a mystery.

bumping the thread ... because I need veggie inspiration, and maybe others do too!

Rhubarb! It is so delish! I found frozen chopped rhubarb at the grocery store. I put 1c of frozen rhubarb and 1T. water in a pyrex dish. I put it in the microwave and heat-stirring every 2 min. My favorite thing was to put 2T of WF strawberry syrup over that. I have also used DaVinci sugar free syrups too. It is good and sooooo doesn't seem like a veggie.

Today, I made Carla's zucchini chips! They were delicious!!
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/idea...cipes-2-a.html Post #18 in that thread.

My favorite is cauliflower mash. When I served those, my husband saw my plate and said, "Hey, how are you eating these potatoes??" I just grinned and said that I could because it is cauliflower.

I also have used celery with WF Peanut Spread. It's not too bad if you don't expect it to taste like peanut butter-but more "inspired" by peanut butter.

Keep trying new things. You'll come up with some things you like. After reading this thread, I may just have to try turnips!!

My current favorite is zucchini, yellow squash & mushrooms with light soy sauce, salt and stir-fried in some EVOO. YUMMY!! I will probably get burned out on this soon, too, so I need to try others. But until then, it is awesome! Almost like going to my favorite japenese steakhouse!! I just need to add some meat and some califlower 'fried' rice and I'll be set!! :-)

Could someone explain how you make the mashed cauliflower?

I don't know the actual official recipe...but, here's what I do:

Take a head (or a little more) of cauliflower, steam it (or boil). Forever, or until it nearly falls apart with the fork touching it.
I toss in a few cloves of garlic and let it steam with the cauliflower.
Get rid of as much of the water as possible, mash.
Salt, garlic powder, (or mrs. dash), olive oil until it looks like mashed potatoes.