Ah, yes, mashed cauliflower! Boil until soft, make sure it's ALL the way dry, then mash just like mashed potatoes I usually add a tbsp of Smart Balance butter spread (5cal/tbsp...another substitution I like, hehe). It's yummy with garlic and herbs like mashed potatoes. I've recently discovered feta and dill in it which is also yummy. Signigificantly less calories than mashed potatoes, but it hits the spot for me!

I use eggplant for various things. I find that it can stand in as a noodle (like eggplant lasagna) as well as a meat (like eggplant parmesan). It has a hearty meaty texture and sponges up whatever flavors it's being cooked with.

Also, popcorn, the love of my life. I owe some of my weight loss/maintenance success to popcorn just because it ALWAYS satisfies my desire to mindlessly munch large volumes of food while staying within my calories. I've had a humongo bowl of popcorn nearly every night since I was about 160lbs, lol. I'm not sure what it substitutes for. Chips, maybe? Basically anything that would be munched handful after handful? The way I make it, it tastes quite similar to Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I air pop it, and as it's spewing out of my air popper, I spritz it with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray. Then I sprinkle it with some cinnamon, a few packets of sweetener, and a dash of salt. Then shake to make sure it's evenly coated. It's heavenly.

FYI, they are both very processed (obviously, lol) and I think you said you're a clean eater.

Anyway, I'm exactly the same when it comes to ice cream, but I'm not a fan all together. I sometimes buy that 5 ice cream for my daughter since it's the most natural I've seen without making my own.

I am a huge fan of finely diced cauliflower as a substitute for white rice.

I dice up a whole head of the stuff and put it in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Then, when I want a bowl of chili, I scoop a cup of cauliflower out, put a cup of chili on top, and I am good to go!

I do the cauliflower as rice or mashed potatoes.. I love that and so does my husband! I'm not a fan of much fake stuff right now.. maybe as I go along I will get more used to it but I can't stand sugar substitutes so instead of using them I will just skip the sugar in stuff. I just don't like the aftertaste it leaves. If anyone knows a good sugar substitute that doesn't have that aftertaste please let me know!

Emme: too funny!

I use coconut milk for protein shakes. It has 50 cals/cup.

FYI, Skinny Cow Ice cream sandwiches are on cupon at Costco right now! I am going to stock up.

I just found pop chips too, love them! Cheddar was great. I am also a fan of the 100 calorie pack of Kettle corn (micro). Yum.

I've never tried the cauliflower potato/rice substiute. I think I'll make it a (gulp) goal to try it this weekend. I'll have to figure out how to make it. I am not a brave soul in food testing. I am uber picky and so are my kids.

I do love the laughing cow garlic/herb cheese on wheat thins or pretzel crisps!

I just found my ice cream maker so I am going to attempt to make some home made ice cream.

I like Luna Protien bars (Peanut Butter or Almond Cherry) as my afternoon snack. It has 12 grams of protein and mostly organic ingrediants. I have also switched to almond milk and egg whites. I love making black bean burgers with sweet potato fries instead of beef burgers and regular fries.

This is a great thread! Where do you find PB2 at? I would love to eat some peanut butter again!

I have only seen it available online. It's available at Linda's Diet Delites, Amazon and the manufacturer's website.

Yep, after my first order I went ahead and ordered in bulk to save on shipping. Getting 4 from Linda's DD is the same price as the manufacturer (Bell Plantation) but shipping is cheaper from Linda's.

I'm going to have to try using cauliflower as a rice sub. I tried using it to replace mashed potatoes a while back and didn't enjoy that. I like cauliflower though.

I love my POwer Crunch protein bars. They really make my sweet tooth happy and I get that extra protein.