Beginner - Some questions

[Marie-Luise]

Hi there,

after reading The Starch Solution some weeks ago I finally decided to jump in at the deep end and simply start yesterday. Full of zest for action I checked some of the recipes and realized I was missing some ingredients of almost every recipe I pick out. It was very frustrating because the house is full of food but apparenly of the wrong foods. So my questions are

Are there some kind of basics you should always have at your house?
I don't spare the effort to cook but I was looking for some easier recipes (i.e. less ingredients) for my picky boy. Can you recommend some dishes that are well accepted by younger ones?
I don't have regular eating habits or meal times for my own. On some days I eat nothing until the evening because I want to lose weight and on other days I cannot stop eating because I gave up once again. I know I have to break this cycle. So from your own experience, what do you think is more important in the beginning? Starting over with regular meals or concentrating on getting the best out of the meal I have?

[jan_npr]

Hi,

Hopefully many others will jump in here to help you out. I attended the 10 day live in program last year. It takes a little while to get the hang of navigating the wealth of information that is here so don't give up. What a gift you are giving your son. If you can be firm in the foods you keep in your environment, he will eventually adapt. They are the best foods for you and also the best foods for him. I sure wish I had this info when my kids were small.

I learned the hard way that not eating when I am hungry is just a set up to binge, and often on the wrong foods. So don't deny your hungry. Google Dr. Lisle's video on losing weight (Losing Weight without losing your mind). As a volume eater, I prefer three meals a day with a snack or two of fruit but you'll probably need to figure that out for yourself. I'm no expert. I find once I start eating I can eat too much so I prefer to give myself a break between meals. An apple and tea mid-afternoon really helps me get to suppertime.

Your stocked pantry is THE most important thing. I figured that this was the very best time to get mine in order so all of the non-compliant foods have been boxed up and put out of sight. I'm doing Maximum Weight Loss which is more strict.

I always have on had in my fridge: cooked food (starches and veggies), salad ingredients, my favourite condiments, a variety of fruits and vegetables and cooked oatmeal to make breakfast quicker, loads of vegetables.

My freezer is always stocked with: frozen non-starchy vegetables (for when I"m out of fresh ones, frozen leftovers, frozen beans, and fat-free potatoes if I can find them. OH and frozen fruit.

My cupboards always have a variety of canned tomato products (sauce, paste, diced, crushed, etc) , broth, spices, canned beans, salsa, backup condiments, canned vegetables (not many).

You are smart to be thinking about your stocked kitchen because that is so important.

Here's a link on this: https://www.drmcdougall.com/wp/wp-conte ... itchen.pdf

There is a great mobile app for mcdougall recipes. I love it. But so many recipes online. Two you tubers with young families that adapted to the food include Plantiful Kiki and Nini Girl.

Oops gotta run but hope this helps even a little bit.

Good luck!!!!

[jan_npr]

oh and my most important thing for a stocked pantry is potatoes. Lots of potatoes!

[Grammy Ginger]

I remember being excited to try a lot of new things or recreate old favorites. Often this led to disappointment. Sometimes, I still try new recipes but really like to keep things simple. The more non-starchy veggies you add the easier it is to lose weight and keep it off.

1. Even before I began eating this way, I cooked a pot of beans every week. I learned this from my mom, who learned it from her mom, who learned it from her mom. From my pot of beans, I make tostadas, beans and rice, chili over potatoes or sweet potatoes, curries, un-refritos/bean dip/hummus, and bean burgers with un-fries which I eat over or with salad and cooked veggies topped with salsa or other sauce. Of course, you can achieve the same results with canned beans. There are tons of ways to cook a pound of beans and a zillion different varieties. Start with something that is familiar. I like pinto beans, because that is what I grew up eating at home and in Mexican restaurants in Phoenix. Choose what is familiar. There are dozens of ways to cook beans. Mary McDougall dumps a pound in a slow cooker with a chopped onion and cooks it all day before adding seasonings. I do likewise but add a couple of bay leaves and soak them overnight first.

2. I try to always have corn tortillas, potatoes, and/or brown rice in my fridge for my bean meals. I also have begun to make whole wheat bread again and usually have some on hand.

3. Every morning I eat oatmeal with fruit, because it is one less thing to think about. Put 1/2 c rolled oats in a bowl with 1 c water. Nuke for 3 minutes or cook on the stove for 6. Top with fruit. As sort of a game I play with myself, I race to empty the dishwasher every morning while my oats cook. Amazingly, it only takes 3 minutes to empty a dishwasher.

4. I drink lots of water sometimes with lemon--sometimes in winter, it's hot water with lemon.

5. I eat fruit for dessert or make nice kream from frozen fruit.

Today, I've eaten...

B-Oats with applesauce and cinnamon with a slice of homemade whole wheat bread and a quart of water to drink.

L-Un-refritos, brown rice, lettuce, roasted green chilies, steamed beet greens and steamed beets (all veggies are from my garden right now), canned corn, and salsa--with a quart of water to drink

D-will probably be a big old salad of lettuce and tomatoes from my garden dressed with balsamic vinegar and mustard and whole-grain spaghetti with cauliflower tomato kream sauce and garbanzo beans (the beans are from some I previously froze.) Plus, I'll make pineapple/cherry nice cream---but if I'm particularly lazy it will be a repeat of lunch. Oh, and a quart of water to drink

I hope this helps. In my kitchen, you will always find, beans, rice, oats, wheat, masa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, non-starchy veggies (in the garden, fridge, or freezer), fruit (in the garden, fridge, or freezer), applesauce, oat milk, no-salt veggie broth, lemon juice, balsamic and other vinegars, mustard, salsa, canned green beans, canned corn, yeast, baking soda, baking powder, many different herbs, and spices. BTW-during the COVID quarantine, I've only been to the store 2 or 3 times for bananas and frozen fruit. I didn't really even need to go then.

[Plumerias]

Welcome!

Here are a few older threads discussing stocking the kitchen:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37525&hilit=pantry+staples
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=32980
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=54243&p=552020&hilit=pantry+staples#p552020

BTW, I found them simply by putting "pantry staples" into the search box. I know there are lots more, so when you've time, go take a look.

The basics you should always have at YOUR house are the ones YOU (and yours) will eat.

Please learn how to provide for yourself (and yours). Realize that you are worth the effort, and make that effort.

For simple recipes, go to the Food and Recipes section. The first two topics, always at the top of the list, are recipes from newsletters here. The next two, again, always there, are simple recipes that use few ingredients.

For your younger ones, go looking in the Family and Children section. Many members here have little ones.

While it is not necessary to eat on a regimented schedule, it is unwise to skip meals because you think it will help you lose weight. It will not. What it is likely to do is to do is contribute to binging and making poor choices because you're overly hungry.

There is an incredible wealth of information in Jeff Novick's section. Two wonderful examples that may be of immediate use to you:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=7168
viewtopic.php?t=10519

It is not necessary to convert to this way of eating all at once. My husband and I are among those who did so gradually. After all, we had to learn how to cook a completely different way, and that took time. We had to find what worked best for us, and that took time, and continues to evolve. We can both cook and both like to cook, which is, if you think about it, really handy, especially right now!

There is a saying that goes around here...... Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. So, after you've read a bunch of stuff here and absorbed it, figure out how to stock things in your kitchen. Get the junk foods out of the house. Can't eat them if they're not in the cupboard, now can you?!

Good luck.

[michaelswarm]

I don't spare the effort to cook but I was looking for some easier recipes (i.e. less ingredients) for my picky boy. Can you recommend some dishes that are well accepted by younger ones?

How old is your boy, and what does he enjoy now?
My kids are 4, 5 and 7. They too prefer simple dishes. They will eat just french fries and ketchup for dinner. Or rice and lentils. Or a bowl of beans. They are not big fans of vegetable side or salads, and I don't push those, though I do make them for myself. Do what works right for your ethnicity and cultural backgrounds.

Here are some ideas.
Breakfast: applesauce sweetened oats with fruit, toast, or banana oat pancakes
Lunch: bean tacos, fruit salad, bread, tomato soup
Dinner: pasta, pizza, bean tacos, french fries and ketchup

Above are all whole grain, no cheese, baked not fried, no oil, low salt, etc.

[Marie-Luise]

According to the lists and other threads it seems I am already well prepared. Unfortunately, it's not perfect. That means I do have such things as canned beans, tomato sauces, salsas, instant broth but they are not all SOS free. I have white rice instant of brown rice, or regular wheat pasta instead of whole wheat pasta. Unfortunately we are talking here about quantities I can't just throw away because they will last for the next 2 or 3 months. I think I will use them anyway and be more aware with future purchases. And of course there are also things like frozen vegetables, frozen herbs, fresh vegetables and fruits and dried beans. So it's not perfect but it could be worse.

My son is 5 years old.
He likes plain pasta, potatos and rice. No sauce. Never. He eats broccoli, beans, spinach, peas, apple, cucumber, kiwi fruit - the keyword here is green. As long as it is green he will eat or also drink it. (I own a juicer and sometimes I put other fruits or vegetables in there together with spinach ) Some other colored fruits like blueberries, bananas and watermelon are accepted as well. He also eats plain whole wheat bread. This kid never ate dairy products or meat. He even dislikes most candies. I can imagine your face while you are reading this. Why the hell is she complaining? The past 3,5 years have been very difficult for us because we were blamed by doctors, family, friends or other parents. Everybody told us this is will affect his health and then it's our fault. My son has never been sick so far. He had one infection with fever and one cold in the past 5 years. While we were happy about this the doctor told us it's necessary to get sick from time to time to establish a good immune system. At the same time he told us our son will probably get really sick when he is older. I still don't know how to think about that. After reading The Starch Solution I feel rather sorry that I tried so hard to make our son eat unhealthy things.

Can I add a question?
I cooked the Mexican Chili from the recipe section here yesterday. It tasted amazing but also was very filling! I wasn't even hungry in the evening! The quantity was described as 4 servings so I just cooked the half. But in the end I still had much food. I was able to eat two servings and also have leftovers for two servings today. So I guess my serving was too small? Plantbased foods are very low in calories. Together with my breakfast I reached approximated 900 cals which seems very low. And of course in the middle of the night I woke up, because I was hungry. How can I avoid such situations without really tracking my foods?

[Grammy Ginger]

I've been thinking a lot about this post. When I cook for my grandkids, they love my mac and cheese. The sauce base is pureed cauliflower, so everyone gets a serving of veggies at the same time. Brown rice pasta tastes like white pasta. Just boil a bag of frozen or small head of fresh cauliflower with an onion, a clove of garlic, a little carrot or sweet potato or butternut squash for color, a pinch of Italian herbs, and a few red pepper flakes until it is all very soft. Puree it in the blender with 1/4-1/2 c nutritional yeast and 1 t-T lemon juice. I don't salt it, but you can add salt or white miso to taste if you desire. Mix this in with cooked brown rice elbow noodles. My 13-year-old granddaughter, the designated cook in her house, loves this so much that she asked for the recipe recently. These grands aren't plant-based, so this seems to be a testament for the dish. They also liked watching the cooking part of Jeff Novick's Fast Food Basics #1 video and cooking the recipes the summer that they lived with me (6 & 9 at the time.)

Yes, plant-based foods are low in calories. You will eventually adjust to eating more substantial amounts of food and not wake up hungry. But if you get hungry, eat more starches.

If it were me on my old tight budget, I would not throw out the more refined white rice and pasta either. As you say, make better purchases in the future. However, I would throw out health robbing flesh, dairy, eggs, and oil.

Don't talk to unsupportive people about what you do in your home; you're the boss of your life and your child at this point. Doctors mean well, but they have little to no education with nutrition or lifestyle medicine. A doctor who cannot applaud a child's high intake of fruits and vegetables is merely uneducated or rather dis-educated, exposed to incorrect nutritional propaganda probably since elementary school. You may want to find a plant-based lifestyle medicine doctor. Family members are notorious for fighting any changes to food culture. Just do what you do because you've read the research and want the best for your child. He won't get sick in the future. He doesn't get sick from the things he is exposed to now because he has a superior immune system, not the opposite. Immunity requires exposure, not suffering--correct me if I'm wrong on this. I've faced this cultural backlash from friends, family, and doctors since age 16 when I became vegetarian (most of the time). I began WFPB about 12 years ago, and people became even ruder about it. I didn't challenge their food culture, but some sure liked to challenge mine. I pretty much just keep quiet and do my own thing. Arguing never converted anyone to anything. Let them see the fruits of your choice. They won't be able to argue with your or your child's glowing skin, trim and strong body, energy level, or superior health. Ya, you'll still get stuff but not as much. Stay positive and laugh off their remarks. Don't engage. I say to myself, "Eat like that. Look like that. Suffer like that. Die like that." Good luck!

[Marie-Luise]

The recipe sounds great! I will try it (have to buy nutritional yeast before). Thank you.

And you are right. I think it's wise not to shout it from the housetops. People sometimes feel easily offended when you do something different. During my pregnancy I did not tolerate meat, then eggs, then milk. I just couldn't stand the smell anymore. And that's the reason why I am still blamed for my boy's way of eating.

[Mom+Me]

Marie-Luise,

Welcome to the Discussion Board and congratulations on all the great work you've already done and your commitment to improving even more by following Dr. McDougall's sage advice!

You mentioned that all the food you currently have in your home is not SOS-free. While salt and sugar in excess are not healthy nor recommended, Dr. McDougall does not eschew the use of them on the surfaces of your food or in things such as condiments. Oil is a different story; Dr. McDougall does not recommend any oil.

Unless you keep your son completely isolated (I know things have been different now with the pandemic), your son most likely hasn't really gotten sick because his immune system is strong from all the good, healthy food you've provided him. To help encourage your following the McDougall Plan for you and your son, here are some links that could help you: https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2012nl/sep/children

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educ ... -families/

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educ ... -children/

I'm glad you tried, enjoyed, and became satiated by the Mexican Chili! If I were you I would not measure my food. Eat until you're full (not stuffed). Rather make larger quantities and have left-overs than to have to limit your portions. It sounds as though you only had breakfast and then the chili for dinner. You can always see what your body is telling you to do down the road, but for now I would, at a minimum, eat 3 meals a day. The foods are very satiating but after a few days or a week of maybe only having 2 meals a day or not enough starches, you are going to find yourself getting hungry and possibly eating things you shouldn't and/or binging, as you mentioned previously. So load up on the healthy starches and your caloric needs will be met.

[deweyswakms]

arents. Everybody told us this is will affect his health and then it's our fault.

Mexican Chili So I guess my serving was too small? Plantbased foods are very low in calories. Together with my breakfast I reached approximated 900 cals which seems very low. And of course in the middle of the night I woke up, because I was hungry. How can I avoid such situations without really tracking my foods?

Welcome to the healthy and safe way of eating! You have gotten good advice and recommendations. I am SO SORRY that you were on the end of the food shaming thing. Most of us have encountered it when we tell people we just eat plants. Most people don't know what that means; it's shocking to them to hear 'you don't eat meat? what about bacon? what about protein?''. What I say when somebody asks me questions: I get my protein just like the elephants, gorillas, cows etc - from plants! (people will say, oh I never thought of that).

Right now you are in the 'reeducation' phase; relearning what foods we need and how to prepare them. Learning what works for your body too. I started by just veganizing the usual foods I was eating. For instance, great veggie chili can be made just as you probably used to make it; just leave out the meat and cheese. It is good served over potatoes, brown rice, even spaghetti.

Explore the Education tab here for lots of good information and recipes. Get a couple of good cookbooks (McDougall's is great).

And just eat till you are full; don't worry about counting calories. Find the MWL guidelines on this site and follow them. Your son is eating good! I try to stop eating a couple of hours before bedtime, and last night I had oatmeal for dinner! easy, fast, filling.

Good luck! Marsha

[Dougalling]

Welcome,

Please don't complicate things. You already know how to cook. Take your favourite recipes and replace the meat with beans or lentils. Make soups, stews, stir fries, casseroles, sandwiches/wraps, pastas, rice n beans, dips, dressings, sauces. Do an online search on "vegan replacement" for eggs replacements, oil replacement, etc.

Read Dr McDougall's Color Picture Book (it's in the board index)

Most of all, enjoy the journey.

[viajera919]

If it is new and exciting for you to try recipes and you have the means to buy new ingredients, go for it! I did that in the start, too! Ten years later I just had rice, steamed cauli, broccoli, corn and carrots with ume plum vinegar for lunch. My two sons ate the same thing (plain). My husband just had rice and chickpeas with sweet chili garlic and no cheese sauces. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just eat starch and veg with your choice of condiment.

[Marie-Luise]

Right now you are in the 'reeducation' phase; relearning what foods we need and how to prepare them. Learning what works for your body too.

I feel a little overwhelmed by all the facts I already found out.
I'm somewhere between "Oh, really? I didn't know that." and "WHAT? How can they still recommend things which are bad for us?". It's all informative but also shocking. Not just the facts and studies, also the ingredient lists of some items I have at home. I am still wondering WHY some items which are labeled as "healthy" contain so many things which are provably bad for anyones health. And then you find so many articles about the paradoxial behaviour of some people. Example: Since covid-19 everybody here has an eye on the slaughtering business. They discuss the working conditions, hygiene standards and of course how animals are brought there. You read things like "animals deserve better" while they discuss "appropriate ways of killing" at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I won't start a debate here but in these moments I feel like "Hey, am I the only one who thinks this is just insane?"

Unblemished truth seems to include everything. Good and positive aspects, but also cruel and unpleasant topics. I feel better for the choices I make now, but at the same time I feel so guilty for what is still going on.

[Marie-Luise]

I'd like to update some words on this post and thank you all again. Although my start was a bit bumpy and my food may not be 100% perfect (i.e. I still own wheat pasta, canned beans which are not all low in sodium and some tomato products which also include oil in my stock which I all will use up first) changing my way of eating was a huge success so far. Some of you already mentioned I should keep things easy and after watching Jeff Novick's Fast Food basics it finally sunk in. I can't even mention everything here but so many things got better in just that short period of time. I wonder what long-term benefits I will experience.