by VeggieSue » Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:57 am
It depends on the recipe, really. If it's a meal that's only rice and beans with spices, then you have to add veggies.
If it's a veggie-heavy soup or stew, then no, the veggies and starch are already there, so no need to add any unless you want to. In fact, a lot of people serve those soups and stews over another starch, like rice or potatoes. Remember, this is a starch based meal program.
Don't sweat the small stuff. As long as you avoid the higher fat and processed foods, like tofu and flour products, and keep your fruit down to no more than 2 a day, you'll be fine, especially when first beginning. Don't worry so much about proportions until you've been doing this for a while, at least a month. Start with your plate approximately 75% starch and 25% veg. If you see you're not losing weight as fast as you want, increase the veg and decrease the starch a bit until you do. This is supposed to be easy, not nerve-wracking!