Looking for Crunch

[dbreiden]

I'm on Day 11, and I'm getting cravings for something crunchy. And not crunchy like celery -- wrong kind of crunch. I mean crunchy like crackers. Crunchy like chips. Crunchy like popcorn. I know I need to power through the craving for right now, but are there any ideas out there for compliant products or recipes that have that satisfying grainy crunch -- but with no grain.

[jmcbn]

This seems to be quite a common one.

Here are a couple of past discussions on the matter:

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/27356-food-textures-missing-the-crunch/

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/15301-crunchies/

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/15306-looking-for-crunch/

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/5271-crunchy-craving-suggestions/

The easiest way to search the forum to see if a topic has been discussed is via Google. Type 'Whole30' + 'your topic of choice' and if it's been discussed before you should get a series of links....

Hope this helps.

[MeadowLily]

I'm on Day 11, and I'm getting cravings for something crunchy. And not crunchy like celery -- wrong kind of crunch. I mean crunchy like crackers. Crunchy like chips. Crunchy like popcorn. I know I need to power through the craving for right now, but are there any ideas out there for compliant products or recipes that have that satisfying grainy crunch -- but with no grain.

DB...you're in the danger zone.    You're at the point where your creative juices are flowing and this is knocking up against what some fall into....where the gears grind and SWYPO's are born.   You know what those are.   A SWIPE'O SWYPO.   A swapped out version of the former fave.   

 

So you need a redirect.   You want something crunchy....so don't accommodate that at all.   Eat a protein and a fat.  That's the antidote for cravings and you won't have to gut it out.  If you'll reach for those two luscious items every single time you have a craving - that Sugar Carb Dragon is going to wither up and pass out.  That's what you want.

 

Find a steak, roasted vege with compliant fat.   Eat a great grilled burger or salmon.   Make a lemony balsamic reduction to drizzle over everything but don't even think about those crunchy things.   They are his-tor-eeeee....for 30 days, anyway.

[Munkers]

Whatever you choose to eat, I would encourage you to avoid any kind of hand-to-mouth snacking. Adding sunflower seeds to the top of a salad or cup of soup--awesome and yummy. Grabbing sunflower seeds from the bag and tossing them back--you're backsliding into habits that are going to get in the way of seeing results at the end of your 30 days.

 

Lately, my husband has been making frizzled broccoli for us. Chop broccoli into bite size pieces, coat in fat, and roast in a 400 degree oven until the florets are darkened and crisp at the edges. They remind me quite a bit of kale chips in terms of texture. One of the links that jmcbn posted above has a post where I recommend the pan-fried sardines from Well Fed 2. That's still pretty high on my list of quick and yummy meals.

[ultrarunnergirl]

Try some crunchy things tossed atop your salad. Toasted nuts for example.

 

I like to top my spaghetti squash casserole with fried rutabaga shreds. Basic recipe:

Roasted spaghetti squash, cooked sausage or other meat, some sauteed onion, some cooked greens, a couple of eggs, 1/2 - 1 can of coconut milk, salt, spices like curry powder or another flavor choice, mix all together then grease a wide baking dish and put it all in there. Shred and fry up a rutabaga, then top your casserole with that. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 400 depending on the depth of your dish, but check it and before it is quite done, broil a few minutes so the rutabaga on top gets slightly crispy. This would also work with sweet potato shreds.