Needing some change in texture

[leslie706]

I am rocking my Whole30, eight days in. I am feeling slightly better from the detox and blahs I experienced last week, save for the horrible allergies that I am struggling with right now. 

 

My only complaint right now is that I am struggling to introduce textures into my diet. I miss crunchy things. It seems that (aside from grilled meats) almost everything is mushy. Sauteed or steamed veggies, mashed sweet potato, eggs, even salad doesn't have a ton of texture for me. 

 

I'm not super keen on adding many nuts into my diet, as they can be a FWOB for me, so I'm looking for some suggestions.

 

Any tips? 

[Carlaccini]

Things I do for crunchy:

 

Make Kale Chips

Make Prosciutto "Chips" and crumble over salad.

Make Plantain "Home Fries" - See Melissa Joulwan's Plantain fries

"Bread" fish with a mix of seasoned almond flour and coconut flour and bake. Not really crispy - but gives it a different texture.

Raw Jicama cut into slices.

 

Have you ever roasted broccoli?  Seriously do that! Roasted veggies - tossed in fat, seasoned and thrown into an oven at 400 degrees gives veggies a completely different flavour profile.

[ladyshanny]

We struggled with "crunchy" at the beginning but as you go on it becomes less of an issue.  That "crunchy" that we are used to from chips, crackers etc is not anything that is typically replicated in nature outside of raw veggies and even that is different.  As you go on in your Whole30 and beyond and you feed yourself the stuff that humans are biologically meant to consume, that need for "crunch" goes away, somewhat.....or rather, is mitigated enough that something like a good crispy coleslaw would do the trick.

 

Also, if you are really struggling with needing that "bite" in food, consider getting your iron checked.  Really needing to crunch (things like ice or even gravel/chalk) is a sign of iron deficiency.   

[ShannonM816]

Definitely roast your vegetables! Broccoli roasted til it's almost burnt on the edges is amazing. Green plantains, sliced thin, coated in oil, with some salt, pepper, and garlic powder, baked at 425 degrees till they're brown would be an excellent crispy side to a taco salad -- but when I do this, I buy one plantain (if you're cooking for a family you may need more, but the point is, one meal's worth) and cook it, otherwise I'd eat plantains every day, which would be less than optimal. Bacon is probably not something to have all the time, but if you can find some compliant, cook it crispy, and either just eat it alongside your food, or crumble it up over vegetables or salads.

 

What are you putting in your salads? I like to add celery and jicama and radishes for crunch, in addition to carrots, broccoli slaw, tomatoes, cucumber, and whatever leafy greens I'm using. 

 

I know you said not nuts, but if you have a bulk buy section in your store and got just a few at a time, you could buy just enough for a meal or two during the week. I love these green beans with almonds and coconut -- there's not a ton of almonds in it, but just enough to be a little crunchy. Plus, you can leave the green beans as crunchy as you prefer.

[MeadowLily]

We struggled with "crunchy" at the beginning but as you go on it becomes less of an issue.  That "crunchy" that we are used to from chips, crackers etc is not anything that is typically replicated in nature outside of raw veggies and even that is different.  As you go on in your Whole30 and beyond and you feed yourself the stuff that humans are biologically meant to consume, that need for "crunch" goes away, somewhat.....or rather, is mitigated enough that something like a good crispy coleslaw would do the trick.

 

Also, if you are really struggling with needing that "bite" in food, consider getting your iron checked.  Really needing to crunch (things like ice or even gravel/chalk) is a sign of iron deficiency.   

Spot on.  All through childhood, my coz crunched ice cubes, ate dirt, crunched rock salt and even bit salt off the salt lick used for animals...not only did she have an iron deficiency but a lifelong potassium deficiency as well.   It's with her to this day.  Several heart surgeries and always trying to get those levels where they should be.  If we'd only known while she was eating all of those mudpies...with carrots thrown in from the garden.    

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Another vote for raw veggies (crunchier than nuts, IMO), if you can handle them from a digestive standpoint (nuts are also hard to digest).

 

And I LOVE roasted broccoli.  Mmmmm....Sauteeing or baking kale in oil until it's crispy is also DELICIOUS.

 

Cheers,

 

-Lauren (GGG)

[butternutsquash]

Plantain chips (in moderation) are very satisfying for this as well! Trader joes sells a bag for 1.99. There are also many recipes online.

[ladyshanny]

Plantain chips (in moderation) are very satisfying for this as well! Trader joes sells a bag for 1.99. There are also many recipes online.

Chips of any sort that are commercially prepared are non compliant.

 

Chips: Not if they’re commercially prepared or deep fried

While we recognize that potatoes are a real food, we also know that eating them in the form of fries and chips has turned them from “produce” into an adulterated commercial “product.” It’s easy to find sweet potato, beet, or vegetable chips that meet the Whole30 ingredient standards. It is not easy, however, to consume those chips in a way that’s true to the spirit of the Whole30. It’s hard to find a suitable place for them in our meal planning template (no, half a bag of “Sweets and Beets” is not an appropriate way to fill your plate with vegetables), and even harder to stop yourself from eating them when the designated serving comes to an end. For most of us, chips are a bonafide food-with-no-brakes, and fall into that deep, dark area of less-healthy foods with technically compliant ingredients. For that reason we do not allow frying starchy veggies and turning them into chips during your Whole30. (However, if you want to roast some kale until it’s crispy, or thinly slice jicama into a scoop for your guacamole, be our guest.)

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/#sthash.pwklK0Zs.dpuf

[ultrarunnergirl]

I definitely missed the couch at the beginning of this journey. Along the way I realized things with crunch are almost always Food with No Brakes. I enjoy nuts used like a condiment -- atop Velvety Butternut Squash from Well Fed, toasted, chopped and tossed with pan fried Brussels sprouts and garlic slices, or in Cauli-rice with some chopped fruit. Also, I often enjoy slicing delicate squash thin, tossing with coconut oil and roasting.

[Hannlib]

I had coleslaw tonight, that's pretty crunchy.

I do know what you mean though.