cooked veggie and fat struggles

[jlj80]

started the september whole 30 on sept 5. been totally compliant with foods, but not with meal template. this is my third whole 30 (and probably 5th or 6th attempt) so i know how to use avocados and olives, but i still dont get how people use the ghee and coconut oil and lard and all that. if you dont count the fat/oil left in the pan, then im just struggling with how to incorporate those types of fats. i actually dont really like ghee unfortunately (the smell does not agree with me) and i dont want everything to taste like coconut. i like the mayo, but am i supposed to be dipping meat and eggs in mayo? i was using a few spoonfuls of the Good Foods guacamole from Costco with eggs in the AM but this AM i used about half a container instead, trying to eyeball it to match half an avocado. 

ive definitely been getting hungry between meals and i know the lack of fat in combo with not enough veggies are the issue. so in the afternoon i find myself foraging for something to eat-carrots dipped in guac, a few epic bites (i know, not meant for everyday). for breakfast everyday i have a piece of a frittata i prep on the weekends that has a ton of veggies cut up into it, but i havent been adding then any additional veggies onto the plate. im assuming now that it is not enough veggies-i cant eat cooked greens or zucchini (the mushy texture gives me a major gag reflex)-but i do like broccoli, brussels sprouts, string beans, peppers, onions, spaghetti squash (btw does spaghetti squash count as carb dense veggie? hoping not). also, if i roast a giant pan of veggies with lots of olive oil, does that oil count as fat? some is on veggies, some stays in pan-so do i add more fat at the meal with that? i also prep turkey chili on the weekends-it has the crushed tomatoes and a couple of bell peppers and onions cooked into it. more veggies on the side when i have that? 

also open to any other cooked veggie suggestions than the ones i listed above-i need cooked veggies to have a somewhat crisper texture (except for carby veggies like potatoes and squash)-i just cant stomach the mushy texture, so i sometimes struggle with how to get enough cooked veggies (love salad, but i know you have to eat so much to make it filling). thinking i need to make a couple of giant trays of roasted brussels sprouts and broccoli with the rest of my food prep and just start piling it on at breakfast and lunch. 

thanks in advance, i spent a lot of time reading through forum posts before i wrote this but still want to make sure i am on the right track. i am also giving up nuts and dried fruit 100% after some run ins this week totally reinforced my major sugar addiction issues. i made a committment to give up sugar for 6 months starting on sept 5 and those salted almonds and dried figs/dates might as well be a a piece of cheesecake!! so hard. 

[laura_juggles]

Yes, dip things in mayo  I love dipping roasted broccoli in mayo that's been spiked with hot sauce. 

Basically, if you cooked with it, it doesn't count as fat for your meals and you can add some more. 

The fats in my meals tend to stay the same - coconut milk in my coffee in the morning (which I drink with breakfast), avocado/guac with lunch, and mayo at dinner. Sometimes ghee if I'm making baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes. 

Ever had roasted cauliflower? 

Definitely throw some trays of veg into the oven to roast so you have lots of veg on hand. If you see you're running low, you can put some more in the oven while you're eating dinner. 

[ShannonM816]

@laura_juggles has some good advice there. I just thought I'd throw out a couple of suggestions for the veggies,

I always though of cooked greens as slimy and icky, and then I sauteed some collard greens and realized they don't have to be cooked quite as long as many people cook them -- if you're feeling up to trying them again, try the Crisp & Sweet recipe here or for a different flavor, instead of step 4, add some balsamic vinegar a minute or so before removing them from the pan, maybe a tablespoon of it -- I don't measure, I just pour some in the pan and stir. 

For zucchini, it really doesn't have to be cooked at all, you can eat it raw, but done right, sauteed zucchini won't get mushy, they'll stay firm. This recipe is a good example of how to do it -- sub ghee for the butter, or just use olive oil or lard or whatever you'd normally cook in. And obviously, no parmesan during Whole30. This uses a mix of yellow squash and zucchini, but you can do all one or the other. If you're ever grilling your meal, that's a great way to cook zucchini too -- just cut it into spears (or if they're small, maybe just in half), coat in oil, season with salt and pepper, and put them straight on the grill -- they'll only take a minute or two each side if the flame is fairly high, you're just going for grill marks and warmed all the way through, not cooked til they're mushy.

 

[Tom Denham]

My favorite way to get fat in my meals is to stay with fatty cuts of meat or fish. Don't use turkey, use ground beef that is 20 percent fat. Don't eat white fish, go with sardines or salmon or herring. I also add olives to stir-fry meals that I cook to up the fat content. I buy cans of olives and will use about half a can of olives with a meal. 

[Karen_Suep]

I roast most of my veggies. My husband has a similar texture aversion toward mushy. Toss in fat of choice, oven at 400 or 425, stir after 10 mins and keep going until it has the texture you want, stirring probably every 5-10 mins. 

It's nearing the end of grill season here, but I also love to grill zucchini until it's just warm. It's not mushy, has a nice crisp texture and the world of fats just beg for it to be dipped. 

I relied heavily on guac for my w30 in August but found my son and avocado don't get along well so I haven't indulged often since that realization. I also use a lot of mayo. As for the other fats, I would put them in my left over taco meat when I next ate it to give it a little more oomph (avocado oil usually) or drizzle (ok really, dump) on my veggies. I've added ghee to my tikka masala to make sure I have enough fat and it has been ah maze ing. You could probably try other fats too