With the new year taking shape, a lot of us are potentially going to try different things with the way we eat. Whether it’s cutting down on salt intake, cutting calories, increasing fiber, or cutting meat (or carbs) down or out of the diet, there are plenty of different diet plans out there to please any pallet and further any fitness or weight goal.

A Compromise Approach

What I’ve leveled on is trying something a little different. It has to do not only with feeling better and hopefully controlling weight while also enjoying my food, but also with controlling costs. Meat has inflated in price pretty greatly with the food price increases we’ve seen in 2022 and into 2023.

Meat and prepared foods have in my opinion, been the biggest hit to my grocery budget. I figured if I can find a way to reduce at least one of those, it may not only benefit my health, but also my financial bottom line. Related: Spicy Zuccini Casserole Recipe (Low Carb Too!)

I’m also tired of diets that are too restrictive. I'm 49 years old and have abandoned the idea that I need to obsessively control my weight and maintain a certain size to be happy, although I do want to maintain a reasonable level of fitness and feel comfortable in my clothes. 

Low carb diets tend to limit you as far as the textures and flavors you can experience, and while I enjoy low carb foods, I also feel pretty deprived some days that I can’t indulge in a crunchy snack or a nice pasta or bread texture.

So what we came up with (husband and I) is to try out a diet that satisfies all three taste pallets we tend to have – the carbivore, the herbivore and the carnivore. This way, you don’t feel totally deprived, and you’re eating the right types of foods during the day while transitioning to different ones that hopefully don’t ‘stick as much’ overnight. 

Not only that, but if you maintain your focus on excluding foods that have refined sugars and artificial ingredients and stick to whole, home-made foods that are minimally processed, the category of food becomes less important.  That's my opinion.  

We will focus on the high carb/high fiber ideas in part one of this article, and then on the high protein/low carb dinners in the next one.

Carbs During the Day, Meats and Proteins at Night

So, the approach here is to eat a carb-centric lunch, without meat and ideally without dairy. But it also has to be chock full of fiber. We all know that meals without a lot of protein can quickly wear off and leave you starving within hours. However, you can offset this effect by ramping up the fiber content.

High Carb/High Fiber Lunch Ideas

• High fiber, lower calorie pasta (I like Fiber Gourmet brand for its high fiber content and lower calorie content, but beware you have to boil this a lot longer than a traditional pasta to get the same type of texture) with sauteed vegetables. You can substitute or even supplement sauteed veggies with a jar of artichoke hearts, drained. Add some high quality olive oil, fresh crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Maybe throw some sundried tomatoes in for some savory tartness, or even some pine nuts or ground walnuts for a dash of healthy fats and a little protein. You could even whip up your own quick home made marinara in your blender or food processor by adding a can of diced tomatoes to a can of tomato puree, add Italian seasonings, garlic, some high quality olive oil, a little salt and whatever other seasonings you prefer.  The possibilities are endless with this type of lunch, and you can add your own flavor and spin to it pretty easily. Related: Garlic's Anti-Cancer Benefits
• Brown rice and wok-fried veggies. This is another very versatile dish. You could go with an Asian flavor and add seasonings like lemon pepper, soy or teriyaki sauce (or liquid aminos), coconut oil or sesame oil and red pepper flakes. If you need a little more protein to help fill you up, a cracked fried or scrambled egg in your Asian-style rice can add a little bit of a fried-rice takeout effect, Or you could put an Indian or Thai spin on it, adding curry, turmeric, peppers, thai chili powder and coconut oil or sesame oil to add a savory and slightly sweet flavor, and giving the overall dish some nice moisture. I like to cook my rice in chicken stock to give it more flavor, but you could easily substitute a vegetable broth.  I also prefer a slow cooking brown rice as I've found it seems to stick to me more than an instant brown rice. I'm not sure why that would be, but I have felt a difference.
• Sprouted bread with alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, lettuce, maybe a big sauteed portabella mushroom – sauteed with onions as your “meat”. Maybe add a little oregano for some flavor and spread a healthy mayo or other moisture-lending spread. Related: Health Benefits of Oregano Sprouted breads have an incredible amount of fiber, and they are digested differently than other high carb breads because the grains are sprouted. This translates into a lower glycemic profile and can still taste delicious, even a bit like you’re cheating, when you toast the bread. Sprouted breads can feel a bit crumbly or tough, but toasting them puts them on par with regular breads by giving them that toasty, crunchy feel.

Hopefully this gives you some great lunch ideas if you’re willing to try this type of diet approach. Stay tuned for Part II where we’ll get into some easy high protein/low carb dinner ideas. The focus there will be on ease of preparation, and keeping carb count low while still including a vegetable of some sort with a low glycemic profile.