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Nightshade Veggies
Started
by Lisa Jackson
on February 7, 2010
I'm having a really hard time giving up the nightshades except for rare occasions. I am so accustomed to tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant & peppers.
I don't want arthritis, so I remind myself of that, but I miss my nightshades, and it's only been 3 days!
How did you superheroes do with giving them up? I love salsa, tomato-based pasta sauce, potatoes with garbanzo beans, garlic and tomatoes, and eggplant & tomatoes on my veggie burgers. I love peppers so much that I have lots of them chopped and frozen in the freezer.
Help! Any advice or support welcome!
I know this can be difficult... Tomatoes are my favorite, but haven't really been a struggle for me yet as I only really love them in the summer. I think the key is to really experiment with new veggies. I think you'll find ones to replace your nightshades that you enjoy just as much. I've been really enjoying squash, bean, and veggie soups and stews which are perfect and hardy for the winter.
There's this tomato-free product called nomato, I haven't tried it but I came acrossed it on this website --> http://www.nomato.com
A few weeks ago I was boiling some artichokes to share with a friend who hasnt tried many vegetables. On my way to his place I was trying to think of a good way to describe the taste of artichokes and it occured to be that they taste a little bit like potatoes. I absolutely love potatoes but if I had to give them up to be a superhero, artichokes are an excellent substitute. I love all nightshades, but I'm sure there are other vegetables that resemble them we just have to help each other find them.
Even Alicia puts tomato in her dishes every now and then. Have them occasionally and you will probably be fine. Just not at every meal. This diet isn't about depriving yourself of the things you love.
You could try swapping potatoes for sweet potatoes.The less you eat night shades the more your body will thank you. I forgot about not eating tomatoes one day, ate a bunch of them for lunch and felt AWFUL. It took me a while to figure out why and I'm pretty sure it was because of the tomato.
I know it's hard, but try to focus on all of the great food you DO get to eat instead of the few that you have to give up. Your body really will thank you! Good luck!
Good call Rebecca & Ceci--just what I was thinking--find better alternatives to nightshades, like sweet potatoes & sunchokes (jerusalem artichokes), which taste like a cross between artichoke & potato. Parsnips are a great alternative for potatoes too, as you can bake, boil, etc similarly--even mash them--or there's cauliflower mash. You could always start by doing half & half (half potato half parsnip). Same with peppers--start adding more beans or other ingredients to your traditional fajitas or whatever. Tomatoes could be tricky because they are the base for so many things. I really only love fresh tomatoes, & fortunately they have a short season here mid/late-summer. Also, canned tomatoes are REALLY scarey. http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/foods-unsafe-doctors-eat.html I think once you start cooking with fresher, fewer, simple ingredients, you may lose taste for sauces & such or find new, less acidic favorites, like winter squash bases. Experiment; have fun. Pair food you've never thought to combine before: I made a bok choy & chickpea sautee last night; I think it'll be one of my favorite breakfasts now. Mushrooms or chickpea patties make great veggie burgers. Make a game of it: try at least one new vegetable or combination a week. Eventually your body will crave what it needs & what truly nourishes it. Just listen.
I allow myself potatoes maybe once a month-and sometimes fruit sweetened ketchup.Thing is,I have to cook them and now it's in the mid 80s so don't want to cook,so consequently having them less.
But if you do like them Yukon Golds,try Croatian style vegetables,recipe follows
-one bunch of kale
-3 Yukon Gold potatoes
-clove garlic
-olive oil
-Boil potatoes till soft, let cool,then peel and mash in olive oil
-steam kale for five minutes,then sautee for five minutes in pan with olive oil
-add kale to potatoes in bowl, chop garlic and stir
-Delicious especially in winter.
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