▢2 lbs (900 grams) potatoes ▢⅓ cup (80 ml) aquafaba , the liquid from a can of chickpeas ▢3 tablespoons semolina or fine/medium cornmeal , (if you are gluten-free use cornmeal) ▢1 teaspoon fine sea salt ▢1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
▢ Preheat oven to 450°F (232 °C) and line a baking tray or roasting tin with parchment paper or a silcone baking mat. ▢ Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Timings here are based on a medium potato being cut into about 5 pieces. Make sure all pieces are pretty even. ▢ Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Once at a rolling boil cook for about 7 to 8 minutes until you can just manage to stick a fork in them but they are still quite hard. Once at this point, drain then immediately return to the hot saucepan. Allow to steam dry with the lid off for a couple of minutes before proceeding. ▢ Add the aquafaba and semolina to the potatoes, put the lid on the saucepan and shake vigorously a good few times to rough up the potatoes, then dig in with a spoon and stir them around a bit to get the slurry that has settled on the bottom to coat them thoroughly. Don’t worry if they break up a little bit. ▢ Tip the potatoes onto the lined tray, spread them out in a single layer, then season with a generous amount of salt and freshly ground pepper. ▢ Place in the hot oven on one of the upper shelves, and cook for 25 minutes. Remove, flip them all over ( I use a fork and a spoon), then return to the oven and cook until they are a lovely golden brown. It should take around 25 to 30 minutes, but the time will vary a little depending on your oven and the type of pan you are cooking them in. NOTES Store leftover roast potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat them on a tray in a hot oven or in an air fryer.
Explore the true health effects of beef tallow. From cholesterol and heart disease to skin health and inflammation, this episode dives into the essential questions about the benefits and risks of cooking with animal fat.
Renowned physician and nutrition expert Dr. Neal Barnard delves into what science says about saturated fat, hormone balance, and cancer risk in this evidence-based conversation with “The Weight Loss Champion” Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast. Whether you’re keto-curious or plant-based, you’ll get expert insights to help you make informed dietary choices.
In This Interview –
Beef tallow and heart disease Skin health benefits Is the saturated fat in beef tallow healthier? Beef tallow and inflammation Cholesterol Beef tallow vs. seed oils Diabetes risks Beef tallow and nutrient absorption And more
I can’t think of anything that creates more confusion and is more misunderstood than carbohydrates.
To help understand carbohydrates and the recommended vs. not recommended types/forms, I will break them up into 6 groups, 3 of which will be important to you.
1) Unrefined, Unprocessed Carbohydrates
These are foods that we can consume in their most natural form, or “as grown in nature.” Examples of these foods include intact whole grains that we consume in their intact form (such as brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, wheat berries), starchy vegetables (such as sweet potatoes, yams, corn, peas, potatoes, winter squash) and legumes (such as beans, dried peas and lentils). These foods are not only low in calories, but also low in calorie density and high in fiber and nutrients, so they fill you up with fewer calories. Enjoy these foods as a regular part of your diet.
(The calorie density of these foods is around 300 to 700 calories per pound. A serving size of these foods is 1/2 cup cooked.)
2) Unrefined, Processed Carbohydrates Low in Calorie Density
These are foods that are made from whole grains but the whole grain was ground into whole grain flour first and then made into the final food. Examples of these foods include whole grain pasta, including pastas made from whole wheat, brown rice, corn or buckwheat. The reason these foods are low in calorie density is that, during the cooking process, they absorb a large amount of water back into their structures, which lowers calorie density. These foods are also very high in fiber and a rich source of nutrients, so they will fill you up for fewer calories. Enjoy these foods as a regular part of your diet.
While these foods are low in calorie density, the mechanical process of grinding the whole grain into a whole grain flour before making them into the whole grain pasta does raise a concern. The mechanical grinding of food results in a less effective fiber (see my post on Fruit, Fiber, Form and Satiety) and increases the surface area of the food so it is more readily absorbed. So, even though these foods are made from whole grains, this increase in the surface area and the rate of absorption may pose a temporary and minor problem for those who are highly insulin resistant while they are getting well. The disruption of the fiber can also make these foods less satiating which can pose a problem for those trying to manage their weight. Therefore, it may be prudent to eliminate these and if so, their best choices would be intact unrefined, unprocessed carbs.
(The calorie density of these foods is around 500-600 calories per pound. A serving size of these foods is 1/2 cup cooked.)
3) Unrefined, Processed Carbohydrates High in Calorie Density
These are foods that are made from 100% whole grains but the whole grain was ground into whole grain flour first and then made into the final food. These foods are consumed in a dry state. Examples of these foods include whole grain bread, whole grain bagels, whole grain crackers and whole grain dry cereal. While these foods are high in fiber and nutrients, they can be easy to overeat on because they are higher in calorie density. Therefore, for those who are concerned about their weight, these foods should be either limited or eliminated from their regular diet.
In this case, the mechanical process of grinding the whole grain into a whole grain flour before making them into a whole grain food raises two concerns. First, since these foods do not absorb any water back into their structure before they are consumed, they are much higher in calorie density. Second, the mechanical grinding of food results in a less effective fiber (see my post on Fruit, Fiber, Form and Satiety) and increases the surface area of the food so it is more readily absorbed. So, even though these foods are made from whole grains, this increase in the calorie density, the surface area and the rate of absorption may pose a problem for those who are overweight and/or diabetic and/or highly insulin resistant while they are getting well. The disruption of the fiber can also make these foods less satiating which can pose a problem for those trying to manage their weight. Therefore, it may be wise to eliminate these and if so, their best choices would be intact unrefined, unprocessed carbs.
(The calorie density of these foods is about 1200 to 1800 calories per pound. A serving size of these foods is 1 oz, which is 1 slice of whole grain bread, 1 cup of whole grain dry cereal, or 1/2 a small whole grain bagel.)
The above three choices are the healthiest forms of carbohydrates.
4) Refined Carbohydrates
These are foods that have been refined, which means most, if not all of the bran and/or the germ have been removed. One example is white rice. While these foods are low in calories and low in calorie density, they have had most (if not all) of their fiber removed; in addition, they lose many valuable nutrients in the refining process. Always choose the whole grain variety of these foods (i.e., brown rice).
(The calorie density of these foods is around 500-600 calories per pound. A serving size of these foods is 1/2 cup cooked.)
5) Refined, Processed Carbohydrates Low in Calorie Density
These are foods that are made from refined grains but the refined grain was ground into flour first and then made into the final food. One example is pasta that has been made from white flour. The reason these foods are low in calorie density is that, during the cooking process, they absorb a large amount of water back into their structures, which lowers calorie density. While these foods are low in calories and low in calorie density, they have had most (if not all) of their fiber removed. In addition, they lose many valuable nutrients in the refining process. Always choose the whole grain variety of these foods (i.e., whole grain pasta).
(The calorie density of these foods is around 500-600 calories per pound. A serving size of these foods is 1/2 cup cooked.)
6) Refined, Processed Carbohydrates High in Calorie Density
There are foods that are made from refined grains but the refined grain has been ground into flour first and then made into the final food. These foods are consumed in a dry state. Examples of these foods include breads, bagels, crackers and dry cereals that have been made from white flour. These foods have had most (if not all) of their fiber removed and they lose many valuable nutrients in the refining process. In addition, these foods can be easy to overeat on because they are higher in calorie density. Therefore, for those who are concerned about their weight, these foods should be either limited or eliminated from their regular diet. Always choose the whole grain variety of these foods (i.e., whole grain breads, bagels, crackers and dry cereals).
(The calorie density of these foods is about 1200 to 1800 calories per pound. A serving size of these foods is 1 oz, which is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of dry cereal, or 1/2 a small bagel.)
NOTE: Refined carbohydrates and refined processed carbohydrates, regardless of their calorie densities, are not recommended and should be minimized, if included at all.
National recommendations are for us to consume at least 3 servings of whole grains per day. This is a minimum recommendation; in addition, it does not make the distinction between unrefined intact whole grains, unrefined, processed whole grains low in calorie density, and unrefined, processed whole grains high in calorie density, which is important to know, especially for those who are trying to manage their weight, insulin resistance and/or diabetes. I would encourage the consumption of at least 3 or more servings of whole grains per day. Not only will they help fill us up for fewer calories, they will help provide many of the important nutrients and phytochemicals we need.
