Everyday Systems

I've been reading Mark Bittman's Food Matters cookbook (highly recommended, by the way). He mentioned that he treats white pasta as a treat. I came up with the White Mod: foods that are primarily white carbs, such as white pasta and white rice, are for S days.

Anything made with white flour could be a treat for S Days.

Japanese eat white rice. French white bread . Italian white pasta. 3 plates a day, little to no snacking and lowest BMI/obesity rates. No need to overcomplicate!

Nice idea! But I think the trick will be how to handle the "dinner guest" conundrum. If you cook for yourself it's easy, but if others are cooking for you or you have others' palates to please it's hard.

Reinhard

reinhard wrote:Nice idea! But I think the trick will be how to handle the "dinner guest" conundrum. If you cook for yourself it's easy, but if others are cooking for you or you have others' palates to please it's hard.

Reinhard

Actually, that's why I'm doing it. Nicest Husband is trying to cut down on the white carbs in his diet. I don't want to cook multiple meals any more than is strictly necessary.

d0gen wrote:Japanese eat white rice. French white bread . Italian white pasta. 3 plates a day, little to no snacking and lowest BMI/obesity rates. No need to overcomplicate!

Almost agreed. I don't think the Italians eat three plates of pasta a day. I think it's one course of a meal and much less than we would consume.

Years ago I saw a cartoon that had a picture of a French man enjoying a baguette. Another frame had an Italian enjoying a bowl of pasta. The third frame was an Asian person with a bowl of rice. The fourth frame was an American in a recliner saying, "I'm so fat, it MUST be all the carbs!" Maybe the clue was more in the recliner than the carbs!

I don't understand this obsession we have with whole grains. If I had to give up the white stuff, I wouldn't be eating grains. In addition to the fact that they make me bloated and uncomfortable, I just don't like many of them. Refined grains don't do this to me.

Granted, I don't eat a lot of grains. With the exception of bread, it's pretty rare for me to eat grains. As much as I love Italian food, I don't eat pasta more than once every couple of weeks, if that often. I know that in the last month I've had pasta once. Rice is even less frequent.

Eventually I will be brave enough to make this mod...

I have actually considered this myself regarding pasta. I have a hard time eating it moderately. I think I will eventually make that mod for myself. I actually had pasta both yesterday and today for lunch, I love it so much!
Pasta made with whole wheat is ok though like barilla I think it's 50/50. I have never eaten any 100% WW pasta I enjoyed.