The Student Room Group

Is it okay to exclude bread, pasta, rice and potatoes from my diet?

I've eliminated bread/pasta/rice/potatoes from my diet step-by-step starting half a year ago. I initially reduced the amount of rice, pasta and potatoes in my diet because i had struggled with acne for years (tried pretty much everything except roaccutan..) and also i had gained a few extra pounds.

I still have some rice/pasta/potatoes every now and then because the food at school is always heavily based on one of them... very difficult to avoid it there. But at home i don't eat it except that I usually have about two pieces of 100% rye bread a day (i need something 'sturdy' with my tuna :biggrin:)

To describe my diet i'll make a list of foods i usually eat:

avocado

fruit (bananas, apples, oranges - anything!)

vegetables (pretty much any)

coffee (with milk)

minced meat sauce (tomato crush as base)

cottage cheese

tuna

naturel yoghurt with frozen berries

vegetable soups (selfmade)

ratatouille (i.e. chopped veggies in the oven) with chicken fillet

chicken fillet with green salad (+ cherry tomatoes)

chili con carne

fish with a salad

hummus with carrot sticks

nuts (usually cashew or walnuts in the salad)

boiled eggs



in addition i take multivitamins, Omega-3 capsules and vitamin c. I barely ever eat sweets or chips (salt and sugar are really bad for my skin..)
I've found that this diet has helped me lose weight, i'm more energetic and my skin is much much better! I also very rarely have mad carb cravings like i used to :smile: and now that i'm used to not eat them i don't even like them that much anymore. Veggies taste so much better!

So, my question to you is: Does this seem alright? is there something I'm missing? why should i eat bread/pasta/potatoes/rice?!
Reply 1
You can eat wholemeal versions of them foods, if you dont want masses of carbs. Like wholemeal bread & pasta there is pasta made from soya, but i dont what its like :s-smilie: sweet potatoes are better than normal ones and brown rice :smile: everythings ok as long as you eat in moderation they do say not to eat carbs after 8pm though.
Kaykiie
You can eat wholemeal versions of them foods, if you dont want masses of carbs. Like wholemeal bread & pasta there is pasta made from soya, but i dont what its like :s-smilie: sweet potatoes are better than normal ones and brown rice :smile: everythings ok as long as you eat in moderation they do say not to eat carbs after 8pm though.

yeah, when i did eat pasta and rice it was always brown rice or wholemeal (sometimes rye) pasta.

My question was Is it okay not to eat pasta/rice/potatoes/bread? I'm not looking for healthier alternatives like wholemeal yaddayadda - i do that already :p:. Just want to know if my diet is alright, and essentially i want to hear a proper explanation to why i would need to eat pasta/rice/potatoes/bread.
Reply 3
you should be ok. i would include sweet potatoes once in a while since they are more veggie that starchy carby potato. But otherwise the diet looks fine.
Hmmm, I don't see the point of cutting out carbohydrates. I don't have any wonderful scientific explanation for it as I am never good with that sort of thing but carbs are kind of essential. Carbs are worship-worthy, I just don't see the point of intentionally eliminating them as they give you engry. Even for people losing weight, I can't see how eliminating them is beneficial as surely you'd just crave food all the time. About half of everything I eat are carbs and I hardly have an inch of fat on me. Unless that's because a carb over-dose causes me to be hyper-active...hmmmmm :s-smilie: The other stuff you eat is fine though, I just wouldn't deliberately eliminate an important food group from your diet. Wholewheat pasta is god and wholemeal bread is very filling. I suppose rye bread is ok if you like the taste. It tastes like sheep feed to me (literally, I grew up in the country, I know what sheep feed tastes like lol.) Also, sweet potatos are nice and do more good for your health than bad.
Reply 5
I would definitely recommend it. Any white carbohydrate is bad for you (unless after a workout) because it breaks quickly in your body and spikes your insulin level. I would add some high-fibre and protein rich food likes beans and lentils for the purpose of caloric load (low carb diets can make you really hungry).
annie147218
Hmmm, I don't see the point of cutting out carbohydrates. I don't have any wonderful scientific explanation for it as I am never good with that sort of thing but carbs are kind of essential. Carbs are worship-worthy, I just don't see the point of intentionally eliminating them as they give you engry. Even for people losing weight, I can't see how eliminating them is beneficial as surely you'd just crave food all the time. About half of everything I eat are carbs and I hardly have an inch of fat on me. Unless that's because a carb over-dose causes me to be hyper-active...hmmmmm :s-smilie: The other stuff you eat is fine though, I just wouldn't deliberately eliminate an important food group from your diet. Wholewheat pasta is god and wholemeal bread is very filling. I suppose rye bread is ok if you like the taste. It tastes like sheep feed to me (literally, I grew up in the country, I know what sheep feed tastes like lol.) Also, sweet potatos are nice and do more good for your health than bad.


the thing is that i do get carbs from the veggies and fruits that i eat. I feel like its unnecessary to also eat bread/pasta/etc? I mean, don't i get enough carbs from all the veggies and fruit i eat? do i really need to eat pasta as well? And the funny thing is, in the beginning when i reduced my carb intake i had crazy cravings for all sugary and unhealthy stuff but when i'd 'gotten over' the worst part i would have a few sandwiches and immediately feel incredibly tired - i felt like there was no way stopping me from falling asleep! I think we're so used to eating so much sugar that we're addicted to it and only after not having it for a long time we notice its real effects on us. There's quite a lot of research on that too, about how the human digestive system hasn't had time to evolve enough to actually be suitable for the processed food we have today (i count bread pasta rice etc in this because they're all very refined) and therefore the heavily carb-based diets we live on are not the best alternative.. So I'm just thinking - is it just me, or is there really something behind this?

And about the whole meal thing; rye is much healthier than any wholemeal product. (and its delicious :wink:) haha, just to be clear we're both talking about the same thing:<-- real ryebread!
Reply 7
As long as you're eating plenty of vegetables in order to get the carbs you need, then there's no real reason you NEED to eat pasta, potatoes, bread and rice. They're just convenient sources. If you feel happier and healthier without them, then they have no intrinsic benefits.
I kinda did the same thing, i basically never eat carbs or stuff like tht anymore...
Live mostly on vegetables, fruits, fish and seafood for quite a while now and i'm doing pretty fine ...
so no need to worry i suppose :smile:
Reply 9
Bread, pasta, rice, sure, why not.

I'd not cut out sweet potatoes, ever.

keepoffthelawn
yeah, when i did eat pasta and rice it was always brown rice or wholemeal (sometimes rye) pasta.

My question was Is it okay not to eat pasta/rice/potatoes/bread? I'm not looking for healthier alternatives like wholemeal yaddayadda - i do that already :p:. Just want to know if my diet is alright, and essentially i want to hear a proper explanation to why i would need to eat pasta/rice/potatoes/bread.

Because Potatoes can lower blood pressure, are high in vitamin b's, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48#healthbenefits
Reply 10
i tried cutting down cereal in the morning. I felt sleepy and unproductive all morning, and felt very hungry around 10. so... my diet is now:
carbs in the morning (muesli with fruit)

protein based lunch (so as 25%veggie 25%rice or a slice of whole bread and meat/fish/chcicken/turkey etc.

Fruit salad or salad for dinner.

also, first thing in the morning, glss of water with lemon juice. 15 mins before breakfast. It clears your stomach for the day.
Reply 11
I hardly ever eat carbs and always feel full because of it. I dont diet to not eat carbs, but in general I dont really like bread, pasta and rice.
Jim-ie
Bread, pasta, rice, sure, why not.

I'd not cut out sweet potatoes, ever.


Because Potatoes can lower blood pressure, are high in vitamin b's, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48#healthbenefits

didn't know that :smile: but then again i don't have issues with my blood pressure :p: mine's 120/70
Reply 13
keepoffthelawn
didn't know that :smile: but then again i don't have issues with my blood pressure :p: mine's 120/70

neither do i but id ike to keep it that way too!

should try sweet potato if you want to cut out regular potatoes. theyre nicer, and healthier. and cook easier too.
Jim-ie
neither do i but id ike to keep it that way too!

should try sweet potato if you want to cut out regular potatoes. theyre nicer, and healthier. and cook easier too.

hmm yeah i've read that their better than regular potatoes, i should try those then! i've been eating like this for over half a year and my blood pressure values have been the same throughout the year so i don't see why they'd suddenly change :smile:
Reply 15
I could never cut out carbs. I'm addicted to bran flakes too much :frown:
Tufts
I could never cut out carbs. I'm addicted to bran flakes too much :frown:

neither could i.. i still eat plenty of carbs (veggies and fruit) i just don't have grains anymore.
I tried it cold turkey once... felt like I would die :eek:
Think natural if a person has made a product i.e pasta and bread it is not natural. However rice is a natural grown food source( in thailand or other countries). I like to look at where i live and what can be grown here in my country. Im in england so rice is not available naturally in my country. You can grow your own foods( herbs, salad, greens, root veg, beans, grapes, berries etc) and benefit from no chemicals or preservatives and freshly picked( high vitamin mineral nutrient produce). Its an eye opener. In theory we can choose to eat anything offered in a shop. But if you look at an item and you dont know what something is on the ingredients put it bk down! Its wont be good for you. If you cant grow it in your country, its travelled a long way to get to the shop(less healthy)). How many potatoes do you see growing in the park or woods? Its not a food we would have alot of regularly naturally. You can only grow certain fruit and veg at certain times of year in england. And some things you can grow all year round. With this in mind 100% you dont need bread, rice or potatoes. You may like to get your carbs and fibre from fruit and veg which give off energy slowly sustaining you from feeling hungry for longer anyway and redicing sugar spikes. If you feel healthy then its right. I eat more meat than carbs( meat is always available all year round naturally) i get plenty of carb and fibre from veg and some fruit. I do eat potatoes. I dont eat dairy as i am allergic.I dont eat wheat or oats as i am allergic. I do eat eggs and nuts. Carry on as you are it sounds healthy and good.
Original post by keepoffthelawn
I've eliminated bread/pasta/rice/potatoes from my diet step-by-step starting half a year ago. I initially reduced the amount of rice, pasta and potatoes in my diet because i had struggled with acne for years (tried pretty much everything except roaccutan..) and also i had gained a few extra pounds.

I still have some rice/pasta/potatoes every now and then because the food at school is always heavily based on one of them... very difficult to avoid it there. But at home i don't eat it except that I usually have about two pieces of 100% rye bread a day (i need something 'sturdy' with my tuna :biggrin:)

To describe my diet i'll make a list of foods i usually eat:

avocado

fruit (bananas, apples, oranges - anything!)

vegetables (pretty much any)

coffee (with milk)

minced meat sauce (tomato crush as base)

cottage cheese

tuna

naturel yoghurt with frozen berries

vegetable soups (selfmade)

ratatouille (i.e. chopped veggies in the oven) with chicken fillet

chicken fillet with green salad (+ cherry tomatoes)

chili con carne

fish with a salad

hummus with carrot sticks

nuts (usually cashew or walnuts in the salad)

boiled eggs



in addition i take multivitamins, Omega-3 capsules and vitamin c. I barely ever eat sweets or chips (salt and sugar are really bad for my skin..)
I've found that this diet has helped me lose weight, i'm more energetic and my skin is much much better! I also very rarely have mad carb cravings like i used to :smile: and now that i'm used to not eat them i don't even like them that much anymore. Veggies taste so much better!

So, my question to you is: Does this seem alright? is there something I'm missing? why should i eat bread/pasta/potatoes/rice?!


your pretty much following a paleo diet