LOW CARB EGGPLANT RECIPES
LOW CARB EGGPLANT RECIPES
Eggplant, lovely eggplant! Most eggplant has a mild flavor, and when raw has a spongy texture, so eggplant can absorb many different types of flavors. When cooked, it acquires an almost-silky texture, and is great for dips as well as thickening soups. So I thought I would share some of my low carb eggplant recipes.
I love it for bread substitutes like my French Toast, you would never guess it is eggplant! And about 2 years ago, I spoke at a company “lunch and learn” program and had a game called “Guess the Secret Ingredient.” Out of the 250 people that tried the “Bread Pudding,” only 2 people guessed it!
You can get way more nutrients by substituting healthier nutrient-dense veggies for “whole grains” without the excess sugar and calories!
To read more on how to eat for weight loss, check out my book: Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism.
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| Re-fried Beans Made with Eggplant instead of Beans! (recipe in: The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory) |
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Re-fried Beans = 183 calories, 6.6g fat, 7g protein, 24g carbs, 6g fiber (18 effective carbs)
“Healthified” Re-fried “Beans” = 93 calories, 5.6g fat, 5.7g protein, 5.8g carbs, 2.6g fiber (3.2 effective carbs)
EGGPLANT TIP: To make the eggplant more “bread-like” and reduce its naturally occurring bitter taste, you can “sweat” the eggplant by salting it. After cutting the eggplant into the desired size and shape, sprinkle it with Celtic sea salt and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes. Rinsing the eggplant after “sweating” will remove most of the salt so your end product isn’t too salty.
1. “Bread” Pudding
2. Moussaka (Greek Lasagna)
3. “Healthy” Grilled Cheese
4. Eggs in a Frame
5. Lasagna (Nutritious and Delicious Cookbook)
6. Hamburger Helper (The Art of Eating Healthy: Kids)
7. African Nut Stew (The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory)
8. French “Toast”
9. Baba Ganoush (The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory)
10. Eggplant French Fries
11. “Bread” sticks and Marinara
12. Calzones
HEALTH TIP: Did you know that even though it is an awesome low carb food, it is part of the night shade category, which is a common allergy for many people? It is part of the nightshade (Solanacene) family, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers and tobacco! Many people are sensitive or allergic to properties in eggplant and other nightshades. If you suffer from arthritis or migraines, I suggest you skip nightshades of all sorts, including tomatoes and eggplant.
Testimony of the Day
“Hi Maria, You have been helping me get my life back by getting healthy. My main request was to help me get pregnant. Since starting your way less than 3 months ago I have lost 31 pounds and am off all my autoimmune disease medications. And today, I can tell you that I found out I am expecting. I am only a few weeks along and so I can’t share with everyone yet but I owe you my gratitude. After a year long emotional journey, your way restored my body back to health.” Carrie
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Maria,
Great information! I’ve never liked eggplant but I’m willing to give it a try since I can no longer eat any grains or dairy. I look forward to your recipe book.
Thanks!
Thanks!
thanks for this post! I heart your blog so much! I can’t wait to try these eggplant recipes.
Thank you! 🙂
Aww, Kai is growing and looks happy and healthy. What a blessed little boy – both of them!
Good information!
Thanks Jennifer! 🙂
Love eggplant! Im looking forward to reading your book, The art of eating healthy. (When does it come out?) I love refried beans but havent eaten them for awhile. Id love love love to make an eggplant version of it…yum-o!
I have 2 books in my “The Art of Eating Healthy” line, sweets and kids. The third will be Savory and that will be out in a month or so. 🙂 http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=1
Sloppy joe stuffed peppers where cann I find that recipe
It is coming in my Savory cookbook that will be out in about a month or so. Stay tuned! 🙂
Have RA and was wondering if zucchini was a nightshade vegetable. I was searching on the internet and some say it is and some say it is not. What are your thoughts. thanks
No it is not a nightshade. 🙂
Is zucchini a nightshade vegetable
No it is not. 🙂
i loved coming to your website, from now on i will be always coming back here to visit.
Thanks!
Who knew eggplant could be so delish! I never tried eggplant until I started eating the “healthified” way….now one of my favorites! ♥ your recipes!
Thank you Beverly! 🙂
Hi Maria,
I would like to know how the fiber percentages of 25-50% are calculated? I’m thinking it must be the content of the final recipe which has lost water in cooking. According to the USDA numbers raw eggplant only has 3.4% fiber, and cooked brown rice 1.8% fiber. In the later case, water is added in the cooking process, so the % of fiber goes down, –that makes sense.
The reason I was looking at this so closely is that I wanted to see where potatoes fall. I found a number of 2.6 % fiber for whole potatoes. I see your comparison between potatoes and eggplant which shows the high carb cost of potato fiber, but maybe that is okay for my active 7 year old.
Thanks,
Melissa
No kid is as active as me! And I don’t need potatoes! You can be a sugar burner or fat adapted… Not both. 🙂
I grew eggplant in my garden this year for the first time and I have an abundance of it and it is still flowering. 🙂 I am so happy you posted these recipes. Now I can prepare it in ways other than roasted or grilled with olive oil and seasonings.
Thanks!
Hi Maria,
I love this blog:) I just purchased Nutritious and Delicious. I am so excited about all the eggplant recipes. I am having difficulty finding the lasagna recipe pictured above. Could you please help me?
Wendy
That is the Cabbage Lasagna on page 196. 🙂
I have gained so much knowledge since reading your blog. Thanks so much for sharing all your information. I have such a hard time finding things to eat — since I have several autoimmune diseases. These recipes all look so good, however they mostly all use nightshade plant foods in the ingredients. I love all of these foods, but need to stay away from them. But knowledge is power and it helps me everyday to stay on track.
I have a lot of nightshade free recipes on here and in my cookbooks. I work with lots of clients that need to stay away from nightshades. 🙂
Maria, I’m sure you do :-). (have clients who can’t eat nightshades)
It’s just do much easier to cook with them! I’m drooling over some of these recipes!
maria, I was wondering if you agree with Monstrysky take on fiber?
does soluable fiber cause insulin to rise?
does insoluable fiber cause insulin to rise?
does fiber cause insulin to rise or spike?
can too much fiber cause inflammation in the colon?
do you agree with monstrysky take on water consumption?
and his take that water does not compose more than 1% of the stool?
thanks so much.
Janet
Sorry, I don’t know who Monstrysky is. I do believe that too much fiber can elongate the intestines and cause issues. I also beleive that too much fiber can spike blood sugar and kick you out of ketosis. I see it with clients all the time. That is why I always count total carbs.
thanks maria, he is the guy who wrote fiber menace and that is how I got all those questions to run by you. thanks so much for all you do…and the information.
Oh, yes. Fiber menace is a great book. 😉
I’m learning slowly, you are the bomb! thanks for all you do. I will upgrade to the phone consult soon. busy with recipes first. thanks again. I have learned so much from you that when I run into other authors and they don’t match what you say, I know it right away and I understand why now. just wanted you to know. you are a good teacher.
Thanks!