Eggplant Abundance and Fiber Facts

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My baby Kai in his eggplant shirt!

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. 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!

 About 90% of my clients are looking for a quick and easy weight loss solution. Another example of foods that can speed this process is any that are high in fiber, such as eggplant. When I look at a label I look at the ingredients list, but next I look at the carbohydrates and how many of those are fiber. If the fiber number is really close to the carbohydrate number, the food item is a “go.”

Fiber has the ability to communicate a feeling of fullness, which can aid in weight loss. But is fiber all it's cracked up to be? Most of us have heard that fiber leads to better health, which leads to us greater pleasure in our lives. But do we know the how's, why's, and where's of fiber? This can be a confusing area of nutrition. The important part to understand is that our digestive tract is one of the most essential links to excellent health, and without fiber, also known as “roughage,” your intestines have no way to clean themselves and stay healthy. Think of fiber as a “cleaning lady” for your body; no need to follow those goofy diets to clean the toxins out, just eat real food! 

The American Cancer Society recommends that we aim for about 25-35 grams of fiber a day, which is more than double what the average American gets. That’s the equivalent of 3 heads of lettuce…yikes! Don't run out and grab Fiber One cereal bars...they are basically Snicker's candy bars rolled in Citrucel! 

If you are like most people and your daily fiber intake is less than 10 grams, be sure to increase your fiber intake slowly. Many people claim they can’t eat broccoli or cauliflower because it gives them gas…well, that is because the main part of the carbohydrates in cruciferous vegetables is fiber (compared to a potato’s carbohydrates come from a starch). They get gas because they are increasing their fiber intake too much too fast. To minimize discomfort and gas slowly increase fiber by 3-5 grams/week. Don't try to double your fiber intake while you're on a first date.

Also making sure to drink lots of water, about 8 glasses a day or until your urine is clear, to help assist the fiber through your body rather than have it just sit there. If you increase your fiber intake without increasing fluids, constipation is bound to happen. Also, if you are experiencing diarrhea, decrease your fiber intake for a few days. Some foods are high in fiber, but still too high in carbohydrates.

Why no grains? And how am I going to get fiber??? The most common whole grains are not very high in fiber to begin with.

Brown Rice = 4% (Shockingly low!)
Corn = 7%
Oats = 11%
Whole Wheat = 12%
Barley = 17%

Compare that to the vegetables I use in place of them...
Red Pepper = 25% (Sloppy Joe's Stuffed Peppers)
Kale = 33% (Kale Chips)
Mushrooms = 33% (Cowboy Chicken Casserole)
Cauliflower = 40% (Cauliflower "Rice")
Broccoli = 40% ("Loaded" Broccoli)
Eggplant = 40% (Eggplant French Fries/Breadsticks)
Spinach = 50% (Pizza Quiche)

You can get just as much fiber 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.

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.

MORE "HEALTHIFIED" EGGPLANT IDEAS

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"

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving):

Using White Bread = 170 calories, 23 carbs, 3 fiber

Using EGGPLANT = 90 calories, 6 carbs, 3 fiber

9. Baba Ganoush (The Art of Eating Healthy: Savory)
10. Eggplant French Fries

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per cup)

Potato = 116 calories, 0g fat, 3g protein, 27g carbs, 2g fiber (25 effective carbs)

Eggplant = 20 calories, 0g fat, 1g protein, 4.5g carbs, 2.8g fiber (1.7 effective carbs)

11. "Bread" sticks and Marinara
12. Calzones

Eggplant Parmesan

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.