What about mashed cauliflower or with some cheese on top and baked after the cauliflower was steamed? Creamed spinach with cream cheese stirred in to it and a dash of nutmeg. Green beans with almonds and butter, stewed zuccinni, maybe over spaghetti squash to fake pasta. Mashed or roasted parsnip are good too. Oil and vinegar coleslaw is good.

Can he have a sprouted grain bread, which is low in carbs.

Perhaps cauliflower rice or spiral-cut vegetables treated as "noodles".

Spaghetti squash is a good filler because it is good on its own and also as a pasta sub - here is a recipe for spaghetti squash pad thai and you can use it with all kinds of spaghetti sauces instead of noodles.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

1 large spaghetti squash

1 cup bok choy (diced)

1 cup carrots (thinly sliced)

2 cooked chicken breast, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 red chili pepper

Garnishes:

2 tbsp dry roasted peanuts, chopped

green onions (chopped)

cilantro

lime wedges

Cut spaghetti squash in
half lengthwise. If you are having difficulty cutting it, try
microwaving for a minute or two, whole. Scrape away the seeds. Place on
foil covered cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast on 350
degrees for 40-60 minutes. Remove, let sit 5 minutes and then "shred"
the squash with a fork.

In a large nonstick
skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté garlic for 1 minute. Add the
bok choy and carrots and sauté over medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
Remove to a plate. Add chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice
vinegar and red chili pepper to skillet. Heat until smooth. Return
veggies to the pan, as well as the spaghetti squash. Add in chicken, and
heat over medium heat for 5 minutes or until sauce has coated all.

Divide among 2 plates/bowls and top with peanuts, cilantro, green onion, and lime wedge.

Here is a recipe I make with lettuce wraps - good for the coming warm weather. If too much fruit is a problem, you can sub some jicama and celery for some of it:

Summer wraps:

• 1/2 cup
  Chicken breast, cooked
• 3 tbsp
  Fuji apple or any sweet apple
• 2 tbsp
  Grapes, black or red
• lettuce leaves
• 2 tsp
  Honey
• 2 tbsp almond or peanut butter, crunchy
• 1 tbsp
  Mayonaise or greek yogurt, lite
• Mix and wrap in a lettuce leaf.

If you have enough healthy fat & protein, it makes limiting the carbs easier. For lunch salads I use olive oil & avocado for healthy fat, and I rotate vegetarian proteins - typically mix & match 2 at a time such as hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, chick peas, lentils, nuts, and goat cheeses such as the soft log or goat gouda. If he is allowed a plain rye cracker, I also enjoy that often with my salads.

For dinner, once a week I use a spiralizer for zucchini "noodles" - if you spiralize them ahead of time it dries them out a little for firmer texture. I like them sautéed briefly with garlic, and butter or olive oil, parsley, etc. served with seafood for a scampi-like dish.

For lunch & dinner, I also use crushed red pepper or hot peppers more frequently & I feel more satisfied - gives meals a flavor punch!

Perhaps try veggies such as acorn or butternut squash, turnips, parsnips, etc. with dinner for more of a "carb-y feel" along side green veggies.

I haven't done anything with cauliflower, but there are recipes out these days on how to mimic everything from mashed potatoes to rice to pizza crust. I wouldn't over do it, but you could try a few recipes and see what you think - good luck!

The next time you are in the library check out best-selling author Dana Carpender's low-carb cookbooks ("15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes" is a favorite of mine, but I have a number of the others); and here is the link to her blog - http://holdthetoast.com/.  I've used her books for years because we follow a low-glycemic diet (choosing foods off the lower-half of the glycemic index chart which often make them low-carb, and we are also gluten-free so I make breads and baked goods with high-protein nut flours and coconut flour). You'll have more ideas for side dishes than you'll have time to use, and each recipe has the nutritional information. Her books use non-calorie sweeteners, and the one's I use are stevia and erythritol (Swerve is one brand name for both granulated and powdered). I avoid Splenda (I have a horrible reaction to it).

I would also want to know from your doctor how many total carbohydrates per day, if he didn't give you that information.

This is the dressing I make for coleslaw (and other things that need a sweet/sour dressing):

1/2 T. MCT coconut oil (you could use any kind of oil you like)

1/2 T. white wine vinegar (or other vinegar of choice)

celery seed (optional)

pinch of sweetener of choice (like stevia)

Mix ingredients in a small microwavable container and heat on HIGH for 20-seconds. Stir well.

Whisk in:

1/2 T. Dijon mustard (ZERO carbs - look at the labels)

1-2 T. (to taste) Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise (which is sugar-free and has ZERO carbs.)

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Here is a low-carb vegetable list that might help you out:

https://www.verywell.com/low-carb-vegetables-list-2242530

I would also suggest buying TRUE Lemon, TRUE Orange, and TRUE Lime - a lot of flavor for ZERO sugars (carbs). If you can't find them at your grocery store, Amazon has them: http://www.amazon.com/True-Lemon-Orange-Lime-32ct/dp/B004VNCXK2

-Grainlady

Once your body adapts, proteins & good fats are a lot more filling & satisfying than the starchy fillers which, at least in my case, were only making me think I was hungry all the time. So, you need to focus on protein & fat.

I'm interested in what other folks suggest. Here's some of the lo-carb solutions that I've been using.

Mayo, sour cream & stevia to replace Miracle Whip.

Zucchini & carrots

Sauteed mushrooms

Lettuce salads

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Braised cabbage

Asparagus

Cheese stuffed celery (cream cheese, cheddar, pimento--bit of stevia if you want some sweetness.)

Cauliflower salad (Dressing made with stevia sweetened mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire (Lea & Perrins is THE best), grated Romano Cheese, green onion, bacon bits)

Roasted broccoli, cauliflower, carrots drizzled with olive oil, herbs & a Romano cheese. (I lightly steam the vegetables in the microwave before roasting.)

Chicken Waldorf Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad

Avocado--Guacamole

Green beans--sauteed w/ garlic or cut green beans seasoned w/ bacon, onion, garlic

Whole onion wrapped in foil w/ pat of butter & drizzled w/ Worcestershire Sauce & baked. (Medium sized onion is about 10 carbs, so not ultra lo-carb.)

Cauliflower, whole head cooked in microwave under plastic wrap then spread w/ a sauce made w/ mayonnaise, finely diced onion, bit of mustard & dash of Worhestershire (ETA: Spread the mayonnaise concoction on top of the cooked head of cauliflower & top with shredded Cheddar cheese.)

Zucchini noodles in place of pasta in Italian sausage, 'penne', tomato & cream sauce. (I cut the zucchini into julienne strips w/ a V-slicer & steam lightly in the microwave.)

Cole Slaw

Limited root veggies like beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, & winter squashes..

Tuna salad with mayo & diced onion.

Jacques Pepins recipe for crispy chicken thighs (garlic, mushrooms & onion)

Stir fries w/ lo-carb veggies

Just remembered

Deviled Eggs

DS invented a great breakfast--fry some bacon bits, drain the fat, toss in a handful of spinach and break a couple of eggs, break the yolks and continue to cook by folding the ingredients over themselves in the skillet. Diced mushrooms occasionally to change thing up.

And there is always cheese if you dare and are getting enough fiber. I'm personally not into cheese much except for Romano for the flavor punch.

For Tex-Mex, I've been substituting corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. So we have chicken enchiladas instead of burritoes, etc. Fewer carbs in the corn tortillas and, after going lo-carb, I discovered that my body was much happier on a restricted gluten diet.

Broccoli slaw is great with peanut sauce.

I have also done broccoli slaw with a sesame dressing, dried cranberries, bleu cheese and sunflower seeds.

We watch carbs but are not on a low-carb diet. I often just do a larger serving of whatever vegetables we are having that night: whether a mix like a stir-fry or green beans.

I would work on taking some of your usual vegetables and find new ways of preparing them. If you like green beans try tossing with them with a bit of orange juice and toasted pecans and herbs. Roast your asparagus over some thing sliced oranges and shallots, etc.

Veggie purees are often overlooked. For example, cauliflower with a little goat's cheese is fab with coquilles Saint jacques. Carrot puree with brochettes of duck breast and chorizo is a match made in heaven!

Also, veggie waffles are great. There are lots of recipes on the web. We like grated carrot, grated courgette and onion. You can add a little cheese. Yum.

Yes, the game has changed. It's a completely new carb game. If it ain't a fat or protein, and you know what they are, it's a carb. Good or bad, a carb. And it works. For the first two weeks, forget about good carbs. Aim for no or low carbs.. And that's the secret. Go squirt some whipped cream into your mouth. You cannot have it all all of the time

I steam and chop up cauliflower,then mix it with sour cream,cheddar cheese,green onion, and crispy bacon. Put it in a roasting pan,top it with more cheese and bake until bubbly.

Another low carb favorite is roasted brocolli. Toss it in some canola oil with salt and pepper. Roast it at 400 for about 15 to 20 minutes. When it comes out I toss it with fresh garlic,olive oil and either red wine vinegar or lemon juice.

Fajitas is one of my favorite lo-carb meals. The adaptation to lower carbs means eating just a dollop of refried beans and lots more guacamole.

Taco salad is another favorite.

Sauteed mushroom, peppers, onions and garlic with any veggie is great. also take some carrots and peel them length wise (will look like pasta) cook with some butter and a little bit of brown sugar or maple syrup. This is good with steak.

Eggplant--I like it fried or made into Eggplant Parmesan.

Chicken enchilada soup can be made reasonably lo-carb.

I've found that it helps to incorporate casseroles/ one-dish type meals into the rotation--recipes that center on lower carb ingredients and token am'ts of higher carb ones. (Soups, for instance.)

Slightly off the wall but, when I make Sloppy Joes for the family, for my serving, I spoon the meat mixture over shredded cabbage (instead of a bun.) Sounds weird but actually tastes darned good.

COTTAGE CHEESE AND TOMATO CUP

(A great recipe when tomatoes are plentiful that works well for breakfast, lunch, or a side-dish)

1 cup cottage cheese

2 c. diced tomatoes

1/2 c. diced cucumber

1/4 t. dried basil (use fresh basil if you have it)

Mix all ingredients. Net carbohydrates - 18-grams. Lower the carbs by using more diced cucumber and less tomatoes.

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BASIL WITH MOZZARELLA AND TOMATOES

(serves 2)

16 fresh basil leaves

8 slices ripe tomato (2 med. tomatoes)

8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese (1/2 oz. slices)

2 T. balsamic vinegar

2 t. olive oil

Arrange 8 basil leaves on each serving plate. Top with 4 slices of tomato and then with 4 slices of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle half of the vinegar and half of the olive oil onto each plate. [Grainlady note: I also like a little fresh ground pepper, fresh ground nigella, or fresh ground papaya seeds on this dish. Net carbohydrates - 9-grams.

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BLT CUKES

1/2 c. finely chopped lettuce

1/2 c. finely chopped spinach

3 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

1/4 c. finely diced tomato

1 T. plus 1-1/2 t. fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 t. black pepper

1/8 t. salt

1 large cucumber

1. Combine lettuce, spinach, bacon, tomato, mayonnaise, pepper and salt in a medium bowl; mix well.

2. Peel cucumber; trim off ends and cut in half lengthwise. Use spoon to scoop out seeds; discard seeds.

3. Divide bacon mixture between cucumber halves, mounding in the center. Garnish with parsley. Cut into 2-inch pieces.

Makes 8-10 pieces. Carbohydrates per serving: 2 g.

A good recipe for eggplant (best with really fresh oriental eggplant, but works with Italian types, too) is Persian Turmeric Eggplant.

1. Cut the eggplant into thin coins and place in a super hot skillet (cast iron if you have one).
2. Sprinkle the slices with turmeric, dried thyme, salt, and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
3. When the bottom has a nice brown sear, flip it over and season that side (no oil, though). Cook till the other side is brown.

Even people who hate eggplant will eat this.

But if your eggplant is very seedy when you start slicing, it's too old to be really good in this dish. Better to find another way to use it up.

Sausage & Kale soup.

And something I haven't tried yet but want to is roasted Pablano peppers in cream sauce (Rajas con crema). Aphids attacked my pepper plants last summer and the home-made aphid cure that I found on the internet ended up defoliating the plants. My growing season is short so the plants didn't have enough summer left to recover & produce.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_poblanos_in_cream_sauce_rajas_con_crema/

And there are the cream soups like cream of broccoli & cream of cauliflower but you run into the problem with thickening them. Xanthan gum is one way to thicken that I've read about but haven't tried yet.

It's been a cold, rainy day and I've been going through recipes....

BROCCOLI, BACON AND CHEDDAR TOSS

(9 g. carb. per 1/2-cup serving)

3 c. broccoli florets

2 oz. (1/2 c.) shredded Cheddar cheese

1/3 c. raisins

1/4 c. chopped red onion

DRESSING:

1/2 c. mayonnaise

2 T. sugar [could substitute non-calorie sweetener]

2 t. lemon juice

Add-in: 8 slices bacon, crispy cooked, crumbled

In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; mix well. Pour dressing ingredients; mix well. Pour dressing over salad; toss to combine. Just before serving, stir in bacon. Yield: Nine (1/2-cup) servings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ZUCCHINI CAPONATA

(I usually make 1/2 a recipe, which is still a LOT!!! I use it for a vegetarian lunch. Sometimes I'll add a sliced mozzarella cheese stick.)

3 g. carbs per 1/4-cup

1/3 c. olive or vegetable oil (I use 1 T.)

1 c. chopped onions

1/2 c. sliced celery

1/4 c. chopped yellow bell pepper

1/4 c. chopped red bell pepper

3 c. cubed zucchini

2 c. seeded, chopped tomatoes

2 T. chopped fresh basil OR 2 t. dried basil leaves

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 c. small pitted ripe olives

2 T. capers, drained (I've never used them)

Heat oil in heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and peppers. Cook and stir 5-10 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium; cook 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate 8-12 hours or overnight. Serve with pita bread wedges. Yield: 4-cups.

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LEMON-PEPPER VEGETABLES

(If you want a whole meal add any kind of stir-fried meat.)

Makes 6-servings - 5 g. carbohydrate per serving

1 c. 1/4-inch slices yellow squash (about 1-medium) (I also use frozen zucchini/squash in this recipe)

1 small red bell pepper; cut into 1/4-inch strips

1/3 c. diagonal slices celery (about one stalk)

1/3 c. 1-inch pieces green onions with tops (about 3)

1 t. vegetable oil

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 t. lemon pepper seasoning

4 oz. Chinese pea pods

Cook squash, bell pepper, celery and onions in oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over med-high heat about 2-minutes, stirring frequently, until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook about 1 minute stirring frequently, until pea pods are hot. 6-servings

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GLUTEN-FREE (ALSO LOW-CARB) ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Yield: 4-servings, 4-grams carbs per serving

2 med. zucchini

2 green onions

1/4 c. almond flour

1/4 c. parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 eggs

salt and pepper

2 T. coconut oil (for frying)

Grate zucchini and parmesan into a bowl. Add eggs, green onions, almond flour and season with salt. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat waiting for pan to get hot. Spoon mixture into pan and fry until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STEAMED VEGETABLES WITH HERB SAUCE

Yield: 6 servings; 11-grams carbohydrates

3 c. cauliflowerets (about 1#)

2 med. zucchini, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices

1 med red, green or yellow bell pepper; cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 lemon half

Prepare Herb Sauce. Place steamer basket in 1/2 inch water (water should NOT touch bottom of basket). Place cauliflowerets, zucchini and bell pepper in basket. Cover tightly and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Steam about 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Arrange vegetables on plate. Squeeze lemon over vegetables. Serve with Herb Sauce.

HERB SAUCE

3/4 c. plain nonfat yogurt

1 t. honey (or non-calorie sweetener of choice)

3/4 t. chopped fresh or 1/4 t. dried basil leaves

3/4 t. chopped fresh or 1/4 t. dried tarragon leaves

1/4 t. salt

1 clove garlic, crushed

Dash of dried dill weed

Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2-hours but no longer than 24-hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ZUCCHINI NACHOS

1 med. zucchini (7-8-inches long), sliced

1/8 t. onion powder

1/8 t. dried basil leaves, crushed

2 oz. (1/2-cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 c. coarsely chopped pepperoni

1-2 t. grated Parmesan Cheese

Microwave Directions: On medium microwave-safe plate, arrange zucchini slices. Sprinkle with onion powder and basil. Top with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and Parmesan cheese. Microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 1 serving; 7-grams carbohydrate

And there are the cream soups like cream of broccoli & cream of cauliflower but you run into the problem with thickening them. Xanthan gum is one way to thicken that I've read about but haven't tried yet.

You can also use cashews, but in my experience a soup thickened that way doesn't hold over all that well. But if you're only making enough that it will all get eaten at once, there are plenty of vegan cream soups that use cashews instead of dairy and flour.

More veggies and less liquid and soup will be thick enough.

Blend a portion of the vegetables and pour them back into the soup and it will thicken it.

I do use the stick blender a lot of the time but sometimes need something else. Have a Broccoli cheese soup recipe that uses potato for thickening but I need to find an alternative to the potatoes.

I didn't know that cashews can be used for a thickener. Though no cashew in this house ever survives long enough to get near a pot of soup, so that info is an interesting bit of trivia! Occasionally, but not often, a few last long enough to top a salad.

Okra is another lo-carb vegetable. Slipped off my radar since I don't live where it's warm enough to grow it.

Mention of the cashews caused me to remember a favorite summer meal. Yard Bird Salad. A dollop of prepared chicken salad on top of a combination lettuce salad with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts and some raspberry vinaigrette. A few dried cranberries or some sliced strawberry is a nice addition.

Here's a cream of asparagus soup made with cashews that I've made in the past. It's palatable the first day, not so much after it's been chilled overnight:

http://vegangela.com/2014/04/29/cream-of-asparagus-soup/

Thanks -- I copied many of these ideas. Right now, I am burned out and it's been two weeks. I actually bought 4 bags of Green Giant frozen seasoned veggies (about 50 cals a serving). All this produce buying, washing and chopping everyday, plus trying to find an interesting protein main meal is kind of killing me.