When considering the lists offered in the program itself, at first glance you may find the lists appear limited, but if you consider “whole grains” as a starchy carb, walking into a natural market will reveal scores of different grains, many with their own unique flavors and textures. Corn, peas, and tomatoes are starches, and legumes and beans (all varieties) have starchy and fibrous components. Just-ripe bananas can be considered starchy carbs for the purpose of the program. Sweet potatoes, eggplant, taro root, and Jerusalem artichoke (not an actual artichoke, but a sunflower that develops edible tasty starchy components).

Asian markets and international markets might also expose you to some other grain and vegetable based starches that are not common but very tasty. Ditto for fibrous veggies.

Many people beginning a supportive eating program find soups a way to introduce foods they typically wouldn’t eat but they find tasty in a mix of flavors.

If you’d like a resource for turning the concepts of lean protein, starchy carb, fibrous carb into limitless meals, consider my EAT! Book.

With all of that said, the USDA maintains a vast database of foods and nutrient values. If you Google the words “USDA food list database” you should find several resources that reference foods and their nutrient content. You can also explore the resources at:

http://www.nutrition.gov/
http://www.usda.gov

I’d also encourage you to go into a Whole Foods or natural market and ask their resident nutritionist to show you some of the grains, cereals, the variety of whole and natural grain rice products, and vegetable-based starches that can fit into supportive eating. Then follow with a tour of the vegetable selections that fit more into the fibrous category.

Patience and experimentation will help you find meals that fit ideally into your new fitness lifestyle.