Originally Posted by peachfront

I wouldn't be so sure. Eat to the meter. Rice does not become safe just because it's brown. Potatoes don't become safe just because they're orange. My husband's readings show that brown rice is particularly bad for him. There is no logical reason why your body would know or care what color your rice or potatoes were, if you stop and think about it. IMHO there are political reasons why the USDA is reluctant to advise people to stay away from the cheap carbs -- and doctors, who are not nutritionists, are just repeating advice that isn't science-based. Nobody wants to be the bad guy who says, "no rice for you" so they mumble that maybe brown rice will work OK and hope for the best. I'd trust the meter rather than the mumble. We've been promoting low fat diets with whole grains since the early 1990s. Result -- the largest epidemic of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes in human history. And no one likes her rice better than I do. I just accept that it should be served in small quantities and considered a treat, not something that regularly appears alongside your steak because it's cheap.

Most of my favorite steakhouse sides have already been mentioned here -- creamed spinach, asparagus with a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, mushrooms sauteed in butter (I especially like oysters), broccoli. Here is one in a category I don't see mentioned yet: An easy turnip green or collard recipe is to cook down the greens, saute some sweet chopped onion in bacon fat and a little fresh chopped rosemary from my garden, then stir back in the greens. Sprinkle with salt, fresh-ground black pepper, the chopped cooked bacon. If you don't have or don't want to use any bacon, you can use olive oil for the fat and a little more chopped rosemary. A different taste but still flavorful.