You’ve probably already heard about resistant starch, a type of starch that is very beneficial for the intestine.

Many foods that we usually consume such as cereals, legumes or potatoes contain starches, which are a type of carbohydrate like sugars and fiber. In recent years many people have stopped consuming or reduced carbohydrate-rich foods for thinking that they are unhealthy and that they influence weight, but not all carbohydrates are the same and, if we consume the correct ones, the unrefined carbohydrates rich in resistant starches They provide many health benefits.

What is resistant starch and what is it for?

Resistant starch is a type of starch that the body cannot digest, which is where the name comes from, since it is resistant to digestionand in this aspect it resembles fiber.

Normally, digestive enzymes break down starches in the intestine and convert them into glucose. However, resistant starch, due to its composition, reaches the intact colon and feeds the intestinal microbiota there. Furthermore, from its fermentation, short chain fatty acids which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Additionally, resistant starch has other benefits:

• Contributes to reduce insulin resistance, because since starch cannot be digested, insulin does not rise. That is why it is especially beneficial for people with diabetes and prediabetes, as it reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Can help with weight control,
• Contributes to lower cholesterol levelsIt strengthens the heart and can help prevent many diseases.
• It is very beneficial for people who suffer constipation.

Foods: which ones contain it?

Typically, resistant starch can be found in foods rich in carbohydrates such as cereals and tubers that we cook normally, if after cooking them We cool them for at least 24 hours in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Once we have cooked and cooled those starchy foods, the starch changes its composition and becomes resistant starch.

Then we can heat them slightlysince starch does not change its structure again, and thus we can consume them in the usual way.

The foods richest in resistant starch are cooked and cooled potatoes, pasta, rice and sweet potatoes, cereals such as barley, quinoa and oats, plantains and unripe green bananas and their flour and all types of legumes.

Initially, introducing large amounts of this type of resistant starch can cause gas, so it is best to incorporate these foods little by little.

Recipes rich in resistant starch

The ideal is to prepare carbohydrates during batch cooking and consume throughout the week in salads, bowls and quick stir-fries. This way you achieve the prebiotic effect without too much effort and, in addition, you organize yourself to eat healthier during the week. Here you have four recipes rich in this resistant starch, for different times of the week.

Warm black rice and pumpkin salad

Preparation: 20 minutes – Cooking: 30 minutes

a salad delicious for the fall months when the pumpkin is at its optimal point. Prepare a double amount to take to work the following days.

Serve with tofu or tempeh grilled or some legume burgers or, if you want to add more protein, add a cup of cooked chickpeas.

Ingredients (4 people):

• 200 g of black rice cooked and chilled in the refrigerator for 24 hours
• 8 large kale (or radicchio) leaves
• half red onion
• 4 tablespoons parsley
• 1 grenade
• 50 g walnuts
• 30 g cranberries

For the pumpkin:

• half a brown pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the vinaigrette:

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic
• black pepper
• salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil with the salt and spices. Seed the pumpkin, cut it diced with your skin and bathe it in the mixture. Pour onto an oven tray and bake. about 30 minutes until it is cooked. In the last 7 minutes add the walnuts.
3. While the pumpkin is cooking, you will prepare the vinaigrette and then the salad. Peel and chop the garlic. in a bowl mix all the vinaigrette ingredients and taste the taste.
4. Wash the kale and remove the stems. Chop the leaves and put them in a bowl. Peel the onion and cut into julienne. Remove the seeds from the grenade and add to the bowl along with the kale. Chop the parsley and add to the salad.
5. Add the blueberries and ricesalt and pepper and mix well.
6. Dress with the vinaigrette and let everything rest together until the pumpkin is finished cooking. Once it is ready, add it to the salad, mix well and serve warm.

Curried potatoes and chickpeas with yogurt sauce

Preparation: 15 minutes -Cooking: 30 minutes

In this case we use potatoes rich in prebiotic resistant starch to prepare a simple and nutritious dinner. It is ideal for days when we don’t feel like cooking, since the oven can cook for us. Simply cut the already cooked potatoes and the vegetables you have on handand add your favorite protein, in this case chickpeas which, when cooked, will also provide you with resistant starch. If you prefer, use tofu or tempeh instead.

Then add the spices, mix and in half an hour dinner is ready. If you prefer, you can prepare the dish in a pan.

Ingredients (4 people):

• 4 potatoes cooked with their skin on and chilled for 24 hours in the refrigerator
• 400 g cooked chickpeas
• 1 cauliflower
• 1 red onion
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cilantro
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• a pinch of cayenne
• 2 teaspoons of salt

For the yogurt sauce:

• 250 g coconut yogurt
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 2 handfuls of fresh cilantro
• salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees.
2. Cut the potatoes with skin in pieces. Drain the chickpeas well and dry. Wash the cauliflower and cut into florets. Peel the onion and cut into slices. Place the vegetables and chickpeas on a baking tray.
3. Peel and crush the garlic to make the mash. In a small bowl, mix the oil with the rest of the spices from the macerate.
4. Pour the marinade over the potatoes, chickpeas and vegetablesmix well, put in the oven and bake about 30 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked and the chickpeas are crisp.
5. While it’s being done, prepare the yogurt sauce. In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the garlic, salt, lemon juice and nutritional yeast.
6. Wash the cilantro and remove the leaves. Once the vegetables and chickpeas are ready, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with the sauce of yogurt.

Baked oatmeal porridge

Preparation: 10 minutes – Cooking: 40 minutes

Rolled oats contain a large amount of resistant starch in their raw state, which once cooked decreases, but if they are cooled, the amount increases again.

Therefore, to enjoy its benefits you can add oatmeal to energy balls or bars, prepare overnight oats, make the usual porridge and let it cool in the refrigerator or, for example, prepare this baked oatmeal porridge at the beginning of the week for the following days and thus be able to enjoy calmer mornings and, in addition, nourish the microbiota and promote health in general.

These porridge use bananas to sweetenbut we can also use apple or pear compote.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup or other sweetener
• 450 ml of vegetable drink
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• a pinch of salt
• a teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Optional: 1 cup blueberries or blackberries, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, raisins or dried cranberries

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees and grease a baking pan with a little oil.
2. Peel the bananas. in a blender mash the bananas with the drink, vanilla and syrup. Add the chia seeds, mix well and let sit for about 5 minutes.
3. In a bowl, Mix the oat flakes, salt, cinnamon and baking powder.
4. Add the wet mixture and mix well.
5. Add blueberries, chocolate, nuts or other dried fruits, place in a mold, smooth with a spatula and bake for about 35-40 minutes until firm to the touch.
6. Let cool completely, cover and put in the refrigerator. The next day cut and heat a little or consume cold.

Baked patacones or tostones (with green plantain)

Preparation: 10 minutes – Cooking: 35 minutes

The plantain is a variety of banana that, unlike regular plantains, is usually eaten cooked. These bananas are a little more elongated and larger and they can be found in fruit shops and stores run by Latin Americans. In Latin America, where they originate, they are consumed regularly, as in other tropical areas of Africa and Asia.

At a nutritional level they are interesting, because They contain much less sugar. We can find them from green to very ripe and both varieties are cooked. For a supply of resistant starch, we are interested in using green plantains.

This recipe makes a healthier version of «tostones» or «patacones»which are consumed as an appetizer or to accompany plantains in Latin America and are fried plantain pancakes.

We can also use plantains instead of potatoes in stews, stews, pots, curries, soups, purees or stir-friesadd mashed banana to biscuits or make chips. We can also prepare the same recipe with unripe green plantains as always.

Ingredients (4 people):

• 2 green plantains
• olive oil
• salt

Preparation:

1. fill a pot large with water and put it to heat.
2. Cut the ends of the plantains and make a cut in the skin lengthwise of the bananas. Put the bananas in the pot and cook until soft and can be easily pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and grease a tray with a little oil.
4. Once cooked, let cool and peel the bananas. Cut into 2 cm slices. Place the discs on the tray and crush with the help of a glass to make pancakes about 3 cm in diameter.
5. Season with salt, pepper or garlic powder, drizzle with oil and bake about 20 minutes until they start to brown.
6. Serve with your favorite sauce such as guacamole, pico de gallo, refried beans or to accompany dishes instead of potatoes.