What the McDougall Starch Solution Actually Is (and What It Isn’t)
One of the questions I’ve already been asked since sharing that I’m transitioning away from keto is this:
“So… what are you eating now?”
And just as importantly:
“Aren’t starchy veggies like potatoes and carbohydrates like pasta what make people gain weight?”
Those questions make sense — especially if, like me, you’ve spent years avoiding carbohydrates and being told that bread, potatoes, rice and pasta are the problem.
So before I share more of my personal experience, I want to clearly explain what the McDougall Starch Solution is, and what it is not.
First — what it isn’t
The Starch Solution is not:
- a refined-carb, sugar-heavy way of eating
- a free-for-all on pastries, ultra-processed foods or oils
- a “high-carb, high-fat” diet
- a short-term detox or cleanse
It’s also not about forcing yourself to eat foods you hate, or eating constantly.
What the Starch Solution is
Dr John McDougall’s Starch Solution is a whole-food, plant-based approach built around foods humans have thrived on for centuries.
At its centre are starches such as:
- potatoes and sweet potatoes
- rice
- oats
- corn
- legumes
These are eaten alongside:
- vegetables
- fruits
- minimal added fats
- no animal products (in its traditional form)
If you’d like to explore this approach further, Dr John McDougall has generously made a free Starch Solution resource available. It outlines the philosophy, food framework, and reasoning in his own words — and is a helpful place to go if you prefer learning directly from the source rather than through interpretation.
The idea is simple but powerful:
Build meals around satisfying, low-fat, high-fibre carbohydrates that naturally regulate appetite.
Why starch doesn’t behave like we’ve been taught to fear
For years, I feared all carbohydrates.
Not just sugar — but rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, and even fruit beyond berries.
Listening to Dr McDougall and Chef AJ speak about calorie density was one of the first things that challenged that fear.
Starches:
- are bulky
- are fibre-rich
- have a high water content
- are slow to digest when eaten whole
That means you can eat a generous volume of food while still staying within your body’s natural energy needs — without tracking or restriction.
This is very different to:
- processed carbs
- oil-heavy plant foods
- keto-style fat bombs
- “plant-based” foods that are still calorie dense
Why this approach appealed to me now
After years of fasting and low-carb eating, I noticed something uncomfortable:
- I was often hungry, even when technically “fed”
- animal protein didn’t feel satisfying in my body
- I was mentally negotiating food all day
- staying in ketosis required constant vigilance
That level of control might work short term — but long term, it felt emotionally and physiologically stressful.
The Starch Solution offered something I hadn’t felt in a long time:
Permission to eat to satiety — without fear.
Especially relevant for women in midlife
As I’ve been reading Age Like a Girl by Dr Mindy Pelz, one thing stood out to me.
She encourages women in perimenopause and menopause to:
- reduce extreme fasting
- support cortisol balance
- reintroduce whole carbohydrates
- include root vegetables and tubers
That advice highlighted just how deeply I’d come to fear carbohydrates — even when they were being recommended for hormonal health.
The McDougall approach gave me a framework to:
- reintroduce carbs
- without overdoing fat
- without tracking
- without spiralling into anxiety
This is not about choosing sides
This series is not about keto versus carbs.
Keto has helped many people — including me — at different times.
But bodies change.
Seasons change.
And what once felt supportive can eventually feel like strain.
This exploration is about:
- nourishment instead of control
- metabolic safety instead of stress
- learning how to eat carbohydrates without fear
In the next post, I’ll share what the first few days actually felt like — bloating, scale panic, and the surprising calm that followed.
Because understanding the theory is helpful.
But lived experience is where trust is rebuilt.
Next in the series:
