If I was going to move from a keto / low-carb diet like a diet inspired by the writing of Gary Taubes, to a slow-carb, largely plant-based diet as inspired by the writing of Walter Willett, one of the main changes I would have to make is to bring on much, much more whole grain.
I think a mistake a lot of people make is rooted in the fact that industrial bread bakers haven't been entirely honest in labeling. The brown-colored "whole wheat" bread that you see in most markets categorically isn't made of whole grain. If something is made of whole grain, you will actually be able to see the whole grain.
Here are some examples of whole grain (from the article '9 of the Healthiest Whole Grains to Help You Eat More Fiber' by Eating Healthy:
- Bulgar
- Brown Rice
- Oats
- Farro
- Teff
- Sorghum
- Quinoa
- Buckwheat
Here's the problem though - I think most people just fundamentally don't have experience in preparing whole grains. I would absolutely love to take an in-person cooking class entirely focused on making healthful and tasty whole grains.
Referencing the Virta material, the decision about whether to shift from the one diet to the other depends entirely on the individuals carbohydrate tolerance. I universally think shifting from a well formulated keto diet back to the SAD (Standard American Diet) is a bad idea. You don't want to start eating bread, and pizza, and pasta, and potatoes. However, it would be fun to experiment with whether shifting some calories to actual whole grain allowed me either to keep losing weight, or to at least maintain.
That's at the crux of Willet's argument for whole grain: If you are metabolically healthy, and don't have insulin resistance or obesity, it might be a no-brainer to eat a largely plant-based diet in the way that he describes. However, that's not most Americans.
Video on the types of whole grain
Video on cooking whole grain - the "pasta method" doesn't seem that scary.
