1. Cauliflower Rice Instead of White Rice
Cauliflower rice has 7 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup serving, compared to white rice with 22 grams. Additionally, cauliflower rice adds 3 grams of fiber to your meal, which can help keep you full for longer. Cauliflower makes for a great alternative to rice that is packed with nutrients and vitamins and saves you some carbs and calories. You can buy prechopped cauliflower rice frozen or fresh, or make your own at home with a food processor
2. Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles) or Spaghetti Squash for Pasta.
Spiralize zucchini or use spaghetti squash to create noodle alternatives for your favorite pasta dishes.
3. Portobello Mushrooms or Lettuce for Burger Buns.
Use large, grilled portobello mushroom caps or crisp lettuce leaves in place of high-carb buns to hold your burger patty.
4. Veggie Slices or Nuts/Seeds for Chips.
Snack on sliced carrots, bell peppers, or kale chips instead of potato chips. For added crunch in salads, use nuts and seeds as a substitute for croutons.
5. Cauliflower for Mashed Potatoes.
Boiled and mashed cauliflower is a creamy, low-carb alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.
6. Lettuce Leaves for Tortillas/Wraps.
Use large lettuce leaves to wrap fillings for tacos, burritos, or sandwiches, reducing the carb count significantly.
7. Kelp Noodles for Pasta or in Salads.
These noodles made from seaweed have very few net carbs and are a great, versatile substitute for pasta in stir-fries and salads.
8. Eggs for a Low-Carb Breakfast.
Eggs are a perfect low-carb, high-protein breakfast choice to replace sugary cereals, providing sustained fullness.
9. Chia Breakfast Pudding for Sweetened Oatmeal.
Oatmeal is a super-healthy breakfast food, but it’s always nice to have other options.
Per 1-cup serving, chia seed pudding contains 30 grams of carbohydrate compared with sweetened oatmeal’s 49 grams, many of which are from added sugar. Though chia seeds don’t have the whole grains of oatmeal, they pack a variety of their own unique health benefits. Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect your heart, and antioxidants that prevent inflammation and chronic disease. To top it all off, one serving of this pudding boasts 10 grams of fiber, which is 40% of your recommended daily intake.
10. Sichuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Lettuce Wrap for Bread. There’s a reason lettuce wraps are popular. You keep all the delicious filling, but get to cut out 12 grams of carbs.
A large lettuce leaf has only 1 gram of carbs and 5 calories and is a great option for people trying to cut calories in general. Lettuce has a high water content, so it’s a light, fresh alternative to bread to help keep you hydrated.
11. Zucchini Noodles for Linguine.
Zucchini noodles have 4 grams of carbs per cup, compared to traditional linguine with 35 grams. This is another tasty substitute for regular pasta for those who are gluten-free or counting carbs. Added bonus: zucchini noodles are quick to make from scratch and cook in just a few minutes. You can also find them pre-spiralized in the fresh produce section or freezer section of your store.
12. Flavored Seltzer for Soda.
It is probably not news to anyone that soda contains a lot of sugar and calories without much nutrition. The 41 grams of carbs found in a typical 12-ounce can of soda come from added sugar, and provide almost double the recommended daily limit for added sugar. Comparatively, seltzer has zero grams of carbs per 12-ounce can and zero calories as well. If you’re used to the sweetness of soda, try adding a splash of juice to your seltzer for more flavor. You can still get your bubbly fix in a low-carb way.
Substitute pure, distilled spirits for beer.
13. Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Spaghetti squash lasagna has around 34 grams of carbs per serving (one quarter of a squash), which is substantially less than the 45 grams of carbs in classic lasagna. Spaghetti squash is fun to eat straight out of the skin, and the strands truly do resemble pasta noodles. This cheesy recipe is delicious twist on a classic.
Yogurt with Blueberries
14. Plain Yogurt with Fruit for Flavored Yogurt
At 13 grams of carbs per cup, plain yogurt with fruit added on top has just one-third the carbs of traditional fruit-flavored yogurt (47 grams per cup). Fruit gives you sweetness without the added sugar of fruit-flavored products. Additionally, fruit adds between 2 and 4 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup to help keep your stomach satisfied and your gut healthy.
15. Cauliflower Pizza Crust
This recipe for cauliflower pizza crust has 7 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber per slice compared to the 24 grams of carbs and zero grams of fiber in wheat crust. It also provides 75% of the Daily Value of vitamin C. Next time you’re having a pizza night, give this veggie-loaded alternative a try. If you buy your cauliflower pizza crust, just know that nutrition varies from brand to brand.
16. Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts – Sliced Nuts for Croutons
Nuts are a great, low-carb way to add crunch to a salad without adding croutons (which have about 7 grams of carbs per 1/4-cup serving). Most nuts have 1 to 2 grams of carbs per tablespoon (note the smaller serving size), saving you 5 grams per serving compared with croutons. Additionally, nuts are loaded with protein and healthy fat to give a nutritional boost to your salad. Toast nuts and add spices; you won’t even notice that the croutons are gone.
17. Baked Parmesan Zucchini Fries for Potato Fries
These delicious, cheesy zucchini fries have 18 grams of carbohydrates (per cup) while their potato counterparts have about 24 grams for the same-size serving. When the garden is overflowing with zucchini, it can be easy to get into a creative rut. If you are getting bored with zucchini noodles, try this crispy low-carb snack. These fries are coated in a bit of cornstarch and Parmesan to get a crispy coating.
lemon-pepper cucumbers
18. Cucumber Slices for Crackers: Saves 14 Grams of Carbs
Need a vehicle for dips, sauces or cheese, but looking to cut carbs? Look no further. A 1/2-cup serving of sliced cucumber has less than 2 grams carbs, which is a fraction of the carb content of traditional crackers (16 grams per 1/2 cup ). Many processed crackers are high in sodium too, whereas cucumbers are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium, which helps keep your blood pressure in check. Add a creamy dip or some cheese for a satisfying low-carb snack.
Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
19. Cauliflower Mac & Cheese for Mac & Cheese
OK, OK. Technically, this cauliflower “mac” doesn’t have any macaroni. But it does have all the saucy, cheesy goodness of mac and cheese with only 12 grams of carbohydrate per serving—compared to around 60 grams in a serving of traditional mac and cheese. As an added bonus, the cauliflower brings 87% of your Daily Value of vitamin C, which gives your immune system a boost.
20. Chickpea Flour for White Flour
If you follow a gluten-free diet, you may already be familiar with the idea of alternative flours. There are numerous non-wheat types and flavors, from chickpea flour to coconut flour to almond flour. Luckily, along with being gluten-free and high in protein, chickpea flour has only 27 grams of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup, compared to 48 grams per 1/2 cup of white flour. You can’t use it as a direct substitute for white flour, but try it out in socca and other recipes that call for chickpea flour.
21. Creamy Mashed Cauliflower for Mashed Potato
Even with 32 grams of carbs per serving, it can be hard to think of something delicious that could replace mashed potatoes. With only 10 grams of carbs per serving, this mashed cauliflower gets creamy and makes a pretty delicious potato substitute. It also has fewer calories and more protein and fiber than traditional mashed potatoes.
ALTERNATELY you can use oven-roasted celery root
22. Cauliflower Buns for Wheat Buns
These cauliflower buns contain only 8 grams of carbs compared to wheat buns with 26 grams of carbs. Like other cauliflower starch replacements, they are packed full of nutrition: this recipe, made with cheese, has 107% your Daily Value of vitamin C and 24% of your DV of calcium. Additionally, they can be made in less than an hour and stored in the freezer.
ALTERNATELY you can use low-carb, high-fiber crispbreads.
23. For candy, substitute 70% or higher cacao dark chocolate.
Dove Chocolates are quick and easy, and are limited in size alredy.
Bottom Line
To be clear, carbs are not inherently bad for your health—and our bodies (and brains especially) need carbs to function. However, if you are trying to cut out refined-grain foods, we have several ideas for low-carb swaps. Adding vegetables, nuts and legumes to your diet helps boost nutrients and fiber, which can help you lose weight, prevent chronic disease and feel fantastic.
