I have been drastically cutting my carb intake. I have really noticed a change in my blood sugars and my waste line. I also cut out my diet sodas and my favorite thing in this world, bread. Well, most of it. Because I am diabetic, I believe that I need some carbs and I try to get that by having bread things, sometimes, because my blood sugars will drop really low sometimes. My suggestion is if you are a diabetic or have health issues, please check with your doctor before drastically changing your way of eating, or adjusting your medicines. I do. I also believe we should listen to our bodies.
To cut carbs or not to cut carbs, that is the question. When it comes to weight loss and health goals, this may be one of the most widely debated issues, which is exactly why we wanted to get to the bottom of it.
When you eat or drink things that have carbohydrate, your body breaks those carbs down into glucose (a type of sugar), which then raises the level of glucose in your blood. Your body uses that glucose, or sugar, for fuel to keep you going throughout the day.
Knowing what kind and how many carbs to eat is important for managing diabetes. Eating too many carbs can raise your blood glucose too high. This can cause trouble if you do not have enough insulin in your body to help deliver the glucose to the cells in your body. Eating too little carbohydrate can also be harmful because your blood glucose may drop too low, especially if you take medicines to help manage your blood sugar. Balance is key!
There are three main types of carbohydrates in food—starches, sugar and fiber. As you’ll see on the nutrition labels for the food you buy, the term “total carbohydrate” refers to all three of these types. And as you begin counting carbohydrates, you’ll want to stay away from food that has high carbs and instead choose a more balanced nutrient mix of carbs, protein, and fat.
The goal is to choose carbs that are nutrient-dense, which means they are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and low in added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats.
When choosing carbohydrate…
Eat the most of these: whole, unprocessed non-starchy vegetables.
Non-starchy vegetables like lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, and green beans have a lot of fiber and very little carbohydrate, which means little impact on your blood sugar.
Eat more of these: whole, minimally processed carbohydrate foods.
Fruits like apples, blueberries, strawberries, and cantaloupe
Whole intact grains like brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, and oatmeal
Starchy vegetables like corn, green peas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and plantain
Beans and lentils like black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and green lentils
Eat less of these: refined, highly processed carbohydrate foods and those with added sugar.
Sugary drinks like soda, sweet tea, and juice drinks
Refined grains like white bread, white rice, and sugary cereal
Sweets and snack foods like cake, cookies, candy, and chips
Foods high in starch include:
Starchy vegetables like peas, corn, lima beans and potatoes
Dried beans, lentils and peas such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black-eyed peas and split peas
Grains like oats, barley and rice (The majority of grain products in the US are made from wheat flour. These include pasta, bread and crackers, but the variety is expanding to include other grains as well.)
As for sugar, there are two main types:
Naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk or fruit
Added sugars such as those added during processing such as fruit canned in heavy syrup or sugar added in to a cookie
On the nutrition facts label, the number of sugar grams includes both added and natural sugars.
And as for fiber …
Remember that it comes from plant-based foods, so there’s no fiber in milk, eggs, meat, poultry, and fish. Healthy adults need between 25 and 30 grams of fiber a day.
Good sources of dietary fiber include:
Beans and legumes like black beans, kidney beans, pintos, chick peas, white beans, and lentils
Fruits and vegetables, especially those with edible skin (like apples and beans) and those with edible seeds (like berries)
Nuts—try different kinds. Peanuts, walnuts, and almonds are a good source of fiber and healthy fat, but watch portion sizes, because they also contain a lot of calories in a small amount.
Whole grains such as:
Whole wheat pasta
Whole grain cereals, specifically those with three grams of dietary fiber or more per serving, including those made from whole wheat, wheat bran, and oats
No matter whether you consume under 20g of carbs a day or go all the way up to 100g a day, these food substitutes will come in handy.
1. Cauliflower Rice Instead of Regular Rice
One cup of white rice contains 45 grams of carbs very little of which is fiber. Because white rice is stripped of its bran and germ, and then processed, it lacks the nutrients and fiber (source).
Essentially, white rice is just empty carbs. As bad as it sounds!Report this ad
A cup of cauliflower rice, on the other hand, contains only 5g of carbs of which 2g is fiber. It’s not a great source of energy. However, works beautifully as a rice substitute. Everything About Healthy Living on Cushy SpaPlay Video
The only problem – you have to make it yourself. Thus, you need a few very essential appliances: a food processor and a steamer.
2. Keto Bread Instead of Regular Wheat Bread
While it might seem nearly impossible to give up bread altogether, you might want to learn to cook it. Low carb bread usually doesn’t have the texture regular bread has, it’s more cheesy but with trial and error, you can get pretty close.Report this ad
While it’s time-consuming to cook it all the time, it’s a great option for the days when the cravings kick in. A loaf of a keto bread is usually around 3g in net carbs, so it’s definitely worth trying!
3. Lettuce Leaves Instead of Tortillas
If you love your tortillas and absolutely enjoy eating tacos and burritos, it might seem difficult to get into a low carb diet.
For example, 100g of tortilla contains 39g net carbs, which is double the carb limit for the whole day for some of you! So, it’s definitely NOT keto friendly.
Cannot bother buying any of this stuff? Just use lettuce leaves! They’re healthy, full of fiber and absolutely delicious!
4. Cauliflower Pizza Crust Instead of Regular Crust
Cauliflower crust doesn’t taste quite like regular crust but cauliflower pizzas are becoming ‘’a thing’’. Which means that you can probably order it and stay within your carb limits.
Another great dough to try, if you absolutely love pizza is fathead dough. It’s mostly made out of mozzarella, cream cheese, and coconut flour.
So, if you’re too lazy to cook, order cauliflower crust pizza. Otherwise, make your own pizza with fathead dough.
5. Zucchini Chips Instead of Potato Chips
Love your potato chips? Well, no matter the diet, that’s not exactly the food you should eat.Report this ad
A bag of potato chips contains up to 120g of carbs of which very little is fiber. An equivalent amount of zucchini chips, on the other hand, has around 18g of carbs.
That’s more than 6 times fewer carbs per bag. I think numbers speak for themselves.
6. Almond Flour Instead of Bread Crumbs
Since regular bread is no longer an option once you’re on the keto diet, it’s not a surprise bread crumbs fall into the same category. If you’ve been loving your chicken nuggets, it doesn’t mean you completely have to give them up on the low carb diet.
Instead, use almond flour. It’s a nice source of fats, proteins. Also, it’s low in net carbs.
I usually use almond flour instead of breadcrumbs with all of my recipes. That’s mostly because it’s just as good at creating the crust as breadcrumbs are.
7. Zucchini Noodles Instead of Regular Pasta
If you’re a busy person, you know how easy it is to make some pasta and bring it to work. It’s delicious and quick to make.
However, when ketogenic lunch becomes your only option, regular pasta has to go. That’s where making your own zucchini noodles will come in very handy.
The easiest way to make zucchini noodles is to use a spiralizer. Here is good quality, low budget spiralizer just for that.
However, if you don’t have a spiralizer, that’s not a problem. Use a standard vegetable peeler. It’ll take you more time to make the pasta though.
8. Avocado Halves Instead of Hamburger Buns
If you’re a burger fan, you can use low carb bread to make your favorite hamburgers. However, you could just as well use avocados.
Avocados are an amazing source of monosaturated fats which are considered the ‘’healthy fats’’. They also have a lot of fiber which is essential for healthy digestion and gut.
Also, once you start eating keto foods, you might end up consuming significantly smaller amounts of fiber. That, in turn, can cause bloating and other digestion issues.Report this ad
Thus, incorporate avocados into your meals. They’ll help you to keep your carb intake low and instead feed you with very much needed fiber.
9. Mashed Broccoli Instead of Potato Mash
Potato mash is surely something most of us have grown up with. It’s just a delicious side to have with a healthy dinner or delicious lunch.
With some butter, salt, and pepper, you can make mashed broccoli. Which, by the way, can be just as delicious. Give it a try.
If that’s not something you fancy eating, cauliflower mash is another potato mash substitute that is probably worth a try.Report this ad
10. Turnip Fries Instead of French Fries
Finding turnip fries has been a pleasant surprise for me. Plus, using the right spices and herbs can truly make them taste delicious.
Give them a try whenever you’re craving for French fries. Get a low carb ketchup sauce and treat yourself without risking getting out of ketosis.
11. Pork Rinds Instead of Bread Crumbs
If you’ve been doing research on keto recipes and been trying to figure out what are the potential low carb meals you can eat, you might have noticed that some of them use pork rinds.
What’s so great about them? They contain 0g of carbs. Yes, you’ve read it right!
That’s the reason why some of the keto meals that are very low in carbs (like these ones here), use them instead of almond flour!
Give them a try. Pork rinds can be a delicious ketogenic snack too.
12. Erythritol Instead of Sugar
Multiple studies show that erythritol is one of the healthiest sweeteners out there (source). It’s been a test for its toxicity levels and various effects on metabolism (source).
It doesn’t have a negative on the gut lining and thus has very low chances of negatively affecting your digestion.
So, use it instead of sugar with your favorite low carb desserts and ‘’cheat’’ without actually cheating.
A cup of skimmed milk contains around 12g of carbs. All of which is sugar.
Almond milk, while very different in consistency and taste, is much lower in carbs. A cup of it contains only 2g of carbs, which is great news when you’re on the keto diet.
14. Mushrooms Instead of Burger Buns
Grilled Portobello mushrooms can do for amazing burger buns. That’s, of course, if you like mushrooms in general.
Two Portobello heads contain only around 4.4g of net carbs. That’s approximately 10 times less than what you’d get from a regular burger bun.
15. Cheese Chips Instead of Potato/Tortilla Chips
Cheese chips are not only delicious but also great when you’re on the keto diet. Eat them with your favorite low carb dip and you’re ready to celebrate.Report this ad
These are great for family occasions because nobody will even notice that they’re low carb. Yes, they’re that delicious!
Conclusion
Beginning your keto diet or just low carb journey can be scary. While you want to make healthy life choices, cutting out your favorite foods can be both sad and stressful.
At the end of the day, food is a big part of our lives, and one of those luxuries most of us can afford. Thus, it’s natural to want to eat what you love, be healthy and lose some weight all at the same time.
The truth is, it’s possible! Try these low carb food swaps and continue eating what you love.
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