If you are like most fitness women, eating a lower carb diet is pretty routine. Sure, it’s easy to decrease the carbs in your diet: Simply stay away from foods that are high in simple sugars such as white rice, bread, pasta and processed junk. That said, eating the same old chicken and broccoli can get old fast. As you may have experienced, diet monotony can lead to diet breakdowns. So what’s the alternative? Get creative! In this post, I’m providing you with 8 healthy low carb alternatives that will add excitement to your low carb eating plan with minimal additional calories.
1. Zucchini Pasta
Zucchini can be sliced thinly to make a lasagna style noodle or can be grated using a simple box grater to make spaghetti style noodle. Use Zucchini in place of noodles in a stir fry, pasta dishes or even in salads instead of the usual mixed greens. Zucchini delivers 3.5 g of carbs, 1 g of fiber and 30% of your daily Vitamin C needs per one cup serving.
2. Lettuce Wraps
Romaine, leaf or iceberg lettuce make the perfect replacement for flour made wraps or taco shells. If you are tired of eating salad and chicken, why not try making a lettuce wrap? Use avocado, grilled veggies and strips of grilled chicken breast. In the mood for a taco bowl, line a bowl with iceberg lettuce, and add cooked extra lean ground beef, salsa, and avocado.
3. Mashed Cauliflower
Instead of mashed potatoes, try mashed cauliflower. Cauliflower is a mild tasting cruciferous vegetable that packs a ton of fiber. Cook a head of chopped Cauliflower using a vegetable steamer. Once cooked, place into a food processor along with 1 clove of pressed garlic, salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Add a bit of the water used for steaming. Blend until smooth! One cup of cauliflower delivers 5 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of fiber, along with 85% of the daily value for vitamin C.
4. Sweet Potato Hash Browns
Looking for a switch up from your daily oatmeal breakfast? Try Sweet Potato Hash Browns instead. Use leftover cooked sweet potato to form a patty and pan fry it in a non-stick pan using a bit of coconut oil. Another option is to grate raw sweet potato and pan fry in a non-stick pan using a bit of coconut oil, ¼ cup chopped sweet onion, salt, pepper and ½ clove of pressed garlic. You probably already know the benefits of sweet potato: 1 cup packs 27 g of carbs and 4 g of fiber, along with a whopping dose of Beta-Carotene!
5. Shredded Cabbage Noodles
Cabbage noodles are a great way to get in your cruciferous vegetables. Eat them instead of rice in a stir fry or add them to salad to up your veggie content! Simply shred cabbage and pan fry in a non-stick pan until soft, if eating in a stir fry. Add it raw to salads. One cup of shredded cabbage provides 4.1 g of carbs and 1.8 g of fiber, along with 40% of your daily Vitamin C needs.
6. Baked Taro Root Fries
Steam Taro Root, and peel off skin. Cut peeled Taro into quarters, place on a nonstick baking sheet and add rosemary, salt and pepper. Place in a pre-heated oven and bake on a nonstick pan at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes. Then flip and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve alongside your meat, instead of the usual brown rice or sweet potato! A half-cup serving delivers 23 g of carbs and 3.5 g of fiber!
7. Shirataki Noodles
If you are not into the work needed to prep Zucchini noodles, try Shirataki instead. Shirataki noodles are made from Konjac root, which is comprised of Glucomannan, a water-soluble dietary fiber. Glucomannan swells in the gut and slows down digestion, reducing hunger and cravings. Shirtaki noodles delivers 0 g of carbs per 3 oz serving.
8. Cauliflower Rice
This is a simple and easy replacement for regular rice. Take a head of chopped Cauliflower and place in a food processor. Process until evenly chopped but not completely pulverized. Remove from food processor. Spread cauliflower on a baking sheet evenly. Bake for 15 minutes in a oven pre-heated to 425F. Flip at least once. Serve as your side dish.
