You don’t have to sacrifice great taste when cutting carbs. These easy swaps are just as good as the original yet, they won’t wreck your waistline.
Go crazy with cauliflower
Who knew this humble, white head could be so versatile? Cauliflower is enjoying a renaissance of sorts as people repurpose it as a stand in for all kinds of carbs. Here are just a few:
• Cauliflower pizza crust – pulse the florets, steam, drain and cool before mixing with eggs, parmesan and seasonings. Spread onto the pizza pan and voila, you’ve got the base for pizza sans the carb-laden crust.
• Cauliflower rice – in just about 25 minutes you can have a tasty stand in for the more common carb. Use cauliflower “rice” another where you would use the usual grain.
• Cauliflower mashed potatoes – prepare cauliflower just as you would potatoes (boil until tender, mash, combine with milk and butter) and enjoy guilt free veggie creaminess.
Zucchini grilled cheese – check out Delish for a recipe from Lauren Miyashiro using zucchini as a stand in for bread in a grilled cheese sandwich. With just 40 minutes and a few pantry items you have the makings of a crispy, cheesy, fiber-filled treat for four. What better way to show your friends or loved ones how much you care about their health?
Veggie rolls – the options here are endless. Try tender collards, butter lettuce or romaine as the new vehicle for delivering morsels to your mouth. You can pile on protein (think shrimp, beef or even slices of turkey), top with tomatoes and feta, wrap up grains, or even a few slices of cucumber and a dollop of hummus. Let your imagination soar to reach new tasting heights.
Cloud bread – can’t imagine dinner without rolls on the side? Try cloud bread instead. This nearly carb free stand in is light, fluffy and gets rave reviews from testers. It is less than 100 calories per serving, and you probably have the ingredients (cream of tartar, sugar, cream cheese and eggs) on hand.
Zoodles – sure you already know about this one. Just about everyone seems to have a spiralizer these days. Don’t just stop at using zucchini as a stand in for spaghetti. You can also use spaghetti squash as a stand in, or try Kale Me Maybe’s recipe for spiralized sweet potato noodles with roasted red pepper cream sauce.
You don’t have to feel deprived when cut back on carbs. There are so many tasty stand-ins available to try you won’t even miss them.
