Are you cutting back on carbs? Try these foods instead
No matter your reason for wanting to cut back on carbohydrates, it can be difficult to do so when eating a standard American diet.
Instead of thinking about what to remove, it might be effective to consider what low-carb foods you can add to your diet to fill it with nutrients.
There are plenty of foods like vegetables, fruits and meats that can be added to your diet that are low in carbohydrates and big in flavor. Here are 16 foods low in carbohydrates to try if you are looking to cut back on carbohydrates.
To find out if a food is low in carbohydrates, check the nutritional label.
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Broccoli
Broccoli is a vegetable low in carbohydrates and easy to infuse with flavor. A simple way to cook broccoli is to toss it in olive oil, fresh minced garlic, salt, pepper and a sprinkling of red chili flakes for some heat, and then roast it. Squeeze some fresh lemon on top immediately before serving. Steamed broccoli is a quick and easy way to cook this vegetable, too. If you are looking to transform broccoli, consider ricing it, similar to how cauliflower can be riced, and then adding seasonings.
Fish
Fish is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. There are different kinds of fish you could eat like salmon, cod or halibut. Fish can be prepared simply with olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice and it goes well alongside other low-carbohydrate foods, like asparagus or broccoli, for a complete meal.
Spinach
Spinach is a leafy green that is low in carbohydrates and high in nutrients. Instead of making salad with lettuce, you could substitute spinach for a change in taste. Spinach also can be eaten cooked. When spinach cooks, it shrinks quite a bit and absorbs the flavors you cook it with, so it can be a way to highlight your favorite seasonings.
Eggs
Eggs are not just a high-protein breakfast food, they can be eaten any time of the day. They are low in carbohydrates and can be prepared in different ways that change how they taste. An omelette full of vegetables will taste different than a hard-boiled egg or two. Adding other low-carbohydrate vegetables like bell peppers, onions, spinach, mushrooms and more to eggs can be a way to increase the volume of your meal.
Turnip
Believe it or not, turnips are a cousin of broccoli, according to Medical News Today. Turnips can be roasted in a similar way to potatoes, so while the taste and texture of these two vegetables have some variation, turnips can act as a low-carbohydrate substitute for potatoes. Due to the mild flavor of turnips, it is important to season them with salt, pepper and other herbs and spices, since they will take on that flavor. Earthy flavors like sage can add dimension to turnips.
Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is thick, creamy and low in carbohydrates. When picking out a Greek yogurt to eat, check the label to see if there is any added sugar or flavorings, as that can increase the carbohydrate count. When you think about using Greek yogurt, you might be thinking about parfaits, but it can also be used to make pizza crust, bagels, pancakes and other bread products. You will use less flour when you use Greek yogurt, so it can be a way to lower carbohydrates while increasing protein.
Spaghetti squash
When roasted, spaghetti squash can be pulled out with a fork into spaghetti-like strips, hence the reason it has become a popular substitute for pasta. When you think about spaghetti squash, think about adding some flavor via a sauce. You could add a marinara sauce and serve it with parmesan on top and other flavors, or you could use a homemade pesto for a light, summery flavor. If you want to transition to using spaghetti squash instead of pasta, consider mixing pasta with spaghetti squash and over time, decreasing the amount of pasta you add.
Sirloin
Sirloin is a cut of meat low in carbohydrates and high in protein. You can sear sirloin to get a good crust on it, baste it with butter and olive oil after you sear it and season with salt, pepper and fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary. You can even make a quick pan sauce from the juices and butter from searing the steak and serve it alongside fresh vegetables.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a sweet, low-carb fruit that can be added to a meal (like in a salad or in a salsa on top of chicken) or can also be a dessert. You can whip up heavy cream and add a little bit of vanilla to have a sweet, creamy and low-carbohydrate dessert at the end of a meal, or pair spinach with strawberries, walnuts and a vinaigrette for a salad.
Cabbage
Cabbage is good for more than coleslaw. This vegetable absorbs a lot of flavors and seasonings, which makes it good for cooking. Green cabbage has less of a bitter flavor than red cabbage. Both of them can be used in salads or for cooking, so you have options when it comes to eating this vegetable. You can even try cooking cabbage like you would a steak to have a vegetable-centric dinner.
Bell pepper
Bell peppers are a versatile vegetable. You can chop them up and put them in a salad or you can grill them and put them on top of a tortilla with salsas and beans. You could also stuff them with meat and vegetables for stuffed peppers. These vegetables are low in carbohydrates and can be paired with beans or meat for protein.
Mushrooms
There are lots of different kinds of mushrooms, like oyster mushrooms and portobello mushrooms, that can be used for different purposes. You can use portobello mushroom cups like you would use buns or you can infuse oyster mushrooms with flavors like you would meat and add it on top of risotto.
Cheese
Cheese is a low-carbohydrate food that can accent a dish or be the star of your dish. You can use it alongside peppers and fruit for a charcuterie board or you could use it to accent your vegetables. After all, cheese and broccoli are a popular combination.
Zucchini
Zucchini is a low-carbohydrate vegetable that can be spiralized to act like a substitute for pasta or you can roast it on a sheet pan with other vegetables. While zucchini does not taste like pasta, spiralized zucchini can be used with a sauce, like marinara or Alfredo sauce, to be a substitute. You could also add it on top of a cauliflower crust pizza or in a sheet pan meal with chicken sausage and vegetables.
Avocado
Avocado is a high-fat and low-carbohydrate food known for being smashed up and put on toast, but it can be used in other ways. Say you want to throw together a low-carbohydrate burrito: take a low-carbohydrate tortilla, add peppers and onions along with some seasoned meat, and adorn with salsas and guacamole. Avocado makes a great addition to a salad, either by being chopped up on top or blended into a creamy dressing with lemon juice and other ingredients.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a low-carbohydrate vegetable that can be transformed into something like rice or can be mashed up like a potato to be a side dish. You can also grill cauliflower with some seasonings for a main dish. Since cauliflower has a mild flavor, it is easy to infuse it with different flavors. It can become part of a taco dish by adding taco seasoning or it can be eaten raw on its own.
Carbs vs. Net Carbs
Carbs refers to the total amount of carbohydrates in any given food, while net carbohydrates are usually the total number of carbohydrates minus the fiber count and sugar alcohol, per WebMD.
As an example, say a piece of bread has 11 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber. The total carbohydrates is 11 grams while the net carbohydrates add up to 9 grams.
“These terms have been made up by food companies,” Wahida Karmally, director of nutrition at the Irving Center for Clinical Research at Columbia University told WebMD. “It’s a way for the manufacturers of these products to draw attention to them and make them look appealing by saying, ‘Look, you can eat all these carbs, but you’re really not impacting your health, so to speak.’”
