5 Easy Ways to Cut Carbs

People always tell me they’re scared to cut out processed carbohydrates because they don’t know how they’d give up things like spaghetti, rice, sandwich bread, etc. I have been eating a low-carb diet for about 4 years and at first, I had these very same fears. However, with a few simple tricks, I realized pretty quickly that there were much healthier carb substitutes to replace the classic processed, super sugary ones I was used to. And, I realized that it actually wasn’t the carbs that I liked so much about these dishes… it was the sauce I put on top of the spaghetti or the ingredients I put inside the sandwich. Here are 5 easy carb substitutes to make going low-carb a breeze! Spaghetti Squash instead of pasta – This is one of my all time favorite foods. It’s incredibly versatile and a seamless substitute for traditional spaghetti. Enjoy it simply with some butter, salt and pepper or combine with any type of traditional spaghetti sauce/dish – red sauce and meatballs, pesto, even cream sauce! Cauliflower instead of rice or mashed potatoes –To sub for rice, simply steam the cauliflower and place in a food processor with a little bit of coconut oil, ghee or butter plus salt and pepper and pulse until it resembles the texture of rice. To sub for mashed potatoes, follow the same steps but use a high-powered blender and blend until smooth, just like potatoes. Zucchini instead of pasta – I use zucchini to replace spaghetti and lasagna noodles. For spaghetti, simply buy a spiralizer or a julienne peeler and turn your zucchini into thin noodles. For a lasagna substitute, use a mandolin to for long, thin strips and use just as you would traditional noodles. Keep in mind that zucchini contains a fair amount of water so if you are combining it with a sauce, make sure it’s a little thicker than you would use with traditional pasta. Lettuce instead of bread – Believe me, bread can be pretty incredible. But I’ve found that using lettuce as a sub is a great alternative. Butter or romaine hearts are the best option. Use it to wrap up your sandwich ingredients, or to replace a hamburger bun! Almond or coconut flour instead of traditional flour – I cook with almond flour and coconut flour several times a week. A quick google search will help you find recipes for pancakes, waffles, breads, crackers and cookies, just to name a few. Plus, experiment with using these alternative flours to make chicken nuggets, fish sticks and eggplant parm! Cheers, Anya Kaats & Suja Juice