Starting a keto diet can be challenging. Finding the right keto substitutes to make your favorite meals is important. Check out these low carb swaps.
On a keto diet, carbs are off-limits. But what can you eat if you can’t have carbs?
Carbs are in everything. So what’s a gal (or guy) to do?
Make low-carb swaps.
Today, I am showing you 20 low-carb swaps of your old favorites so you know what to get when going keto shopping.
1. Riced Cauliflower Instead of Regular Rice
1 cup of boiled rice contains almost 44 grams of net carbs.
Compared to regular rice, 1 cup of cauliflower rice contains less than 3 grams of net carbs.
To make it, cut your cauliflower into pieces. Pulse in a food processor until rice-like.
Here is a low budget but a good-quality food processor I recommend.
2. Almond Flour Instead of Wheat Flour
Wheat flour is also another carb landmine. 28 grams of wheat flour packs almost 20 grams of net carbs.
The same amount of almond flour contains only 4 grams of net carbs.
Here is my usual spot for getting almond flour.
Here are a bunch of keto recipes that you can use almond flour for.
3. Zucchini Chips Instead of Potato Chips
Potato chips are filled with carbs!
Just one ounce contains 13 grams of net carbs.
One ounce of zucchini chips contains about half the net carbs of potato chips.
To make them, thinly slice some zucchini using a mandolin slicer. This one will do the trick.
Here are more ketogenic chips for snacking.
4. Pork Rinds Instead of Bread Crumbs
Breadcrumbs add a nice crunch to food.
However, just ¼ cup of traditional breadcrumbs contains 21 grams of net carbs.
Pork rinds make the perfect substitute for bread crumbs.
You can already buy pork rinds ground. But to save money, you can grind them in a food processor like this.
5. Erythritol Sweetener Instead of Sugar
1 tablespoon of sugar contains 17 grams of net carbs.
Erythritol sweetener, on the other hand, is an all-natural sweetener. It contains sugar alcohols that are not absorbed by your body, so it is low-glycemic.
This is the erythritol I usually stock up on.
Check out one of my ketogenic chocolate chip cookie recipes that uses erythritol.
6. Portobello Mushroom Instead of Burger Buns
One hamburger bun contains 24 grams of net carbs.
So instead of doing that, use Portobello mushrooms. One Portobello mushroom contains only 2 grams of net carbs.
To make your Portobello mushroom “buns”, oil them. Then grill them
For more ketogenic comfort food ideas like this one, check this article here.
7. Keto Bread Instead of Regular Bread
Bread is super convenient.
However, 1 slice contains 12 grams of net carbs.
Keto bread, on the other hand, contains as low as 2 grams of net carbs per slice.
Keto bread, however, is more expensive than regular bread.
But you can make your keto bread using almond flour or coconut flour.
8. Rutabaga Fries Instead of Potato Fries
1 small serving of potato fries can set you back 27 grams of net carbs.
So, what do you do when you’re craving potato fries? Make rutabaga fries instead!
Rutabaga is a root vegetable. However, it has about half the net carbs as a potato.
Here is a tasty rutabaga fries recipe here.
9. Cheese Crisps Instead of Regular Chips
Cheese crisps are keto.
They’re also easy to make. Just place small heaps of shredded cheese on a baking sheet and bake until crisp.
Make sure you line your baking sheet with parchment paper or it will be super hard to remove your cheese crisps.
You can also customize your cheese crisps too.
10. Lettuce Leaves Instead of Tortillas
Do you love Mexican food? Then, I’m sure you love your tacos.
One medium flour tortilla contains 14 grams of net carbs. That’s a whole lot of carbs.
So, where do you put all your tasty fillings? In lettuce leaves.
Lettuce leaves are not only low in net carbs, they’re also low in calories.
11. Zucchini Noodles Instead of Regular Pasta
Just one cup of cooked spaghetti contains 36 grams of net carbs.
So, what can you eat with your meatballs and sauce? Zucchini noodles.
One cup of zucchini noodles contains less than 3 grams of net carbs.
To make your zucchini noodles, just spiralize them in a spiralizer. You can get a budget-friendly spiralizer here.
12. Mashed Cauliflower Instead of Mashed Potatoes
Just ¼ cup of mashed potatoes (without the milk) contains 19 grams of net carbs.
But a ¼ cup serving of mashed cauliflower contains only 2 grams of net carbs.
Use it to make your perfect ketogenic lunch just like that.
13. Coconut Flour Instead of Regular Flour
Coconut flour is another good low-carb alternative.
A 28 gram serving of coconut flour contains only 7 grams of net carbs.
If you need to stock up on some, you can get some here.
Check out these low carb doughnut cookies that exclusively use coconut flour!
14. Fathead Pizza Crust Instead of Regular One
Two slices of pizza crust contain 40 grams of net carbs. That’s your net carbs allowance for 2 entire days!
So, what do you do when you’re craving some pizza? Make it using fathead pizza crust.
Because it’s made with fatty ingredients, it’s keto-friendly and more satiating than a regular crust.
Here is a delicious fathead pizza crust recipe.
15. Almond Milk Instead of Regular Milk
One cup of 1% milk contains 13 grams of net carbs. So, it’s a no-no on the keto diet.
On the other hand, one cup of unsweetened almond milk contains only 1 gram of net carbs.
Make sure your almond milk is unsweetened, though.
16. Dark Chocolate Instead of Milk Chocolate
Dark chocolate is not only low carb, but it also contains more antioxidants than milk chocolate.
Dark chocolate does have a bitter taste, though. So, if you prefer it sweeter, you can always buy dark chocolate sweetened with a low carb sweetener. I recommend this one.
Check out more ketogenic diet hacks like this.
17. Chopped Nuts and Seeds Instead of Granola
Just ¼ cup of granola contains 11 grams of net carbs.
If you take out the unhealthy ingredients, what you’re left with are chopped nuts and seeds.
These contain healthy fats that are not only good for ketosis but are good for your heart as well.
Get more ideas for ketogenic snacks here.
18. Brazil Nuts Instead of Cashews
Some nuts have more net carbs than others.
For instance, 1 ounce of dry-roasted cashew nuts contains exactly 8.4 grams of net carbs. One ounce of Brazil nuts, on the other hand, contains only 1.2 grams of net carbs.
So, when snacking on nuts, choose lower-carb versions like Brazil nuts.
19. Spaghetti Squash Instead of Pasta
One cup of spaghetti squash contains 8 grams of net carbs, so it does contain more net carbs than zucchini noodles.
So you want to eat less of it if you follow a super strict keto diet. If you’d like to make spaghetti squash noodles, here is a simple recipe.
20. Cauliflower Crust Instead of Regular Pizza Crust
If you’re looking to add more veggies to your diet, cauliflower crust is an excellent option.
And you only need a couple of ingredients to make it: cauliflower, cheese, eggs, and some seasoning. If you’re vegan, you skip the eggs and use a “flax seed egg” instead of using ground flaxseed and water.