IÂ post lots of pictures on social media of my snacks, dinners and lunches, most of which contain some sort of carb replacement and I often get asked questions about it. I try to avoid white and processed carbs but I’m not totally carb-free. I have porridge every day and I love slow release carbs like quinoa. I even had pizza for dinner last night but these are the reasons why I avoid carbs as much as possible.
I’d much rather have a gorgeous slice of wood fired oven bread than an average slice of supermarket bread which is why I never eat supermarket bread. I’ve been a carb-avoider for about 15 years so that I can occasionally indulge and eat really good carbs rather than average ones. Here’s my definitive list of the 5 best healthy carb replacements.
Cauliflower
You can make cauliflower fried rice, cauliflower pizza and cauliflower mashed potato. Cauliflower will also add a bit of bulk to vegetable bakes if you’re looking for something less starchy to replace potatoes.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me about protein bread since I started eating it about a year ago and I get asked the same question again and again.
Does it taste like regular bread?
No. There will never, ever be a healthy replacement for delicious, fluffy, fresh baked, zero nutritional value sour dough. It’s just not happening so don’t expect that of protein bread. It’s 100 calories for 2 very thin slices that are quite yummy when toasted, it’s a handy vehicle for eggs and avocado and it’s also quite pleasant when dunked in soup. It’s not going to taste like Sizzler’s cheese toast so just get your expectations in check before you start bulk ordering the stuff. I buy mine from here.
Zucchini Noodles
When I want a big bowl of spaghetti bolognaise, I make the meat sauce and serve it on lightly pan heated spiralized zucchini noodles. Again it doesn’t taste anything like pasta but it’s not too shabby an alternative if you don’t have the type of metabolism that can cope with massive amounts of refined carbohydrates every day. It’s better than nothing.
Lettuce
San chow bow is one of my favourite meals so I’ve taken to using lettuce as an accompaniment to almost all of my Asian meals that I make at home. Vegetable stir-fry is delicious when wrapped in a crisp lettuce leaf rather than served on stodgy rice and it means you get a few extra greens in your meal too.
Eggs
If I’m a having meal that’s low on carbs like a salad or some streamed vegetables, I’ll often add a poached or boiled egg. It totally fills me up adds that carb ‘bulk’ to my meal without adding the carb calories.
Are you a carb avoider? Or do you not really care much?
P.S I’ve written something else very brainy and wordy over at Origin this week. It’s about France and environmental law. It’ll be nice to show the grandparents I can write about things that aren’t my own boobs.
P.P.SÂ Do you live in Adelaide?Â
39 Comments
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Yep, another carb avoider here too. Great tips Carly. I recently discovered cauliflower pizza base recipe. Can’t wait to try it out. x
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It’s so good because it’s basically made of cheese. 🙂
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I love carbs but they don’t really love me. I have no willpower when it comes to carbs, however, I’m going to follow your lead and try to get on the Cauliflower Rice Train. I’ve heard such good things about it. Top tips, as always!
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Its lovely with finely chopped coriander & garlic stirred through it. I love it :o)
I buy whole caulis when they are on special then blitz them in the food processor until rice or a bit smaller size.
Store them raw in portioned Ziploc bags in the freezer (we do enough for a family of four in each) then pan fry with the coriander & garlic with olive oil. Yummo! -
Oh I’m the same! If I could eat fresh bread slathered in butter every day I totally would!
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This is great! I’ve been trying to reduce cards since November last year but am really struggling now that it’s getting colder and meat and salad doesn’t really cut it! I definitely notice the difference in my body shape when I’m not eating refined carbs. Thanks again!
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Oh totally! I’m like bloat central when I eat carbs!
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a great post as usual smags!
I’m a low carbs and low sugar girl!
It works for my weight control and I enjoy being healthy!
all good! love m:)X-
Oh yes! Low sugar totally helps too!
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Smaggle, can you share with us how you actually ‘noodle’ you zucchini?
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I just use a spiraliser! It’s like a giant pencil sharpener for zucchini you can get them at kitchen stores!
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SNap! Zucchini noodles, cauli mash, kaput bread, eggs are my fave. I live on zucchini ???? I hate supermarket bread but will indulge in some good sourdough if I’m out for brunch. I love quinoa but my body doesn’t like it (gives me achy joints)
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I LOVE zucchini one of my mates hates it and I’m like what??? It’s a total flavour sponge!
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Great suggestions on all fronts although your zero nutritional value sourdough is technically incorrect. Slow fermentation sourdough should not be fluffy but dense. A thin slice of a wholewheat or spelt sourdough contains an awesome amount of tryptophan, which in turn boosts serotonin levels. Spinach, banana and chocolate are good alternatives 😉 But a slow fermentation sourdough also doesn’t contain yeast and is low GI, which is a great blood sugar stabiliser. It is possibly your best carb and always my choice on the carb front. I am big fan of zucchini and cauliflower too.
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Ah that’s a fold over from an amazing nutritionist I used to have. She was totally anti-bread and said that any nutrients you can get from bread, you can get from something else that will have extra nutrients in it too. She had a whole thing about bread being famine food because you can ground the grains and keep it for times when fresh food isn’t available. I also live in a gluten free house so bread is like poison where I live!
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Great ideas – because I can’t conceptualise the idea of many meals without the base of something like carbs. A healthier version would be good to integrate in (and then I can eat it – maybe my husband – and the kids can continue on their merry way. We are slowly changing them to wholemeal pasta – step by step)
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Lots of people don’t understand the no carb thing but you get used to it after a while!
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I recently discovered Rachel Khoo on the Lifestyle Food Channel (hello new girl crush!) and she made a cauliflower cheeseburger with lettuce as the bun. It looks friggin’ delicious! http://www.rachelkhoo.com/recipe/recipe-cauliflower-cheese-burgers
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RICH GIRL HAIR! I love her!
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We are changing the way we eat. We have cut down on the meat and I am gluten and dairy free. We do indulge in too many carbs though, so thanks for these tips. A great post as always x
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We’ve been gluten free for years, and it makes such a big difference. Although I’m totally bloat city now if I ever eat wheat!
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I LOVE cauli so was quite surprised to read this! But actually I have forgotten about the wee eggs hidden in my fridge, that usually only get used for pancakes of a Saturday morning! Shame on me. Happy humpday for tomorrow x
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I’m an egg fiend! I can actually poach them at home now so I have eggs nearly every day!
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Yurp, carb avoider over here too! I actually much prefer the zucchini noodles as they keep me full without feeling all yak and sluggish!
Sophie Cliff-
Totally! If I eat a whole bowl of pasta I feel like such a blimp.
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I’ve never understood the must-have-carbs ideology. I worked out long ago and after years of living in various travels that high carb foods are for filling up people who don’t have access to enough nutritious foods.
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Oops, meant to write “various cultures”.
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Exactly! I had a nutritionist who once told me that bread was famine food and you should only eat it if you’re desperate. It really stuck with me.
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I am a carb glutton . . . although I don’t care much for bread . . . any kind of pasta, rice or potato is probably heading to my plate.
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I’m the opposite! I love bread and rice… I can live without pasta and potato… unless they’re in chip form!
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Mmmmm . . . . chipssssss . . . .
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Thanks Smaggle, I’m a recent follower and am loving every post! I have recently joined the no carb as I am a Diabetic and have for years and years been told low carb no/low fat & low/no sugar by doctors and dietitian! Yeah well 30 plus more kgs later and a lot of diabetic helping drugs and needles 3 times a day – I discovered Ketogenisis – basically low carb or no carbs and I whopping 12 kgs fell off like melted butter!!!! the rest will slowly melt as it slowly attached itself, and needles down to 1 a day and hopefully soon 0 needles/day!! Haven’t tried zucchini pasta or cauliflower pizza yet but I will…..
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Just in response to the above comment, there needs to be a disclaimer about the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 needs carbohydrate to stabilise, both BGLs and weight. I was on low carbs for about a year and put in close to 20 kilos. My dietician wanted to backhand me when she saw my diet and told me that I need 75-90g of carb per main meal. Since then I’ve dropped the weight and then some, and my BGLs have approved significantly. So yeah, just a heads up, if you’re type 1, carbs are friends, just pick the right ones. 🙂
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You are so right, Lucy, sorry I should’ve been more specific! I am type 2 diabetic or more accurately I am insulin resistant which basically means my body uses carbs to make glucose and therefore produces too much and is then resistant to insulin which is produced to reduce the glucose in the blood stream! So the more carbs I consume the higher my BGL and the longer it takes me to return to normal or safe levels of glucose in my blood!! Unfortunately Dietitians and Doctors treated with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetics with the same dietary requirements not realising the adverse effects carbs have on glucose production in the body of a Type 2 Diabetic!
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I base my carb intake around my physical output- it works for me! I’m a fan of all your suggestions and good ol’ crunchy veggies (snow peas,caps, carrot, cucumbers) cut up, helps me avoid being a Chip-a-holic.
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Oh me too! I do the 5;2 and there are no carbs for me on fast days! 🙂
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Hi Carly – you’ve followed me on Insty and since… I’ve become a HUGE stalker… Aside from my little kiddo, your internet space has been my favourite timewaster hahaha…
Are you gluten free by choice? If so… where and how did you start on your gluten free journey. Cold turkey? How do you stick to it? I seriously lack any self control – my body hates me each time I over indulge…
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Ha brilliant! yay! I’m almost totally gluten free because my partner is a coeliac so I live in a gluten free house. The only ‘gluteny’ thing in our house is oats. If I’m out for dinner with him, I order gluten free, if I’m travelling for work I tend to be a little bit more relaxed about it. After 10 years of eating minimal gluten I practically have to go up a pants size from the bloat if I eat non-gluten free pizza but carbs kind of do that to me any way. The trick is to replace your carbs, not just eliminate them so you’re still full. I have brown rice, quinoa, lentils, oats… any unprocessed non-white carb is totally fine by me. My ‘treat’ carbs are white rice, fresh white crusty bread and potatoes which I eat occasionally like once a month. The trick is consistency and being sensible about food. I have the slowest metabolism on the planet so there’s very little room for error for me but I just do the best I can, all the time. For example today I was out and about after the gym and needed lunch but the cafe had no salads, so I ordered a wholemeal wrap which is less dense than bread and my guts will deal with better, I didn’t just go ‘stuff it!’ and order a hamburger and fries. Hope that helped!
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Carly – I wanted to thank you so much – Cauli rice and Zoodles are now part of my weekly meals which means that the family can still have their pasta and rice, but I don’t feel like I just got a plate of meat! Legend!
