Veggie Blog

The hardest part of cutting carbohydrates is rarely the meat or the eggs. It is giving up bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, the foods that sit at the center of so many meals. A swap can make the change feel smaller, and some of them work well. Here is what to try, with the carbohydrate numbers checked against USDA data, and a caution about the sweeteners that often come along with low-carb baking.

Which vegetables can replace pasta?

Zucchini and spaghetti squash are the favorites. According to USDA FoodData Central, 100 grams of raw zucchini has about 3 grams of carbohydrate and cooked spaghetti squash about 6.5 grams, compared with about 31 grams in 100 grams of cooked enriched pasta. Cut zucchini into ribbons or thin strips with a peeler or spiralizer and cook them briefly, because they release water. Roast spaghetti squash and pull the strands out with a fork. The sauce is usually what people like most about pasta, so a meat sauce, pesto or a cheese and vegetable topping goes over either one.

What can stand in for rice and potatoes?

Cauliflower is the classic. A raw 100-gram portion has about 5 grams of carbohydrate, against about 28 grams in cooked white rice and 21 grams in a baked potato. To make “rice,” chop florets in a food processor until they are the size of rice grains and microwave them without water for a few minutes. For a “mash,” steam the florets and puree them until smooth with a little butter or cream cheese. Mashed home-prepared potato has about 17 grams per 100 grams, and the cauliflower version is lower, though the toppings and butter add to the total. The result tastes different from potato, and that is fine.

What about bread and pizza?

Bread is the swap people miss most. White bread has about 55 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams once toasted, so even a thin slice adds up quickly. Low-carb breads are on the market and some cooks bake with almond flour or other non-wheat flours, but labels vary, so check the carbohydrate and fiber counts per serving. For pizza, large portobello mushroom caps, low-carb tortillas or a crustless “pizza casserole” with the same toppings are simple ways to keep the flavor.

Are sugar substitutes a good idea?

Be cautious. Many low-carb recipes rely on artificial sweeteners, and some dieters report that sweet tastes make them want even more sweet food. The World Health Organization advises against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight. Its review found that their use does not give a long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children, and that long-term use may be linked with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death in adults. The advice from WHO is to look for other ways to reduce free sugars, such as eating fruit or unsweetened foods and drinks. WHO calls this a conditional recommendation, because the link between sweeteners and disease may be confounded by the characteristics of the people studied, but it is a good reason not to build your diet around sweeteners. See our post on carbohydrate cravings and the Atkins diet and Atkins and sugar cravings.

Is it a good idea to go low-carb?

A low-carb plan is not right for everyone. If you have diabetes, kidney disease or are pregnant, or if you take medicine for blood sugar or blood pressure, speak to your doctor before cutting carbohydrates sharply. For an overview of how the plan works, read Atkins diet basics. For meal ideas, see planning for Atkins. You can read more about the evidence on non-sugar sweeteners in the WHO news release.