Try These Low-Carb Ingredient Substitutes in your Next Keto-Friendly Recipe
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| Shirataki Bacon Mac & Cheese via Dukantopia. |
Calories: varies
Net Carbs: varies
Protein: varies
Fat: varies
Unfortunately, some of the world's most delicious comfort foods are packed full of carbs. Things like mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, pasta, and pizza are all guaranteed to kick you out of ketosis. And that's bad news when you're trying to stay on a strict ketogenic diet. But don't panic! There's actually a growing number of lower-carb versions of your favorite foods. And there's also some very creative (and sometimes questionable) ingredient substitutes that can transform carb-heavy meals into keto-friendly ones. Like what if I told you could make low-carb bread by swapping out wheat flour for almond flour? Well you can. Of course, I'm way too lazy to bake bread myself. But I can definitely point you in the right direction.
The goal of this post isn't to reinvent the wheel by creating some ground-breaking new low-carb recipes. It's just to show you some new, popular, or proven low-carb alternatives so you can find what works for you. You could be eating keto-friendly bread, pasta, pizza, and other goodies by this time tomorrow. So let's do it.
1. Substitute Low-Carb Tortillas for Regular Flour Tortillas
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Image courtesy of Jodi Pudge/Radius Images/Getty Images
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- La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Tortillas
- (50 Calories | 3g net carbs)
- Mama Lupe Low Carb Tortillas
(60 calories | 3g net carbs) - Julian's Bakery GF Paleo Coconut Wraps
(70 calories | 4g net carbs) - Mission Carb Balance Tortillas
(80 Calories | 3g net carbs)
Recommended Recipes:
- Beef & cheese burrito with peppers, onions, cayenne, & guacamole
- Chicken fajitas or quesadillas
- You can also try "lettuce wraps" instead. You literally just wrap the food with lettuce. Here's a recipe for Italian sub lettuce wraps.
2. Substitute Shirataki Noodles for Regular Italian Pasta Noodles
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| Image courtesy of /u/Wardy-Heinberg on Reddit. |
Shirataki noodles are from the Japanese konjac root–or what's affectionately called the "elephant yam." More importantly, they are gluten-free, have zero calories, and zero net carbs. Seriously. And that makes them a perfect noodle to be drowned in any low-carb sauces, cheeses, broths, or meats you can think of. Pick up a few bags on Amazon and see what you can create:
- Miracle Noodle Shirataki Noodles (Angel Hair)
(0 calories | <1g net carbs) - No Oodles Zero Carb Shirataki Noodles (Angel Hair)
(0 calories | <1g net carbs) - Miracle Noodle Shirataki Noodles (Fettuccini)
(0 calories | <1g net carbs) - Miracle Noodle Shirataki Noodles (Ziti)
(0 calories | <1g net carbs)
Recommended Recipes:
- "Skinny" Mac & Cheese
- Pho with Shirataki Noodles
- Keto Shrimp & Mushroom Alfredo
- Thai Coconut Curry Soup
3. Substitute CarbQuik Baking Mix for BisQuick Baking Mix
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| CarbQuik Cheddar Bay Biscuit via Genaw.com |
I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of baking. There's a bit too much manual labor and waiting around for my taste. But CarbQuik baking mix opens up a whole new world of keto-friendly foods for those who are willing to slave away in the kitchen.
With Carbquik you can make anything from pancakes and biscuits to pizza crust and sandwich bread. CarbQuik is made from Carbalose flour, which contains enzyme-modified wheat and plant fiber. The result is a new kind of baking mix that acts very similarly to BisQuick with traditional flour, but has at least 90% fewer carbs per serving. Not too shabby. While it's not widely available in stores, you can buy CabQuik directly from Amazon:
With Carbquik you can make anything from pancakes and biscuits to pizza crust and sandwich bread. CarbQuik is made from Carbalose flour, which contains enzyme-modified wheat and plant fiber. The result is a new kind of baking mix that acts very similarly to BisQuick with traditional flour, but has at least 90% fewer carbs per serving. Not too shabby. While it's not widely available in stores, you can buy CabQuik directly from Amazon:
- CarbQuik Low-Carb Baking Mix
(90 calories | 2g net carbs)
Recommended Recipes:
- Bacon Keto Pancakes
- Pumpkin Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese
- Cheddar Bay Keto Biscuits
- Low Carb Pizza
4. Substitute Almond Flour or Coconut Flour for White Wheat Flour
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| Coconut Flour Sliders via 24/7 Low Carb Diner. |
Be aware that using almond or coconut flour in place of wheat flour requires more than just a simple 1:1 ratio. So if you're a novice like me, I'd suggest sticking with highly rated almond/coconut flour recipes. That'll prevent you from accidentally creating a watery or overcooked mess. Then you'll just blame it on me! Carolyn from All Day I Dream About Food has some great tips about cooking with almond flour. I suggest you visit her blog if you're interested in learning more.
Comparing Different Types of Flour
| Nutrition Info (100g) | Fat | Protein | Carbs | Glyc. Index | Fiber | Net Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almond Flour | 49.7 g | 21.2 g | 21.2g |
< 1
|
10.6 g
| 10 g |
| Coconut Flour | 14 g | 14 g | 56.3 g |
11
|
35.2 g
| 21 g |
| White Wheat Flour | 3 g | 11.7 g | 76.22 g |
71
|
2.4 g
| 73.8 g |
| Rice Flour | 1.2 g | 5 g | 80 g |
98
|
2.5 g
| 77.5 g |
Varies by brand. Original chart courtesy of Elana's Pantry
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You can pick up bags or almond or coconut flour directly from Amazon. The Honeyville brand is very finely ground and comes highly recommended, but feel free to read all the reviews yourself.
Recommended Recipes:
- Pumpkin Bread with Almond Flour
(120 calories | 3g net carbs) - Holy Grail Low Carb Pizza with Almond Flour
(294 calories | 4g net carbs) - Low Carb "Alison" Bread with Coconut Flour
(230 calories | 3g net carbs) - Keto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
(793 calories | 4.7g net carbs) - Jalapeno Bacon Biscuits
(280 calories | 2g net carbs)
5. Substitute Stevia or Splenda for Sugar
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| Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups via Fat Cat Cuisine. |
If you're trying to kick a sugar addiction, making sweet and delicious desserts can be a dangerous game. But I think everyone deserves a treat sometimes. And that includes ketoers. Thanks to rise of of Type 2 Diabetes in America, sugar-free snacks are becoming more widely available in stores. You can find sugar-free Hershey's candy and Reese's peanut butter cups, both of which are delicious. But they're packed with sugar alcohols like Maltitol and Erythritol, which can affect blood sugar and may lead to an upset stomach. But fortunately there's an even better sweetening alternative: Stevia.
Stevia extract is a natural sweetener made from the Stevia plant. It has zero calories, zero carbs, and absolutely zero effect on blood sugar. That makes it an amazing option for keto and low-carb folks looking to satisfy a sweet tooth. It also doesn't have the unpleasant aftertaste found in some artificial sweeteners like Splenda. This has led to an explosion in its popularity. And that means there are some fantastic recipes out there. Pick up a batch and try one for yourself:
Recommended Recipes:
Do you have any favorite recipes using any of the keto-friendly ingredients above? Post them in the comments and I'll incorporate them in my next post!
Keto On and share this post now :)
Careful with the Stevia options. The "sugar in the raw" stevia referenced here is full of Dextrose as a filler which has an effect on blood sugar if you're trying to avoid that sort of thing. stick to liquid or the Erythritol blended versions if your stomach can handle it.
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