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You don’t have to give up your favorite meals, just LOW CARB them.
Here is a list of substitute foods that you can use to create great tasting dishes with less carbohydrates.
If you have a ’substitute food’ that you would like to share with others’ please send it to me and I’ll add it to the list.
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Replace mashed potatoes, with boiled cauliflower. Cook the cauliflower till it is tender. Place in a drainer and let the water completely drain out of it. (overnight is best, but will work if you leave in drainer for about 1 hour). Mash or cut up the cauliflower. Heat, melt butter or cheese over it and you have the consistency of potatoes -- plus the taste is very similar. *8 net carbs per 2-cup serving
Instead of fried potatoes, use radishes. Sounds strange, but when you slice them and fry in butter…they taste a lot like hash browns or fried potatoes. *10 radishes = .9 net carbs
Instead of fried potatoes, use jicama. 1/2 cup = 2.5 net carbs
Fake French Fries Cut kohlrabi into slices (like you would slice potatoes for french fries) Kohlrabi is a little wetter than cut potatoes, so I advise to blot the slices on paper towels before frying. Heat about 1/4" of oil in a frypan and cook the kohlrabi slices just like you would potatoes (or use a deep-fry if you have one). They brown up in the oil just like "real" fries and even smell just like the real thing as they are cooking! Drain them on paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. They are not as crisp as real fries but they are a close resemblance taste-wise. They are best served warm.
Note to never-ate-kohlrabi-what-the-heck-is-it folks: It is similar to turnip in shape, in fact you will probably find kohlrabi in the produce section near to the turnips. My grocery puts them near veggies such as kale, cabbage, etc. The kohlrabi bulbs will most often be sold with their green leaves still attatched, like fresh beets and carrots are sold with their green tops still on. *4.6 net carbs per 1/2 cup
Instead of rice, use diced cauliflower. Dice your cauliflower in bits about the size of a grain of rice. Fry up in butter and put a cup full on your plate. Sauté your veggies and add over the mock rice. It will satisfy your craving for stir-fry. The mock rice can also be used in cabbage rolls, stuffed green peppers or to make Spanish rice. *8 net carbs per 2-cup serving
When making potato salad…use cauliflower or *rutabagas. The chunks of cauliflower/rutabagas can be substituted in place of potato and it will make a delicious salad. *8 net carbs per 2-cup serving *FYI rutabagas are not induction friendly. They can be used during the OWL starchy veg rung 8.
TIP: Boiled diced radishes added to your potato salad (boiling or actually cooking in a manner kills the hot radish flavor and leaves a veggie that will hold its shape when cooked. Won't ever substitue for cauliflower in smashed taters - but for salad it is great.)
chayote squash as a substitute for apples *3.5 oz (100 grams)of chayote squash, raw has 2.8 net carbs
Substitute lasagna noodles with thinly sliced zucchini. Layer your casserole with the zucchini slices just as you would the lasagna noodles. Bake and it tastes delicious. *3.5 net carbs per med size zucchini
Spaghetti squash can be used to imitate spaghetti noodles or eaten with melted butter and parmesan cheese. 3.9 net carbs per 1/2 cup serving.
Tacos shells: melt cheese in a circle in a pan till the ends brown. Take off the heat and let it cool. Fold over your meat, onions, tomatoes and lettuce. Here is a great tasting taco without the carbs! *1 carb per shell
Noodle soup can be imitated by using eggs. Scramble the eggs and put on a buttered plate. Put in the microwave and cook till the egg is solid. When the egg is done you can roll it up like a burrito and cut. It will be long thin noodles that you can use in place of pasta. *.6 net carbs per egg
Noodle substitute submitted by Ragazzarossa
Shirataki noodles are like real noodles, only with a slightly slippery texture. Good for soup noodles or Asian-type noodles than Italian pasta. However, they come in spaghetti style and fettuccine style -which you can add a regular marinara sauce with them. They are a good substitute for anyone who is craving a pasta meal. 3 carbohydrate grams per serving (plus count the amount of carbs in any sauce you use)
Breakfast crepes: Scramble eggs and put on a buttered plate. Place in the microwave and cook till egg is solid. Roll the egg like a burrito with sausage, cheese, bacon, avocado, strawberries or whatever you like as the filling. *.6 net carbs per egg
Instead of potato chips and dip, make cheesy chips. Grate cheese into small mounds onto a plate lined with wax paper. Nuke for just a few seconds till the edges of the circle of cheese start to brown. Take out, let it harden enough to pick up like a chip. *.3 net carbs per cheese chip
Replace potato chips, with pepperoni chips. Place pepperoni on wax paper and nuke for a few seconds till it starts to curl up on edges. Take out, cool off and you can eat as it is or dip it in your favorite dip. *.8 net carbs per 5 pepperoni chips
Substitute sandwich bread with lettuce or cabbage leaves wrapped around the meat/cheese or you can use the meat or cheese as the bread instead. *1 net carb per cabbage leaf/.2 net carbs per lettuce leaf
Pizza: make individual cooked hamburger patties on a cookie sheet. Put the lettuce, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers on top. Then put into the oven long enough to melt the cheese and heat up the toppings. *3 net carbs per serving
Pizza: You can line hamburger on a Pyrex dish, bake in the oven till done, dab off the grease then put your favorite toppings on it. Put back in the oven to heat up and melt cheese. *3 net carbs per serving
Portabella mushrooms can be used as the bread in pizza. Just top it with your favorite ingredients and put in oven to heat and melt cheese. *4.1 net carbs per mushroom
Here is a list of substitute foods that you can use to create great tasting dishes with less carbohydrates.
If you have a ’substitute food’ that you would like to share with others’ please send it to me and I’ll add it to the list.
__________________________________________________ ______________
Replace mashed potatoes, with boiled cauliflower. Cook the cauliflower till it is tender. Place in a drainer and let the water completely drain out of it. (overnight is best, but will work if you leave in drainer for about 1 hour). Mash or cut up the cauliflower. Heat, melt butter or cheese over it and you have the consistency of potatoes -- plus the taste is very similar. *8 net carbs per 2-cup serving
Instead of fried potatoes, use radishes. Sounds strange, but when you slice them and fry in butter…they taste a lot like hash browns or fried potatoes. *10 radishes = .9 net carbs
Instead of fried potatoes, use jicama. 1/2 cup = 2.5 net carbs
Fake French Fries Cut kohlrabi into slices (like you would slice potatoes for french fries) Kohlrabi is a little wetter than cut potatoes, so I advise to blot the slices on paper towels before frying. Heat about 1/4" of oil in a frypan and cook the kohlrabi slices just like you would potatoes (or use a deep-fry if you have one). They brown up in the oil just like "real" fries and even smell just like the real thing as they are cooking! Drain them on paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. They are not as crisp as real fries but they are a close resemblance taste-wise. They are best served warm.
Note to never-ate-kohlrabi-what-the-heck-is-it folks: It is similar to turnip in shape, in fact you will probably find kohlrabi in the produce section near to the turnips. My grocery puts them near veggies such as kale, cabbage, etc. The kohlrabi bulbs will most often be sold with their green leaves still attatched, like fresh beets and carrots are sold with their green tops still on. *4.6 net carbs per 1/2 cup
Instead of rice, use diced cauliflower. Dice your cauliflower in bits about the size of a grain of rice. Fry up in butter and put a cup full on your plate. Sauté your veggies and add over the mock rice. It will satisfy your craving for stir-fry. The mock rice can also be used in cabbage rolls, stuffed green peppers or to make Spanish rice. *8 net carbs per 2-cup serving
When making potato salad…use cauliflower or *rutabagas. The chunks of cauliflower/rutabagas can be substituted in place of potato and it will make a delicious salad. *8 net carbs per 2-cup serving *FYI rutabagas are not induction friendly. They can be used during the OWL starchy veg rung 8.
TIP: Boiled diced radishes added to your potato salad (boiling or actually cooking in a manner kills the hot radish flavor and leaves a veggie that will hold its shape when cooked. Won't ever substitue for cauliflower in smashed taters - but for salad it is great.)
chayote squash as a substitute for apples *3.5 oz (100 grams)of chayote squash, raw has 2.8 net carbs
Substitute lasagna noodles with thinly sliced zucchini. Layer your casserole with the zucchini slices just as you would the lasagna noodles. Bake and it tastes delicious. *3.5 net carbs per med size zucchini
Spaghetti squash can be used to imitate spaghetti noodles or eaten with melted butter and parmesan cheese. 3.9 net carbs per 1/2 cup serving.
Tacos shells: melt cheese in a circle in a pan till the ends brown. Take off the heat and let it cool. Fold over your meat, onions, tomatoes and lettuce. Here is a great tasting taco without the carbs! *1 carb per shell
Noodle soup can be imitated by using eggs. Scramble the eggs and put on a buttered plate. Put in the microwave and cook till the egg is solid. When the egg is done you can roll it up like a burrito and cut. It will be long thin noodles that you can use in place of pasta. *.6 net carbs per egg
Noodle substitute submitted by Ragazzarossa
Shirataki noodles are like real noodles, only with a slightly slippery texture. Good for soup noodles or Asian-type noodles than Italian pasta. However, they come in spaghetti style and fettuccine style -which you can add a regular marinara sauce with them. They are a good substitute for anyone who is craving a pasta meal. 3 carbohydrate grams per serving (plus count the amount of carbs in any sauce you use)
Breakfast crepes: Scramble eggs and put on a buttered plate. Place in the microwave and cook till egg is solid. Roll the egg like a burrito with sausage, cheese, bacon, avocado, strawberries or whatever you like as the filling. *.6 net carbs per egg
Instead of potato chips and dip, make cheesy chips. Grate cheese into small mounds onto a plate lined with wax paper. Nuke for just a few seconds till the edges of the circle of cheese start to brown. Take out, let it harden enough to pick up like a chip. *.3 net carbs per cheese chip
Replace potato chips, with pepperoni chips. Place pepperoni on wax paper and nuke for a few seconds till it starts to curl up on edges. Take out, cool off and you can eat as it is or dip it in your favorite dip. *.8 net carbs per 5 pepperoni chips
Substitute sandwich bread with lettuce or cabbage leaves wrapped around the meat/cheese or you can use the meat or cheese as the bread instead. *1 net carb per cabbage leaf/.2 net carbs per lettuce leaf
Pizza: make individual cooked hamburger patties on a cookie sheet. Put the lettuce, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers on top. Then put into the oven long enough to melt the cheese and heat up the toppings. *3 net carbs per serving
Pizza: You can line hamburger on a Pyrex dish, bake in the oven till done, dab off the grease then put your favorite toppings on it. Put back in the oven to heat up and melt cheese. *3 net carbs per serving
Portabella mushrooms can be used as the bread in pizza. Just top it with your favorite ingredients and put in oven to heat and melt cheese. *4.1 net carbs per mushroom
