12 Sneaky Ways to Eat Fewer Carbs

Jessica Migala
byJessica Migala
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12 Sneaky Ways to Eat Fewer Carbs

Eating fewer carbohydratesdoesn’t require drastic restriction or entirely giving up comfort food favorites likepasta. A more moderate approach — being selective about what kind you eat — can give you a better shot at reaching your goals. “All-or-nothing thinking is a temporary fix,” saysLisa Young, PhD, RDN.Completely cutting out carbs can backfire. “You can still eathealthy sources of carbs— includingwhole grains, starchy vegetables and fruit — for nutrition and satisfaction, just in a more mindful andportion-controlledway.”

Not only can reducing carb intake help youlet go of water weight, but you’ll likely be shaving off calories, too. “If you think about many of the more indulgent foods out there — pizza, cake,bagels, cookies, chips — they tend to be higher in carbohydrates. By setting a goal ofmonitoring carb intake, chances are you’ll eat less of those high-caloric foods, which can potentially lead to a calorie deficit,” saysShelby Burns, a Boston-based registered dietitian nutritionist who specializes in weight loss.

To make it happen, while still eating foods that give you that same carb-satisfaction, experts share their top tips:

1

DOWNSIZE WHOLE GRAINS

“Sweet potatoes, kasha, brown rice and quinoa are all ‘allowed’ and should not be demonized,” says Young. They deliver energy and fiber and are filling — all important factors for a well-balanced diet that helps you reach your weight-loss goals. The trick, however, is专注于部分尺寸. When it comes to grains, try downsizing to a half-cup. For example: 1/2 cup of quinoa has 20 grams of carbs. “People don’t want to think about portions; they want to look at [carbohydrate-rich foods] as black and white, butthe truth is somewhere in between,” says Young. With smaller portion sizes you won’t feel deprived, yet you’ll reduce your carb intake.

2

TRY CAULIFLOWER RICE

Look for bags of riced cauliflower in thefrozen veggies sectionat your store. Add it directly to a pan and saute in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. You can serve this alone or toss with an equal (or lesser) amount ofbrown rice. Add veggies and your favorite lean protein for a well-balanced,lower-carb meal. “Going ‘halfsies’ [with vegetables and carbs] can help you cut carbs,” says Burns.

3

OPT FOR SPAGHETTI SQUASH

You don’t have to give upcomfort food pasta dishes. Instead, switch the base. “Try pouring Bolognese onto spaghetti squash noodles,” says Young. One cup has just 10 grams of carbohydrates, 1/4 the amount in traditional cooked noodles. You can also tryspaghetti squash lasagnaor top it with mushrooms, onions and tomatoes for afiber-rich vegetarian dish.

4

或尝试Zoodles

Another strategy is to combine ribbons of zucchini (akazoodles) with whole-wheat pasta, suggests Young. “This is a happy medium to a full plate of pasta. You’ll be looking at plenty of food on your plate without feeling deprived,” she says. Pro tip: You can make zucchini noodles on your own if you have a spiralizer, but check your grocery store’s refrigerated produce section, as you may be able to purchase it pre-packaged, saving lots of prep time. Then try thesefive zoodle recipes under 400 calories.

5

BAKE WITH ALTERNATIVE FLOURS

Trust us: An almond flour blondie or coconut flour cookie still tastes good. “Almond and coconut flourscontain fewer carbohydrates and can be swapped for regular flour when baking,” says Burns. A 1/4-cup serving of almond flour contains 6 grams of carbs and coconut flour contains 18 grams compared to 24 grams of carbs in traditional white flour. Get started with thislow-carb banana bread recipefeaturing coconut flour or try thesePaleo cookies.

6

TRADE CEREAL FOR OATMEAL

Yes,oatmealcontains carbohydrates, but 1 cup of cooked oats has 27 grams of carbohydrates, which is often significantly less than cereal. For example, Cinnamon Toast Crunch contains 37 grams per cup and Raisin Bran has 46 grams per cup. Moreover, unlike cereal, which can behighly processed并包含很多added sugar, oatmeal islow on the glycemic index, meaning it won’t spike blood sugar levels and cause an energy slump. Oats also contain a variety of B vitamins, fiber and protein, andresearch in the Journal of the American College of Nutritionfound oatmeal suppresses your appetite longer than cold cereal.

7

GO OPEN-FACED

Take a cue fromavocado toastand reimagine the classic sandwich bygoing open-faced. “By leaving one slice of bread off, you’ve automatically slashed carbs in half,” says Young. You can start your morning with an open-faced,high-protein smoked salmon sandwichor even try one of thesedinner sandwiches.

8

PLATE IT

“It can be hard to track how much you’re eating if you’re grabbing handfuls of snacks out of a big bag,” says Young. Carbs can easily add up fast without you even noticing. The fix: “Put food on a plate. That’s one of the most important things you can do,” she says. You can also track your carb intake with anapp like MyFitnessPal.

9

PRIORITIZE YOUR CARBS

你愿意在早餐或晚餐吃淀粉吗? Or, do you enjoy fruit and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast but couldn’t part with your lunch sandwich? “You don’t have to eat carb-rich foods at all three meals,” says Young, who says this strategy can help you effortlessly cut carbs. Think about the meals where you really enjoy a grain or starchy veggie, and eat it then.


READ MORE >8 CARB MYTHS DEBUNKED BY REGISTERED DIETITIANS


10

SWITCH YOUR SNACKS

If you’ve been into salty, carby mid-afternoon snacks, you can find a worthy alternative. “There are many lower-carb ‘convenient’ options out there,” says Burns. She likes chickpea puffs, air-popped popcorn, Parmesan crisps, 100-calorie packs of nuts and alternative flour crackers, like Hu Crackers and Simple Mills crackers.

11

MAKE DESSERT FRUIT-FORWARD

Fruit contains carbohydrates, but it also contains vitamins, natural sweetness and fiber to help you digest it more slowly. Focusing on afruit-based dessert helps you reduce carbsand still satisfy your sweet tooth. Young suggests freezing banana slices drizzled with peanut butter (Try thisbanana split on a stick.), having frozen grapes (truly nature’s candy), or drizzling strawberries with chocolate sauce. You can also try these deliciousfruit-filled desserts under 400 calories.

12

CONSIDER NET CARBS

The idea behindnet carbsis fiber and sugar alcohols do not significantly affect blood sugar, so they don’t “count” like other sources of carbs. To calculate net carbs, you take the total amount of carbs in grams and subtract both grams of fiber and sugar alcohols. Tracking net carbs (which an app likeMyFitnessPal does automatically) allows you to have more leeway with carbs while still hitting your low-carb goals. A great place to start is these15 breakfasts with up to 20 grams of net carbs.

Originally published September 2020, updated with additional reporting

通过低碳水化合物餐计划养成健康的习惯。注册以接收每日提示和注册营养师批准的食谱,该食谱是针对您的个人卡路里和碳水化合物目标量身定制的。狗万买球网址去 ”Plans” in the MyFitnessPal app to try our 28-day Low Carb Meal Plan.

About the Author

Jessica Migala
Jessica Migala

Jessica Migala is a health and fitness freelancer based in the Chicago suburbs. She spends her days writing with her beagle mix by her side and her free time with her two young sons. Jessica also writes for O, The Oprah magazine, Woman’s Day, Real Simple and others. Find her atjessicamigala.com.

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