16 Smarter Carb Alternatives

Eating healthy food doesn’t mean giving up your favourite foods. Your favourite recipes can be adapted easily to provide a healthier alternative. For example, non-stick cookware can be used to reduce the need for cooking oil. Vegetables can also be microwaved or steamed instead of boiling to keep valuable nutrition.

There are many ways to make meals healthier. Limit fats, sugars and salt and include plenty of vegetables, fruit, grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy in your cooking. Foods with added fats, sugars or salt are less healthy than food in which these are found naturally.

Here at Bayview Dental Centre, we are always looking for ways to make our favorite foods healthier without sacrificing flavor. So we compiled a list of our best substitutions and discovered some new ones along the way

Brown rice for white rice
When white rice is processed, the “brown” bran layer gets stripped away, cutting out essential nutrients (like fiber). Opt for brown rice for a fuller nutritional profile.

Quinoa for couscous

While couscous is made from processed wheat flour, quinoa is a whole-grain superfood packed with protein and nutrients. Bonus points: They have almost the exact same texture.

Zucchini ribbons for pasta

Thin strips or ribbons of zucchini are a great stand in for carb-packed pastas. Plus, it’s one excuse to skip the boiling—simply sautee for a few minutes until soft.

Turnip mash for mashed potatoes

While one cup of mashed potatoes made with whole milk racks up about 180 calories (and that’s before the inevitable salt and butter), a cup of mashed turnip (which doesn’t need milk or butter to get that creamy consistency) has only 51 calories. Add some fresh herbs in place of the salt and it’s a much healthier stand-in for classic mash.

Grated steamed cauliflower for rice

Cut both calories and carbs with this simple switch. The texture is virtually the same, as is the taste.

Mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes

Just like the turnip mash, mashed cauliflower has only a fraction of the calories of potatoes and it’s nearly impossible to taste the difference. Got picky eaters at the table? Try mixing half potato, half cauliflower.

Rolled oats for breadcrumbs

While breadcrumbs can pack extra sodium, using rolled oats seasoned with herbs is a great way to sneak another whole grain into any meal.

Whole wheat pasta for regular pasta

Just as with bread, whole wheat pasta beats regular with a higher fiber content and about 50 fewer calories per serving (depending on the brand).

Crushed flax or fiber cereal for bread crumbs

Crushing a fiber-rich cereal and mixing it with some herbs makes an easy lower-sodium substitution for traditional breadcrumbs.

Spaghetti squash for pasta

Roasted and pulled apart with a fork, spaghetti squash is a great low-carb and lower-calorie substitute for pasta. One squash will make between two and three servings.

Pita for bread

One 4-inch whole-wheat pita runs around 80 calories and only 1 gram of fat (though there is some variation from brand to brand). Two slices of whole-wheat bread typically comes in at around 138 calories!

Lettuce leaves for tortilla wraps

It’s not a perfect swap, but forgoing the carbs for fresh lettuce is a fun (and easy) switch that can lighten up any wrap or taco dish.

Corn tortilla for flour tortilla

Half the calories and fat. ‘Nuff said.

Whole wheat bread for white bread

You’ve heard it all before, but it’s just that important! Whole-grain wheat beats out processed white with a complete nutrition profile and better flavor and texture.

Quinoa for oatmeal

Cooked with milk (cow, almond, hemp—whatever’s on hand) and some cinnamon, quinoa makes a perfect protein-packed hot breakfast.

Steel-cut oatmeal for instant oatmeal

Chewy and a little crunchy, these guys are nothing like their instant oatmeal cousins. While rolled oats are—literally—rolled into a flat grain, steel cut oats are diced whole grains that maintain more of their fiber-rich shell. Rich in B vitamins, calcium, and protein, steel-cut oats also lack the added sugar that often comes with instant varieties.

Bayview Dental Centre at 141 Bayview Street, Runaway Bay, QLD, services all Northern Gold Coast suburb families and those in need of dental care. We have two female dentists Dr Joy Lee and Dr Peta O’Keefe and male dentist  Dr Maurice Trotter that are available to cater for all your dental needs and concerns including Emergency Dental Treatment, General Dentistry, Teeth Whitening, Crowns, Bridges, Dental Implants, Full and Partial Dentures and also Denture Repairs.