I’m a carb lover through and through, in all it’s many glorious forms. I believe it is an essential part of my healthy diet to consume complex carbohydrates in the form of wholegrains, legumes and potatoes and an essential part of my happiness to enjoy pasta and cake ;).
Cutting them out is unthinkable for me but recently I was asked about low carb recipes and swaps and I love the opportunity to look into a way of eating that isn’t necessarily my own.
My Capsule Kitchen is not just about me after all. It is also about you and how you can create one that is perfect for you!
Whilst I love sharing what I cook in my kitchen, I also want to help you find more recipes that are relevant to you. If you are stuck on what to cook for dinner and what to make part of your own capsule kitchen and recipe collection, you are always very welcome to drop me an email at katrine@mycapsulekitchen.com. I’d love to hear from you!
What does low carb mean?
Reading articles about a low carb approach to food is interesting. There are many different forms, the term low carb diet isn’t very well defined, and as a result it can mean different things for different people. Generally speaking a diet qualifies as low carb when only around 20-30% or less of your calorie intake comes from carbohydrates, and is sometimes replaced with an increased protein and (healthy) fats intake. Foods high in easily digestible carbohydrates (such as sugar, bread, pasta etc) are limited.
The two most fun ways I found to swap carbs for low carb alternatives
Swapping foods out is fun!
Finding variety is always good for your diet so why not give these alternatives a shot, no matter if you have to eat a low carb diet or not.
Sweet Potato Toast
It’s weird and wonderful: Yes, you can toast sliced sweet potatoes in the toaster. Who knew! You’ll need to give it a few rounds to get it cooked through but other than pressing the button a few times it is no hassle. Why not add it to your breakfast repertoire on occasion!
Baked Spaghetti Squash
I’ve been meaning to try this squash for ages and it couldn’t be simpler to prepare.
The squash flesh separates into these glorious strands when baked and you literally just need to scrape them out with a fork. Then dress them to your liking and serve them as a salad or instead of pasta with any sauce you like. No spiralizer needed!
Other yummy swaps and things I found on the web
- Adam Liaw’s Low Carb Cheeseburger
I love the idea of wrapping a cheeseburger in lettuce leaves. I imagine it fresh and vibrant. Plus, anything that Adam comes up with is worth a try. You don’t have to be a low carb diet follower to enjoy this suggestion! - Serve apple slices instead of crackers with cheese.
- Apple or pear slices with nutbutters are a great quick snack.
- Make cauliflower or broccoli ‘rice’ as a side dish alternative.
- Roasted cauliflower is amazing and a lovely alternative to potatoes.
- Zoodles as in spiralized zucchini noodles. Like these: One Pot Teriyaki Chicken Zoodles I wonder, if you did that with carrots, should we call them coodles?
- Mashed turnips instead of mashed potatoes.
- Carrot and Sweet Potato Fries. With garlic aioli. Yum. I’d be happy with that!
- Instead of bread ‘soldiers’, dip asparagus spears (or other veggies) into your eggs.
- Greek Sushi. Maybe not a meal, but a fabulous snack!
Here is a great looking 3 day meal plan on Goop. Say what you will about Gwyneth, I’ve been a fan and Goop reader from day dot and love many of the food suggestions, even though I stopped detoxing years ago. These recipes look delicious and the idea to use collard leaves for wraps is genius! Will definitely try that.
TV comfort food
- Kale Chips! Wash and dry, then remove the leaves from the stems. Tear into bite sized pieces, drizzle with olive oil and crunch them in your hands a little. Spread onto a lined baking tray and sprinkle with salt and dried chilli. Bake in the oven at about 175C until crisp (about 10 mins). I dare you not to eat the whole bowl. When I make them they last about 2 minutes, haha.
- Zucchini Parmesan Chips
- Cauliflower Garlic Bread
- Don’t forget the Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks from above!
I’m confused, is low carb better?
Low carb diets are often associated with weight loss and sometimes recommended when treating certain medical conditions. It can’t generally be said that it’s a better or healthier choice because it depends on your personal circumstances. I think it’s important to talk to a nutritionist or doctor if you are thinking of changing your diet drastically.
We live in a confusing world when it comes to food, with information overload. We crave clarity but I think no label, such as low carb, can be understood as healthy per se. When I researched low carb recipes I found that a lot of them were absolutely loaded with processed cheese for example. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to stay away from carbs and gluten, it is questionable why Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks would be any healthier for you than a slice of good quality rye sourdough bread topped with good quality cheese. They look delicious though, mind you!
So rather than viewing the low carb label as something that must be healthy, why not enjoy it as an exercise to find fun new ways of adding different vegetables to your diet.
All the while keeping an eye on the quality of the carbs you are consuming, not just the quantity.
Bottom line: Whether or not a low carb approach is good for you is personal and depends on a variety of factors. For this article I didn’t want to go into whether carbs in general are good or bad, but simply what you can add into your diet (or swap) to embrace low carb options.
If you want to learn more about whether or not carbs are friend or foe, this is a great article.
And there you have it: Lots of low carb options that even a dedicated carb lover like me can get excited about. If you have any other suggestions, recipes or websites to share, please leave a comment below!
Now excuse me while I go and make some kale chips :).
Much love,
Katrine x
