good foods to replace carbs?

Smaller portions. I cut carbs and lost weight by just having 1/2 a potato, 1/4 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of pasta, Lower cal, carb breads, mini pita's, and tortilla's. I have tons of veggies to make up for the bulk. I could never give up carbs.

I found it easier to just halve my normal protion of carbs (one potato instead of 2, a small spoonful of rice etc)

I rarely eat bread now - but I keep a good quality seeded loaf in the feezer, so that I can toast a slice once every few days. breakfasts are usually eggs or yoghurt, lunch is soup or salad, dinner based on meat or fish with veg.

Oh, and sweet potaotes aren't really much of an alternative, they still have a lot of carbs. But it's good to get variety, and they contain a lot of other beneficial nutrition.

I am going to start cutting out white flour items for a month and see how that effects my loss.

I love mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes (you can make a big batch and just reheat what you need)

I enjoy low carb yogurts for breakfast (they are low in cals too).

I LOVE pickles for a salty and sour snack for when the sweet munchies hit.

You can roast green beans for a tasty snack that has a nutty flavor and crunchy when they are first made!!!

The lowest carb nuts are walnuts and pecans. A serving of those keep the hungries away.

I'll be enjoying a few of these suggestions this coming month. Hoping I'll feel better AND lose some weight that has been at a stand still!

bump to see all replies, i am also watching my carbs, dont want to exclude them just cut down a bit.

Spaghetti squash really is one of the best things I have ever eaten (a ridiculously low in calories).. I prefer it to pasta.

Cut it in half lengthwise

Scrape out the seeds

Microwave face down on a plate until a fork easily pierces it

Scrape the insides out with a fork

It is wonderful with pasta sauce and just as yummy with a little butter and parm cheese. Sometimes it can be a little watery, so you can put it in a colander and let the water drain out before plating

bump!!!! love the ideas of cauliflower and spaghetti squash! im gonna try these!

bump to follow replies.

bump.

I'm right there with you. I got on MFP initially to cut my carb intake because I realized I'd have cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and pasta for dinner every day... carbs carbs carbs!

Try Mission brand Carb Balance whole wheat tortillas! They come in large, medium, and small. I get the small ones (13 carbs each) and have two of them... makes me feel like I'm eating more but it's only a few calories more than 1 medium tortilla. Also try Carbmaster yogurt from Kroger if there's one in your area. VERY low in carbs AND sugar.

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Carbs should come mainly from veggies and fruits. If you want to go fancy then sweet potatoes and yams and squash.

Cauliflower pizza crust


Ingredients:
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil (optional)
pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*
directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.
One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).
Enjoy!
*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

i was going to suggest quinoa and couscous, too. as a replacement for rices and larger pastas.

spaghetti squash is good.

if you'd don't want to give them up, then spread them out. or reserve a day of the week for them. eat less of them ( smaller portions).

if you are going to eat breads, rice, potatoes, etc. maybe that day you stay away from the snacky/ treat type stuff.

you can always put in a day into the food diary here and mess around with your meals according to grams of carbs vs. protein vs. calories, etc. see what would work out best for you. :-)

good luck!

i am SOOOO right there with you!! i truly carbs! i've recently (since starting MFP) started cooking with quinoa and farro... they are both SUPER yummy, and i like them better than rice for SURE. one quinoa recipe i really dig is quinoa with sweet potatoes and mushrooms <http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-with-sweet-potato-and-mushrooms/detail.aspx>. there's no way i could really never eat pasta again, so now i try to make sure i fill the sauce with veggies and lean protein, use the whole wheat pastas (delallo makes pricey but great ones), and stick to the portion size of the pasta, making sure to get double the veggies. i also like to have toast with breakfast, but recently decided that just cuz the toaster has 2 slots doesn't mean i have to eat 2 pieces... i get just as much satisfaction with one! good luck!!