You want to start a ketogenic diet, but you’re not sure you can give up your favourite carb-filled foods. It can feel super daunting and overwhelming to eliminate the foods you eat every day, especially if they’re your favourites! We’re talking rice, breads, potatoes, pasta, and any processed carby snack. On a keto diet you need to limit your carbohydrate intake to roughly 20-30g of net carbs per day, or roughly 5-10% of your overall food intake. Majority of the carbs you can eat should come from vegetables, but wah wahhhhh - that’s no fun!
The most important part of a ketogenic diet is finding what is sustainable for you. You need to be realistic and to do keto and see results, that includes swapping out high carb foods for lower carb alternatives. Just remember there is a keto substitute for almost everything! Here is a list of simple swaps you can use to make your transition into a keto lifestyle easier.
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POTATOES
Ahhh, the humble potato. Before keto, whenever anyone asked what my favourite food was the answer was always potatoes. Yup, I gave up my all-time favourite food! With all its delicious variations it always topped my list, but 1 cup of potatoes is roughly 25g net carbs making it a no-no for keto. Let’s go through all the different ways we can substitute spuds for a lower carb option.
Keto Substitute for Roasted Potatoes - roasted turnips, roasted radishes, roasted carrots, roasted cauliflower
Keto Substitute for Mashed Potatoes - mashed cauliflower, mashed turnips, mashed broccoli, mashed kohlrabi
Keto Substitute for French Fries - turnip fries, jicama fries, almond flour fries, zucchini fries, avocado fries, daikon fries
Keto Substitute for Hashbrowns/Tater Tots - cauliflower tots, radish hash, turnip hash, cauliflower hashbrowns
Keto Substitute for Scalloped Potatoes - scalloped turnip, scalloped daikon
POTATO CHIPS
Yes, I do realize that chips fall into the potato category, but as an ex-extreme chip lover I decided they deserve a category all on their own. Team Savoury, am I right?! If you’re a fan of salty, crunchy snacks here is a list of healthy, keto-friendly options to help satisfy any chip lovers craving.
Keto Substitute for Potato Chips - pork rinds, zucchini chips, baked cheese chips, pepperoni chips, salami chips, Quest Protein Chips, keto-friendly seed crackers, baked low carb wraps, nuts or seeds
BREADS
Bread products have become so intertwined into our daily eating habits that it’s hard to imagine a life without them. But with roughly 15g net carbs per slice, it’s not recommended to achieve the results you desire on a ketogenic diet. Here is a list of easy alternatives for bread and other bread products to help you keep calm, and keto-on.
Keto Substitute for Bread - keto bread (there are lots on the market!), deli cheese slices (great for stuffing with sandwich fillings), chaffle/waffle buns
Keto Substitute for Hamburger Buns - lettuce wrapped, chaffle/waffle buns, avocado halves, low carb buns, egg buns
Keto Substitute for Tortillas - lettuce wraps, egg wraps, coconut or almond flour wraps, low carb tortillas
Keto Substitute for Pizza Crust - chicken crust, cauliflower crust, fathead dough, low carb pizza crust
Keto Substitute for Breadcrumbs - crushed pork rinds, almond or coconut flour, parmesan cheese
GRAB YOUR FREE DAILY KETO HABIT CHECKLIST BELOW
PASTA
This may be the one carb filled food item that has most people worried about starting a ketogenic diet. Whenever I tell people I’m doing keto the general response is: “I could NEVER do that because I could NEVER give up pasta”. There’s something so comforting about a big bowl of noods, but I promise there are keto-friendly substitutes out there that provide all the comfort with minimal carbs.
Keto Substitute for Pasta - zucchini noodles, daikon noodles, spaghetti squash, shaved cabbage, hearts of palm noodles, shirataki noodles, konjac noodles, organic soybean noodles, organic mung bean noodles
RICE
White rice is void of any real nutrients which makes them essentially empty carbs. One cup of this stuff contains about 45g of carbs - more than double what’s recommended for a ketogenic diet! But fret not, there are a couple simple swaps you can use to soak up all that tasty stir fry sauce.
Keto Substitute for Rice - cauliflower rice, zucchini rice, broccoli rice, rutabaga rice, konjac rice
Starting a ketogenic diet can definitely be scary at the beginning. You want to be healthier and lose weight, but the thought of giving up some of the foods you’re used to can feel like a daunting task. The best advice is to just start! Don’t put off making changes for your health and well-being just because of certain foods. Make your reason to start keto greater than a silly piece of bread. If you’re feeling totally overwhelmed and want to learn more about how I can help and support you on your ketogenic weight loss journey head over to theketolisticcoach.com.
You can also click to join the free Facebook group KETO WEIGHT LOSS FOR WOMEN to surround yourself with like-minded keto women offering tips & tricks, and real, non-judgmental support.
