7 Healthy Carb Swaps You’ve Got to Try

First of all…. carbs. They get a bad wrap. They’re not evil, or bad for you, in fact they’re essential to your health and well-being. Why? Because of what they contain. Energy!

However, not all carbs are created equal and if you’re about to head into a low-carb lifestyle, here are some swaps we recommend to lower your carb intake while keeping all the fun and flavor.

Pasta for Zucchini Noodles

Spiralized veggie noodles or “zoodles” due to the fact they’re primarily made with zucchini, are a super popular alternative to white flour pastas and recurring star in low-carb meals. Why? Zucchini have the perfect texture and flavor to replace pasta, while providing only 4 grams of carbs per cup, compared to traditional linguine with 35 grams.

Perfect for those on Paleo, Whole30, and Keto diets, or for those who are simply gluten-free, zucchini noodles are also great because they’re quick to make from scratch and cook in just a few minutes.

Croutons for Slivered Almonds

Salads are a dieter’s best friend. No matter what your lifestyle, a good hearty salad full of leafy greens, proteins, and healthy fats is a great way to get in your daily vitamins. But if you’re new to making superfood salads you might find them boring and start to rely things like croutons to add some fun. If you’re getting started on a healthy low-carb lifestyle, try swapping the crunchy croutons for slivered almonds. They taste just as good and can save you 15g of carbs per ounce.

White Potatoes with Sweet Potatoes

First of all white potatoes are not bad for you. That myth needs to end. They’re highly fibrous, all-natural, energy sustaining wonder-food. Again, entire civilizations have lived off them for years.

They get a bad wrap in modern society usually by association. Fries, gratin, mashed potatoes, potato chips… the list goes on. But typically it is the combination of a low-nutrition high fat source like oil and cheese, or processed chemicals, with the high carb plant-food, that turn it into something nasty. Pure white potatoes on their own, in moderation, are not a bad thing.

However, if you’re on a paleo diet, sweet potatoes are a great substitution. With the same amount of total carbohydrates per serving, sweet potatoes have more fiber and are slightly lower on the glycemic index than white potatoes. Which means their net carbs are lower for those on Keto or Paleo diets.

Burger Buns for Lettuce Wraps

At MacroPlate, we love a good lettuce wrap. Burger buns are great for keeping things together, but they’re not the best for low-carb or no-carb diets. That’s why many of our meals on our Paleo plan come with a piece of crispy crunchy butter leaf which works just as well (sometimes better) at wrapping up your delicious lunch. Just that one simple switch saves you an average of 30g of carbs from traditional burger buns.

Bonus: At MacroPlate we also use whole grain thin buns for our burgers and sandwiches for an everyday healthy option too!

Oatmeal for Chia Pudding

Oatmeal is a super-healthy breakfast food, but it’s always nice to have other options, especially if you’re on a Ketogenic or low-carb diet. While oats are super healthy whole-grains, chia seeds have a super power of their own… they’re extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids making them a low-carb, high fat substitute perfect for those on keto.

Potato Chips for Kale Chips

Again, potatoes are not bad for you… but processed greasy chips? Not always great for dieters. That’s why we love kale chips! With only 5-7g of carbs per serving compared to 15-20g in standard potato chips, it’s clear to see why they’re a great swap. Plus, they’re so cheap and easy to make. All you need is some black or tuscan kale, a little olive oil and sea salt, and an oven. Perfectly crunchy and crispy and full of flavor, you’ll barely even notice that they’re good for you.

Flour for Protein Powder

Did you know we also made baked goods? Look, sometimes you just want something sweet. We understand. That’s why we made a whole line of sweet-tooth satisfying treats that won’t break your diet. We swapped all white flour for protein powder and almond powder, and use bitter dark chocolate alongside other natural ingredients like banana and honey to sweeten our baked goods. That’s why most of our baked goods (despite tasting sinfully delicious) are surprisingly low in sugar, high in protein, and won’t cause you to crash. In fact, they might just give you that perfect pep you need.

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We make all the meals you see above plus 400 other recipes, each individually customized to your diet, macros, and preferences. Hate tomatoes? No problem. Vegan with a mushroom allergy? We’ve got you.

All our meals are between 300-600 calories (depending on your needs) with the majority falling between 450-500 calories per meal. For our carb-sensitive we recommend our Paleo Plan, and for beginning dieters we recommend our Traditional Plan.

Best of all, we deliver to your door overnight, every night! Yeah. That’s right. Contactless delivery fresh everyday.