Springtime
and the thought of summer bring plenty of opportunities for making the most of
your low-carb lifestyle with fresh veggies, seasonal salads and grilled meats,
but it never hurts to have a little cheat sheet to help you when the cravings
for carbs hit.
Atkins Pick
Cauliflower pizza crust
This is an excellent low-carb alternative to traditional
pizza crust—blend or finely chop cauliflower and add in cheese and egg to
create the base, then top with no-sugar
pizza sauce, cheese and other low-carb
toppings of your choice.
Just Say “No”
Regular pizza crust or pizza
Just one
slice of pizza could be anywhere from 20 grams of Net Carbs to 44 grams, depending
on what kind of pizza (and style of crust) you go with.
Atkins Pick
Zucchini and shiritaki
Swap out your
traditional pasta for thin ribbons of spiralized zucchini. At only 4.8 grams of
Net Carbs per serving, this recipe for zucchini pasta with almond pesto
is a delicious alternative that’s perfect for spring. You can substitute zucchini
for pasta in any dish, or use thicker ribbons for lasagna. You can also try
shiritaki noodles, which are made from tofu and are naturally low in carbs. Try
this hearty recipe—which features shiritaki noodles,
Italian sausage and fresh green beans.
Just Say “No”
Pasta/noodles
A serving of
regular spaghetti may account for up to 40 grams of Net Carbs. Yikes!
Atkins Pick
Iceberg lettuce or Romaine leaves
Swap out your
bun or piece of bread for a leaf of lettuce or romaine, and you could save
yourself up to 37 grams of Net Carbs! Enjoy this roast beef, red bell pepper and
provolone wrap or use
slices of ham and turkey or chicken salad or tuna salad in lettuce or romaine,
and add a slice of avocado, cheese and mayo. Enjoy that juicy hamburger; just
wrap it in a leaf or two of lettuce instead of the traditional hamburger
bun. You can try this recipe for a lettuce-wrapped burger topped
with avocado. You can also experiment with chicken, lamb or veggie patties
instead of the traditional hamburger patty.
Just Say “No”
Hamburger buns, bread or tortillas
Once again, you’re
using up at a day’s worth of Net Carbs when you opt for a bun, bread or tortilla.
Atkins Pick
Kale chips
Satisfy your
salty and crunchy cravings with our naturally low-carb kale chips.
Even better—kale is a super food, meaning it’s packed with even more nutrients
than other foods.
Just Say “No”
Potato chips
You can blow
your whole day’s quota of Net Carbs away with a few handfuls of these greasy
chips, because who just sticks to one 1-ounce serving?
Atkins
Pick
Asparagus
Asparagus is in season now, and it’s naturally low in carbs.
There are endless ways to prepare it, such as boiling, steaming or blanching
it. You can even eat it raw—slice it thinly and add to a salad or serve whole
spears with a low-carb
dip. You can also grill it—this recipe
for grilled asparagus with lemon is a delicious side dish.
Just
Say “No”
Side
dishes full of carbs
Skip all the empty carbs in that loaded baked potato, potato
or macaroni salad or pasta or rice side dishes.
What low carb alternatives have you used that works for you?
