How to Substitute Foods for Healthier Low Carb Meals

Are you interested in how to substitute foods for low carb meals? You DO need some carbohydrates to be healthy. However, some are more nutritious than others. Also, it's is easiest to overeat when you snack exclusively on carbs, because they do not fill you up. Therefore you take in more calories faster, which is counter productive to weight-loss diets. This article will help you replace processed carbs with their more nutritious counterparts for healthier low carb meals.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shopping list and pen
• The following foods
• A little willpower

1. Substitute your sandwich's bread with whole grain bread. The higher fiber in whole wheat is key for low carb meals. At lunch, be sure to have whole grain bread for your sandwich. Keep your lunch well balanced by having lean meat proteins, some veggie fillings, and a yogurt or piece of fruit for dessert. For more ideas about good produce, protein, and dairy choices, see the resources section of this article. Look for breads with under 21 grams of fiber for successful weight-loss diets.

2. Eat a balanced dinner with correct portions of whole grains. Whole grain rice is more nutritious than white, so it's a healthier choice. Also, Barilla Pasta Plus has a higher protein content than other pastas, which is ideal for low carb meals. I find that it has a better taste and texture than whole wheat pastas. However, if you don't mind the taste of whole wheat pasta that is also a healthy option. Your side entrees should have no more than 38 grams of carbs for weight-loss diets that work.

3. Moderate your portion of whole grains for your dinner. A good rule of thumb for low carb meals is to have a scoop of rice or pasta that is smaller than the size of your fist. If this seems like not enough food for you, and you are concerned that you will feel hungry, remember that the protein you select is what is really going to fill you up. And you can have all the vegetables you want on weight-loss diets (just make sure they are not covered with fatty toppings like butter and cheese).

4. Examine how much starch you are eating, as well as the types if you are trying to maintain a healthy weight or while on weight-loss diets. You may find that substituting whole grains for white flour/rice as well as eating more vegetables than carbs makes a big impact in how you look and feel. Good luck learning to make substitutions for low carb meals.

Tips & Warnings

• Fruit also contains "good carbs." For more information about how to include fruit into a healthy diet, visit my other article "how to eat more fruit."

Resources

• How to eat more vegetables

[missnice104]

on 10/27/2008 This was a very good, informative article! Thanks so much Amber!