One of the most difficult parts of eating low-carbs is cutting back on foods you enjoy. Many of these meals may have become a regular part of your diet. While dealing with carb loss can be difficult, there are many low-carb alternatives that you could choose instead of their high carbohydrate counterparts.

These low-carb substitutes for popular foods can help you make choices that better align with your dietary goals, whether you are adopting a brief lived low-carb eating model or you’re trying to make an everlasting lifestyle change.

Bread
Challah bread.
Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman
Bread is a staple food in many countries, but most people don’t make their daily loaf at home. Some popular sliced breads you buy in the store may be high in carbohydrates, and contain ingredients like sugar and preservatives to extend shelf life. Breads made from complete grains are often rich in fiber and certain vitamins.

Bread Pattern Carbohydrate Counts
Gluten-free Brown Rice Bread (15 Grams)
Commercially-produced white bread (15 grams or extra)
23-Grain Bread (19 Grams)
Cinnamon raisin bread (18 grams)
Challah (35 grams)
Low-Carb Substitutes
You can choose from a variety of options if you want to reduce or eliminate bread. There are low-carb options for sliced breads, pita breads, hamburger buns and tortillas from many well-known brands. Check the ingredients list and other nutritional information to determine the carb count. Some options may have sugar added or a negligible nutritional value.
Keto Skinny Bread (1 Gram)
Dealer Joe’s Natural 7-Grain Bread, 11 grams
Dave’s Skinny Slice Powerseed Bread (12 grams).
Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Entire Grain Bread (15 grams)
You can also choose low-carb breads like cauliflower flats and flax wraps. You can even learn how to make your own bread. You can choose from a variety of low-carb sweet and savory options, including:

Gluten-free Pumpkin Bread (9 grams)
Low-carb gluten-free Banana Bread (11 grams).
Flax meal bread (13 grams)
Low Glycemic Index breads are available for those looking to control their blood sugar. These breads may also differ from your usual bread in terms of texture and style: Low-GI bread is often very heavy and made with sprouted grain.

While low-GI bread can be a bit difficult to get used to at first, it’s worth the effort if you are trying to watch your carbs. Low-GI bread is often primarily made up of fiber, which can take longer to digest and won’t raise blood sugar levels as quickly as breads with refined flour.

The Best Low-Carb Bread Available

Pasta
It’s often difficult to give up pasta when you switch to a low carb diet, but there are many ways to recreate it.

As pasta noodles are often used as a vehicle for toppings and sauces, switching the carb-laden base to something else is one of the easiest ways to make your favorite dish low-carb friendly. These options can be made low-carb by using a simple marinara or tossing them with olive oil, parmesan and olive oil.

Popular High-Carb Choices
The USDA offers the following carbohydrate counts for 100 grams (about 1/2 cup of cooked meal).

Cheese ravioli (21,6g)
Gluten-free corn noodles (27.9g).
Gnocchi (17g)
Lasagna meatless (13.8 g)
Macaroni & cheese (23.1g).
Pasta (no Sauce), with spaghetti or fettuccine (30.7)
Entire grain pasta (29.9g)
Low-Carb Substitutes
If you’re interested in cutting carbs, there are many options. The serving size may vary slightly because many of these products are made by specific manufacturers.

Miracle Noodle Shirataki noodles (1g carbs per 3 ounce serving).
Zucchini spiral pasta (3g carbs in a 2.7-ounce serving)
Spaghetti squash (4.9g carbohydrates per 78g or approximately 3 ounces)
If you are craving pasta but the choices available do not satisfy your desire, choose low-carb pasta or traditional pasta that is 100 % whole grain.

Low-Carb Pasta Substitutes

Al dente is the best way to prepare your pasta (but it should still be firm enough to chew). This method of preparing the noodles makes them less likely to cause a blood sugar spike.

As long as you measure your portions, a small portion of conventional pasta won’t interfere with a low-carb diet.

Cereal
Many of the boxes you will find in the cereal aisle have been closely processed, and they always have a high glycemic rating. If you can find low-carb cereals in co-ops, specialty stores, or online, read the labels carefully to determine how many carbs are contained.

Popular High-Carb Choices
Here are the carbohydrate counts for cereals in style without milk. The serving sizes can change.

Honey Bunches Oats, Roasted with Honey (32.5g per cup or 40 gram serving).
Kashi GOLEAN (34.9g in a cup or 52 grams per serving)
Cinnamon Toast Crunch (31.2g per 40g or 1 cup)
Frosted Flakes (36,6g per cup or 41g serving).
Golden Grahams (34g in a cup or 40 grams per serving)
Raisin Bran (47.1g per cup or 61 grams)
Frosted Mini-Wheats (43,2g per cup or 53 grams)
Publish Grape Nuts (93,4g per cup or 116 grams)
Kellogg’s Low-Fat Granola (72.3g in a cup or 98 grams per serving)
Granola is it a healthy meal?

Low-Carb Substitutes
If you’re on a strict low-carb diet for medical or private reasons, you may want to make your own cereal. You can also try a whole grain hot or cold cereal. Grains like oatmeal or quinoa are high in fiber and protein. You’ll have more control over the carb count and other vitamin content. Plus, you will know exactly which ingredients are used and how much, and you can dole out portions according to your plan.

Low-carb Granola (10 grams).
Chocolate Goji Berry Path Combine (15 grams)
Instant flax meal (16 grams)
Potatoes
The starchy vegetable potatoes contains vitamins such as potassium, fiber (if consumed with the skin), vitamin B6, vitamin C and vitamin D. If you’re on a low-carbohydrate diet, you may want to limit your consumption of potatoes because they are high in carbohydrates.

Potatoes are high in carbohydrates
Below are the carbohydrate counts for various types of potatoes. Please note that serving sizes can vary widely.

No fat added to baked candy potatos with peel (32.7g per 150-gram medium potato).
Roasted small pink potatoes (32.7g per cup or 160 gram serving).
Mashed potatoes (25.9g of potato per serving or two 147-gram portions)
Baked white potatoes (49.3g for a small baked potato of 230 grams).
Hash Browns (45,2g per cup or 160 grams)
French fries (11g per 60-gram serving, or 1 cup)
Why Potatoes Increase Your Blood Sugar More Than Specific Sugar

Low-Carb Substitutes
Celeriac (celery roots) mashed with boiled cubes (5.9g for every 100g of boiled cubes).
Mashed cauliflower made from florets cooked (5.2g per 100g of boiled florets)
Cauliflower “potato” salad (6g per serving)
Rutabaga fries (12g per cup or 140g of rutabaga).
Root greens mashed or roasted (carbohydrate counts may vary depending on the vegetables used and any additional ingredients).
Rice
In many cultures, rice is a staple food. However, if you’re on a low-carbohydrate diet, you may need to be careful about the type and amount of rice that you consume. Longer grain rice can have a lower glycemic indices (which means that it will raise blood sugar more slowly) than shorter grain. Brown rice and wild rice also have more fiber than white rice.

Popular High-Carb Choices
The carbohydrate content of rice can vary depending on the type. You can use the information below for different types of rice, or check the nutrition label on the brand you purchase.

Jasmine Rice (142 grams or 46g carbs per cup)
Fried rice without meat (54g per cup or 156 grams).
White rice (44,2g per cup or about 158 grams).
Brown rice (49.6g/cup or 195 grams).
Rice pilaf (49.6g/cup or 206 grams).
Low-Carb Substitutes
If you’re trying to reduce carbs, there are several options for rice. It is important to note that the serving sizes provided by authorities and producers can vary.

Shirataki rice (about 1/2 cup or 2.68g carbs per 100 grams)
Cauliflower Rice (4.7g per 100 gram serving or approximately 1/2 cup).
Information about Rice and its Health Benefits

Milk
Lactose is a form of carbohydrates found in milk. It doesn’t mean you should avoid milk. The benefits of drinking it far outweigh any negative effects. Just be mindful about how much you consume.

Carbohydrate Counts in milk
Buttermilk in its entirety (11.9g per cup or 244 grams)
Whole milk (11,4g per cup or 244 grams)
Lowfat milk, 1% (12.7% per cup or 246 grams)
Whole evaporated milk (25.3g per cup or 252-gram portion)
Nonfat evaporated Milk (28.6g in a cup or 252-gram portion)
A cup of half-and-half or heavy cream (both of which contain 6.8g of carbohydrates) will also contribute to carbs. However, the typical serving size is much less than a full cup. If you want to add creamer to your morning coffee, for example, a tablespoon is all that’s needed.

Low-Carb Substitutes
Coconut Milk (7.1g per cup or 244g)
Unsweetened almondmilk (3.2g per cup or 244g)
Soymilk unsweetened (4g in a cup or 243g)
Lactose free milk (11.4g per cup or 244g)
Some yogurts are made from milk that contains less lactose. These choices are not only good for a low carb diet, but the fermented types like kefir also help with digestion. Greek yogurt has also been strained to remove some of the lactose, making it a lower carbohydrate option.

How to Count Carbs In Yogurt

Desserts and Sweets
Allowing yourself to indulge in your favorite dessert and the occasional sweet is part of a healthy weight loss plan. There are many treats that will satisfy your sweet tooth while also fitting into your low carb weight loss plan.

Popular High-Carb Choices
1 medium chocolate chip cookies (9 gram).
2-inch chocolate brownie (12 grams)
Half a cup of vanilla ice-cream (16 grams).
Dark chocolate, 1 ounce (17 grams).
Half a cup of complete milk and egg custard (25 grams).
Bread pudding purchased from a retailer (48 grams).
One slice of pecan pie is 55 grams.
Learn how to find low-carb snacks wherever you go

Low-Carb Substitutes
While synthetic sweeteners may technically fit into a low carb eating plan, you should be aware of some possible downsides. You can still get the sweet taste you want without adding any extra sugar, fat, or calories by choosing low-sugar fruits.

Apricots (3.9g in 35-gram fruits)
Guava (7.9g per 55-gram fruit)
These low-carb candy recipes are worth trying:

Low-carb sugar free custard (2 g)
Fudge with peanut butter and chocolate without sugar (3 grams).
Low-carb Coconut Macarons (3 grams).
Almond biscotti with no sugar and gluten (3 grams).
Low-carb chocolate ganache (10 grams)
Flaxseed brownies (10 g)
Low-carb gluten-free banana bread (11 grams).
Peanut Butter Protein Balls (12 Grams)
You don’t have to completely deny yourself a treat when you really need a bite of your favorite dessert in its real-sugar, full-fat form. Just be sure to watch your portion size and keep these treats for special occasions, rather than making them a regular part of your weight-loss program.