Low Carb Substitutes for High Carb Food

Eating a low-carb diet does not mean you have to give up on delicious food. All you need to do is make some clever changes! Here are my favourite low-carb replacements for high-carb foods that I use regularly.

I've got great news for you: You do not need to miss out on bread, pasta and rice! Simply use a low carb substitute.

Of course, these low carb replacements do not taste EXACTLY like their high carb counterparts. But the texture, taste and look is similar enough for the dish to pass as an alternative that is just as enjoyable.

And, just like me, you may even decide you like the carb alternatives better than the original!

Jump to:

• Low carb alternatives for sugar
• Low carb Flours
• Low Carb Bread
• Low Carb Pasta Swaps
• Low Carb Pizza
• Low Carb Tortillas and Wraps
• Low Carb Pancakes
• Low carb Swaps for Rice
• Low carb Alternatives for Potatoes
• Low Carb Cereal
• Low Carb Replacements for Milk 
• Low Carb Fruit

Low carb alternatives for sugar

It's so easy to swap sugar with low carb sweeteners that I always wonder why not everyone does it.

The best sugar substitutes to use in low carb and keto dessert recipes are erythritol, monk fruit, stevia and allulose.

Erythritol is my go-to sweetener from cookies to cakes to keto brownies. It's especially useful for anything that I want crunchy, such as these sugar free sugar cookies. This is because erythritol re-crystallises as it cools.

The erythritol brands I like and use regularly include Lakanto, SoNourished, NKD Living and Sukrin. Lakanto blends erythritol with monk fruit, which reduces the cooling taste of erythritol. Sukrin blends erythritol with stevia.

Allulose is a relatively new sugar alternative. It is not a sugar alcohol, but a rare sugar. Like erythritol, it contains zero carbohydrates. Allulose has the added benefit that it does not re-crystallize, which makes it perfect in low carb ice cream or keto caramel.

Stevia is sold in granulated form and as a liquid. It is the perfect option if you're sensitive to sugar alcohols. I don't use it much because I don't like its slightly metallic aftertaste.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol like erythritol. It makes bakes softer just like allulose does and it is easier to source in Europe and the UK than allulose. The one thing you have to watch out for is that xylitol is deadly to dogs.

Low carb Flours

My favourite low carb flour is almond flour (or ground almonds as we call it in the UK). I use it in bread and cakes and like its very gentle nutty taste. See my almond flour recipe category here.

If you combine it with whey protein powder like I did in my Keto focaccia, you can achieve a very white bread!

Ove the last few years, I have baked more and more coconut flour recipes. I enjoy the gently sweet flavor of coconut flour. You can't swap it 1:1 in recipes because it is very absorbent. My go to ratio for an almond flour to coconut flour swap is 3:1.

I also enjoy experimenting with seed flours such as sesame, flax and sunflower seed flour. Flaxseed is my favorite seed flour. I love that it is super high in fibre and I often add it to muffins (see my flaxseed muffins, which are a great breakfast).

Low Carb Bread

Being German, I was raised on bread. I managed about three months without bread when I started my low carb diet and was miserable.

Then I discovered the world of low carb bread baking.

My Almond Flour Keto Bread and this Everyday Low Carb Bread are the recipes that I have on regular rotation today. Whenever I make a batch, I pre-slice and store it in the freezer. Then, I take out 1-2 slices at a time and toast straight from the freezer.

Low Carb Pasta Swaps

I own a spiralizer and regularly make my own "pasta" from vegetables. The most popular low carb pasta in our house are zoodles, which are spiralised zucchini. I used them in my Keto Turkey Chili Recipe.

I also make "pasta" from celeriac, cucumber, eggplant or kohlrabi (a type of turnip), either by spiralizing or slicing finely. And, I use Eggplant in place of pasta sheets in lasagnas!

In fall, I make spaghetti squash "noodles" - the naturally stringy flesh is a great low carb pasta alternative.

For lazy days, I buy kelp noodles (made from kelp = seaweed) or konjac (shirataki) noodles. I think these are best in asian-style recipe and I use them in my keto ramen.

Low Carb Pizza

I love my keto pizza. I have been making it for years and still can't believe how similar the fathead dough (a keto dough made with mozzarella) tastes to regular pizza dough!

When I feel like a thin, Italian-style pizza, I make this almond flour pizza crust. It is very light and has whey protein powder as a secret ingredient.

For a lazy day pizza fix I make my Low Carb Pizza Bites. These are basically melted cheese with pizza toppings. Very naughty and delicious.

Low Carb Tortillas and Wraps

I make tortillas with almond flour, with coconut flour, with flaxseed and sometimes with mozzarella. My Low Carb Tortillas are really versatile. I often use them like a sandwich wrap and add anything from ham and cheese to avocado or tuna salad.

I also love these coconut flour tortillas, because they are super sturdy and flexible. I use them for my keto burritos.

If you don't feel like baking, there's another, even simpler option: Just use a large lettuce leaves as a vessel, like I did with my pork lettuce wraps.

Low Carb Pancakes

I love this Keto Pancakes recipe, because it tastes most similar to the ones I remember from my childhood. They are made with almond flour.

When I want a fluffy, thick and American-style pancake, I make these Coconut Flour Pancakes.

Low carb Swaps for Rice

My personal favourite is cauliflower rice. I pulse raw cauliflower florets in the food processor until it has the same size as rice. Then I simply microwave it for a few minutes.

I make a big portion weekly and use it in a lot of recipes. Check out the Keto Fried Rice, which is my low carb fix when I crave Chinese-style egg fried rice.

One of the discoveries I made is that cauliflower even works in sweet recipes. I adore this Keto Rice Pudding. Promise, you don't taste the cauliflower!

I have also tried shirataki rice, which is made from konjac just like the pasta. However, it has very little flavor and I have not yet found a way to use it that I truly love.

Low carb Alternatives for Potatoes

Again, it's vegetables that act as a stand-in for mashed potatoes. Mashed cauliflower tastes incredible - you can just add a little butter or go the full nine yards and load it up with sour cream and cheese.

I love mashed cauliflower on Shepherd's pie and regularly make this low carb fish pie with it.

More great options include celery root (celeriac), turnips, kohlrabi and swede (rutabaga). You can either roast these as you would roast potatoes. Or cook and mash them.

And did you know you can also roast radishes? They lose all their sharpness and taste delicious.

When I miss fries, I simply make Air Fryer Turnip Fries or a portion of Keto Zucchini Fries.

Low Carb Cereal

A cupboard staple in our house is homemade keto granola. I'm using plenty of nuts and seeds in it, and flax, which is the secret to crunch clusters. I love that it is so nutritious, high fibre and obviously does not contain all the added sugar of regular granola. You don't need to eat much of it - it's very filling!

When it's cold outside, I often make what low carbers call "noatmeal". It's oatmeal without the oats! I rotate between Low Carb Porridge, which I make with almond flour and sesame seed meal and this Keto Oatmeal, which is a coconut flour based recipe.

You'll be surprised at how similar it tastes to "real" porridge!

Low Carb Replacements for Milk 

I do not use dairy milk in my drinks, because it is high in lactose (which is a sugar). Instead, I favour unsweetened almond milk as well as other nut or seed milks as well as soy milk (this is higher in protein than nut milks). Once you mix it with other ingredients, you often can't taste the difference anyway. A good example is my keto blueberry smoothie.

Low Carb Fruit

Berries are the lowest carb fruit, but I don't believe in giving up all other fruit. Whay a sad life that would be!

In my opinion, all fruit has a place in a low carb diet. It just depends on the amount. I have a recipe for keto banana bread that uses real banana (most keto recipes you'll find out there use banana extract instead).

It is low in carbs, because I only used ⅛ of a a banana per slice - about 1 bite. It's one of the most popular recipes on the blog!