Most diet plans for weight loss tend to defame the role of carbohydrates in a diet. But, the truth is that carbs are an important source of energy for your body and should make up about 45–65% of your daily caloric need. They’re also essential for normal brain functioning. In moderation, carbs can still be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. However, not all carbs are the same.
You could easily pick up a craving for foods rich in simple or starchy carbs, like the ones found in rice, bread, or pasta. Such foods are high in calories and low in fiber. In such a situation, your natural reaction is to cut down on these starchy carbs completely. But, a drastic reduction can never be a good idea.
Instead, try eating fewer simple carbs by replacing them with more healthy choices like leafy vegetables. Including fresh veggies such as zucchini, eggplant, and red bell pepper in your diet can support your weight management efforts while providing you with necessary vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals.1
How To Eat More Veggies Every Day
There are a lot of creative ways to include more low-carb foods in your diet. With these delicious substitutes, you’ll never feel like you’re missing out on anything. While providing all the important nutrients for your body, these veggies will make you feel less full, resulting in better sleep, better digestion, and less bloating in the morning. Here’s a list of tasty, low-carb dishes that’ll help you get more veggies into your diet.
1. Cauliflower Pizza Crust
If you’re a fan of pizza, then you will love this. To make pizza healthy, just make the crust using cauliflower. Take your pick from a wide variety of toppings like aubergine, cheese, red onion, mozzarella, tomato, ham, mascarpone, and basil leaves.2
2. Sprouted Grain Bread
White bread, mostly filled with starchy carbs, is not the best thing for your diet. Instead, go for sprouted grain bread. Sprouted grains keep you healthy with a high amount of dietary fiber.3
3. Cabbage Noodles
If you need a simple and delicious evening dish, try cabbage noodles. Here’s how you can make some:
- Slice a cabbage into long strips using a sharp knife on a chopping board.
- Now, fill a saucepan with water and boil the cabbage slices in it.
- You can prepare the dish using Bolognese sauce or tomato sauce, garlic, and parmesan.
- You can even add bacon lardons, garlic, or chicken.
4. Spiralized Vegetable Noodles
Make thin noodle strands from vegetables like beets, butternut squash, cabbage, cucumbers, onion, parsnip, pears, plantains, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and zucchini. Such noodles are light in calories, carbs, fat, and sugar. A food processor can come in handy here.
5. Vegetable Omelet
Eating the same old cereal bowl is boring, right? Try eating a veggie omelet for breakfast instead. Just prepare a two-egg omelet with an assortment of chopped vegetables, such as peppers, tomatoes, red onion, broccoli, and celery, as toppings. You can also add low-fat cheese to enhance the flavor and texture.
6. Cauliflower Mash
A cauliflower or broccoli mash is a great low-carb alternative for a high-carb potato mash. Here’s what you can do.4
- Chop the cauliflower or broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
- Now, steam or boil the bits of veggies.
- Then, blend or mash the mixture along with a bit of butter, salt, and pepper. A food processor can make things easy.
- Serve this dish with sausages, fried aubergine, cottage pie, pork steak, or portobello mushrooms.
7. Lettuce Wraps
Wrapping cold veggies and sliced cheese using white bread sounds extremely mundane. So use butter or romaine lettuce leaves instead. You can even use lettuce or kale to wrap taco fillings instead of tortillas. For an extra helping of nutrition-rich veggies, add guacamole or hummus to your wrap.
You might not be ready to go the whole way and prepare veggie-inspired dishes daily. But remember, it is always better to replace starchy ingredients with low-carb options.
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