In many cases, the foods we crave most—crunchy potato chips, mounds of spaghetti, and slices of crusty pizza—are the very ones that can most quickly torpedo your diet. We’re typically talking about high-carbohydrate foods here, those that send blood sugar levels soaring and contribute to a softer physique.
But what if there was a way that you could dig into a stack of pancakes or a plate of tacos without going into starchy overload? The key is to know how to make creative substitutions using nutritious low-carb alternatives that slash the gut-busting starch but still provide all the classic flavors. The following copycat recipes transform notoriously carb-heavy items into fat-burning fuel so you can indulge your cravings guilt-free.
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Pizza
Smart Swap:
Portobello mushrooms for pizza crust
Carbs Slashed:
19 grams per slice
Any way you slice it, floury pizza crust can pony up enough fast-digesting carbs to put the brakes on your fat to firm pursuit. Fortunately, meaty Portobello mushrooms make a perfect substitute for crust so you can enjoy all those great pizza flavors without the side effect of developing a gut. Another perk of using these giant fungi for a pizza night is that they’re a source of a range of vital nutrients including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, and copper.
Get the recipe for Portobello Pizzas >>
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Chips
Smart Swap:
Kale for potato chips
Carbs Slashed:
12 grams per ounce
While you can now find bags of crunchy kale chips at most health food stores, their inflated price is hard to swallow. But the good news is that making your very own batch of crispy greens is far from a high-flying kitchen feat. The payoff is a guilt-free snack with a huge payload of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are necessary for optimal fitness gains. Greasy potato chips? Not so much. You can also experiment with other seasonings like garlic powder, smoked paprika, Parmesan cheese or chipotle chili powder.
Get the recipe for Curry Kale Chips >>
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Pancakes
Smart Swap:
Almond flour for whole wheat flourÂ
Carbs Slashed:
63 grams per cup
Pancakes are a breakfast classic, but when made with white flour and doused in syrup they provide an avalanche of carbohydrate calories that can cause your six-pack to cry foul. Made from finely ground almonds, paleo-worthy almond flour turns your breakfast pancakes into much more suitable morning fare. Beyond helping you to dodge excess carbs, almond flour also has higher amounts of protein, heart- healthy monounsaturated fat and the potent antioxidant vitamin E than grain-based flours. The blueberry-infused yogurt topping provides a bonus of antioxidant firepower.
Get the recipe for Almond Pancackes with Yogurt-Blueberry Sauce >>
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Tacos
Smart Swap:
Lettuce leaves for tortillas Â
Carbs Slashed:
36 grams per wrap
Don’t let starchy tortillas weigh down your tacos. Crispy lettuce leaves such as romaine or Boston are up to the task of wrapping up all your taco fillings to help keep your carbohydrate intake in check. Salmon loads these tacos with protein and supercharged omega-3 fats shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. With no-fuss poaching, it’s a lot more challenging to overcook your fish.
Get the recipe for Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Salsa >>
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Pasta
Smart Swap:
Spaghetti squash for spaghettiÂ
Carbs Slashed:
33 grams per cup
Once cooked, the flesh of the squash pulls apart into slightly nutty-tasting, noodle-like strands minus the carbohydrate overload of real pasta. But what spaghetti squash lacks in carbs it makes up for with vitamin C, which can improve muscle recovery and immune health.
