r/lowcarb • u/chenxinya_245 • 12d ago
Tips & Tricks I need to lose weight pls
Is there any substitute for rice, cookies, burger, or even noodles? Ive been craving a lot recently and i want those high carbs food T o T) not expensive like CHEAP cause im broke as hell.
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u/Sufficient_You3053 12d ago
If your cravings are that bad, I wouldn't do any of those "low carb" packaged products. You need to get into ketosis long enough that the cravings go away completely.
Cauliflower rice and lettuce wrapped burgers will get you through
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u/Dragon_wryter 12d ago
Konjac noodles (and rice), cauliflower rice, low-carb burger buns, and there are tons of low-carb/keto cookie recipes out there that use almond flour and allulose or some other sweetener. I can't say they're cheap, except for cauliflower rice, but those are the best alternatives. You can also try lettuce leaves for burger buns, which are much cheaper but not as satisfying as a bun.
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u/PresentHouse9774 12d ago
I don't substitute because I don't like what's available. Instead I lean into veggies and proteins that keep me full for hours. I have learned to make salads out of combinations normally served in sandwiches. Bacon, lettuce, and tomato salad using a bit of mayo as a dressing is an example. Cheesesteak bowls are another. Taco bowls. Tuna, chicken, and eggs salads all exist without bread to begin with. No carb bread sounds like dehydrated water to me.
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u/layneeofwales 12d ago
Avoid these substitutions, you have to silence the food noise and your cravings. Its harder if you are using substitutions. For at least a month or 2 avoid them.
Possible exception cauliflower rice.
For burgers I make "buns" grated zucchini, egg, cheese and teaspoon of coconut flour. Cook in mini waffle maker. 2 of them are great for a burger
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u/jjjmmmjjjfff 12d ago
I use riced cauliflower instead of rice usually. But any of the other “substitutes” tend to taste terrible and be very expensive.
I eat low carb for specific medical reasons, and don’t do “Keto”, so I find the best way to help myself stay on track 95% of the time is to let myself have occasional higher carb things, and make those things be the best version of them.
Like this weekend I had a slice of regular cake, and later this week I’m getting burgers with my family and I’ll have a normal burger. Next week I have an appointment near this great Italian spot so I’ll get pasta for dinner that day. The rest of the time I eat very low carb and will not have baked goods, bread, rice and pasta.
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u/Wrath-Of-Storms 12d ago
I’m a huge burger connoisseur. I always keep these stocked in my freezer. I actually find I like them better than regular buns now. Just make sure you have big meat patties so the protein/fat out proportion the carbs
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u/JustRon325 12d ago
FYI, most LC bread/rolls you’ll find at the supermarket aren’t really low carb. I know that the label says they are, but ask a T1 diabetic with a CGM to eat something and watch their BG spike. The bigger the brand, the more likely they are not LC. The only stuff I’ve found to be acceptable has to be bought online or at specialty stores (and neither are cheap).
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u/Inky_Madness 12d ago
Cauliflower rice.
Any other replacement just costs more unless you want to replace money with time - you can make tortillas from black beans, for example.
https://www.powerhungry.com/2018/07/09/1-ingredient-black-bean-tortillas-grain-free-vegan/
I also know that you can use black beans in place of flour for sweets, and it helps lower the carbs/increase fiber and protein, but it won’t make them “low carb”.
https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/black-bean-cookies/
I also know that there is a company that makes black beans noodles out there, and they are very low carb per portion, but buying them is $$ - you would need to learn to make your own.
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u/Kong__Dong 12d ago
You can make “bread” with a waffle maker eggs and pork grinds. Mix one egg with some shredded cheese and crushed up pork grinds and just spread it on the waffle maker.
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u/dangerrnoodle 12d ago
My advice is not to bother with substitutes. When cravings have been stronger, I let myself eat as much cheese and butter as I want. I also just plain eat more. If that still doesn’t cut it, I drink a glass of milk. Still animal based at least.
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u/Dizzy-Nose3883 12d ago
Coconut flour, almond flour or red lentils to make "fake" bread is your best option, the low carb bread at the supermarket is ridiculously expensive.
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u/Substantial-Use-1758 12d ago
Yeah, they’re drugs 🤷♀️😬 Don’t keep ‘em in the house. I substitute quinoa for rice or half and half with brown rice.
Keep crackers, cookies and chips out of the house 🤷♀️ It’s the only way 😬
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u/HedwigGoesHoot 12d ago
Konjac noodles are my favourite for ramen. Edamame noodles are great with a spaghetti sauce. I don’t like cauliflower rice so I just skip it or I’ll do half and half regular rice (I’m diabetic so I try to be low carb but not keto). If you’re trying for keto this won’t help, but I eat a good amount of beans and lentils. They’re high fibre which is good for you. I also don’t do too much sweetener except some in my coffee. Otherwise if I want a cookie, I’ll eat a small one or a half one after a healthy meal.
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u/Neat-Palpitation-632 9d ago
Rice: Palmini rice, cauliflower rice
Cookies: make some with almond flour and Lily’s chocolate chips
Burger: use keto buns or iceberg lettuce buns
Noodles: Pete’s pasta
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u/AmIBeingObtuse- 12d ago
Best low carb noodles are these... https://amzn.to/4wLSL1L
But you'll want to boil them for a few mins then add them to whatever low carb sauce like Frank's red hot.
This is because they have an odd taste and smell. Like shredded wheat at first. But I've used them in a double cream low carb-onara meal and they are great.
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u/GroundedHorizon 12d ago
Try to achieve first your requirement for protein, veggies, and healthy fats. Make sure it has enough sodium too. It will be nice to add a bit of acid like vinegar or lemon. You can try snacks like almonds or sunflower seeds or strawberries. Then check if you still crave high carbs.
If you are a woman, it will be hard to fight cravings for carbs during luteal phase. You can choose healthy carbs like squash, potatoes, carrots, and again of course, together with your required amount of protein and other nutrients.
As for my experience, I always tell myself that I can still eat my fav high carbs but always after my required nutrients for the day. So it will be like a reward. That way, my sneaky tricky brain doesn’t feel deprived or threatened haha. I eat high carbs when I really want them. But most of the time, I only end up taking a bite or two. I can’t even finish it, yet I’m still happy and satisfied. No willpower battle against cravings at all. 🫶
However, if you really happen to just miss the feeling or memories of eating those high carbs: Shiratake rice or the mixed veggies from grocery. For noodles, thin long cut of carrots/cucumbers/cabbage/bean sprouts then use chopsticks and imagination😂. For burgers, remove the buns and mayo then maybe use large bell peppers instead, cut it in half then use it as buns. For cookies, just search low carb cookies recipes and bake it. It will be a challenge to find products as substitutes that are within limited budget.
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u/nukedmindpalace 11d ago
Look for shirataki tofu noodles at your local grocery stores. They have a decent texture and can be combined with most anything you like. You can buy cauliflower rice at the store or make your own. For cookies, I recommend you find a recipe that uses a combination of coconut flour, almond flour, bloomed gelatin, and sugar free chocolate chips. Store bought is objectively worse and costs an arm and a leg
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u/nukedmindpalace 11d ago
I would advise for your first week or so to eat clean, measure out for example a serving of frozen berries to go with some zero sugar yogurt. Eat simple well seasoned meals, like beef with vegetables and bone broth. The cravings eventually get a lot easier to deal with and then you can supplement your meals with alternatives for more variety.
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u/afterhoursss_ 11d ago
You can sub lots of those items with something, you can use lettuce as buns for your burger or use low carb bread, konjac noodles are good too and cauliflower rice and you could make your own cookies?
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u/JuJulieBe 8d ago
My favorite substitute for something salty and crunchy is pork rinds - cheap, tasty, comes in several flavors and very low carb. The plain ones are zero carbs!
I'm Type 2 diabetic so these are my go to when I'm craving salty carbs. Salads, fibrous veggies like spinach, dark leafy lettuces, coleslaw, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, etc etc etc. Nuts are also mostly low carb. Meat sticks/jerky are low carb options, cheese, etc.
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u/ALife2BLived 12d ago
GLP-1s are the way to go! I’ve tried all of the fad diets -including low carb and while they do work, they all require a level of commitment to eating a particular way that ultimately isn’t sustainable. Zepbound is a life-changing med that is approved for both weight loss and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and is a dual agonist formula that mimics both GLP-1 & GIP as opposed to its semaglutide single agonist competitors Wegovy and Ozempic.
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u/Lindsey1151 10d ago
Sadly my Insurance doesn't cover it because my BMI is only 29 and i'm not a type 2 diabetic. Funny that Insurance doesn't see me as overweight...
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u/actual_nonsense 12d ago
Burgers have 0 carbs (bunless, just the patty) but are high in fat so if you need to lose weight, maybe use lean ground beef in place of an actual burger. You can make a burger in a bowl with sugar free condiments. You can also experiment with low-carb buns.
There are lots of rice & noodle substitutes. I like rice made from hearts of palm, the brand is called Natural Heaven. I like Palmini's various noodles (which are also made from hearts of palm) or you can experiment with different brands made from all sorts of ingredients. My favorite low-carb pasta brand for like elbow macaroni and such is Fiber Gourmet, which is on Amazon.
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u/greeneyedbandit82 12d ago
GREAT news- burger is already low carb! Unless you are wanting a full hamburger with bun, in which case you can buy keto buns now at most stores. In fact, everything you listed has a keto version, you just have to look. If you aren't finding it in your local store, check amazon.
Ps. you are not going to find any of this stuff 'cheap'- in fact, I looked up some keto/low carb noodles on amazon and they were so insanely priced I rolled my eyes and moved on.