Are you on the keto diet and are missing rice?
Here are 5 keto rice substitutes that will keep you going.
Rice is a staple for so many people around the world, it’s generally cheap and is very carbohydrate-dense meaning that it gives you energy. What happens though is that we consume far more than we need to be and this can lead to spikes in our blood sugar and energy level.
When you go onto the keto diet, in order to get into ketosis you need to be restricting your carbohydrates to 20-30 grams per day (net carbs). To put that into perspective, 1 cup of cooked rice has 54 grams of carbs. There’s no place for rice on the keto diet!
Related post: How to get into ketosis quickly and become a fat-burning machine.
In addition to that one cup of cooked rice has 0.6g fibre, 4.4g protein, 0.4g fat and 242 calories.
I know that I always want something that plays a similar role as the rice does on the plate. Here are some common and easy keto rice substitutes.
Cauliflower rice
The is properly the most used keto rice substitute and will good reason! It’s so easy to make and the fact that you can replace your rice serving with pure vegetable is amazing!
Not only that but it’s so easy to make and so many variations!
Cauliflower is nutrient-dense containing plenty of vitamin C, vitamin K and folate. It’s high in fibre and contains many antioxidants.
How to use it:
Plain cauliflower rice:
Take 1 whole cauliflower, roughly chop and then pulse in the food processor. When it resembles breadcrumb, place in a heated pan and cook to soften. You might need to add a small amount of water to help it soften a bit.
You can get creative with variations including, cooking with diced onion and garlic, adding turmeric or adding lime and coriander. Have a play!
Broccoli rice
I often mix up my cauliflower rice with broccoli rice to get a range of nutrients and to get more greens in. Preparing the broccoli rice is very similar to cauliflower rice but I tend to cook it a bit longer. It takes longer to soften.
It’s also yum to create a broccoli and cauliflower blend.
Broccoli is high in fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron and potassium. It also has a fairly high amount of protein than most vegetables.
Konjac noodles or rice
Konjac noodles are amazing! They come in angel hair, fettuccine and rice.
They’re made from the konjac vegetable and is something that has been consumed in Asia for centuries. They’re also easy to serve with a simple rinse with warm water and then added to your dish to warm through.
You might be wondering about the nutritional information. They are pretty amazing! They are very low in calories, zero digestible carbs and high in fibre. Konjac noodles and rice seriously perfect for the keto diet or for general weight loss.
How to use
They’re also easy to serve with a simple rinse with warm water and then added to your dish to warm through. Just a word of warning, when you open the packet they have a fishy smell. That’s normal and it’s the smell of the konjac, they’re not off!
Cabbage Rice
This is obviously another vegetable keto rice substitute. I know that it sounds a little weird but it tastes great!
Cabbage is high in vitamin C and vitamin K (one cup gives you 85% of the recommended daily intake!) and folate. It also is high in fibre and antioxidants.
How to use it
Simply shred the cabbage in the food processor then saute in a pan with onion and garlic. Cook it until it softens. It’s such an easy keto rice substitute.
As you might have noticed, these keto rice substitutes are super simple to make, much easier than rice and are so much more nutrient-dense than rice.
