Six ways to swap out refined carbs.
Your body requires a certain amount of carbohydrates to function optimally each day. Unfortunately, most of the nutrition is stripped from carbohydrates such as rice and other whole grains when they’re refined or processed into ‘white’ grains and flours. Eating refined carbohydrates can leave you feeling tired and lethargic as they quickly spike your blood sugar levels, and see your energy levels to crash shortly after.
Consuming whole grains and plenty of vegetable sources of carbohydrates ensures you are getting way more nutrients into your meals, without the major energy slump.
We’ve sourced 6 delicious, nutrient-rich ways for you to swap out refined carbs and bump up the goodness of your favourite dish
1. Try lettuce cups instead of a white flour tortilla
Skip the flour tortilla for crisp and hydrating lettuce cups. Use fresh large leaves for wraps or taco shells, filling them with your favourite ingredients.
2. Try zucchini spaghetti instead of regular spaghetti
Vegetable spiralisers are affordable and zucchini noodles go well with your homemade bolognese sauce. Toss your noodles in a pan with some garlic and oil, add your sauce and enjoy. Pesto also goes well with these noodles.
3. Try sweet potato fries instead of french fries
Deliciously satisfying, swap regular French fries for sweet potato fries to boost your intake of vitamin A and fiber. Gently sprinkle them with some turmeric powder if you want to go easy on the salt, and bake them in the oven. As a side dish or with homemade guacamole, these go alright.
4. Try portobello mushroom “buns” instead of burger buns
Most burgers are usually more bun than filling! Change it up by with tasty Portobello mushroom buns. Simply brush two mushroom caps with a little olive oil, place on some aluminium foil and roast in the oven (400 F) for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the stems once cooled slightly and add your fillings.
5. Try almond meal bread instead of refined white wheat bread
Fill up with healthy fats, fibre and protein by using almond meal as a base to homemade bread, instead of regular white flour. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never go back!
6. Try cauliflower rice instead of normal rice
Blend the florets of 1 cauliflower in a food processor until it reaches rice like consistency, and toss it in a pan with some spring onion and herbs. Serve it up with your favourite curry on top.
