5 Low Carb & Keto Rice Substitutes [Best Rice Alternatives]

A number of the most scrumptious dishes characteristic rice as a key ingredient. Risotto, fried rice, paella, and sushi, for instance, all depend on this starch-filled grain, however are there any rice varieties that received’t pack on the carbs?

Sadly, the reply is not any.  In case you’re on a non-keto low-carb or customary ketogenic weight loss program, you must keep away from rice for optimum outcomes.

That being stated, you possibly can nonetheless get your rice repair through the use of low-carb substitutes and keto recipes. Let’s start our journey by the world of rice and its keto alternate options by exploring the next subjects:

Why Rice isn’t Good for Low Carb and Keto Diets

Every grain of rice is basically starch that’s packaged in a fibrous protein capsule. From a dietary perspective, rice is sort of a bean however with extra starch and fewer protein and fiber.

Although various kinds of rice will differ of their carb content material, even the bottom carb selection isn’t low sufficient to suit right into a low-carb weight loss program. The truth is, it is going to be practically unimaginable to discover a rice selection that’s composed of lower than 75% internet carbs.

To provide you a greater concept of what I imply, we’ve included a chart with the carb content material of the most well-liked rice varieties under. On this case, we’ll focus totally on the “more healthy” rice choices (which aren’t as low in carbs as you may suppose).

Is Wild Rice, Black Rice, or Brown Rice Low Carb?

Although brown rice, wild rice, and black rice are all richer in micronutrients, fiber, and protein than white rice, they’re nonetheless filled with too many carbs to suit right into a low-carb weight loss program.

As you possibly can see, wild rice is the bottom carb rice. Nevertheless, with ~32 grams of internet carbs in every half-cup, it’ll be difficult to suit it right into a low-carb or keto weight loss program with out slicing out different nutritious keto-friendly meals.

What About Rice Noodles: Are They Low Carb? 

Rice noodles could be considered lengthy strips of internet carbs (much like conventional flour-based pasta).

Extra particularly, one cup of rice noodles comes filled with 44 g of whole carbs and 42.2 g of internet carbs (which is sort of similar to the carbs in white rice).

Reasonably than skipping noodles altogether, there are many keto-friendly alternate options you possibly can strive. We’ll study extra about them after we uncover the reality about rice desserts.

Are Rice Truffles Low Carb?

Since they’re constituted of puffed rice, rice desserts will likely be decrease in carbs than cooked rice. Nevertheless, earlier than we’re tricked by their low carb content material, we should additionally contemplate what rice desserts lack.

Since they’re virtually 100% internet carbs, rice desserts will enhance your each day carb rely with out including any wholesome fat, protein, fiber, or micronutrients to your weight loss program. In different phrases, even the bottom carb rice cake merchandise aren’t an excellent choice for keto since they add empty carbs to your weight loss program and nothing else.

That being stated, In case you are craving a rice cake, go for the bottom carb choice and ensure to have some high-fat keto meals with it. For instance, strive spreading keto Nutella on high or make it into a fast keto pizza.

The 5 Finest Low Carb Rice Substitutes for Keto

In case you can’t eat rice, what are you able to eat on a low-carb weight loss program as an appropriate various? Listed here are the very best low-carb substitutes for rice which can be each wholesome and keto-friendly:

• Riced cauliflower
• Miracle rice (shirataki rice)
• Cabbage rice
• Hemp seeds
• Mushroom rice

1. Riced Cauliflower

That is the most well-liked low-carb rice various since it’s comparatively low cost, low in carbs, and filled with health-boosting nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Basically, ½ cup (85 g) of ready cauliflower rice has 4 grams of whole carbs and a pair of grams of internet carbs, which makes it simple to suit right into a strict keto weight loss program in addition to non-keto low-carb diets.

Riced cauliflower is obtainable at your native grocery retailer pre-packaged, however it may be made simply as simple at house when you’ve got a cheese grater or meals processor.

The right way to Use It:

Riced cauliflower makes a nice keto pizza crust, the proper rice substitute for fried rice, and a tasty low-carb various for sushi rice. Scroll under for extra keto cauliflower rice recipes.

2. Miracle Rice — The Lowest Carb Keto Rice, No Cauliflower Mandatory

Constituted of konjac root, miracle rice (and shirataki noodles) solely comprise hint quantities of internet carbs and are filled with health-promoting fiber. Extra particularly, a 3 oz. serving (85 g) of miracle rice comes with 10 energy, 3 g of fiber, and fewer than 0.5 g of internet carbs.

Miracle rice is obtainable in most well being meals shops or on-line. You might also see it known as “shirataki rice,” “slim rice,” or “konjac rice” as nicely. There are some which have higher consistencies than others, so store round and check out just a few totally different manufacturers to see which suit your tastes extra.

So long as the product is listed as having zero internet carbs per serving, it’ll be the proper rice various for keto.

The right way to Use It:

Attempt utilizing miracle rice as a rice various in a stir-fry, pilaf, or cauliflower rice recipe. It could additionally work nicely as a rice or barley substitute in a soups and stews.

3. Cabbage Rice

One other nice keto rice substitute is cabbage rice. You may put together cabbage rice as you’d cauliflower rice: in a meals processor or with a cheese grater.

Each pink and inexperienced cabbage are keto-friendly choices, with inexperienced cabbage having a barely decrease internet carb rely:

• Crimson cabbage — 1 cup,chopped (89 g) has 6.2 grams of whole carbs and three.9g of internet carbs
• Inexperienced cabbage — 1 cup, chopped (89 g) has 4.9g of whole carbs and three.2g of internet carbs

The right way to Use It:

Riced cabbage is nice in stews, as a substitute for fried rice, or because the characteristic vegetable in a keto bowl. It should pair exceptionally nicely with spices generally utilized in Indian meals, equivalent to garam masala, cumin, and turmeric.

4. Hemp Seeds

Shelled hemp seeds are nice for mimicking the style and texture of untamed rice and different heartier grains.

They’re additionally filled with wholesome fats, plant-based protein, and fiber, making them the very best rice substitute for anybody trying up their consumption of those vitamins whereas maintaining carbs low.

General, every ½ cup of shelled hemp seeds (often known as hemp hearts) offers us with:

• 442 energy
• 39 g of fats
• 25 g of protein
• 6.9 g of whole carbs
• 3.7g of internet carbs

Since that is the very best fats rice substitute, ensure to not overdo it. The fats energy can add up surprisingly quick and gradual weight reduction.

The right way to Use It:

Use as a wild rice substitute for wild rice pilaf, or add it to your keto meals to imitate the mouthfeel of couscous or wild rice.

5. Mushroom Rice

With their earthy umami taste, mushrooms are a scrumptious keto-friendly substitute for rice as nicely. Simply ensure to maintain the carb counts in thoughts as a result of they’ll differ relying on the mushroom selection.

Listed here are the carbs in probably the most generally consumed mushrooms (in each cup, sliced):

The right way to Use It:

To organize mushroom-based keto rice, finely chop a cup or two of mushrooms and saute with some butter and salt. You may also mix mushroom rice with the opposite low carb rice alternate options to change up the flavour and texture of your meals.

Different Much less Widespread Keto Rice Options You Can Attempt

In case you’re seeking to match extra greens into your keto meal plan, these two wholesome low carb alternate options to rice are price a strive a nicely:

Hearts of Palm Rice

Manufacturers like Palmini who initially launched a pasta constituted of hearts of palm have additionally delved into ricing their product to make a keto-friendly rice various. It is available in a can so that you merely want to empty, rise, and cook dinner to your most well-liked consistency. Sometimes it doesn’t take lengthy to cook dinner and can fulfill the craving you may have for rice.

The vitamin details for 100g of cooked coronary heart of palm are as follows:

• 28 energy
• 0.6 g fats
• 4.6 g whole carbs
• 2.4 g dietary fiber
• 2.2 g internet carbs
• 2.5 g protein

It may be an important vegetable rice various due to its texture, decrease carb counts, and when cooked al dente actually matches the invoice in a meal.

Broccoli Rice

Riced broccoli makes an important grain various for anybody on a paleo, low carb, or keto weight loss program. Since you should use the stems, it would enable you lower down in your meals waste as nicely.

Basically, you’ll observe the identical steps as you’d to show a head of cauliflower into rice. Simply be sure you shave off the knobs from the broccoli stem earlier than processing.

Sauté for about 2 to three minutes till tender in further virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or your most well-liked cooking oil/fats. Toss in some soy sauce for fast and straightforward keto aspect dishes (which can be additionally dairy free)!

That stated, you will need to double-check the vitamin details and be sure you’re staying inside your ketosis carb restrict.  Right here’s what you’ll get in each 100 grams of riced broccoli:

• 35 energy
• 0.4 grams of fats
• 7.2 grams of whole carbohydrates
• 3.3 grams of dietary fiber
• 3.9 grams of internet carbs
• 2.4 grams of protein

Rutabaga Rice

You may also course of rutabaga, as you’d with broccoli or cauliflower,  to make one other gluten free low carb various for rice. The one draw back to this feature is that it’ll be a bit larger in internet carbs than the opposite keto rice substitutes.

The vitamin details for 100 g of cooked rutabaga are as follows:

• 37 energy
• 0.2 g fats
• 8.6 g whole carbs
• 2.3 g dietary fiber
• 6.3 g internet carbs
• 1.1 g protein

Due to its larger internet carb content material, we advocate solely making rutabaga rice as an occasional aspect dish to accompany a few of your low carb meals.

Low Carb, Keto-friendly Rice Recipes: Fried Rice, Sushi, Rice Balls, and Extra

In case you’d favor to observe step-by-step directions, we’ve included a round-up of our favourite rice-based keto recipes under:

Spicy Cauliflower Rice & Salmon Medley

A scrumptious keto dinner that includes low-carb fried rice, with all of the steps that you must cook dinner the fish, put together the keto rice, and mix them right into a satisfying meal. Be at liberty to switch the salmon together with your fish/meat of alternative everytime you wish to throw collectively a fast dish that you recognize will come out scrumptious.

For extra keto-friendly rice-based dinner concepts, take a look at these recipes as nicely:

See the Recipe

Keto Rooster and Rice Casserole

Rooster and rice casserole is way more healthy and extra satisfying with low-carb elements. The truth is, this is likely one of the greatest methods to sneak a keto-friendly dish right into a household dinner with out anybody noticing. It makes use of a few of my favourite low-carb comfort meals to avoid wasting on prep time like pre-riced cauliflower and rotisserie hen. I virtually at all times seize a rotisserie hen on the grocery retailer. It’s fast, simple and can be utilized for 1,000,000 totally different dishes. Pre-riced cauliflower could be discovered within the produce part of most shops and is a superb low carb staple and substitute for rice.

See the Recipe

Cauliflower Rice Congee

This keto Congee is an Asian-inspired porridge that’s nice for chilly climate or as a zesty dinner appetizer. The elements equivalent to cauliflower rice and hen inventory could be constituted of scratch or store-bought to scale back time. Non-obligatory toppings for congee embrace hard-boiled eggs, sliced scallions, and fried garlic. With this recipe, you’ll additionally discover ways to incorporate low-carb cauliflower rice into your favourite keto soups.

See the Recipe

Cauliflower-free Low Carb Rice Recipe Choices (No Cauliflower Mandatory)

You will have already observed that almost all low-carb rice recipes characteristic cauliflower as the first rice various. Whether or not you want to swap it up otherwise you’re simply not a fan of cauliflower, listed here are three go-to choices for making low carb rice with out the cauliflower:

1. Keto Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf

This aspect dish is the proper keto-friendly various for cauliflower rice (and it’s 100% gluten free). Step-by-step, you’ll discover ways to make it cauliflower-free through the use of hempseeds and mushrooms because the low-carb rice substitute.

Altogether, this recipe will mimic the style and texture of untamed rice pilaf with out the surplus carbs. Be at liberty so as to add meat to it for a whole keto meal — or use it as a substitute for cauliflower fried rice.

2. Change the cauliflower with one other low-carb rice various.

Choose your most well-liked choice(s) from the record under:

• Miracle rice
• Cabbage
• Hempseeds
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli

These will work splendidly in most keto stir-fry and fried rice recipes. You may even strive mixing a number of alternate options collectively.

Simply be sure you are aware of the distinction in your rice substitute’s carb, protein, and fats content material in comparison with cauliflower. Use our macro calculator when you need assistance becoming it into your meal plan.

3. Skip the low-carb rice.

Although your meal received’t be as filling with out the low-carb rice, this can be the most suitable choice for sure keto recipes.

When making keto sushi, for instance, the opposite low-carb rice alternate options received’t work nicely. On this case, the most suitable choice is to make it with out the rice or strive one other recipe with comparable flavors and textures (like our keto poke bowl recipe).

Secondarily, you possibly can take a step in a totally totally different path by making keto bread. Although it doesn’t match the feel of rice, it may possibly nonetheless assist fulfill that longing for starchy goodness.

Are There Keto-friendly Rice Noodle Options as Effectively?

As with low-carb rice substitutes, there are a number of keto-friendly rice noodle alternate options made out of konjac root and keto greens.

Of all of the totally different and distinctive takes on noodles, listed here are a few of greatest keto-friendly substitutes for rice noodles:

• Spiralized greens. Whereas zucchini is the most typical in keto recipes, you may also spiralize daikon radish, cucumbers, bell pepper, turnips, kohlrabi, onion, and even broccoli stems.
• Eggplant pasta. Minimize eggplant into strips and cook dinner as a penne-style pasta, or slice into skinny sheets and use as a layering noodle in lasagna or pasta roll-up recipes.
• Thinly sliced cabbage can work rather well as a noodle, however you may also use complete cabbage leaves as a layer in lasagna and even use it as a wrapper for eggroll kind recipes.
• Miracle noodles. Often known as konjac or shirataki noodles, these fibrous noodles are constituted of the identical elements as Miracle rice.
• Tofu noodles. Just like shirataki noodles, these are sometimes a mixture of tofu and glucomannan (the fiber present in konjac root). This yields a way more nice, much less crunchy low-carb noodle.
• Home made noodles. Utilizing psyllium husk, almond flour, or a mixture of low-carb flours, you possibly can create keto noodles at house. These are usually probably the most life like in texture and taste however can add a big quantity of energy to the dish, so you need to be aware of your noodle parts.

To study extra about every noodle various and their keto recipes, take a look at our complete information to keto-friendly noodles and pasta.

Key Takeaways: Low Carb Rice Options and Recipes for Keto

Rice isn’t appropriate for low-carb and keto consuming, whatever the selection you may have

Nevertheless, there are many low-carb rice substitutes that you would be able to make to fulfill your longing for the starch-filled grain. These embrace:

• Riced cauliflower
• Miracle rice or shirataki rice
• Cabbage
• Hemp Seeds
• Mushrooms

With the assistance of those keto-friendly choices, you can also make nearly any of your favourite rice-based dishes, together with:

In case you are additionally searching for appropriate substitutes for cauliflower-based rice, listed here are the three greatest choices:

That being stated, even when you’ve got the bottom carb rice substitute, it’s nonetheless essential to be aware of how a lot fats, protein, and carbs that you must obtain the outcomes you need.

The best method to be sure you are heading in the right direction is through the use of our keto meal planning app. It should give you an infinite consuming plan customized to your targets and preferences, so all you’ll must do is store for the elements, make your meals, and revel in them.

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