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

A number of the most scrumptious dishes function 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 isn’t any. In case you’re on a non-keto low-carb or commonplace ketogenic food regimen, it’s best to keep away from rice for optimum outcomes.

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

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

Every grain of rice is actually 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 fluctuate of their carb content material, even the bottom carb selection isn’t low sufficient to suit right into a low-carb food regimen. In truth, it will likely be practically not possible to discover a rice selection that’s composed of lower than 75% internet carbs.

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

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 full of too many carbs to suit right into a low-carb food regimen.

low carb rice substitute

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

What About Rice Noodles: Are They Low Carb?

Rice Noodles: Are They Low Carb

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

Extra particularly, one cup of rice noodles comes full of 44 g of complete carbs and 42.2 g of internet carbs (which is nearly equivalent to the carbs in white rice).

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

Are Rice Muffins Low Carb?

Are Rice Cakes Low Carb?

Since they’re constituted of puffed rice, rice truffles can be decrease in carbs than cooked rice. Nonetheless, earlier than we’re tricked by their low carb content material, we should additionally take into account what rice truffles lack.

Since they’re nearly 100% internet carbs, rice truffles will enhance your every day carb depend with out including any wholesome fat, protein, fiber, or micronutrients to your food regimen. In different phrases, even the bottom carb rice cake merchandise aren’t a great possibility for keto since they add empty carbs to your food regimen and nothing else.

Rice Cake Product	Complete Carbs (per rice cake)	Web Carbs (per rice cake)
White rice cake	7	7
Brown rice cake	14	13
Kim’s Magic Pop Rice Muffins	2	2

That being stated, If you’re craving a rice cake, go for the bottom carb possibility and ensure to have some high-fat keto meals with it. For instance, attempt spreading keto Nutella on high or make it into a fast keto pizza.

The 5 Greatest Low Carb Rice Substitutes for Keto

keto rice substitute

In case you can’t eat rice, what are you able to eat on a low-carb food regimen as an appropriate various? Listed below are the most effective low-carb substitutes for rice which are each wholesome and keto-friendly:

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

1. Riced Cauliflower

That is the preferred low-carb rice various since it’s comparatively low cost, low in carbs, and full of health-boosting nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Normally, ½ cup (85 g) of ready cauliflower rice has 4 grams of complete carbs and a couple of grams of internet carbs, which makes it straightforward to suit right into a strict keto food regimen in addition to non-keto low-carb diets.

Riced cauliflower is offered at your native grocery retailer pre-packaged, however it may be made simply as straightforward at residence when you have a cheese grater or meals processor.

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 beneath for extra keto cauliflower rice recipes.

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

Created from konjac root, miracle rice (and shirataki noodles) solely include hint quantities of internet carbs and are full of 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 offered in most well being meals shops or on-line. You might also see it referred to as “shirataki rice,” “slim rice,” or “konjac rice” as properly. There are some which have higher consistencies than others, so store round and take a look at a number of completely 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.

Use It:

Strive utilizing miracle rice as a rice various in a stir-fry, pilaf, or cauliflower rice recipe. It could additionally work properly 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’ll cauliflower rice: in a meals processor or with a cheese grater.

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

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

Use It:

Riced cabbage is nice in stews, as an alternative choice to fried rice, or because the function vegetable in a keto bowl. It would pair exceptionally properly 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 full of wholesome fats, plant-based protein, and fiber, making them the most effective rice substitute for anybody wanting up their consumption of those vitamins whereas protecting carbs low.

Total, every ½ cup of shelled hemp seeds (also referred to as hemp hearts) offers us with:

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

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

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 properly. Simply make certain to maintain the carb counts in thoughts as a result of they’ll fluctuate relying on the mushroom selection.

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

Mushroom sort	Complete carbs (g)	Web carbs (g)
Portobella	5.9	3.2
Shiitake	7.4	3.9
White button	4.4	2.5
Cremini	3.0	2.6

Use It:

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

Different Much less Widespread Keto Rice Options You Can Strive

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

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 prepare dinner to your most popular consistency. Sometimes it doesn’t take lengthy to prepare dinner and can fulfill the craving you may have for rice.

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

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

It may be an amazing 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 amazing grain various for anybody on a paleo, low carb, or keto food regimen. Since you need to use the stems, it’s going to assist you minimize down in your meals waste as properly.

Primarily, you’ll observe the identical steps as you’ll 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 popular cooking oil/fats. Toss in some soy sauce for fast and straightforward keto aspect dishes (which are additionally dairy free)!

That stated, you will need to double-check the vitamin information 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 complete carbohydrates
3.3 grams of dietary fiber
3.9 grams of internet carbs
2.4 grams of protein

Rutabaga Rice

It’s also possible to course of rutabaga, as you’ll 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 information for 100 g of cooked rutabaga are as follows:

37 energy
0.2 g fats
8.6 g complete 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

Low Carb, Keto-friendly Rice Recipes

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

Low Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice

This keto recipe is full of the entire flavors and textures we crave in restaurant-style fried rice. Nonetheless, there’s one factor lacking: the starch.

Luckily, with the combo of riced cauliflower and bacon, you’ll overlook all about it. (In case you’re in search of a good easier keto fried rice, give our 4-ingredient crispy cauliflower rice a attempt.)

See the Recipe

Spicy Cauliflower Rice & Salmon Medley

A scrumptious keto dinner that includes low-carb fried rice, with all of the steps it’s essential prepare dinner the fish, put together the keto rice, and mix them right into a satisfying meal. Be happy to exchange the salmon along with your fish/meat of alternative everytime you need to throw collectively a fast dish that will come out scrumptious.

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

See the Recipe

Jalapeno Cauliflower Rice Balls

These crispy, spicy, and tacky rice balls are the proper manner to make use of up leftover cauliflower rice. Serve with sugar-free tomato sauce for keto-friendly arancini — or maintain it easy and have as is. The within is sort of a jalapeno popper, and the skin has a splendidly crunchy texture due to the pork rind and Parmesan coating.

See the Recipe

Keto Hen and Rice Casserole

Hen and rice casserole is way more healthy and extra satisfying with low-carb substances. In truth, this is among 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 rooster. I nearly all the time seize a rotisserie rooster on the grocery retailer. It’s fast, straightforward and can be utilized for 1,000,000 completely different dishes. Pre-riced cauliflower will be discovered within the produce part of most shops and is a superb low carb staple and substitute for rice.

See the Recipe

Keto Sushi (with a Low-carb Sushi Rice Different)

At first, changing sushi rice with riced cauliflower could appear ridiculous. I assumed the thought was loopy earlier than I really gave keto sushi a attempt — and I used to be pleasantly stunned. It fastened my yearning for carb-ridden sushi, and now I’ve a dependable keto recipe to make every time the craving hits.

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 substances equivalent to cauliflower rice and rooster inventory will be constituted of scratch or store-bought to scale back time. Elective toppings for congee embody 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 Essential)

Cauliflower-free Low Carb Rice Recipe Options

You could have already observed that almost all low-carb rice recipes function 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 below 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 by utilizing 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 happy so as to add meat to it for a whole keto meal — or use it as a substitute for cauliflower fried rice.

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

Choose your most popular possibility(s) from the listing beneath:

Miracle rice
Cabbage
Hempseeds
Mushrooms
Broccoli

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

Simply be sure you are conscious 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 best choice for sure keto recipes.

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

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

Are There Keto-friendly Rice Noodle Options as Nicely?

Keto-friendly Rice Noodle Alternatives

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

Of all of the completely different and distinctive takes on noodles, listed below 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. Lower eggplant into strips and prepare 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 very well as a noodle, however you may also use entire cabbage leaves as a layer in lasagna and even use it as a wrapper for eggroll sort recipes.
Miracle noodles. Also called konjac or shirataki noodles, these fibrous noodles are constituted of the identical substances 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.
Do-it-yourself noodles. Utilizing psyllium husk, almond flour, or a mixture of low-carb flours, you possibly can create keto noodles at residence. These are typically essentially the most reasonable in texture and taste however can add a big quantity of energy to the dish, so it’s important to be conscious 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 just isn’t appropriate for low-carb and keto consuming, whatever the selection you may have

Nonetheless, there are many low-carb rice substitutes that you could make to fulfill your yearning for the starch-filled grain. These embody:

Riced cauliflower
Miracle rice or shirataki rice
Cabbage
Hemp Seeds
Mushrooms

With the assistance of those keto-friendly choices, you may make just about any of your favourite rice-based dishes, together with:

If you’re additionally in search of appropriate substitutes for cauliflower-based rice, listed below are the three greatest choices:

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

The best solution to be sure you are heading in the right direction is by utilizing our keto meal planning app. It would give you a limiteless consuming plan personalised to your objectives and preferences, so all you’ll need to do is store for the substances, make your meals, and luxuriate in them.

Sources

Tags: Alternatives, Carb, Keto, Rice, Substitutes

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

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

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

What About Rice Noodles: Are They Low Carb?

Are Rice Muffins Low Carb?