Eating Less Bread and Pasta on a Low Carb Diet

Whenever I need to lose I few pounds, I always look to reduce my intake of carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, potatoes, rice and grains, and this usually makes a huge impact on my weight in quite a short space of time.

The problem is that I absolutely love carbohydrates, particularly bread and pasta! As some of you know, I make a lot of my own french bread at home from scratch, and the Olive Garden happens to be one of my favorite restaurants. But I am my own worst enemy because when I eat bread I like to smother it with butter and when I eat pasta I ultimately have to cover it with a pound of cheese. Not good!

But if I just reduce the amount of bread and pasta that I consume on a daily basis then it’s a win-win situation because in doing so I also reduce my fat intake as well by eating less butter and cheese. I stress the word reduce though; eliminating carbs altogether from our diets is not wise, as I found out a few years ago.

I tried a low carb diet whereby I literally eliminated all carbohydrates altogether. I completely cut out the two biggest food passions in my life, bread and pasta, as well as potatoes, rice, grains and other starchy foods. For two weeks, I ate nothing but meat, fruit and vegetables. Now, while I did lose about 8 pounds over these two weeks, having zero carbs left me feeling rather faint, weak and lightheaded. I would caution anyone looking to eliminate carbohydrates from their diet altogether because carbohydrates are a very important source of fibre, which helps maintain blood sugar, reduces cholesterol, and supports good bowel function.

Now I'm a big believer that some carbohydrates are really essential in our every day diets and so that’s why a low carb diet is the better option for losing weight steadily and maintaining good health.

So whenever I’m thinking about reducing the amount of bread and pasta in my diet to lose a few pounds, or just to keep down to my ideal weight and feel healthier, I follow my own low carb tips to keep my diet fun and interesting without missing out completely on the foods I enjoy.

My 2 Best Low Carb Tips

1. Eating less bread on a low carb diet: When making a sandwich, I might use only one slice of bread instead of two, and then load up with more low carb fillings such as turkey and salad. This way I am not denying myself the bread I enjoy or the carbohydrates that my body needs, but I have succeeded in significantly lowering my carb intake.
2. Eating less pasta on a low carb diet: If I have big craving for pasta then I sometimes trick my body into thinking I’m having a big bowl of spaghetti by instead having a hearty serving of nutritious spaghetti squash! With only 10 carbs in a 1-cup serving of cooked spaghetti squash, this vegetable is an excellent addition to any low carb diet and a tasty alternative to pasta.