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Paleo and Keto diets are all the rage these days, but, like any other diet, there are healthy and not-so-healthy ways to approach them.
Replacing grain-based breads, crackers, and cookies with nut-based breads, crackers, and cookies can be helpful for those who need to avoid gluten, but relying heavily on these baked goods daily won’t necessarily improve your health.
When done the right way, a grain-free diet should help increase your vegetable intake while also reducing your intake of processed foods and sugary snacks. It’s essentially just a “whole foods” diet, which is why so many all-natural recipes fall into the Paleo category in the first place.
Today, I want to share six ways to replace grains in your diet without relying on heavy, nut-based alternatives. Even if you don’t follow a grain-free diet, the following tips are a great way for anyone to increase their vegetable intake!
1. Veggie “Rice”
Pulsing vegetables like cauliflower or butternut squash in a food processor creates a texture similar to rice, which can be just as satisfying as using real rice.
Recipes to try:
2. Spiralized Veggie “Noodles”
Making “noodles” out of your vegetables can actually be quicker and easier than cooking a box of pasta.
Use a spiral slicer or a traditional vegetable peeler to create flat fettuccine-like noodles from your favorite vegetables, such as zucchini, butternut squash, or sweet potatoes.
Recipes to try:
3. Cooked vegetables as “pasta”
If you’d prefer to skip the fancy spiral slicers, a simple bed of steamed vegetables makes an excellent base for your favorite pasta sauce. Some of my favorite options include steamed cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, and zucchini.
Sauteed cabbage also serves as a substitute for spaghetti. I sneak this into my family’s healthy spaghetti night, and my kids love it. Or, try baked spaghetti squash, which is naturally noodle-like without the need for special tools.
Recipes to try:
4. Veggie Pizza Crust
Vegetable-based pizza crusts have gained popularity over the past decade and are now available for purchase in the frozen food section. But none of the store-bought options taste quite as delicious as my homemade version.
You can also use thinly sliced and roasted vegetables as a “pizza crust” with less effort.
Recipes to try:
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5. Veggie lasagna noodles
You can thinly slice vegetables, such as eggplant or zucchini, to make lasagna “noodles.” A mandoline slicer will help you make consistent slices.
Recipes to try:
6. Lettuce Wraps and Sliders
There’s no need to bake a grain-free bun when a lettuce wrap is SO much easier! Try using butter lettuce for a velvety wrap that you can fold in half, or collard leaves to roll up your favorite sandwich or burger fillings.
You can also use roasted sweet potato slices to make a mini slider bun.
Recipes to try:
I hope these ideas help you increase your vegetable intake while enjoying some delicious meals in the process! Let me know in the comments which options you try.
Thanks for sharing this today on Facebook Megan. Just yesterday I was saying how much you have helped me clean up my eating. I am not where I need to be with that but I am in a much better place than I was almost 4 months ago. This is the first time in my life I am not on a diet but am really changing my lifestyle to the point where I am enjoying it and not feeling deprived. A big part of that is your blog and recipes. Since finding your blog I have been searching a number of similar blogs and to date none of these have had recipes that are as successful or easy as yours! I needed this post today. I have recognized that whilst I may have cut back on gluten, dairy and sugar I have not increased my vegetable intake apart from salads. It is something I want to work on this year. I have tried your pizza and the zucchini pasta and both were great. Sundays are my Detoxinista baking day as it helps me not only “snack prep” for the week but for some reason it helps me get focus and keeps me motivated. I think this weekend I will give the cauliflower fried rice a try!
Brialliant! Great post, very clever and useful ideas. The best part is that it offers real substitutes for grains that are very healthy; the benefits of cooking this way are profound and worth the effort. Thank you.
My son has Duchenes and have been told to take all grain food out of his diet. Am struggling as only 8 years old. Do you have a book that can help thx.
Thanks so much! This couldn’t have come at a better time. My naturopath has be on a “no sugar, no flour of any kind” diet, so these ideas will certainly come in handy!
Great tips! I also love using sliced and baked sweet potatoes instead of buns for burgers or sandwiches. Taste better than the bread in my opinion too!
There are some wonderful ideas here, Megan! Thank you, always!
I absolutely love your posts and you’ve inspired me to experiment with recipes of my own. I’ve tried so many of your recipes and have never been disappointed. Thanks for sharing! One pizza alternative I love to do is eggplant parmesan. I love how they’re like mini individual pizzas and you still get a full serving of vegetables.
great ideas for a delicious and healthy meal.. loved the tips.. thanks for sharing
If you don’t have enough cauliflower for the veggie rice, you can mix in broccoli (as long as its finely chopped) with the cauliflower. Although the veggie rice will appear green, the taste will be similar to cauliflower rice. But DO NOT substitute cauliflower with broccoli because the taste will be completely different.
Yup! Love my grains. but I’m also a huge starch advocate! Plantains, yucca, all potatoes!