A ketogenic diet can be challenging at first, especially when you begin to notice that many of the “go-to” foods that you once ate are now on the forbidden list. Sometimes you have to get creative to find good alternatives, but don’t let that deter you from the numerous benefits that this diet has to offer! A simple keto food swap can really help keep you on track.
For an introduction to the keto diet, check out this post.
For a list of keto-friendly foods to try, check out this post.
If you enjoy baking, you’ll be happy to know that there are some great flour and sweetener alternatives available that work great for baked goods. There are plenty of keto-friendly substitutes available. Here’s a list to help you get started!
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Flour
- Almond flour – 1:1 ratio to replace wheat flour
- Coconut flour – 0.25:1 ratio – replace 1 cup of wheat flour, with 1/4 cup coconut flour and 1 egg
- Flaxseed meal – 0.33:1 ratio – replace 1 cup of wheat flour with 1/3 cup flaxseed meal and 1 tablespoon of water
- Psyllium husk powder – some brands turn purple when baked (use this brand for non-purple treats!)
- Tapioca flour or Arrowroot flour – used for thickening sauces or adding elasticity to dough. Use sparingly – it’s a bit high in carbs but better than wheat flour.
- Xanthan gum – used in very small amounts to certain dough recipes for elasticity and texture
Sugar Substitutes
When choosing sweeteners to use on the keto diet, you should choose ones that are carb-free and have no impact on blood sugar. The three sweeteners that fit the bill for an easy keto food swap are:
- Erythritol – comes in granulated and powdered forms. It’s about 70% as sweet as sugar, so you would need to substitute a bit more than 1:1 ratio. It can cause tummy upset if too much is used.
- Stevia – comes in liquid, granulated, and powdered form. It’s 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, so it doesn’t take a lot to get the sweetness level you want.
- Monk fruit – comes in liquid and granulated. Check the labels for fillers that could sneak in carbs. Used at a 1:1 ratio to replace regular sugar.
Some popular sweeteners on the market combine these ingredients to create a product that mimics regular sugar more closely. Personally, I use Truvia packets in my coffee and bake with Swerve (granulated and powdered).
Chocolate
Cacao powder is great for use in chocolate baked goods like brownies or to make hot chocolate.
Dark chocolate makes a great treat on its own or can be used for baked goods like chocolate chip cookies. The higher percentage of cocoa in the chocolate, the better – it gets more bitter but lower carbs as the percentage increases. Try to stick to 70% or higher.
Breadcrumbs
This is a pretty easy keto food swap that doesn’t really take too much effort or have a significant flavor impact.
- Finely crushed pork rinds – make them yourself by running whole pork rinds through a food processor or buy them pre-crushed for convenience
- Almond flour
- Flax meal
- Parmesan cheese (the dried kind in the green can)
Make your own breading using a single ingredient or a combination of the ingredients and spices to your liking. Use the typical egg dredging technique (coat the meat in egg wash, then dredge through the breading mixture).
If you’re up for an adventure, this recipe from ketodietapp.com is as close to regular breadcrumbs as you can get!
Tortillas
- Large leafy vegetables – Use icerberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, or chard in place of a typical flour tortilla. It adds a nice crunch and flavor!
- You can make your own keto tortillas using some of the basic keto-friendly baking ingredients (like almond flour and coconut flour). I’m still working on perfecting my tortilla recipe. I’ll share it with you as soon as it’s done!
- Crispy tortillas and taco shells can be made easily by cooking cheese in a nonstick skillet (ceramic pans are great for this). You can also cook it in the microwave on parchment paper (these pre-cut wax papers are the perfect size and come in super-handy when making a batch of shells!)
Bread and Buns
- Lettuce or chard leaves – the easiest option is to use large leaves in place of bread or buns.
- Keto bread recipes – if you want options that taste like bread, there are plenty of recipes available that use low-carb ingredients. Try them out until you find a recipe that works best for you!
Pizza Crust
You can still have pizza regularly if you get creative! Here’s some great options that I’ve come across:
- Cheese – microwave or cook cheese in a pan until it’s crispy to make a nice crispy thin crust pizza
- Meat – use cold cuts or pepperoni as the crust – cook them until crispy
- Fathead dough – this is a special keto dough recipe made mostly of mozzarella cheese. It’s quick and easy to make!
Personally, my favorite keto food swap for pizza crust is making fathead dough. It takes just like real pizza dough and can be held in your hand like a normal slice of pizza!
Rice
- Cauliflower – use a food processor to chop cauliflower heads into tiny pieces that resemble rice. Some refer to this as “ricing” cauliflower.
- Miracle rice – pre-packaged shirataki noodles that are cut into small pieces to resemble rice. If prepared correctly, these taste great!
I recently came across frozen riced califlower at the grocery store. This made for a super simple keto food swap that was literally zero extra effort!
Boxed Pasta
- Zoodles – use a spiralizer to spiralize zucchini (or other veggies) and use them as noodles
- Miracle noodles – pre-packaged shirataki noodles that are cut into various noodle shapes (like fetuccini, spaghetti, and angel hair)
- Spaghetti squash – bake it in the oven, then scrape it out with a fork. Eat in moderation, as this does have carbs in it!
- Make your own – use alternative flours to make your own noodles from scratch! I’ll be sharing my recipe for this soon!
Potatoes
- Cauliflower – boil then mash to make mashed potatoes! Make tater tots by ricing the cauliflower, forming it into tater-tot shapes and then baking.
- Zucchini, eggplant, and rutabagas – cut and shape to mimic fries, then bake. Eat sparingly, as these do have carbs!
Give them a try!
I hope that this list of keto-friendly substitutes has shown you that you can still have your favorite foods if you just get a little creative!
Some of the substitutions may seem strange or may even be new and uncharted territory for you, but don’t let that scare you away! If you get a craving for an old favorite high-carb food, try the substitution! After just a little while, it will get easier and you will reap the benefits!
Share your keto adventure with us! I’d love to hear about your journey! Did you try anything from the list? How did you like it?