How to Kick Carbs in the New Year

The new year is several days in, and so are the resolutions of millions. If yours was for a healthier lifestyle, fitter body and new can-do attitude, you may want to consider working some substitutes for carbohydrates into your diet.

If you’re anything like me, carbs are a staple, a vessel for all my favorite toppings like cheese, sauce, peanut butter, and yes, Nutella.

I want to keep all of these worthwhile treats in my diet, be fit and healthy and yet, I’m not a fan of overly processed foods that are pumped with chemicals concocted to imitate real food without calories.

Here are some simple, tasty substitutions to help you nix carbs without the added chemicals:

Cauliflower: When I was , my mother used to fry cauliflower with breadcrumbs and oil . It wasn’t until much later that I learned just how much you can actually do with this nutritious little vegetable.

It can be mashed and or you can make it into rice.

Cut a head of cauliflower into florets and steam until soft enough for a fork to pass through them. Then, grate it with a food processor. You can season your “rice” with fried onions, a sprinkle of olive oil, salt and pepper.

It’s great plain and has a very similar texture to white rice. Its mellow flavor also makes a great base for chili, Indian food, and burrito filling. If you weren’t already sold, cauliflower rice has only 30 calories and four carbs per cup, versus about 200 calories and 50 carbs per cup of white rice.

You can get cauliflower at just about any supermarket.

Shirataki Noodles: These low calorie Japanese noodles have gained a lot of recognition in recent years. Not all supermarkets carry them, but North Shore Farms in Great Neck has a small selection of Shirataki noodles from which to choose.

Made of yam flour and tofu, an entire bag boasts a mere 40 calories, six carbs and four grams of fiber. They come in a variety of shapes, including angel hair, linguini, spaghetti, and macaroni, making them great to eat with sauce or add to soup.

A word of caution: Although shirataki noodles are an excellent substitution for pasta, the texture and smell can be a bit strange at first. The distinct fish-like smell dissipates when washed and placed in boiling water. They only take three minutes to cook, and are vegan, as well as gluten, cholesterol, and sugar free. Keep in mind the Japanese refer to these noodles as “a broom for the stomach…” It may be best to eat these in small doses and work your way towards a full plate.

Spaghetti Squash:  Another easy to make, low carb pasta substitution is spaghetti squash. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Fill a baking dish a third of the way with water. Place your squash in the baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about half an hour to 45 minutes, depending on size.

It’s ready when a fork can easily pass through the thickest part of the squash. Scrape the edges with a fork to shred and create a spaghetti-like texture. When it’s finished, you can cover it with your favorite sauce. Spaghetti squash has a light flavor and texture and feels a bit more “wet” than flour-rich spaghetti, but you can still twirl and twist it on your fork like pasta.

Each serving is 42 calories per cup, 10 carbs, two grams of fiber and one gram of protein, compared to about 220 calories and 43 carbohydrates in spaghetti.

Spaghetti squash can be found at .

Calorie counts were provided by Livestrong.com.

Kristin Allocco was raised in Bayside, and today works for the Queens Farm Museum. She also teaches fitness and dance classes. Read more about her by viewing her .