My Top 10 Ideas for Low-Carb, Vegetarian and Vegan Meals and Side Dishes
How does your regular dinner plate look like? Is it heavy on carbs? Or does it have a good balance of fats, carbohydrates and animal or plant-based protein? Over the last couple of years my diet has been transforming towards eating majority of my carbs in the first half of the day in my breakfast and lunch meals, and keeping carb intake low at dinner time. It also got much more heavy on vegetables. Through that journey I have gathered a collection of lower-carb alternatives to traditional pastas, rice and potatoes, as well as favorite vegetable-based meals and side dishes. Plus, all those meals and dishes are gluten-free! Some of these low-carb vegan or vegetarian dishes we eat on their own, while others supplement with animal - or plant - based protein. And I've finallydecided to compile these meal ideas into one list.
Lower-carb alternatives to pastas, rice and potatoes
Idea #1 - Vegetable noodles
Spaghetti squash is a great candidate for a noddle alternative. I normally cook it in my Instant Pot (cut in half, 7 minutes on High Pressure), shred it with a fork and then combine with different sauces, veggies and proteins. For example, I often mix it with tomato sauce, veggies and herbs, and then add some ground meat, chicken or tofu.
A spiralizer is very handy when it comes to making pasta alternatives from vegetables (I have this one.) Spiralizing vegetables works great both for hot and cold noddle dishes. My favorite vegetables for making warm noodles are zucchinis, while larger types of radishes work great for cold raw noodle dishes (such as my Radish Pad Thai salad.) Other harder veggies or root veggies that are good for spiralizing are beets, broccoli stems, carrots, cucumbers, turnips, winter squashes and even sweet potatoes.
Idea # 2 - Vegetable mash
I have a couple of vegetables that I like to use to make a lower-carb alternative to mashed potatoes. The first one is steamed and blended cauliflower that I mix with just a little bit of non-dairy milk, salt and pepper. My second favorite is carrots. I've made carrot mash several times, combined with some lemon juice, a bit of non-dairy milk and spices (turmeric, cumin, sumac, etc., depending on what you serve it with) and every time people were surprised to learn it was made of carrots.
Idea # 3 - Bread-less sandwiches
Have you tried to replace sandwich bread with leafy greens or roasted root vegetable slices such as sweet potatoes. We love to bring picnics on our day trips, hikes or walks in the parks. And we do these breadless wrap or sandwich picnics very often. Just pack some lettuce leaves, sliced veggies (peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, raddishes, etc.), sliced goat or sheep's milk cheese, hummus, and some prosciutto or sliced grilled chicken for a non-vegetarian wrap - and your picnic bag is ready!
Idea # 4 - Cauliflower 'rice'
I know cauliflower rice has become a new trend. However, it's not very popular in our family as my husband is not a big fan of cauliflower. And I much rather have it roasted or mashed. But it still is a great low-carb rice alternative for fried rice dishes.
Other vegetable based meals and side-dishes
Idea # 5 - One-sheet-pan roasted vegetables
Sky is the limit here. Just open your fridge and pick as many vegetables as you want. I would only suggest to keep long-cooking and quick-cooking veggies separately. For example, you can mix onions, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and chopped carrots together. Another group of vegetables that goes well together for roasting includes beets, parsnips, whole carrots, turnips, rutabagas, potatoes, and other harder root vegetables.
Once done, these veggies can be used as a main or side dish, topped with fresh herbs, nuts, raisins, tahini dressing, hummus, baba ghanoush or some other dressing.
Idea # 6 - Vegetable curries
Again, this is a great dish to exercise your creativity. As long as you have all the basic ingredients, such as coconut milk or broth, spices or curry paste, you can add variety of vegetables into your curry. For a vegetarian or vegan curry dish I like to add chickpeas and / or tofu to make it more filling.
Idea # 7 - Vegetable stir fries
No matter how many times I make stir fries, they are never the same and never boring. It is such a quick and nutritios meal that can be made from pretty much any veggies in your fridge. You can experiment with sauces here by combining different amounts of soy sauce, fish sauce, housin or oyster sauce, honey, and asian spices, such as a 5-spice or 7-spice mix. Fresh herbs, such as scallions, parsley or basil, add a nice finish to stir fries with their fresh flavor and aroma. I also like to add cashew nuts or peanuts, sesame seeds or sprouts for extra crunch. For a complete meal, feel free to add tofu, tempeh, or some animal protein / seafood for a non vegetarian option.
Idea # 8 - Pureed vegetable soups
You can use so many vegetables for pureed soups - squashes, cauliflower, potatoes, leeks, broccoli, asparagus, rutabagas, etc. If you want some toppings, my favorites are crumbled goat cheese, pumpkin seeds and tofu croutons (tofu cubes roasted in the oven with salt and pepper.)
Idea # 9 - Salads
Dinner salads, side salads, salad bowls, warm salads, grain salads - you got an idea. And you can always transform them into a more filling meal with a variety of toppings from nuts, seeds, crumbled cheese, dried berries, or sprouts to lower-carb grains like wild rice or quinoa.
Idea # 10 - Stuffed vegetables
My favorite vegetables and leaves for stuffing are cabbage leaves, peppers, collard greens, chard leaves, zucchini or spaghetti squash halves and even tomatoes. For the stuffing I like to use a mix of veggies, mushrooms, fresh herbs and quinoa (or wild rice blend for a more filling option) and some ground turkey, chicken or other meat for a non-vegetarian meal. Top it with some shredded or crumbled cheese and fresh herbs and enjoy as a complete meal for lunch or dinner.
Whether you are looking for more ways to incorporate vegetables in your diet, limit carbs and gluten or just add variety to your cooking, I hope you get some new ideas here. Enjoy!