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Home » Diet » Low Carb Foods » 5 Low-Carb Alternatives to White Rice

Ginger VieiraBy Ginger Vieira on July 18, 2019, Updated June 24, 2020
Diet

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

5 Low-Carb Alternatives to White Rice

Low-carb rice alternatives

Rice is delicious. Personally, I could eat a whole pot of rice with butter and salt. But this is a rare treat because as we already know…rice is pure starch. And those carbs are digested quickly and spike your blood sugar quickly.

1 cup of cooked white rice contains 45-53 grams of total and net carbohydrates, depending on the type of rice!

Yowza!

For some of us with diabetes, that might be half our entire day’s worth of carbohydrates!

In this article, we’ll look at 5 alternatives to white rice that are low in carbohydrates and a tasty substitute for your next rice-based recipe.

Collage of packaging for low-carb rice alternatives

Table of Contents

  • 5 low-carb alternatives to white rice
    • Riced cauliflower
    • Edamame/Mung Bean Pasta
    • Shirataki (Miracle Rice)
    • Riced cabbage
    • Spiralized and chopped zucchini
  • Frequently asked questions about rice alternatives

5 low-carb alternatives to white rice

Riced cauliflower

Certainly the most popular approach to replacing rice, cauliflower rice is remarkably low in carbohydrates.

Creating it can be pretty messy with a food grater, but you can easily put a head of cauliflower (chopped in 3 or 4 large chunks) into your food processor instead. A quick zap and you’ll have “rice” right before your eyes. If that’s too much work, you can find ready-to-go cauliflower rice in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores (or buy it on Amazon).

If you don’t like the taste of cauliflower normally, you might like it in rice-form when it’s covered in a delicious sauce. But hey — cauliflower isn’t for everyone!

Carb-Count: 1 cup contains 4 grams total carbs / 2 grams net carbs

We have three 3 great cauliflower rice recipes here on Diabetes Strong:

  • Vegan Cauliflower Pizza with Basil Pesto
  • Low-Carb Cauliflower Oatmeal
  • Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
Riced cauliflower

Edamame/Mung Bean Pasta

You can find edamame pasta in many grocery stores or buy it on Amazon.

When it comes to eating pasta, this is the only way I do it. After subtracting the dietary fiber from this type of pasta, the carb-count is so low that I can enjoy a bowl of pasta and meatballs with a relatively normal insulin dose and without a blood sugar battle.

To turn this pasta into rice, simply cook it as instructed (which takes mere minutes, by the way), and then use your kitchen scissors or large kitchen knife on a cutting board to chop it into rice-sized pieces! Tons of protein, tons of fiber, and very few carbs.

Don’t be deterred by its green appearance. The flavor is mild and the texture is great! (By the way, even my picky father-in-law liked this pasta…and that’s saying a lot!)

Carb-Count: 1/2 cup contains 21 grams total carbs / 3 grams net carbs

Edamame Pasta

Shirataki (Miracle Rice)

You either love shirataki products or you really don’t like them at all. Often referred to as “miracle” noodles or rice, they’re made from the konnyaku flour which comes from — wait for it — the konnyaku plant! Go figure.

What makes them so “miraculous” is that in addition to containing no carbs at all, they also contain zero calories, too! Pretty weird — if you ask me — but a lot of people love shirataki rice and noodles.

They usually come in a liquid-filled bag and they don’t smell so great at first. It’s recommended that you rinse them thoroughly before using, then saute them in butter and add a sauce you love.

You can get miracle noodles and rice on Amazon.

Carb-Count: 1 bag contains 6 grams total carbs / 0 grams net carbs

Miracle Rice

Riced cabbage

Much like cauliflower rice, the prep for this one is either really messy (using a food grater) or really simple (using a food processor). Cabbage definitely has a stronger smell and taste compared to cauliflower so it may not be an acceptable rice substitute for some folks.

You could saute the grated cabbage in butter or just add your sauce and toppings onto a bowl of raw cabbage. Loaded with fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants and a slew of other vitamins, cabbage is by far a more nutritious alternative to rice!

Carb-Count: 1 cup contains 4 grams total carbs / 2.5 grams net carbs

Spiralized and chopped zucchini

Okay, this isn’t exactly the easiest approach to replacing rice but it is healthy and tasty. Before chopping into rice-sized bits, you’ll definitely want to roast your spiralized zucchini noodles in the oven to dry out the excess water.

* You can follow this guide to make zucchini noodles with or without a spiralizer

Add salt, herbs, your favorite sauce, and enjoy. Will you think you’re eating rice? Definitely not, but you’ll have a nice low-carb alternative for the same dishes. Just don’t forget your toppings!

A spiralizer is one of those gadgets you can get for a reasonably affordable price — the ones they sell for under $30 on Amazon are plenty. You don’t need a fancy one. And while you may not use it all the time, it’s great for a variety of other veggies.

Carb-Count: 1 cup contains 4 grams total carbs / 3 grams net carbs

Frequently asked questions about rice alternatives

Q: Is brown rice healthier than white rice?

A: Brown rice is a “whole grain” where all parts of the grain — including the fibrous bran, the nutritious germ, and the carb-rich endosperm is still left. White rice has had the bran and germ removed. This makes brown rice higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. So yes, brown rice is generally healthier than white rice, but still very high in carbohydrates.

Q: How about quinoa?

A: Quinoa contains the second most protein out of all grains and is high in fiber. This makes it a healthy rice alternative, but it’s still quite high in starchy carbs (39 total carbs and 34 net carbs per cup).

Q: What do you think about amaranth, barley, farro, etc?

A: These “ancient” grains have remained relatively unchanged for thousands of years with minimal genetic manipulation. They are typically higher in fiber and protein than “modern” grains and rice, but they are still primarily starch. They are great rice alternatives if you don’t mind the high carbohydrate content, but the other rice alternatives on this list are better for a low-carb lifestyle.

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Categories: Diet

Ginger Vieira

About Ginger Vieira

Ginger Vieira has lived with Type 1 diabetes and Celiac disease since 1999, and fibromyalgia since 2014. She is the author of 4 books: Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes, Dealing with Diabetes Burnout, Emotional Eating with Diabetes, Your Diabetes Science Experiment. Ginger creates content regularly for Diabetes Strong, Diathrive, MySugr, DiabetesMine, Healthline, and her YouTube Channel. Her background includes a B.S. in Professional Writing, certifications in cognitive coaching, Ashtanga yoga, and personal training with several records in drug-free powerlifting. She lives in Vermont with two kiddos and two dogs.

View all posts by Ginger Vieira

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatardiana irie says

    July 11, 2020 at 4:24 pm

    To remove the fishy smell from Shirataki/Konjac items, after rinsing, I soak them in water with a spoonful or two of lemon juice or white vinegar.

    Reply
    • Christel OerumChristel Oerum says

      July 12, 2020 at 12:02 pm

      Thank you for the tip

      Reply
  2. Avatarroddy6667 says

    June 23, 2020 at 12:38 am

    I did a search of carb count for mung bean noodles and got very different answers. Most show 40 gms of carbs per one cup serving.

    Reply
    • Christel OerumChristel Oerum says

      June 24, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      Thank you for bringing that to our attention. It should have said 1/2 cup has 21 grams of carbs. When you look at the packaging it lists a serving as 2 oz. (56 grams) which is roughly 1/2 cup

      Reply
  3. AvatarStacy Gomes says

    June 10, 2020 at 12:45 am

    Well Described. Eating low-carb food is really helpful for maintaining your health. Nice Article.

    Reply
  4. AvatarDave Riley says

    July 27, 2019 at 7:51 pm

    Corn Tortillas (from Masa Harina) –esp home made — are low carb . Not as low as cauliflower, but low for grain foods.
    Worth it to monitor your blood sugars after a 2 taco feast … and 2 will fill you.
    Low GI too.

    Reply

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