Ways to Use Vegetables Instead of Carb Heavy Foods

Zuchinni Noodles (zoodles)

I first heard about Zoodles when I was watching a cooking show during college. They were using a spiralizer connected to a Kitchen Aid and I was fascinated. I kept thinking, how have I never seen this before and why do I not have this amazing kitchen tool? So, of course I went to my nearest store and bought myself one. However, on a college budget at the time I did not have a Kitchen Aid so I found a $15 spiralizer at HyVee called the Veggetti. When I got home I immediately started making some zoodles and crafting recipes. The one tip I have for you is to drain the excess water from the zoodles before cooking with them. I just use a pastry towel and squeeze the water out over the sink. Super simple, delish and you can make tons of recipes with it! 

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Chips

If you're like me and anyone else I know, chips are a huge craving! If there is a bag of chips in front of me, I can eat the entire bag without realizing it until the bag is empty...scary I know. Being a nutrition guru I knew there had to be a better option out there for me to still get my "chip fix" and luckily there is! These zucchini parmesan chips have the perfect crunch and flavor that'll keep you from running to your Lays bag of chips any day. Try these tasty chips and let me know what you think.

Spaghetti Squash

I don't know what it is about Italian food but I seem to always be in the mood for a super creamy, carby pasta dish. I'm strict on never wanting to deprive or restrict myself from foods so I researched and learned about spaghetti squash. Similar to the zoodles, once the spaghetti squash is cooked and I have gutted it, I drain the gutted squash to keep my meal from being watered down. You can make them plain or add meat, cheese, vegetables and etc to form a delicious healthy pasta meal! Try it Today!

Cauliflower Rice

I've used it for rice, mashed potatoes, pizza crust and so much more over the years and it just keeps getting better! If you haven't tried any of these ways to use cauliflower I encourage you to try it this week. There are so many recipes online and if you don't like one just change the ingredients to better fit your style! 

Sweet Potato

Just like the zoodles and spaghetti squash, you can ALSO MAKE sweet potato noodles! Similar to the zucchini, you spiralize the sweet potato into noodles. Sear in a pan, bake in the oven or fry! 

These sweet potato fries are crunchy, delicious and healthy! There are many different recipes to put variety on these fries and I encourage you to find one you love. My favorite is to use olive oil, basil and sea salt!