Top Bread Alternatives For Low-Carb and Keto Diets – Recipes, Simple & Gluten-Free
Bread is a significant part of the human diet. It is mainly a carbohydrate food, as well as a source of vegetable protein. And we all love it very much. But now more and more people are trying to stop using it. We try to avoid foods that contain a large number of carbohydrates. Someone said that they make us fat. And this is true if you exceed your daily norm of consumption of carbohydrates.
For example, white bread from wheat flour of the highest grade quickly adds strength, but there are almost no useful substances in it. They are lost in the process of cleaning the grain. I also refused to use it. But I found an alternative to this bread. And I want to tell you about it. But before I do this, I want to emphasize once again that carbohydrates are energy, so you should not completely abandon bread.
Even if you are now losing weight, bread has a place in your diet. In addition, bread contains almost no fat, and the amount of carbohydrates is easy to control with standard slices. And you can’t eat a lot of bread, unlike sweets and pastries. Bread is sometimes an indispensable product during snacking it is well saturated with a small amount.
You just need to choose a low-carb loaf. I will tell you about its types, how to cook it, and show you my favorite recipes. And you will understand that there is no need to give up bread. I want to note that in good bread, in addition to dyes, stabilizers, preservatives, there should not be a large amount of baking yeast, which is usually found in white bread. Instead of yeast in its pure form, sourdough is used. The latter is based on lactic acid bacteria and only a minimal amount of yeast.
Bacteria feed on by-products of yeast fermentation releasing lactic acid. This prevents the leaven from spoiling (most microbes do not survive in an acidic environment) and makes the finished product more acidic.
What Types of Low Carb Bread?
The first type I want to talk about is whole-grain bread. Even those who have never understood diets in detail know that it is healthier than white bread. Many believe that it includes whole grains or seeds (sunflower, for example).
In fact, the word “whole grain” means that the grain in the flour went entirely, with all its composition.
It means that flour consists not only of the grain itself but also of:
- Bran (outer layer of grain)
- Endosperm (starchy middle layer)
- Germ (the inner part with the highest carbohydrate content)
This bread has enough energy resources, vitamins and minerals, proteins, unsaturated fats, and most importantly, a lot of fiber of several types. I can write about the benefits of fiber for a long time. In short: it is very useful. Adding other types of whole grains adds an important omega-3 fatty acid to bread.
I think many of us know that rye bread is healthy. Unlike wheat bread, rye bread always has a dark shade. It provides a longer feeling of satiety. Whole-grain rye bread is very effective in reducing blood sugar levels. And its acidity is greater. It gives some advantage in the storage process: bacteria don’t like such an acidic environment, as do many insects. This means that while this bread is on the shelf, it will wait for you not bitten. If you think this is a joke, then talk to the bakers. Another advantage is that rye bread also has a lot of fiber. It is also able to reduce the amount of fat tissue, which has already been proven by science.
Yeast-free bread. It is made with leaven. Previously it was prepared only according to family recipes, then such bread could be found in farm stores and now it has got on the shelves of supermarkets. Probably, this was facilitated by vegans, who increased the demand for bread without yeast. Thank you to them.
After all, this bread is also very useful. What’s special about it? An even higher level of acidity, a low glycemic index, the possibility of using different flour, a “live leaven» from flour and water. No extra ingredients. By the way, this bread is well stored, it keeps freshness, taste, and even a delicious crust for a long time.
What about gluten-free bread? Gluten-free bread is a direct competitor to white bread. It has the least benefit. If you are healthy, don’t put such bread in the basket. It is gluten-free for the sake of a target customer with celiac disease (intolerance to gluten and certain other proteins). By and large, this bread is “prescription”, it is suitable only for medical reasons to a narrow circle of customers. There are a lot of myths about gluten. Often this bread has a high glycemic index and low fiber content. Regular consumption of such bread instead of even “harmful” white can lead to disorders of the digestive system.
Bread from unseeded flour differs from whole-grain bread in that this coarse flour (together with the outer shells of the embryo) is still subjected to processing. As a result, this bread has a fairly high glycemic index, compared to ordinary white. But it still contains many minerals and other useful elements, including metals and vitamins. Because of the high glycemic index, bread made from unseeded flour cannot be consumed by people with type 2 diabetes.
Different types of flour can be used to make low carb bread. The lowest carb flour is flaxseed, in second place almond, and 3 is soy non-fat. Also, coconut, peanut, sesame, and pumpkin are carb-free. I want to note that cornflour doesn’t belong to the carb-free! It can be classified as gluten-free. It’s true! But not to the carb-free!
This Bread Can Be Prepared at Home Or Bought in a Store?
If you decide to bake at home, you can use different methods. You can bake in the oven or a special bread maker. I even found a recipe for low-carb bread that can be made in the microwave. It certainly doesn’t look like usual bread, but it’s delicious and healthy.
I will share the recipe for this bread below. You can also find such bread in stores. Read the labels on the package. So you choose the best option for your table. The bread will not become an enemy of your diet, but an assistant in a healthy diet.
Is There Any Bread You Can Eat On The Keto Diet?
I once was on a low carb diet. It is called ketogenic. It was an interesting experience. I didn’t know then that it was possible not to refuse bread. Of course, you can’t eat white bread, but you can eat low carb bread. What is the essence of this diet? The ketogenic diet is a diet with high-fat content and a significant reduction in carbohydrates in the diet.
The main goal of the keto diet is to make the body take energy from fats, not from carbohydrates. It is noteworthy that in the ketogenic diet it is allowed to eat any meat, even fried, but most fruits are banned.
You can also eat any offal, seafood, dark green vegetables, lard, eggs, oily fish, butter, flaxseed, olive, sesame, almond oil, nuts, seeds, yogurt without additives, cheeses and dairy products with high-fat content.
And here is a list of products that should be excluded:
- Red fruits, berries;
- Potato;
- Carrot;
- Beet;
- Vegetable oil;
- Canned goods;
- Semi-finished products and any ready-made food of factory production;
- Cereals (including bread other than low-carb, cereals, pasta, rice, and quinoa);
- sugar;
- Bakery products.
The General recommendation is to consume no more than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day. For active weight loss, the amount of carbohydrates should be reduced to 20 g. It is worth noting that some sit on a keto diet in order to increase mental activity.
It is believed that reducing the number of carbohydrates in the diet helps reduce sharp spikes in blood sugar, and this allows you to better concentrate and focus attention.
Do You Know What The Benefits Of a Low Carb Diet Are?
Reducing carbohydrates or giving them up completely reduces the amount of insulin in the plasma. This creates an environment in which fat is more easily released from its cells. This diet makes our metabolism work.
When we eat foods that are high in fat and low in carbohydrates, our body goes from carbohydrate metabolism to increased fat metabolism, carbohydrates are oxidized, glycogen is used, and glucose metabolism is reduced. But this diet has drawbacks. A low-carb diet suggests giving up most fiber sources since fiber sources also contain large amounts of carbohydrates.
At the same time, it is possible to reduce the number of trace elements (vitamins and minerals), since the most fibrous sources of carbohydrates also provide the lion’s share of trace elements. If you are training, you will need to reduce the load. Reduced glycogen levels will reduce the load that you can perform during both strength and cardio. Remember that you can’t be on such a diet for a long time.
Low Carb Bread Recipes
1# The first recipe is very simple and delicious
Ingredients for 2 loaves:
- 100 gr. Flaxseed flour or ground flax seeds
- 50 gr. Any of fiber ideally tissue of the potato
- 50 gr. Pelusa
- 30 gr. Coconut flour
- 220 ml of Water
- 250 gr. Fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt.what will be at hand
- 1 tsp bread spices or to taste
- 1 package of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of pink salt or sea
- 4 eggs
- Sesame seeds for decoration
How to cook
- Time: 55min.
- Mix everything with a mixer, leave for 10 minutes. Form 2 loaves and roll in sesame from 3 sides. Make the cuts.
- Preheat the oven I have air 180 * C and bake for 45 minutes.
2# The Same Recipe For The Microwave
Soft and fluffy keto bread with low carb content is prepared in the microwave in just 90 seconds! In the recipe for keto bread, you can use both almond and coconut flour.
All the ingredients:
- Almond flour – 3 tablespoons (or 1 and 1/3 tablespoons of coconut flour*)
- Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. spoon (melted butter is also suitable)
- Egg – 1 PC. (medium or large)
- Baking powder-1/2 teaspoon
How to cook
Mix all the ingredients in a suitable mold with a fork. If using butter, first melt it in the microwave, then add the flour, egg, and baking powder. Tap the mold/container several times to remove air bubbles.
* You will need less coconut flour in the recipe for keto bread since coconut absorbs the liquid very well. And if, for example, you are allergic to almonds or coconut, you can use any other nut flour. Alternative nut flour will need 3 tablespoons.
Put the dough mold in the microwave for 90 seconds and bake until ready – so that the bread rises and the dough stabilizes. After cooking, run the knife along the edge of the bread and turn the pastry onto the plate. Cut in half, and then, if desired, dry the slices in a toaster or pan. Between the two halves, you can insert cheese, a fried egg and a slice of avocado.
3# You Can Also Cook Keto Bread In The Oven
Preheat it to 190°C and bake for 10-12 minutes in a suitable dish for the oven.
The optimal size of the mold or plastic container for almond keto bread in the microwave: 10×10 cm (if square) or with a diameter of 10 cm (if round).
4# And the last recipe I want to show you
This recipe is very simple and delicious. I really like to eat this bread with an orange jam for Breakfast. Try it.
I suppose you will like this recipe
- Servings — 10
- Preparation — 10 minutes
- Cooking time — 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 155 grams of cedar flour
- 40 grams of almond flour
- 6 large eggs, divide them into whites and yolks
- 80 grams of butter
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 50 grams of tartare sauce or mayonnaise (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Chia seeds (optional)
- 1 pinch of salt
Instruction:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Mix the whites with the mayonnaise and whisk until soft peaks are reached.
- In a food processor, combine the egg yolks, butter, cedar flour, almond flour, baking powder, Chia seeds, and salt. Mix with a mixer until smooth. You will get a fairly thick dough until you add the proteins to it.
- Add 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to the mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Add the remaining 2/3 of the egg whites and gently stir them into the dough until completely combined. Do not overdo it, otherwise, you will not get enough volume!
- Spoon the mixture into a greased rectangular shape measuring about 20×10 cm Can be sprinkled with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes. Use a wooden stick or toothpick to check the bread is ready!
- 1 loaf of the resulting bread is 10 slices of 40 grams.
I really hope that you will want to prepare these recipes. They are really delicious. I often cook them.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About These Products With Low Carb Bread
What is a good substitute for bread?
You can replace bread. You can do this with pita bread. Pita bread is made with only three ingredients: water, flour, and salt. Without adding yeast, flavorings, flavor enhancers, and so on.
This is an ideal alternative to bread for sandwiches in a healthy eating system. You can wrap in pita bread, chicken, vegetables, cheese. Also, the bread can be replaced with crispbreads. Loaves are made from coarse grain, which means that they are rich in fiber, which is necessary for the body.
In terms of calories, they do not actually differ from the usual bread, but the quality of calories in them is very decent. Crispbreads can be eaten even during low-calorie diets. They can be used as a basis for a sandwich, and as a means for snacking. Bran buns are a great option for replacing bread.
To prepare them, you will need 3 tablespoons of bran, 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese, 1 egg and a little salt. Mix all the ingredients until smooth, form the tortillas and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes in the oven at 190 degrees.
Easy Low Carb Bread Recipe – Almond Flour Bread
This flour is one of the lowest carbs. Almond flour is a product obtained by processing an almond nut, the fruit of a tree or shrub with the same name by grinding and drying the nut pulp. This flour is hygroscopic, it is able to absorb and retain moisture well. Thanks to pastries made with almond flour stay fresh longer and don’t get stale.
It contains saturated fatty acids, almost the entire line of b vitamins, choline, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, chlorine, sulfur, potassium, biologically active components, antioxidants, and phytoestrogens. Almond flour contains all the valuable components of a fresh nut kernel.
However, they do not lose their useful properties even after heat treatment. A special benefit of almond flour is that it is almost gluten-free, so it can be used to prepare a variety of products and confectionery products that are suitable for gluten-sensitive people.