Ok, bikini season is right around the corner. There are many ways you can fix up your diet to help slim your waistline without sacrificing good flavor. With a few carbohydrate substitutions, you can enjoy your favorite potato and pasta dishes without loosening up the belt… Who knows, by sticking to a low carb/high protein diet, you might find yourself tightening that belt a notch, just in time for beach season to be in full force.

First, let’s talk about potatoes…. White potatoes are a starchy vegetable and contain a lot of great nutrition, but they also are high in carbohydrates. I want to share some easy substitutions for your favorite potato dishes.

For hash browns, try shredding zucchini squash instead. Add the same seasoning you normally do for your traditional hash and you will not even know the difference. The zucchini gets nice and crispy just like potato. I actually prefer the flavor of squash. In 1 cup, you are saving yourself 25grams of carbohydrates!!

How about enjoying a cauliflower mash or a turnip mash over a mashed potato? Again, you can prepare them the same way (adding milk, butter, salt, garlic, etc), but you will save yourself up to 36 grams of carbohydrates per serving for this simple and delicious substitution. Cauliflower has a little less carbs than Turnips, but both are substantially less than potatoes so take your pick based on your flavor.

Now let’s get on the pasta topic. Pasta lovers have a hard time fathoming a low-carb diet, but truly all of these options can be delicious without compromising the flavor of some of your favorite pasta dishes.

On the topic of zucchini…try making zucchini slices for your next lasagna and use them in place of the noodles. Slice four to five medium-size zucchini lengthwise into three-quarter-inch-thick strips. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the strips, place them in a single layer on a nonstick cookie sheet, and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. You want them firm, not crisp. Then make the lasagna as you normally would, replacing lasagna noodles with the baked zucchini. You can load up on your cheese, meat and seasonings to create the same flavors and the consistency of the zucchini is very similar to that of the noodle once you prep it.

As for spaghetti, try using spaghetti squash! It’s the easiest thing to bake spaghetti squash. (cut it into 2, scrape out seeds and place face down on oven sheet for 40+ min at 375 degrees F). Once it is finished… It falls apart in the form of spaghetti noodles and it actually has a very similar consistency as noodles. Just top it with your favorite bolognese or marinara and you can indulge guilt-free! You are eliminating 30g of carbs per cup by taking this route.

For pasta dishes such as macaroni and cheese or pasta salad, think of cutting the portion in half and substituting the other portion for root-like veggies: Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, turnips, etc. The root-like vegetables can be chopped small and made aldente just like your noodles. And smothered in cheese, broccoli never tasted better! You won’t even miss the pasta because you are still including it… and you might impress yourself and find a new love for vegetables! Even when cutting your pasta in half try to choose “smart” pasta (like Quinoa or Brown Rice pasta so you are also saving yourself from gluten… another healthy alternative is Whole Wheat pasta as well).

All in all, you do not need to sacrifice flavor for a healthy diet. Cutting carbs and increasing protein is an easy way to help trim down. Of course portion control being the largest culprit… choose your portions wisely, substitute a few things to make your meals and side dishes a little “skinnier” and enjoy! I would love to hear your opinion on any of these suggestions. I know my husband doesn’t mind the substitutions; you and your friends won’t either!

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