5 OF THE BEST CARB ALTERNATIVES

Cutting down on carbs such as pasta and bread is becoming a popular way to shed weight. Here, noor Al-Refae, a dietitian at the Harley Street Cardiology Practice, suggests five of the best alternatives.

MEDITERRANEAN CAULI RICE

£1.99 for 200g from large supermarkets. Per 100g: calories, 46; carbohydrates, 5.8g (3.8g of this is sugar); saturated fat, 0.3g; fibre, 2.5g; salt, 0.3g. THIS pre-cooked grated cauliflower is flavoured with sun-dried tomatoes, olives and herbs. It provides just a fifth of the carbs — and a third of the calories — of cooked basmati rice, but double the fibre. Half a pack will also count as one of your five a day.

TASTE: A powerful flavour with a texture more like couscous than rice.

EXPLORE ASIAN BLACK BEAN SPAGHETTI

£3 for 200g from Holland & Barrett and supermarkets. Per 50g serving: calories, 176; carbohydrates, 7.5g (of which 4.5g is sugar); saturated fat, 0.5g; fibre, 10.5g; salt, 0g. THIS spaghetti, made from 92 per cent mung beans, is gluten and egg-free, with 7.5g of carbs per serving compared with 36g in normal spaghetti — and eight times more fibre. A serving provides 22g of protein, 4g more than the same amount of lean steak. The protein and fibre should keep you feeling fuller for longer.

TASTE: Firm texture; a filling swap for ordinary pasta.

INSPIRAL ORGANIC PURPLE CORN KALE CHIPS

£2.19 for a 30g bag from health food shops. Per pack: calories, 150; carbohydrates, 4.4g (sugar, 1.4g); saturated fat, 1.8g; fibre, 4.1g; salt, 0.0025g. THESE kale and purple corn chips — coated in cashew nut butter — have been dehydrated rather than fried.

Calorie-wise, a 30g bag is similar to ready salted crisps but with 4.4g carbs compared with 15g in crisps, and four times more fibre. Kale is a source of iron — this bag provides 12 per cent of a woman’s daily amount.

TASTE: Crunchy, with a more-ish cheesy flavour.

LIVLIFE LOW CARBS SERIOUSLY SEEDED LOAF

£1.59 for 500g from Waitrose, Morrisons and Ocado. Per slice: calories, 68; carbohydrates, 3.8g (sugar, 0.8g); saturated fat, 0.3g; fibre, 2.1g; salt, 0.22g. THIS has half as many carbs per slice as standard bread. The seeds are a good source of minerals including magnesium, important for metabolism, and while the fibre content is similar to that of a normal seeded loaf, there’s 6.7g of protein in a slice, three times as much as ordinary bread, so a sandwich should be more satisfying.

TASTE: Delicious, substantial bread that toasts well.

CARB ZONE LOW CARB SMALL TORTILLAS

£3.69 for 320g, from ocado.com. Per tortilla: calories, 123; carbs, 5g (sugar, 0.3g); saturated fat, 2.5g; fibre, 10g; salt, 0.3g. CALORIE-WISE these are not much different from standard tortillas — but with a quarter of the carbs, double the protein and 14 times the fibre.

TASTE: Chewier and more filling than ordinary tortillas. They taste best warmed.