The 10 Best Low Carb Alternatives to Rice

Why choose a low-carb alternative to rice?

Rice is a staple in many diets because it's filling, affordable, easy to find, and so versatile. However, rice is also high in carbohydrates with one cup of cooked white rice containing 45-53 grams of total and net carbohydrates.

For health reasons, you might be trying to lower your carbohydrate intake or might be following a low carb or keto diet. If that's the case, you will want to limit or avoid rice, but don't worry, even if you can't have rice or are limiting your rice intake, there are plenty of delicious, low carb alternatives to rice that you can eat instead. In this post I'm sharing 10 of my favourite low-carb alternatives to rice.

1. Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is one of the most popular low-carb rice alternatives. Cauliflower rice provides some protein and fiber, plus it's high in vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals. It's naturally low in carbs with just 4 grams of carbohydrates per serving, with 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of sugar.  It also has fewer calories compared to rice.

You can use cauliflower rice in so many ways and a few delicious recipes include:

• Spanish Cauliflower Rice
• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
• Paleo Stuffed Peppers

You can also make plain cauliflower rice and use it the same way you would use white rice such as using it in stir-fries, as a side dish, or for serving with meat or fish dishes. You can make your own cauliflower rice at home by grating a head of cauliflower on a cheese grater, or by putting the florets into your food processor, or you can buy pre-made caulirice which is available in most grocery stores (if you can't find it in the produce section, check the freezer section).

2. Broccoli Rice

While most people have heard of cauliflower rice, I find that very few people have thought of making broccoli rice. But broccoli rice is a fun alternative to cauliflower rice and is a great way to add more greens to your diet. It's also very low in carbohydrates with one serving having just 4 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber and 1 gram of sugar.

You can use broccoli rice the same way you would use white rice or cauliflower rice.

3. Parsnip Rice or Parsnip Noodles

Another fun and lower carb alternative to rice are parsnips! You can turn them into either parsnip rice or parsnips noodles. To turn them into rice either use a grater or food processor. To turn them into noodles you can use a peeler or a spiralizer.

Note that parsnips do have more carbs than either broccoli or cauliflower so if you are following a keto diet they may not work for you, but they are much lower in carbohydrates than white rice or brown rice, having 13.3 gram of carbs per 1/2 cup of cooked parsnips, with 2.8 grams of fiber and 3.7 grams of sugar.

I also find that parsnips give dishes more of a nutty flavour compared to regular rice, which I personally love!

4. Cabbage Rice or Riced Cabbage

Who knew you could turn cabbage into rice? I didn't until recently! To make cabbage rice either use your food processor or a cheese grater. Cabbage is great because it's readily available in grocery stores and is so affordable.

I love using riced cabbage in stir fries. You'll also love how low in carbs it is, containing only 4 grams of carbs per cup, with 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of sugar, meaning it has only 2 grams of net carbs per cup!

5. Riced Mushrooms

Another low carb rice alternative that most people haven't thought of is riced mushrooms. Mushrooms are naturally low in carbs, and have 2 grams of total carbs and 1 gram of net carbs per cup.

I personally prefer to rice mushrooms in my food processor rather than grating them as I find they break apart too easily if I try to grate them by hand. I add riced mushrooms to stir fry dishes and love pairing them with grilled steaks and chicken.

6. Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is such a fun alternative to rice or pasta. I also love how easy it is to make. I use spaghetti squash instead of noodles for dishes like spaghetti, homemade meat sauce, or other pasta dishes. Spaghetti squash is also lower in carbs than rice is.

1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash contains 10 grams of carbs, with 2.2 grams of fiber giving it a net carb count of 7.8 grams of carbs per cup.

7. Turnip Rice or Turnip Noodles

Turnips have such a delicious flavour and are full of vitamins and minerals with one serving containing 30% of your daily value for vitamin C! They're also naturally low in carbs with 1 cup having 6 grams of net carbs.

You can turn turnips into rice by using a food processor or grater or into noodles by using a grater or vegetable spiralizer.

8. Better than Rice

I just learned about this product recently. Better than Rice is a product made from purified water, organic konjac flour and organic oat fiber. It was created specifically to be a low carb substitute for rice and pasta.

Another bonus of Better than Rice is that it's pre-cooked so it's really easy to use. Some grocery stores carry it but I've personally found it easier to get online. You can use Better than Rice the same way you would use white rice or noodles for dishes such as pastas or stir fries. It has a nice chewy texture which I find very satisfying.

9. Shirataki (Miracle Rice)

Like Better than Rice, Shirataki rice or Miracle Rice is made with konjac root. It's a great low carb alternative to rice and has almost no carbs or calories which is why it's known as "miracle rice." I find that it has a closer texture to rice compared to some of the other options in this review.

I have never found Miracle Rice or Shirataki Rice in my local grocery stores but it's easily bought online from many different retailers.

Per serving (3 ounces) Miracle Rice has 10 calories, 0 g fat (0 g sat), 3 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 0 mg sodium, 1 g protein.

10. Spiralized zucchini or zucchini noodles (also known as zoodles)

Another one of the more common vegetable noodle alternatives, zucchini noodles, are a fun alternative to pasta noodles. You can easily make them with either a vegetable peeler or a spiralizer. I use these anywhere you would normally use regular pasta noodles such as for spaghetti or Alfredo dishes. I find that zucchini noddles have a more mild flavour compared to some of the other options in this list.

You'll also love how low in carbs zucchini noodles are. 3 ounces contain 2 grams of carbs, with 1 gram of fiber, giving a net carb count of 1 gram.

Note that instead of zucchini noodles, you could also make zucchini rice by using your food processor or cheese grater.

Tools for making vegetable rice or vegetable noodles:

If you are looking for tools to help you make riced veggies or veggie noodles here are a few options:

• Food processor - a food processor is the easiest way to make riced veggies quickly and with the least amount of effort.
• Grater - a staple in most kitchens you can also make veggie rice using your cheese grater.
• Peeler - another kitchen staple you can use this to make veggie noodles.
• Spiralizer - This is the easiest tool to use to make veggie noodles!

Our expertise:

Dr. Erin Carter, MD, FRCPC, is a physician with board certifications in internal medicine and rheumatology. She is passionate about preventative healthcare including nutrition, environmental health and low toxicity living.