BREAD!
Who doesn’t love bread. Especially fresh, warm bread.
Let’s start with those sweet Hawaiian rolls. Did you know that one roll has 16g carbs. Doesn’t sound too bad right? Now ask yourself, when is the last time that you only ate one roll?
I’ll wait.
This isn’t a bread bashing post, but more of a bread and carb AWARENESS post.
What do you do when the bread doesn’t love you back!? Did you know that for every gram of carbs that is stored in the body as glycogen, your body retains 2-3 grams of water? Now that one Hawaiian roll has added 16×2= 32g of water…. but that’s only if you ate just one roll and are following a high carb diet. You are more likely to retain water once those carbs are stored- which typically happens when we eat more carbs than our body actually needs for energy. This is why we tend to feel bloated after binge eating that bread basket before dinner makes it to the table. And then we eat more.
When carb intake in restricted (in the case of Keto, to 20g net carbs per day) water weight is the first weight to drop. By lowering your carb intake, your body is not storing carbs as glycogen which means that extra water is bring released rather than retained.
I will not deny that there is something comforting about bread. Whether it be a sandwich, pizza crust, or dinner roll there is nothing quite like it. However, as we change our relationship with food, here are some bread replacements that come pretty close to the read thing.
5 Easy Keto Approved Bread Replacements
There are many low carb bread recipes on the internet and in different cookbooks. Here are some of my favorite recipes that help when the bread bug bites!
Option 1: The Best Keto Dinner Rolls by Key Keto Mama
These were my first favorite keto rolls. This recipe uses flax seeds which makes them a little more dense and they resemble a wheat roll in my opinion. I like to eat these rolls with comfort foods like Mississippi Pot Roast and Broccoli Cheddar Soup. These are also great buns for burgers and sandwiches.
Option 2: Keto Air Fryer Rolls by For Frying Out Loud
These rolls are great because they can be prepared in the air fryer! Because they are fried with an egg wash, these rolls have a nice, golden, crisp crust. They are also egg free!
Option 3: Cheesebuns by Cheese is the New Bread
Cheesebuns are my absolute favorite pizza crust. There are so many ways to customize this recipe to fit any flavor profile. I’ve used it as a pizza crust, burger buns, tuna melts, cheesy bread… you name it! Check out more ways to customize this recipe on the creator, Christina’s, Instagram here! This recipe is also nut free!
Option 4: 90 Second Bread by Keto & Conquer
This recipe is so quick and easy. It literally takes only 90 seconds to cook in the microwave! This recipe makes one serving and gets the job done.
Option 5: Low Carb Flatbread by Hey Keto Mama
If you’re looking for a light addition to any meal, this is the bread for you. It literally resembles a restaurant flatbread and only uses 3 ingredients!
*Honorable Mention: Drop Biscuits from Southern Keto Cookbook by Natasha Newton.
This recipe gets honorable mention only because it cannot be found online. This is my favorite biscuit recipe. It creates a very light and fluffy biscuit that pairs well with her sausage gravy or chili and creates a nice breakfast sandwich. I have tried many great recipes in this cookbook and it would be a great addition to anyone’s kitchen! Follow the links to purchase her cookbook on Amazon.com. See more examples of Natasha’s Southern Keto dishes on Instagam.
Quick Tips
- When understanding carb intake it is also important to note that there are other reasons for water retention including protein intake, hormones, water intake, and environmental influences just to name a few. As you are changing your lifestyle, it is important to listen to your body and learn what it reacts and responds to.
- All of these recipes require similar ingredients: almond flour, butter, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, eggs, salt. There are some unique ingredients, but once you find the recipe(s) that you enjoy the most, be sure to keep your kitchen stocked with those familiar ingredients so that you’re always ready to make something bread-y.
- Be prepared! If you’re going to a friend’s house or a barbecue, or maybe you have a potluck at work, bring your bread replacement with you to help you overcome any temptations to indulge in high carb breads.
Check Your Mental
Yes, we all know that these replacements are NOT bread. There is no yeast and the flakiness of french roll is irreplaceable. Just like you are changing the foods that you eat it is also important to change the way that you view food. After all those years of eating bread we have all ended up in the same place… loving bread and looking for a way out!
It is still important not to rely on these low carb bread options the way we used to rely on the bread basket at dinner. You still do not want to eat a basket of keto bread…I mean… you might WANT to, but that will be counter-intuitive. We are not just changing what we eat, but how we eat. Yes, we still want our food to taste good, but there are limits. Let’s not focus on what we ‘crave,’ but what our body needs.
We are not living to eat, but eating to live!
What’s Next?
- Now that you have restricted your carb intake and your body is releasing all of that water, it is essential that your restore your electrolytes DAILY. You will experience headaches, muscle spasms and more if you neglect your electrolytes.
- As you are releasing more water, it is also important that you drink more water. Many recommend drinking a gallon of water a day. Jumping to a gallon of water per day may be overwhelming if water is not currently a part of your routine. Set weekly goals to increase your water intake until you get to a comfortable and consistent amount that suits your body and your lifestyle.
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