Tomato sauce is usually used to prepare a high-carb dish, such as pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, pasta or chili. However, you can make a lower carb version of your favorite tomato-based dishes. Choose a tomato sauce that does not contain added sugar, and do not use too much because 1 cup of regular tomato sauce contains 21.3 g of carbs and 3.7 g of fiber, according to the USDA nutritional database. Having too much tomato sauce at once could make you exceed your carbohydrate target. Track your daily carb intake to keep your blood sugar, diabetes and weight under control.
Low-Carb Pizza
You can use tomato sauce to prepare a low-carb pizza. Instead of using regular pizza dough, which has a high-carb content, use portobello mushroom caps to prepare small individual pizzas. Add tomato sauce, your favorite vegetables, meat or chicken as well as cheese, and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes in the oven. You can have three to five of these mini-pizzas, accompanied with a low-carb salad of leafy greens, for a satisfying meal. You also can use eggplant slices that you previously grilled with olive oil for your pizza base if you want a full-size pizza.
Low-Carb Chili
The main high-carb ingredients in a chili are the beans and corn as well as the side dish that are commonly eaten with chili, such as nacho chips, tortillas, rice or baked potatoes. Prepare your usual chili recipe with tomato sauce but omit the beans and corn. Add plenty of flavor to your chili by adding lots of onions, bell pepper and spices. Serve your chili on its own, topped with sour cream and cheese. You also can accompany your chili with mashed cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes.
Low-Carb Pasta
You can use your favorite tomato-based spaghetti sauce to prepare low-carb pasta. Replace the pasta with spaghetti squash or thinly sliced zucchini that you should cook with olive oil beforehand. Garnish your low-carb pasta with tomato sauce or your spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with cheese. You can even prepare a low-carb lasagna by layering grilled eggplant or zucchini slices with tomato sauce, cooked ground meat and cheese. Bake in the oven as you would normally bake your usual lasagna.
Low-Carb Eggs With Tomato Sauce
You can use your tomato sauce to prepare a quick low-carb breakfast. Cook your eggs, whether you like them scrambled, fried or poached and serve them with tomato sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. You also can add cooked spinach, onions or mushrooms to the mix to increase your vegetable intake or complete your low-carb breakfast with bacon, sausages or leftover meat.
References
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Nutrient Data Laboratory
- "The New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great"; Eric C. Westman, Stephen D. Phinney and Jeff S. Volek; 2010
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