Simple ways to cut down on your carb intake!

If you're trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy shape or prevent bloating, reducing the amount of processed carbohydrates in your diet is key.

Cutting our carbohydrates completely may seem like a very daunting task, but the truth is that with a few very, very simple changes you can significantly reduce your carb intake without much effort.

Here are a few ways to get started…

1. Cut out bread as much as possible
This is one major way to reduce your carb intake without too much stress. Skip toast at breakfast time, eat sandwich fillings like chicken, ham, cheese or veg on a bed of salad leaves rather than sandwiched between two slices of bread, and skip the carb-loaded bread basket when out for dinner. Swap snacks like crackers and biscuits for nuts, seeds and veg, too.

2. Choose vegetables over fruit when you can
Fruit is definitely NOT the enemy, but it is higher in sugar than most vegetables, so choose veggies as your preference when picking snacks. Do be aware though that certain starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots and corn are quite high in carbs themselves.

3. Get wise about alcohol
Avoid beer and wine if you're trying to stay low-carb, and choose clear spirits like vodka or gin with slimline tonic or soda water instead. You can liven things up with a slice of lime, lemon or cucumber.

4. Don't be afraid to ask for changes
If you're out for dinner, don't be afraid to ask the kitchen for some variations, like swapping bread for salad or swapping potatoes for extra veggies. If you don't ask, you won't get!

5. Swap white for brown
Sliced bread, rice, wraps and pasta are all just as tasty with wholegrains, so if you're really craving carbs go for brown rather than white ones!