Quick answers
There are many healthy and delicious alternatives to bread that can be used to make avocado toast. Some popular options include slices of tomato, cucumber, sweet potato, zucchini, eggplant, portobello mushrooms, bell peppers, or beetroot. You can also use crackers, rice cakes, or lettuce leaves as the base for avocado toast.
Why consider substituting bread in avocado toast?
There are a few reasons you may want to skip the bread and use a vegetable slice or other base for your avocado toast:
- You are avoiding gluten or grains for health reasons
- You want a lower-carb option
- You want to increase the vegetable content of your meal
- You want to reduce overall calories
- You don’t have bread on hand or want an option with a different texture and flavor
Using vegetable slices, crackers, rice cakes, or lettuce leaves instead of bread allows you to still enjoy the delicious flavor of avocado toast in a fresh, creative way while modifying the carb or calorie content. It also helps increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from vegetables.
The best substitutes for bread in avocado toast
Sliced vegetables
Sliced raw vegetables make excellent substitutes for bread in avocado toast. Some of the best options include:
- Tomato slices – Use thick slices from large beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes. The juicy tomato perfectly balances the creaminess of avocado.
- Cucumbers – English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers work well sliced into rounds. Be sure to peel off the waxy outer skin first.
- Sweet potatoes – Thinly slice roasted or raw sweet potato rounds. Sweet potato has more fiber and nutrients than bread.
- Zucchini – Trim ends and slice zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick oval slices. Grill or roast for added flavor.
- Eggplant – Slices of eggplant work well either grilled or raw. Try using Japanese or Chinese eggplant which have fewer seeds.
- Portobello mushrooms – Meaty portobello caps can substitute for bread once stemmed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Bell peppers – 1/2-inch thick slices from red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers are perfect veggie ‘toast’.
- Beetroot – Roasted beetroot slices offer striking visual appeal and earthy sweetness.
When using vegetables, aim for uniform, approximately 1/2-inch slices. This makes for perfect toast consistency. Grilling, roasting or sautéing vegetables brings out additional flavor.
Crackers
Crackers make a crunchy, satisfying base for avocado toast. Some healthy cracker options include:
- Rice crackers – Brown rice crackers offer fiber. Look for options without added oil or sodium.
- Flaxseed crackers – Crackers made from flaxseeds provide healthy fats and fiber.
- Nut and seed crackers – Crackers made from nuts and seeds provide protein. Choose varieties without sugary coatings.
- Polenta slices – Pre-made baked polenta slices offer a firm, toothsome base.
- Quinoa crackers – Crackers made from quinoa can be gluten-free and provide protein.
- Corn cakes – Baked corn cakes work well and provide a hint of sweetness.
Look for crackers made without refined flour or excess sodium. Whole grain, nut-based, or seed crackers will offer more nutrition than white flour varieties.
Rice cakes
Rice cakes and rice cake rounds present another low-carb, gluten free option:
- Plain rice cakes – Unflavored rice cakes work best. Avoid overly seasoned varieties which can clash with avocado.
- Brown rice cakes – Choose brown rice cakes over white for more vitamins and minerals.
- Mini rice cakes – Mini rice cake rounds provide built-in portion control.
For added flavor, look for rice cakes made with seeds, nuts or grains mixed into the rice batter before baking. You can also top rice cakes with sliced tomatoes or cucumbers before adding avocado.
Lettuce leaves
Lettuce varieties with sturdy, pliable leaves can stand in for bread slices:
- Romaine lettuce – Romaine offers a nice crunch and ability to hold toppings.
- Iceberg lettuce – Use the thicker center leaves of iceberg lettuce as a base.
- Butter lettuce – Larger outer leaves of butter lettuce work well.
- Boston lettuce – The ruffled leaves of Boston lettuce make attractive ‘toast’.
Wash lettuce leaves thoroughly and pat dry before using to minimize slick texture. Lettuce leaves make a very low-calorie, low-carb option for avocado toast.
Tips for making avocado toast with vegetable slices or other bread substitutes
Making satisfying avocado toast with sliced vegetables, crackers, rice cakes, or lettuce leaves instead of bread is easy with a few tips in mind:
- Use fresh, uniform slices for the base. This prevents breakage and helps ingredients ‘stick’.
- Pat vegetable slices dry before toasting to avoid steaming instead of browning.
- Lightly brush vegetables and rice cakes with oil before toasting to promote browning.
- Toast bases in a toaster oven or skillet instead of a pop-up toaster which may break delicate slices.
- Allow vegetables and crackers to cool slightly before topping to allow avocado to bind better.
- Smear avocado across bases in a thin, even layer leaving a slight edge.
- Do not overload with toppings which can make bases slippery. Less is more.
- Add any juicy ingredients like tomato or onion atop avocado so the base does not become soggy.
With a little practice, you can make perfectly delicious and visually appealing avocado toast using a variety of bread substitutes. Let flavors shine by keeping vegetable slices unseasoned and experiment with small amounts of ingredients like radishes, microgreens, roasted peppers, or hardboiled eggs as garnishes.
Nutrition comparisons
Substituting vegetable slices, crackers, rice cakes or lettuce leaves for bread in avocado toast significantly alters the nutrition profile. Here is how the nutrition compares in a basic avocado toast snack:
| Base | Calories | Carbs | Fat | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 slices whole wheat bread | 160 | 28g | 2g | 4g |
| 2 slices tomato | 20 | 4g | 0g | 2g |
| 2 slices cucumber | 15 | 3g | 0g | 1g |
| 2 slices sweet potato | 60 | 14g | 0g | 2g |
| 2 slices eggplant | 18 | 4g | 0g | 2g |
| 2 rice cake rounds | 80 | 17g | 0g | 0g |
| 2 romaine lettuce leaves | 5 | 1g | 0g | 1g |
As shown, using vegetable slices, rice cakes, or lettuce instead of bread significantly reduces the calories, carbohydrates, and increases fiber in avocado toast. This makes vegetable-based toast better for low-carb or low-calorie diets. The fiber and water content in vegetables also promotes greater satiety.
Creative avocado toast ideas
Ready to ditch the bread and make some creative, healthy avocado toasts? Here are delicious toast ideas using various vegetable slices, crackers, rice cakes, and lettuce leaves:
Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Top sweet potato slices with mashed avocado, black beans, roasted corn, and cilantro
Tomato Caprese Toasts
Use tomato slices as the base. Top with fresh mozzarella, avocado, basil, and balsamic glaze.
Mexican Street Corn Rice Cakes
Top rice cakes with cotija cheese, avocado, grilled corn, chili powder, and lime juice.
Cucumber Radish Bites
Toast cucumber slices. Top with avocado, thinly sliced radishes, microgreens, and toasted sesame seeds.
Curried Eggplant Stacks
Toast eggplant slices and smear with avocado. Top with chickpeas, currants, cashews and curry powder.
Beet and Goat Cheese Toasts
Spread beet slices with goat cheese then avocado. Top with walnuts and dill.
Salmon Bell Pepper Boats
Fill slices of bell pepper with avocado then top with smoked salmon and red onion.
Chili Lime Shrimp Lettuce Cups
Top butter lettuce leaves with avocado, shrimp, chili powder, lime juice and cilantro.
Conclusion
Exploring alternatives to bread for avocado toast opens up an array of delicious possibilities. Sliced vegetables, crackers, rice cakes, and lettuce leaves all make nutritious, lower-carb bases. Mix and match different seasonings and toppings to create tasty snacks and light meals. With a little creativity, you can enjoy all the goodness of avocado toast without the bread.
