Tesco courgette spaghetti

One of the products in the range, courgette ribbons

Tesco has released a range of new vegetable products to cater for the latest diet craze.

Two of the hottest trends among foodies and the diet-conscious at the moment involve blitzing produce in a food processor or 'spiralising' vegetables to create less calorific replacements for carbohydrates.

Among the most popular are vegetable substitutes for pasta, mash, rice, couscous, pizza bases and bread.

And thus, for the first time a range of ready-prepared vegetable substitutes for popular carbs is to go on sale across the UK, launched by Tesco.

Included in the new Tesco prepared vegetable range are:Cauliflower couscous, carrot spaghetti, and courgette ribbons.

Tesco prepared vegetable buyer Emma Bonny, said: “Creating vegetable substitutes for carbs such as potatoes, rice and pasta is really growing in popularity right now, and not just for the diet-conscious.

“Look on foodie websites and you’ll find wonderful recipes from adventurous home chefs who have spiralised and mashed their non-carb vegetables or created cauliflower breadsticks and other bread alternatives.

“It’s easy if you’ve got a decent food processor and spiraliser, but not everybody has, so we think these new ready-prepared fresh vegetable packs will provide shoppers with a simple option for lowering their carb intake.”

While the carrot spaghetti and courgette ribbons are intended as a substitute for pasta, the cauliflower couscous - which can be eaten hot or cold - can be used as an alternative to rice and even mashed potato.

The three packs each cost £1, and are available to buy in 235 Tesco stores across the UK. They are currently available in a 3 for 2 meal deal offer.