Bikini season sneaking up on you? Concerned that at your current trajectory you’ll end up having to wash yourself with a sponge on the end of a stick? Then adopting a low-carbohydrate diet may be for you.
Going low carb is one of the easiest ways to lose weight, but sticking to it can feel impossible. Recipes, particularly for breakfast, can be time consuming, making it difficult for those on the go. However, don’t reach for that bagel just yet. Keeping low carb at breakfast doesn’t have to be a pain. In fact, there are a multitude of easy and quick breakfasts that can take your diet beyond boring scrambled eggs.
1. Low-Carb Pancakes
Yes, you can have your pancakes and eat them too with this easy, low-carb pancake recipe. Try making a big batch at the weekend and popping it in your fridge for quick breakfasts during the week. While a mixture of lemon juice and sweetener makes a great topping choice, try getting an extra protein punch with some added cottage cheese.
2. Egg Roll-Ups
If you’re already on the low-carb trail, you know that eggs are your new best friends. Having a few hard-boiled eggs on hand makes breakfast easy and quick, particularly with these roll-ups that you can munch on the go.
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 avocado, mashed
1 dollop of fresh salsa
Several shakes of your favorite hot sauce (optional)
1 large lettuce leaf or low-carb tortilla
Combine the first four ingredients and load into your lettuce leaf or tortilla.
3. Skillet-Baked Eggs with Spinach, Yogurt and Chili
While eating on the run is pretty much the standard for your weekdays, nothing beats a sexy weekend breakfast. Keep it delicious, healthy and low carb with this easy skillet-baked eggs recipe. Having this during the week doesn’t have to be difficult either — try making a large batch of the spinach mixture and keep it on hand in the fridge for easy breakfasts on the run.
4. Big Ol’ Protein Bowl
One of the best things you can do when you’re low carbing is to think outside the box with your meals, particularly during breakfast. While having veggies or salad in the morning may sound a bit strange, it’s actually an extremely healthy and filling way to eat. Rev up the process by keeping chopped fresh veggies on hand and ready to go.
1/2 cup chopped red cabbage
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 small cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, mashed
1 handful of fresh herbs (try cilantro, mint or parsley), finely chopped
1/2 clove of garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup chopped chicken or turkey (you can use lunchmeat, but check the carbs)
Combine cabbage, spinach, cucumber, tomato, avocado, herbs and garlic. Toss with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add cottage cheese and meat to a bowl and top with your salad. You can also load this into a low-carb wrap if you need to eat and run. This makes a great lunch and actually gets better with time, so try making extra and keeping it in the fridge.
5. Kale and Mozzarella Egg Bake
Since you’re already putting your breakfasts on a health kick, why not also throw in some superfoods? Kale is one of the healthiest foods on the planet, and is loaded with vitamins, minerals and all manner of assorted goodies. Try making this egg bake at the weekend and then saving in individual portions for a quick, healthy breakfast your body will love.
6. Noatmeal
Though low-carb living generally means a heap of meat and cheese, sometimes you long for a simple bowl of hot cereal to fire up your day. This “noatmeal” hits all the low-carb/high-protein marks while filling you up on a cold day. While the recipe here calls for banana, you can replace it with milk or cream to drive the carbs down even lower. Top tip: make a double or even triple batch of this and keep it in your fridge — the leftovers heat up beautifully in the microwave.
7. Smoked Salmon Stacks
If you loved wolfing down smoked salmon on your bagels, then fasten your flavor seatbelt for these quick and easy salmon stacks. Perfect for those who are short on time, this can be assembled and hauled down in a matter of moments. Try packing these in a small container for perfect breakfast desk dining.
1/2 cucumber, thickly sliced
1 package pre-sliced smoked salmon
1 tablespoon chopped dill
2 tablespoons cream cheese (optional)
Squeeze of lemon
Spread each cucumber slice with cream cheese. Top with sliced smoked salmon and a squeeze of fresh lemon, and sprinkle with dill.
8. Lazy Mini Frittatas
http://youtu.be/Hl-HMyUrIX8
One of the best keys to a quick, low-carb breakfast is preprepping. In fact, just go ahead and start loving preprep, as it’s going to be your delicious savior. This recipe is easy to throw together and even quicker to reheat, making it an easy win in the quick, low-carb breakfast stakes.
9. Paleo Breakfast Burrito
Ditch the tortillas and switch to ham with this extremely low carb yet satisfyingly yummy paleo breakfast burrito. Prep your veggies the night before, or even use vegetables you prepared for the previous night’s dinner. Essentially, the contents of this little wrap are only limited by your imagination.
10. Smoothie Sucker Punch
Smoothies can take you from zero to breakfast in under two minutes flat, making them an ideal low-carb meal for those who need to get out the door. By having your vegetables prepared, making this healthy smoothie is as quick as a flash. This smoothie axes the fruit to keep it low carb. For an added protein boost, try adding a scoop of unflavored protein powder, or a spoonful or two of ground flax seeds.
1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 handful of spinach
1 combined handful of parsley and cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
A few shakes of hot sauce (optional)
Place in blender and whiz until blended. If you would like a thinner smoothie, try adding some water or extra lime juice.
Featured photo credit: Eggs/pietroizzo via flickr.com
