In the beginning of a low-carb lifestyle, eating bacon and eggs for breakfast, instead of cold cereal and non-fat milk, can keep you from feeling deprived.
A hearty low-carb breakfast can also help you adapt to your new low-carb food choices and breeze through the drastic drop in carbohydrates that's necessary for a successful beginning.
If you continue to eat eggs every single day, however, you might suddenly find yourself sick of them.
If that describes your experience with low carb so far, don't give up.
You don't have to eat eggs for breakfast, ever!
If you can't stand the sight or smell of eggs anymore, and you've made it through the first 2 weeks of Atkins Induction, here are dozens of low-carb breakfast ideas and low-carb recipes to help you continue to move toward your weight-loss goal.
If you're trying to come up with fresh low-carb breakfast ideas by reaching for typical breakfast foods, then just stop.
Although commercial low-carb bake mixes and bread mixes make adequate low-carb pancakes and breads for french toast, if you're new to a low-carb diet, you'll have better success if you focus on whole foods before attempting to add items into your diet that imitate your old lifestyle.
There's no rule that says you have to eat traditional breakfast foods in the morning.
Most low-carb dieters no longer eat that way.
Many eat steak for breakfast and omelets for dinner when time is short.
If you find coming up with great tasting, low-carb breakfast foods difficult, how about:
Absolutely any low-carb food can be eaten for breakfast.
If you can eat it for lunch or dinner, you can certainly eat it in the morning. I've even heard of dieters eating cheesecake for breakfast.
It just depends on your goals.
If you're interested in improving your health or metabolic markers, you'll make different choices than if you're only concerned with drastically lowering your carbs. But either way, your whole attitude about low-carb foods needs to change.
If you continue to eat eggs every single day, however, you might suddenly find yourself sick of them.
If that describes your experience with low carb so far, don't give up.
You don't have to eat eggs for breakfast, ever!
If you can't stand the sight or smell of eggs anymore, and you've made it through the first 2 weeks of Atkins Induction, here are dozens of low-carb breakfast ideas and low-carb recipes to help you continue to move toward your weight-loss goal.
Dump Traditional Breakfast Foods
If you're trying to come up with fresh low-carb breakfast ideas by reaching for typical breakfast foods, then just stop.
Although commercial low-carb bake mixes and bread mixes make adequate low-carb pancakes and breads for french toast, if you're new to a low-carb diet, you'll have better success if you focus on whole foods before attempting to add items into your diet that imitate your old lifestyle.
There's no rule that says you have to eat traditional breakfast foods in the morning.
Most low-carb dieters no longer eat that way.
Many eat steak for breakfast and omelets for dinner when time is short.
If you find coming up with great tasting, low-carb breakfast foods difficult, how about:
- heating up leftovers in the microwave
- whipping up a healthy protein shake in the blender
- grabbing a bowl of cottage cheese or low-carb yogurt topped with blueberries
- tossing leftover taco meat and cheese into a leaf of Romaine lettuce
- grabbing a low-carb muffin made with almond meal or flaxmeal
- spreading cream cheese on a slice of ham and roll into a tube
- measuring out an ounce of mixed nuts and a cheese stick
- topping shredded meat and onions with sour cream, salsa, and cheese
- stir-frying chicken breast cubes in sesame oil and spiking it with garlic chili sauce
- eating a couple of leftover chicken drumsticks
- sauteing boneless chicken breast in non-stick pan
Absolutely any low-carb food can be eaten for breakfast.
If you can eat it for lunch or dinner, you can certainly eat it in the morning. I've even heard of dieters eating cheesecake for breakfast.
It just depends on your goals.
If you're interested in improving your health or metabolic markers, you'll make different choices than if you're only concerned with drastically lowering your carbs. But either way, your whole attitude about low-carb foods needs to change.
Basic Breakfast Custard
Most people think of custard as a dessert, but when you use wholesome ingredients and a little sugar substitute, you can make a nice low-carb breakfast custard that doesn't taste like eggs.
Try baking pumpkin pie filling in custard cups until set or whip up a basic custard, like the one below, that you flavor yourself. Custard will hide the eggs inside a nice and creamy pudding or flan.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 pk Splenda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- cinnamon or nutmeg
Beat together the eggs. Add heavy cream, sugar substitute, and vanilla. Pour the mixture into a buttered custard cup and sprinkle with a little cinnamon or nutmeg. Microwave at half-power for 3 to 4 minutes, until set. Chill overnight.
For a maple-flavored custard, add 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup when adding the heavy cream. Or try serving the custard with a dab of sugar-free jam and a little whipped cream.
You can even substitute part of the heavy cream with sugar-free syrups in your favorite flavors or fold in a few berries in the basic mixture before baking.
Chicken or Fish Packets
Ingredients:
- 1 chicken cutlet (boneless, skinless chicken breast)
- seasoning salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste
- sliced mushrooms
- sliced zucchini
- chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in the center of a large piece of foil. Season with salt, pepper, and any herbs and spices you like. Rosemary is always great with chicken. I particularly like to use lots of basil. Top the chicken with the vegetables and butter.
Bring the sides of the foil up over the sides of the chicken to enclose the meat and vegetables, then roll the top and sides in toward the filling by folding it several times to form a tight edge.
Bake for 20 minutes. Chicken legs will take closer to 45.
If you're tired of chicken, you can do the same thing with fish. With or without vegetables, the seasonings will permeate the fish fillet and give you a great low-carb breakfast treat. Fish takes a little bit longer to bake, because you need to bake it slower: 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
Indoor Grilled Meats and Kabobs
Indoor grills can make breakfast quick and easy. I wouldn't be able to get by without one. Simply toss your seasoned or unseasoned meat of choice into a zip-lock bag, add a marinade if using, and allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight.
Come morning, it will only take about 10 or 15 minutes to whip up a delicious meal.
Marinades are extremely easy to make because all you do is combine the ingredients together, whip slightly with a fork, and then pour it over your meat, fish, or poultry. Just make sure that you squish everything around in the bag just a little bit, so the meat gets completely covered with the marinade.
If you do this on the weekend, you can flip the bag over every couple of hours.
Easy Lemon and Oregano Marinade
Ingredients:- juice of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pk Splenda
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Super Good Low-Carb Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 sliced green onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- dash of dried, crushed hot peppers
Low-Carb Breakfast Kabobs
For an extra-special weekend treat, marinate meat and vegetables overnight in Italian Dressing. Thread onto skewers and grill for 5 to 10 minutes on each side. Top with low-carb barbecue sauce and grill just long enough to caramelize the sauce.
Try using:
- mushrooms
- olives
- fresh pineapple chunks
- cubed bell peppers
- sliced zucchini
- onion wedges
- thickly sliced Italian sausage
- chicken chunks wrapped in bacon
- cherry tomatoes
Hot Low-Carb Cereal
If you're looking for ways to beef up your fiber intake, a nice low-carb breakfast cereal whipped up in the microwave might be just what you need. While traditional oatmeal will have to wait until you reach maintenance, you can make a decent hot breakfast today using protein power and flaxmeal.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup golden flaxmeal (ground flax seeds)
3 tablespoons whey protein powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup water
2 pk Splenda
Method:
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Nuke for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. The mixture will thicken as it cooks. You can then top it with a pat of butter, a little heavy cream, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
For an extra-special treat, toss in a few chopped walnuts, some dried cranberries, or sunflower seeds into your cereal. You can also top this with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream.
Take Advantage of Your Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
For a fast and easy low-carb breakfast idea, why not take advantage of your crockpot?
Instead of using it to cook dinner, turn your time schedule upside down. Load it up with your favorite cut of meat, some vegetables, seasonings, sauces, and anything else you like before you go to bed.
Come morning, you'll wake up to a delicious, cooked breakfast.
Allowing your crock pot to work its magic throughout the night will cut down on those morning hassles, as well. Just make sure you pay attention to what you did, so you can repeat the combinations you like.
If you're short on time in the evenings, recipes don't have to be elaborate. Just flavorful.
Smokey Spiced Chicken
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons diet Dr. Pepper or Coke
1/2 cup reduced-sugar catsup (Hunts is 1 carb per tablespoon)
1 teaspoon spicy mustard
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of a smokey barbecue spice (McCormick has a wide variety to choose from)
Method:
Cut up 4 chicken leg-quarters and place in the bottom of your crock pot or slow cooker. Combine all of the above ingredients and pour over the top of your chicken. Cover and cook on low overnight.
Orange-Ginger Pork Ribs
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or tarmai sauce
1/4 teaspoon orange Crystal Light powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
Method:
Place shoulder pork ribs in the bottom of your crock pot or slow cooker. Combine above ingredients and pour over the top of the ribs. Cover, and cook on low overnight.
You can omit the Crystal Light powder and use any fruit-flavored sugar-free syrup instead of the water. Even maple syrup mixed with low-sodium soy sauce or tarmari would make a great breakfast marinade.
Don't Box Yourself In
When it comes to creating an abundance of great-tasting low-carb recipes, don't box yourself in by demanding that you only use traditional breakfast foods for breakfast. Anything you can pop into the microwave, cook overnight in the crock pot, or quickly cook in a non-stick skillet makes an easy low-carb breakfast idea.
Try to think outside of the box.
Steam an Italian sausage link in a covered frying pan while stir-frying sliced onions and bell peppers. Throw a chicken breast or pork chop on your indoor grill. Heat up last night's hot wings or jalapeno poppers, or not. Both wings and poppers are great eaten cold.
Once you get the hang of it, you won't ever want to go back to your old eating habits ever again.
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