TK Sanders
For many dieters on plans like Atkin’s, keto, or paleo, finding creative ways to eat satiating meals without the carbs is a daily chore. So it’s no surprise that the meal most commonly skipped is breakfast. Convenient breakfast foods are historically loaded with processed carbs, and when we decide to nix those worthless bites from our diet, a sort of nutritional void appears.
Folks often wonder, What can I eat first thing in the morning that is quick, easy, and healthy? Unfortunately, they’ll opt for something sugary like a fruit smoothie to replace the old breakfast (which is better than cereal, yes, but not by much). Or worse, they skip breakfast altogether, which sets them up for a day of hunger and low energy.
Common-sense health advice often falls flat, but one thing our parents used to say actually holds true: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here’s how to set your day up for success with a few high protein, low carb options that any health nut can appreciate.
The key to a healthy low carb breakfast is substituting healthy fats for the grains you’re used to
Check out this Whole30 breakfast casserole with sausage, eggs, spinach, and mushrooms (keto-friendly). The key to making a good breakfast casserole is sautéing the veggies in the animal fat until they’re about half-cooked, then adding the egg directly into the hot, oven-safe pan. As the eggs just begin setting, swirl the mixture around a bit to evenly distribute the veggies and sausage. Drop some cheese on top and pop into the oven until the eggs just begin to harden. I also like adding some cherry tomatoes for zestiness and and diced parsley for fragrance at the end. Don’t forget a dash of hot sauce, too.
Almond cream-cheese pancakes are next on the list, and boy do these taste good. Low carb baked goods that start as batters always sound impossible, but keto-friendly almond flour is a game-changer. And since they’re also made with full-fat cream cheese, eggs, and cinnamon, they’ll taste just like the real thing. Douse ’em in homemade honey butter if I’m lying to you. They also go great with Greek yogurt, berries, and a few slivers of almond.
Lastly, this strawberry coconut smoothie will satisfy that sweet tooth without the weight gain. Didn’t I just rip smoothies in the intro to this article? This smoothie is different: strawberries are naturally a very low-carb, yet sweet fruit, and the rest of the ingredients are packed full of protein. Plus, coconut is mostly made of medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs), which is used up more quickly by the body and are less likely to be stored as fat.
From egg bakes to sweet pancakes, who knew low carb could taste so good? Really, we’re only left with one question: why didn’t we go low carb sooner?
