How many carbohydrates you can consume with each meal on the Atkins Diet depends upon which of the four phases you're in. But from phase 1, or induction, through the last phase, called lifetime maintenance, breakfast is one of the easiest meals for staying within your daily quota of carbs. Most standard breakfast foods are low enough in carbohydrates that you can embellish a little and enjoy a variety of nutrient-rich foods.
Eggs
Two large eggs have only 0.6g of carbohydrates. A teaspoon of whipped butter has none. Milk is high in carbs, but cream is not, only 0.4g per tablespoon. You can make a two-egg omelet for a total carbohydrate intake of only 1g. Add an ounce of cheese for less than another gram or mushrooms for 1.2g per ½ cup serving. Onions have negligible carbohydrates. Add a few slivers of sweet red peppers for less than 2.5g. Eggs can also be fried in butter either sunny-side-up or over-easy for only the carbohydrate value in the eggs.
Breakfast Meats
Two slices of Canadian bacon have only 0.6g of carbohydrates. Three medium slices of regular bacon are even less--0.1g. One pork sausage patty is the same. A 3.5 oz. serving of breakfast ham has no carbohydrates.
Cereals
Cereals are high in carbohydrates. But if you restrict yourself to a modest serving of the right kind and you are no longer restricted to the 20g per day total carbohydrates of the induction phase of the Atkins Diet, you can have 1/2 cup of puffed rice for 6.2g or 1/2 cup of puffed wheat for 5.3g. Instant oatmeal is somewhat more, 10.7g for a ½ cup serving.
Waffles and Pancakes
This choice would only be appropriate in one of the later phases of the Atkins Diet, when you are adding carbohydrates back into your diet to find out how many you can consume daily without gaining weight. One plain frozen waffle contains 12.6g. A teaspoon of whipped butter can top it off for no additional carbs. A plain pancake of moderate size contains 10.8 grams. Top it with butter or layer it with a slice of breakfast ham and cheddar cheese for no extra carbs.
Other Alternatives
Bagels are too rich in carbohydrates for a low-carb breakfast, but consider combining cream cheese with lox. A 3 oz. serving of lox has no carbohydrates, according to the Nutrition Data website. Cream cheese has 0.8g per oz.
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