For many low-carb dieters, breakfast presents the day's first major challenge: what to eat that's quick, convenient and palatable at 7 a.m., but doesn't fall on the lengthy forbidden-foods list. Think outside the cereal box, and you'll discover healthy, delicious, low-sugar breakfast options. And, no, they don't all involve eggs.
Eggs Any Way
Eggs have few carbs, and contain lots of protein and good fats, making them a go-to staple for low-carb dieters. Eggs also help you lose weight. A 2008 study in the "International Study of Obesity" journal concluded that egg eaters lost 65 percent more weight and maintained higher energy levels than their bagel-munching counterparts.
Eggs are among the most versatile foods. You can put any filling you want in an omelet, from goat cheese to chicken breast to last night's vegetable leftovers. Or create a low-carb makeover of Eggs Benedict or Florentine by replacing the English muffin with portobello mushroom caps. If these options sound too leisurely for your frenzied weekday pace, hard- or soft-boil eggs for grab-and-go mornings. Even deviled eggs, the beloved staple of parties and cookouts, make a quick, portable breakfast.
Wrap It Up
You don't need biscuits to make a hot breakfast sandwich. Instead, choose a stuffed low-carb wrap. Use a whole-grain tortilla with 6 or fewer carbs and at least 6 g of fiber. Many low-carb dieters consume even less fiber than the already low amounts of most Americans. A low-carb wrap helps you meet your 25 to 35 g daily fiber quota.
Choose among a multitude of low-carb fillings. The traditional breakfast burrito, for instance, contains sausage, scrambled eggs and cheddar. At some point, most low-carb dieters face egg burnout. Heat up last night's leftovers or nitrate-free cold cuts and Swiss cheese on a wrap, and you have a hot, delicious, low-carb portable breakfast in minutes. Even if breakfast means a two-minute respite at your desk, you'll get a filling low-carb meal that sustains you all morning.
Creamy, Cold and Sweet
If cooking does not fit into your morning agenda, and consuming anything solid before 10 a.m. makes you queasy, you can still have low-carb breakfast fuel with an easy-to-prepare smoothie or a bowl of yogurt. Blend a scoop of whey protein with strawberries, coconut milk and ice for a smoothie. Stir frozen blueberries and walnuts into unsweetened Greek yogurt. You'll have a nutrient-rich breakfast powerhouse. Besides the 10 g of omega 3s in a quarter-cup of walnuts, you get antioxidants and fiber in blueberries and protein in the yogurt.
If morning's hectic pace makes you completely forget breakfast, you can do damage control at the office with whey protein, almonds and a shaker cup. Stash them in your drawer for those emergency-fuel mornings.
Be Creative
Food manufacturers and fast-food restaurants mislead us to believe breakfast must consist of high-sugar cereals and carb-laden biscuit sandwiches. Think outside the box with creative, low-carb alternatives. A century ago, for instance, people ate the previous evening's leftovers for breakfast.
Even if reheated meatloaf and broccoli sounds unappealing and time-consuming at 7 a.m., a protein smoothie or yogurt can provide satiating nourishment to resist cravings and stave off hunger while you're losing weight on a low-carb diet.
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