Low Carb Healthy Meals

Low carb food is easy to cook. No long lists of ingredients are involved. Here is a selection of low carb healthy meals for you to try.

If you’re cooking for the family, they can eat the same meals – maybe with some potatoes or rice – but you won’t have to make one meal for yourself and another for the rest of the household. Low carb can be very adaptable.

Low Carb Breakfasts

If you’re wondering what to have for breakfast on a low carb diet here are some ideas to get you started in the mornings. If you would normally go for toast or cereal these recipes will surprise you. They will also fill you up and give you more energy to get through the morning.

Simple Bacon and Eggs

Simple but so good. Eggs fried to perfection with silky, runny yolks and crispy bacon. This will keep you going until lunchtime. Serves 1.

1 tablespoon olive oil
20g butter
2 eggs at room temperature
4 rashers of bacon (smoked or unsmoked)
Chopped fresh chives or parsley to garnish (optional)

To get really crisp bacon, it’s best to use streaky rashers as they have a good proportion of fat to lean. Put a non-stick pan on the heat and put the bacon into the pan while it’s still cold. This helps to render the fat down and get a good, crisp result.

When the bacon starts to sizzle, lower the heat slightly and cook the rashers for 4 – 5 minutes on one side. Flip over with tongs and cook the other side.

Once the bacon is cooked to your liking, put it on a plate and keep warm in a low oven. Add the oil and butter to the pan and when the butter has melted and started to sizzle crack in the eggs one at a time. Lower the heat to medium to prevent the fat in the pan from spitting.

Use a large spoon to scoop up the oil and butter and pour it over the egg yolks. The eggs are done when the white is fully set, with no runny bits.

Remove the plate with the bacon on it from the oven and carefully lift the eggs onto the plate. Sprinkle with chives or parsley and tuck in!

Keto Baked Eggs

This recipe takes a bit longer to make but it can be prepared in advance the day before, then all you need to do is add the eggs and bake when you’re ready to eat. Serves 2.

175g minced beef
75g chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 – 4 eggs
120g grated mild cheese
Few drops of tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish.

Heat a non stick pan and dry fry the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no trace of pinkness remains. Add the garlic and fry for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and tip into a baking dish.

Pour the tomatoes on top of the mince, season with salt and pepper and hot sauce (if using) then make hollows in the mixture with a spoon. Crack the eggs into the hollows and sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Bake in a preheated oven gas mark 6/200/C/400F for 10 – 15 minutes until the eggs are cooked. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve on warmed plates.

Strawberry Coconut Creams

These are low carb, vegan and dairy free. Perfect for a light breakfast or a dessert after a big meal. Serves 2.

240 ml coconut cream
110g ripe strawberries
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (not essence)

Simply blend all of the ingredients together with a stick blender and pour into serving glasses. Chill for an hour before serving. Garnish with whole strawberries.

Low Carb Porridge

You might be missing things like porridge (oatmeal) on a low carb diet. This is a great alternative – filling, warming and comforting. Serves 2.

475 ml coconut milk or unsweetened almond or soy milk
2 tablespoons whole flax seed
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
A pinch of salt
A quarter of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Mix all of the ingredients together in a pan and heat gently until the desired consistency is achieved. This should take no more than 5 minutes. You can sprinkle the porridge with more cinnamon if you like or add some berries, a knob of butter or a dollop of cream. Use your imagination and make it your own.

Low Carb Golden Granola

If you love granola you might feel deprived on a low carb diet. But don’t worry – this granola is every bit as tasty as your usual brand but it has only 5g of carbs per serving. Enough for 20 servings.

30g mixed nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews etc.)
70g desiccated coconut
140g sunflower seeds
4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
120g ground almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons coconut oil
50g butter, melted
Blueberries to serve

Mix together all of the ingredients except for the blueberries in a large bowl. Tip onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick parchment paper and bake at gas mark 3/170C/350F for 20 minutes. Stir then bake for a further 10 minutes, keeping an eye on it to ensure the nuts and seeds don’t burn, which can happen very quickly if you’re not careful.

Serve scattered with a few dried or fresh blueberries, thick Greek yoghurt and almond or oat milk.

Low Carb Lunches

Lunch on a low carb diet can be pretty exciting! Satisfying salads, soups, fish and meat dishes, are all guaranteed to keep you going until dinnertime.

Chicken and Bacon Caesar Salad

A satisfying and delicious combination of moist chicken, crisp lettuce and creamy dressing. Admittedly, croutons are out in this low carb salad. But as they’ve been replaced with crispy bacon you won’t miss them much. You can add a diced avocado to the salad if you want. Serves 4.

600g chicken breasts (or leftover roast chicken)
175g smoked streaky bacon rashers
400g romaine lettuce
80g fresh Parmesan, coarsely grated
Dressing:
80g mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
Zest and juice of a lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Dice the chicken into smallish pieces. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and fry the chicken, turning often, until browned on the outside and cooked through in the middle. (Test it by cutting a piece in half and checking the centre has no trace of pink in it.) Remove the chicken from the pan onto a plate and set it aside.

Fry the bacon rashers in the same pan but don’t add any oil. You need the heat up quite high so that the bacon becomes dark and crispy. Remove from the pan and put on the plate with the chicken.

To make the dressing, measure out all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk thoroughly until blended.

To assemble the salad, cut or tear the lettuce leaves into strips. Arrange on plates with the chicken on top. Break up the bacon rashers into small pieces and scatter over the chicken then add the grated Parmesan. Top with a generous amount of the creamy, garlicky dressing.

*If you’re not a fan of anchovies don’t worry – they just add another layer of seasoning to the dressing and it won’t taste fishy at all.

Tuna and Egg Salad

This is a winner, loaded with protein from the tuna and good fats from the eggs. Vary the salad leaves and add things like lightly cooked green beans, whole olives and artichokes preserved in oil to make it even tastier. This salad can be packed into a container and taken to work with the dressing added when you’re ready to eat. Serves 4.

650g tinned tuna in oil
Bag of rocket or mixed salad leaves
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
4 large eggs
A bunch of spring onions, white part only, chopped
Dressing
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
A pinch of dried chilli flakes

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the eggs for 8 minutes. Drain, run under a cold tap and leave in cold water to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Tip the rocket or salad leaves into a bowl and add the diced cucumber, celery and halved cherry tomatoes. Drain the oil from the tuna and break it up into chunks with a fork. Scatter over the salad.

Peel the eggs and cut them into quarters. Arrange around the edge of the bowl and sprinkle with the chopped spring onions. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Use a spoon and fork to gently mix the dressing into the salad. Serve straight away.

Haddock with Cream and Spinach

This is an easy, one-pan dish that you can have on the table in just 25 minutes. Serves 4.

A large knob of butter
3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
150 ml dry white wine
200 ml double cream
4 chunky haddock fillets, about 175g each
100g bag of baby leaf spinach
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pan and when it’s sizzling, add the sliced shallots. Lower the heat to medium and cook the shallots for about 8 – 10 minutes until softened.

Pout in the wine, turn up the heat and boil the wine vigorously until it’s reduced to about half its original quantity. Add the cream and haddock fillets, lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the baby spinach to the pan, season with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice. Stir well and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve on warmed plates with a salad or a green vegetable. For those not following low carb add some rice, new potatoes or crusty bread.

Low Carb Dinners

Dinner on a low carb diet is something to look forward to. Steak, fish, poultry, vegetables and salads. There are endless possibilities.

Rump Steak With Caramelised Onions and Garlic Butter

In this dish, the onions are cooked slowly so that they release all their natural sugars and become almost sweet. The garlic butter marries the steak and onions together perfectly. Serves 4.

4 rump steaks, about 200g each
2 large onions, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
50g butter, softened
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
A squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan until very hot. Add the steaks and cook for 4 – 5 minutes on each side. This will give you medium steaks. Remove onto a plate and keep warm in a low oven.

Fry the onions in the pan the steak was cooked in. Keep the heat low and stir frequently. You’re aiming for a nice golden brown colour and an almost melting texture. This will take around 20 – 25 minutes. Season the onions with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, mix together the butter, garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Tip the butter onto a piece of cling film and shape it into a sausage. Wrap it tightly in the cling film and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

Serve the steaks topped with the onions and with the pan juices poured over. Remove the garlic butter from the fridge, unwrap carefully and slice it with a sharp knife. Place a slice on top of each steak. Accompany the steaks with a mixed salad.

Low Carb Chicken, Mushroom and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Stir-fries are quick and easy and this one is accompanied by a delicious, spicy mayonnaise. You can add some rice or noodles for those not following a low carb diet. Serves 4.

Spicy Mayonnaise:
180 ml mayonnaise
2 tablespoons hot chilli sauce (such as Sriracha)
Half a teaspoon of garlic granules
Stir-Fry:
800g skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
275g broccoli, cut into small florets
200g mushrooms, wiped clean and thickly sliced
1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons light soy sauce

First of all, make the spicy mayonnaise. Simply mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside to allow the flavours to develop.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep frying pan and add the chicken, broccoli and spring onions. Cook over a fairly high heat, stirring frequently until the chicken is cooked through. This should take about 7 – 8 minutes.

Lower the heat and add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened. Add the soy sauce and heat gently. Serve immediately with the spicy mayonnaise on the side.

I hope that you enjoyed this article and are keen to try some of the recipes. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. I will be adding more recipes over time so pop back now and then to see what’s new.

Meanwhile, if you want to read more about a low carb lifestyle see this post on how to follow a low carb diet

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