Breakfast can be a tricky meal to plan when you're watching your carb and sugar intake. The quick and easy options of toast and jelly, cereal with milk, bagels, granola with fruit and fruit juice go out the window, because they're far too high in carbs and sugar. Instead, look to more protein and fat-based breakfasts to keep you going until lunchtime.
Omelets
An omelet is an ideal -- and nutritious -- breakfast choice. One large egg contains 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat and no carbohydrates. Make your omelet with vegetables, meat or cheese to keep the carb content low. Vegetables aren't carb-free, but veggies like broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers and onion are all very low in carbs. In addition, the carbs they do contain are mainly fiber, rather than sugar. Meat is carb-free, so add ham, chicken or turkey or a lower-fat, low-carb cheese, such as ricotta, mozzarella, or reduced-fat cheddar or edam. Like vegetables, cheese does contain some carbohydrates, but the content is generally fairly low. Some cheeses like cottage cheese and processed cheese slices are higher in carbs, so avoid these.
Meat
Switch to a continental-style breakfast, minus the pastries, as a way to cut carbs. Pick a lean meat, such as chicken, turkey, lean beef or lean pork, and combine it with a healthy fat, such as nuts, avocado or eggs, advises personal trainer Jack Galloway. Alternatively, pick a fattier protein source, such as salmon or mackerel.
- Protein Shake
If you're pushed for time and can't sit down to a proper meal, a protein shake may be the solution. A plain, low-sugar protein powder mixed in water is very low in carbohydrates and sugar. Make it slightly more interesting -- while keeping the carbs and sugar levels down -- by adding low-carb fruits, such as blueberries and raspberries, or vegetables such as spinach or kale. Add these to the powder and water, then blend it like a smoothie. Check with your doctor before taking any supplements and make sure there aren't any ingredients you're allergic to in your protein powder.
Considerations
Unless you opt only for meat, eggs or fish for breakfast, you'll struggle to find foods that are completely free of carbs and sugar. If you can't go completely carb-free, add ingredients like vegetables, nuts, seeds and low-carb dairy foods to make your breakfasts more palatable, while keeping carbs under control. It may feel strange ditching your sugary cereals and stodgy bagels and switching to more savory items at breakfast, but the change is worth it.
www.livestrong.com
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