How to Choose Low Carb Breakfast Options
Choose low-carb protein options., Use unsweetened or low-sugar (less than 3 grams) dairy products., Pick out low-sugar fruits., Incorporate non-starchy vegetables., Limit higher carb foods.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose low-carb protein options.
Protein is an essential nutrient in your diet.
It's especially important to include protein at breakfast since protein will provide your body with the energy it needs to get your day started.
Protein-rich foods are naturally carbohydrate-free.
You don't have to worry about counting carbs when you're eating some of these foods.Here are some examples of protein foods you can include at breakfast: sausage, bacon, ham, lox, smoked fish, eggs, nuts or tofu.
Measure out your portion of protein at your breakfast meal.
Eating one to two servings is appropriate.
Go for 3 – 4 oz or 1/2 cup of protein per serving. -
Step 2: Use unsweetened or low-sugar (less than 3 grams) dairy products.
Dairy products, like cheese or milk, do contain a lot of protein, but they also contain carbohydrates.
Some dairy products also contain added sugars.
It's important to make smart choices from this food group — make sure you carefully read the nutrition label to find out if there is added sugar and how many carbs are contained in a single serving.
Although you may associate items like yogurt or cheese as being high in protein (which they are), these foods also contain a naturally occurring sugar known as lactose.This sugar varies in different dairy products, but gives them a higher carbohydrate content compared to protein foods like fish, chicken or eggs.
The lowest carbohydrate dairy products include: low-fat or fat-free milk, plain greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or cheese.
Of course, always measure your portion sizes of whatever dairy product you choose to eat.
Go for 1 oz of cheese or 1 cup of milk, yogurt or cottage cheese., The fruit group is well known as a carbohydrate-containing group; however, it's not wise to completely avoid this nutrient-rich food group.If you want to include an occasional serving of fruit for a low-carb breakfast option, go with low-sugar fruits.
These fruits are naturally lower in fructose (the natural sugar in fruit) which lowers their overall carbohydrate intake.
The best fruits to choose for a low-carb breakfast include: cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples.Always measure your portions of fruit to help control the total carbohydrate count for your breakfast meal.
Only eat 1 small piece or about 1/2 cup of fruit chopped.
Items like dried fruit or canned fruit in syrup are much higher in sugar and also carbohydrates.
Try to avoid these if you want to stick to a low-carb breakfast meal. , A more uncommon breakfast food group is non-starchy vegetables; however, these nutrient-rich veggies are a great low-carb addition to your morning meal.
Similar to protein foods, non-starchy vegetables are naturally very low in carbohydrates, and most of these carbs are fiber, so if you stick to less than 1 cup of cooked or 2 cups of raw at a time, then you don't have to count them toward your daily total intake.Non-starchy vegetables are lower in carbohydrates and are appropriate to eat in large quantities.
Items like corn, potatoes, lentils, beans or yams do contain a high amount of starch and are much higher in carbohydrates.
Examples of non-starchy vegetables you can include at breakfast are: spinach, kale, onions, mushrooms, peppers, olives, tomatoes, asparagus or zucchini.
Getting in a serving of non-starchy vegetables at breakfast is a great idea since you need about three servings total daily.
Measure out 1 cup of vegetables or 2 cups of leafy greens per serving., To make sure that your breakfast meal stays on the low-carb side, you should avoid or at least limit the most common carbohydrate-rich foods.
One very common food group that pops up at breakfast is the grain food group.
Whether it's a piece of toast, an English muffin, a bagel, a tortilla or oatmeal, these foods are much higher in carbs compared to others.In addition, starchy vegetables like potatoes or yams are another component of breakfast meals.
Again, these are much higher in carbohydrates.
Try to avoid dairy products that are higher in carbohydrates like flavored yogurts, yogurt drinks or regular yogurt.
These have more added sugar or naturally occurring sugar which increases their carbohydrate content.
These foods aren't necessarily unhealthy, but they do contain a higher amount of carbohydrates and should be limited if your goal is to have a low-carb breakfast. -
Step 3: Pick out low-sugar fruits.
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Step 4: Incorporate non-starchy vegetables.
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Step 5: Limit higher carb foods.
Detailed Guide
Protein is an essential nutrient in your diet.
It's especially important to include protein at breakfast since protein will provide your body with the energy it needs to get your day started.
Protein-rich foods are naturally carbohydrate-free.
You don't have to worry about counting carbs when you're eating some of these foods.Here are some examples of protein foods you can include at breakfast: sausage, bacon, ham, lox, smoked fish, eggs, nuts or tofu.
Measure out your portion of protein at your breakfast meal.
Eating one to two servings is appropriate.
Go for 3 – 4 oz or 1/2 cup of protein per serving.
Dairy products, like cheese or milk, do contain a lot of protein, but they also contain carbohydrates.
Some dairy products also contain added sugars.
It's important to make smart choices from this food group — make sure you carefully read the nutrition label to find out if there is added sugar and how many carbs are contained in a single serving.
Although you may associate items like yogurt or cheese as being high in protein (which they are), these foods also contain a naturally occurring sugar known as lactose.This sugar varies in different dairy products, but gives them a higher carbohydrate content compared to protein foods like fish, chicken or eggs.
The lowest carbohydrate dairy products include: low-fat or fat-free milk, plain greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or cheese.
Of course, always measure your portion sizes of whatever dairy product you choose to eat.
Go for 1 oz of cheese or 1 cup of milk, yogurt or cottage cheese., The fruit group is well known as a carbohydrate-containing group; however, it's not wise to completely avoid this nutrient-rich food group.If you want to include an occasional serving of fruit for a low-carb breakfast option, go with low-sugar fruits.
These fruits are naturally lower in fructose (the natural sugar in fruit) which lowers their overall carbohydrate intake.
The best fruits to choose for a low-carb breakfast include: cranberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples.Always measure your portions of fruit to help control the total carbohydrate count for your breakfast meal.
Only eat 1 small piece or about 1/2 cup of fruit chopped.
Items like dried fruit or canned fruit in syrup are much higher in sugar and also carbohydrates.
Try to avoid these if you want to stick to a low-carb breakfast meal. , A more uncommon breakfast food group is non-starchy vegetables; however, these nutrient-rich veggies are a great low-carb addition to your morning meal.
Similar to protein foods, non-starchy vegetables are naturally very low in carbohydrates, and most of these carbs are fiber, so if you stick to less than 1 cup of cooked or 2 cups of raw at a time, then you don't have to count them toward your daily total intake.Non-starchy vegetables are lower in carbohydrates and are appropriate to eat in large quantities.
Items like corn, potatoes, lentils, beans or yams do contain a high amount of starch and are much higher in carbohydrates.
Examples of non-starchy vegetables you can include at breakfast are: spinach, kale, onions, mushrooms, peppers, olives, tomatoes, asparagus or zucchini.
Getting in a serving of non-starchy vegetables at breakfast is a great idea since you need about three servings total daily.
Measure out 1 cup of vegetables or 2 cups of leafy greens per serving., To make sure that your breakfast meal stays on the low-carb side, you should avoid or at least limit the most common carbohydrate-rich foods.
One very common food group that pops up at breakfast is the grain food group.
Whether it's a piece of toast, an English muffin, a bagel, a tortilla or oatmeal, these foods are much higher in carbs compared to others.In addition, starchy vegetables like potatoes or yams are another component of breakfast meals.
Again, these are much higher in carbohydrates.
Try to avoid dairy products that are higher in carbohydrates like flavored yogurts, yogurt drinks or regular yogurt.
These have more added sugar or naturally occurring sugar which increases their carbohydrate content.
These foods aren't necessarily unhealthy, but they do contain a higher amount of carbohydrates and should be limited if your goal is to have a low-carb breakfast.
About the Author
Alexis Young
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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