Let’s be honest? Carbs and breakfast are a match made in heaven, especially considering crowd favorites like avocado toast, oats, and granola. Not surprisingly, breakfast is an area I see many people struggle with when adopting a low carb diet or just looking to cut their carbs slightly. The good news is that you can find a breakfast that you enjoy without feeling like you’re missing out. Zoe-Bingley Pullin shares three low-carb summer breakfast ideas that won’t make you miss the bread.
Fresh Coconut and Chia Bowl
This breakfast bowl uses few ingredients, is simple to prepare, but most importantly, tastes great and packs a punch. The healthy fats in chia seeds and nuts will keep appetite and energy levels steady throughout the morning. Add some cocoa or turmeric powder to the chia seed mixture in the pot or add acai/berry powder to spice it up.
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 – 10 minutes
Components:
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 2 tbsp fresh grated or desiccated coconut
- 1 cup coconut milk
- One kiwi, sliced
- sliced blueberries (1 cup)
- ¼ cup crushed nuts and seeds
Method:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the chopped chia seeds of coconut and coconut milk and cook for approx. 3-5 minutes or until chia seeds pop translucent. Add a little water if you want to thin the consistency. Spoon into a bowl and top with blueberries, kiwi and nuts/seeds. Alternatively, spoon into two jars, let them cool slightly and store in the fridge until ready to eat. Served on top with fruit and nuts/seeds.
Zucchini, mint and feta pancakes with chili avocado
Everyone loves a good cake and they certainly won’t disappoint! This recipe calls for low-carb coconut flour and ricotta to achieve the same texture and feel as traditional cakes without the added carbs. But, carbs aside, these cakes are packed with protein, and the avocado puree is rich in healthy fats, sure to keep hunger at bay for hours after indulging.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6 – 12 minutes
Components:
- One leek, white part only, diced
- A clove of garlic, finely chopped
- Four courgettes, grated and squeezed out the excess water
- ½ cup feta, crumbled
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried mint (or chopped fresh mint)
- Two free range eggs
- 2 tbsp coconut flour + extra if needed to bind
- Half a ripe avocado, skin and pits removed
- 1/2 red chili, sliced
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients until it becomes a porridge. Take about a tablespoon. From the mixture, roll it into a ball and then flatten it. Make all the cakes and fry them in a large frying pan with extra virgin oil until golden brown and crispy. To make the avocado puree, combine all ingredients, mash to desired consistency and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the fritters with mashed avocado.
Breakfast bowl with kale and avocado seeds
This is the ultimate breakfast recipe to start your day with healthy fats, fiber, protein and green vegetables. This recipe is incredibly versatile and once you have the formula down, mixing and matching ingredients is more than okay! Even better, you can enjoy this bowl just as well as a quick lunch or a light dinner, especially as balmy weather approaches.
Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
See also
Cooking time: 5 times
Components:
- A small bunch of cabbage stalks removed
- One medium avocado, skin removed and pitted, diced
- 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp chopped macadamia nuts (or nuts of choice)
- ¼ cup fresh dates, seeds removed, chopped (or use fresh blueberries)
- Four eggs, boiled to your liking (or hot smoked salmon, halloumi, tempeh/tofu or goat cheese)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In small batches, place the kale leaves in the base of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer the shredded cabbage to a large mixing bowl. Add avocado, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Massage gently until the cabbage is soft. add seeds, nuts, dates and season to taste. Divide into 2 bowls and top with boiled eggs or protein of your choice + an extra sprinkle of hemp seeds.
While you’re here, see where you can get the one nutrient we all need most.
