Low-Carb Meal Ideas (That Will Still Keep You Full)

Low-carb diets are the way to go for those who wish to see weight loss results faster. A low-carb diet is a diet that restricts the intake of carbohydrates such as sugary foods, pasta and bread and increase the protein, fat as well as healthy vegetables in the diet. It has been long proven that low-carb diets can lead to weight loss and improve health.

So, if you want to drop a few kilos, you may be able to jump-start weight loss by following a diet plan that limits your carb intake to 20 to 50 grams a day. This very-low-carb plan gets your body into fat-burning mode while keeping your appetite at bay. To ensure you do not overeat, there are carb-free meals that you can enjoy naturally besides snacking in between meals to you keep your energy levels up as you lose the weight.

Let’s Shed Those Kgs

However, before starting, make sure you consult with a dietician in order to construct a customised low-carb diet plan that will bring you closer to your goal weight. The diet plan below is just an example of low-carb meals that you could take in a day.

 Breakfast

Option 1 – Egg Muffin Cups

Ingredients

• 1 capsicum, diced
• 3 spring onions, chopped finely
• 4 little cherry tomatoes or one large tomato, cut into halves or bite-sized chunks
• 6 eggs
• 1 handful spinach
• 2 slices cheddar, shredded
• ½-1 teaspoon of salt
  
• 4-5 splashes of Lingam’s hot sauce or 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Wash and dice the capsicum, onions and tomatoes. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
3. Wash, lightly chop and add the spinach into the bowl.
4. Add the eggs and salt into the bowl and mix well.
5. Grease the muffin tin with olive oil before pouring the egg mixture evenly into the muffin slots. (Alternative: use some muffin cups)
6. Layer some bits of cheese over the top of each muffin or you can mix it in the batter.
7. Place the tray into the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch.

OR

Option 2 – Banana and Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas
• 6 eggs
• 100g (1 cup) shredded coconut
• 70g (1/2 cup) fresh blueberries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Coconut oil, for frying

Method

1. Peel the bananas and mash with a fork.
2. Whip eggs in a bowl and mix it together with the mashed bananas.
3. Add shredded coconut, blueberries and cinnamon. Stir ingredients to combine.
4. Heat coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
5. Pour 3 small portions of pancake batter in the pan at a time.
6. Fry the pancakes on both sides.
7. Serve with shredded coconut, blueberries and dust with cinnamon.

Pre-Lunch Snack – Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 5 portobello mushrooms
• 2 pieces of chicken breast
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped
• ¼ cup of grated paneer
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of pepper
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, diced into 20 small pieces
• ½ cup of chives

Method

Lunch

Option 1 – Chicken and Asparagus Lemon Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of of canola oil
• 1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed & cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of of fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Lightly season the chicken with salt.
2. In a small bowl, combine chicken broth and soy sauce and mix well.
3. In a second small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Mix well.
4. Heat a large non-stick wok over medium-high heat.
5. When hot, add 1 teaspoon of the oil, then add the asparagus and cook until tender-crisp for about 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook until golden. Set aside.
7. Increase the heat to high, then add 1 teaspoon of oil and half of the chicken. Cook until browned and cooked through. Repeat with the other half of chicken. Set aside.
8. Add the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil and cook about 1-1/2 minutes.
9. Add lemon juice and cornstarch mixture and stir well.
10. When it simmers, return the chicken and asparagus to the wok.
11. Mix well, remove from heat and serve.

OR

Option 2 – Spaghetti Squash Noodle with Lime Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise + seeds scooped out
• 1 bunch of spinach
• 1 shallot, peeled
• 1/2 cup of toasted nuts of your preference
• 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds
• Some mix herbs (cilantro, mint, thai basil)
• 1 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
• salt and pepper

For peanut sauce

• 1/2 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and rough chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and rough chopped
• 1-2 teaspoons of Lingam’s sauce
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter/almond butter
• 1 lime, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of virgin coconut oil (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C .
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the squash halves, cut side down. Bake for about an hour or until the flesh pulls away in easy strands.
3. Slice spinach into 1/3-inch ribbons and place in a large bowl.
4. Cut the shallot into thin half-moon slices. Chop up the herbs and toasted nuts. Set aside.
5. Set a medium saucepan with about an inch of water over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer. Place the broccoli florets into a steamer basket and set aside until right before service.
6. Place all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and bend until mix well. Taste for seasoning and set aside.
7. When squash is cool enough to handle, place the steamer basket of broccoli into the pot with the simmering water. Put a lid on it and allow broccoli to steam for 3-4 minutes, or desired doneness.
8. Scrape the spaghetti strands out with a fork into the large bowl with the sliced spinach. The heat from the squash should wilt the kale slightly.
9. Pour a big splash of the sauce into the bowl, season with salt and pepper. Lightly toss the squash and spinach.
10. Remove broccoli from the heat. Top serving bowl with the steamed broccoli, sliced shallots, chopped nuts, sesame seeds, chopped herbs and extra sauce.

Pre-Dinner Snack – Salty Lime Roasted Peanuts

Dinner

Option 1 – Shakshuka

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 medium brown or white onion, peeled and diced
• 2 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 capsicum, chopped
• 4 cups of diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon of chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of paprika 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5-6 eggs
• 1/2 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley, for garnishing

Method

1. Heat olive oil in pan on medium heat.
2. Saute chopped onion for a few minutes until soft. Add garlic and continue to saute until it is fragrant.
3. Add the capsicum. Saute for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
4. Add tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir well before adding in spices. Allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till it starts to reduce. Taste the mixture and spice it according to preference.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add chilli if preferred.
6. Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce.
7. Cover the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced.
8. Keep an eye on the skillet to make sure that the sauce doesn’t reduce too much, which can lead to burning.

OR

Option 2 – Chicken in Green Onion Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breast, cut in half
• 1 spring onion
• 230g sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Method

1. Heat butter on a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. When the butter has melted, add the chicken breast halves.
3. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Chop the spring onions using both the green and white parts.
5. Turn over the chicken breast halves, cover and let simmer for another 10 minutes or until the juices run clear.
6. Add the chopped spring onions. Stir, and let the onion cook for 1–2 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and mix in the salt and sour cream.
8. Cover and let stand on the stove top for 5 minutes.
9. Mix well and serve.

Let’s Get Slimming

Do you love the low-carb diet sample plan idea we have laid out for you? If you do, you can include them into your diet plan and alternate with other recipes every two weeks to ensure you do not get bored or run out of low-card diet meals to try. The key to losing weight is not just by exercising excessively but in taking care of what you eat too!