Intermittent fasting diets have become increasingly popular, and with most intermittent fasting schedules, dieters skip breakfast. However, there is still a large contingent of people that attest that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Although both approaches can potentially be healthy, making sure your breakfast aligns with your dietary goals is important.
Many common breakfasts are high in carbohydrates. From pancakes and waffles to bagels, toast, and breakfast cereal, it can be hard to think of what to eat for a low carb breakfast.
There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with eating carbohydrates, depending on your dietary needs and goals, but studies suggest that high protein breakfasts will help keep you feeling fuller for longer and may decrease caloric intake later on in the day.
However, trying to come up with low carb breakfast ideas or no carb breakfasts can be really difficult. In this guide, we will share fourteen healthy low carb breakfast ideas and high protein low carb breakfasts so that you can kickstart your day on the right foot.
14 Low Carb Breakfasts To Fuel Your Day
The following are fourteen of our best low carb breakfast ideas. Some focus on high protein low carb breakfasts, while others are high fat no carb breakfasts more along the lines of what would fit into a keto diet eating plan.
Ready? Let’s check them out!
#1: Avocado Egg Boats
Avocados are super filling because they are high in healthy fats and fiber. An easy no carb breakfast is to de-seed an avocado, scoop out a little bit of the flesh, and crack an egg into each half.
Bake the avocados until the eggs are set to your preferred consistency.
#2: Mushroom Caps
Using portobello mushroom caps can be a great trick for a low-carb breakfast.
Depending on your dietary goals and flavor preferences, you can really take a bunch of different approaches to seasoning and creating this breakfast recipe, but here are some good low carb breakfast ideas to fill your mushroom caps:
- Feta cheese or goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto
- Turkey sausage or regular lean sausage, peppers, and onions
- Shredded chicken, provolone cheese, and red peppers
- Ground hamburger, marinara sauce, mozzarella, peppers, and onions
- Tofu, soy sauce or teriyaki sauce, scallions, sesame seeds
- Black beans, jalapeño, cheddar or pepper jack cheese, peppers, onions, salsa
- Eggs, turkey bacon or sausage, and cheese
- Ham, cheddar, broccoli, and onions
The possibilities are essentially endless.
To make this basic low carb breakfast recipe, wash and clean the portobello mushroom caps.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle them with a little bit of olive oil or avocado oil.
Add your toppings. Depending on the toppings that you choose, you might want to sauté some of the vegetables and meat in a pan ahead of time and then add the mixture to the mushroom caps.
Sprinkle with cheese and then bake in the oven at 400° F until everything is cooked through and tender.
#3: Stuffed Peppers
In much the same way that you can make portobello mushroom caps, you can make a wonderful low carb high protein breakfast by stuffing peppers with your favorite high-protein ingredients.
The benefit of using peppers is that you have much more “real estate“ to pack the pepper boat with your other ingredients. You can add a lot of veggies and protein.
Follow the same basic recipe.
Adding cauliflower rice is a good way to bulk up the stuffed pepper filling without adding too many carbs, or if you are looking for a low calorie high protein breakfast option, you can stuff the pepper with egg whites, spinach, mushrooms, and onions.
#4: Keto Protein Bar
It’s certainly not as healthy as whole, real, natural foods, but if you are looking for a low carb high protein breakfast for on-the-go, a protein bar can be a super convenient option.
Depending on your specific dietary needs, there are tons of keto-friendly, no-sugar protein bars that use alternative sweeteners.
Just be mindful that many of these products use sugar alcohols, which can cause digestive distress, and the research about the potential adverse health ramifications of certain artificial sweeteners is mixed.
If possible, look for sugar-free protein bars that use potentially healthier natural non-caloric sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit extract rather than sucralose or sugar alcohols.
Protein bars are filling, and if you have to grab a quick breakfast while running out the door, it can be a lot easier to make a protein bar work than cooking up eggs or sitting down to eat a bowl of cottage cheese.
#5: Keto Cereal
If you’re on the keto diet or another low-carb diet, one of the breakfast foods you might miss most is cereal. Even nutritious cereals like oatmeal are very high in carbohydrates, and most traditional cereals are low in protein.
However, in an effort to cater to the ever-increasing popularity of low-carb diets, there are several good low carb high breakfast cereals now, many of which are compatible with the keto diet, such as Catalina Crunch cereal and Three Wishes.
Adding milk or plant-based milk like almond milk can make for a satisfying high protein low carb breakfast that not only meets your dietary goals but helps fill the void of missing classic breakfast cereals without getting all the sugar and carbs.
#6: Frittatas
A frittata is a healthy low carb breakfast idea for mornings when you don’t have much time to cook.
Like an egg dish, you can choose your veggies and additional proteins based on your taste preferences, and varying things from week to week will help keep your high protein breakfast recipes feeling fresh.
For the basic frittata recipe, sauté some onions, mushrooms, and spinach or kale in some olive oil. Then whisk in eggs, pour the mixture into a pan and cook it on the stove or throw it in the oven until it has set.
To boost the protein content, add meat such as ham, turkey, lean sausage, or shredded chicken. Good plant-based protein options are tofu, seitan, and tempeh.
Any veggies will work, and herbs like parsley and basil will add a lot of flavors and no additional calories, making for a very nutritious, filling, high protein low carbohydrate breakfast.
#7: Ricotta Whip
Ricotta is an often overlooked option for a low carb high protein breakfast idea.
Eating plain ricotta cheese can be pretty boring, but it has a fairly neutral flavor profile, and you can season it in various ways, from sweet to savory, much like cottage cheese. It’s also packed with protein and contains all of the essential amino acids.
You can whip it up to aerate the texture and create a ricotta mousse. In fact, throwing ricotta in a blender with some cinnamon or cocoa powder, a little bit of unsweetened almond milk, and some Stevia extract can make a delicious, decadent-tasting breakfast mousse that is essentially a no carb breakfast.
#8: Salmon Cakes
Salmon is packed with protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to decrease inflammation and support heart health.
Salmon cakes are a great low carb breakfast idea. Another benefit is that you can make them in advance and then freeze them and reheat them during the week when you are short on time.
Using fresh salmon will taste even better, but canned salmon can work just as well and certainly makes the preparation simpler. Mix in grated onion, cream cheese, and eggs. Form cakes or patty shapes with your hands and then lightly pan-fry them in some coconut oil. Alternatively, you can bake them in the oven on a tray lined with parchment paper.
#9: Protein Pancakes
You don’t have to give up your favorite stack of pancakes when you’re looking to eat a high-protein breakfast.
Low-carb protein-packed pancakes are an awesome alternative. They are a bit chewier than the fluffy box-mix pancakes you might have had growing up, but they are similar enough that they still scratch that pancake-loving itch.
To make low-carb protein pancakes, combine 1/2 cup of almond flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon with 1/2 medium-size ripe banana, 2 large egg whites, 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
You can sweeten them with a few drops of stevia and add nut butter as a topping for a high-protein, low-carb breakfast.
#10: Omelets
Pretty much every list of low-carb, high-protein breakfast recipe ideas includes numerous egg preparations.
Egg breakfasts have been shown to be more satiating than oatmeal while not causing adverse increases in LDL cholesterol levels.
Omelets have the advantage over standard egg cooking methods in that they are an easy canvas to add vegetables, which can be otherwise hard to sneak into breakfast in an appealing way.
Vegetables will help bulk up the meal and will add fiber, vitamins, and minerals without adding a significant number of calories or carbohydrates.
#11: Low-Carb Protein Muffins
If you prefer sweet breakfasts and want something convenient, protein muffins can make a great on-the-go high-protein breakfast.
The following easy low carb breakfast recipe makes 12 servings:
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 6 egg whites
- ½ cup plain Greek Yogurt
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup (or stevia)
- 3 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Berries and nuts as desired
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line and spray a muffin tin.
- Combine the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another but leave out the optional nuts and berries.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine until smooth, but do not over-mix.
- Fill each muffin tin about 3/4 of the way up. If you’re adding nuts and berries, carefully place them on the top of each muffin but don’t submerge them in the batter.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a fork comes out clean.
#12: Tofu Scramble
A tofu scramble is a great vegan, low-carb, high-protein breakfast that somewhat resembles scrambled eggs and has a similar savory profile, depending on how you season it and the additional ingredients you add.
The basic recipe just involves breaking up a block of firm tofu with a fork or a spatula and sautéing it in a frying pan with some olive oil.
Add in any vegetables that you enjoy. Examples include onions, scallions, garlic, broccoli, carrots, peppers, green beans, mushrooms, bok choy, kale, spinach, and asparagus.
You can also use flavors that are typically seen in standard egg preparation, such as tomatoes, hot sauce, salsa, and black beans, depending on your carbohydrate intake.
#13: Chia Seed Protein Pudding
Chia seeds are low in carbs but packed with fiber and protein. They swell into a gooey consistency that resembles pudding when they are soaked, making for a surprisingly chewy, dense pudding.
You can add protein powder to make this a filling, low-carb, high-protein breakfast. Make it the night before and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
Ingredients
- ½ avocado mashed
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk or other milk
- Stevia to taste or natural sweetener
Directions
- Mix all the ingredients together, ideally in a blender, but a whisk will work.
- Pour the mixture into a mason jar.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Top with berries or nut butter as desired.
#14: Low-Carb, High-Protein Breakfast Platter
A traditional breakfast platter with eggs, turkey, soy sausage or bacon, and avocado slices can be a good no carb breakfast.
If you can add a few carbohydrates to your diet, you can bulk up the dish with cauliflower mash or cauliflower hash to substitute for traditional potatoes. You can saute the cauliflower with olive oil, onions, and garlic to add more flavor and season with salt and pepper, paprika, or cumin.
Coming up with good low carb high protein breakfast recipes can be difficult, especially if you are following a keto diet or otherwise want essentially a no carb breakfast.
However, there are plenty of egg-free options (as well as those with eggs!) to keep your first meal of the day from feeling too repetitive.
What about some low-carb, high-protein lunch ideas? Check out our 9 High Protein Lunch Ideas for your next meal!
