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22 Healthy Low-Carb Recipes
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Eating fewer carbs can mean more stable energy and blood sugars; read for appealing recipe ideas.
This month, we’re showcasing our best low-carb diaTribe recipes and introducing some new ones. And that’s not because we’re promoting a fad diet, I swear, or working for the bacon people, or hoping that you will renounce toast for the rest of your life. (Although honestly, as far as that last one goes? Feel free.) It’s because a low- or lower-carb diet is, at least for folks with diabetes, helpful in achieving more stable blood sugars and lower insulin needs. But those things translate into facts for folks without diabetes, too: For me, more stable blood sugar means more stable energy, which means I just feel better. If I wake up and eat an egg or another high-protein breakfast food, like the Cottage Cheese Pancakes below? I feel full, keyed up, and ready to think. If I roll out of bed into, say, a pile of glazed donuts? I feel hyper and giddy – boinging around purposelessly for about three minutes – and then exhausted and brain-dead, and then hungry again.
For the purpose of this column, a low-carb meal is defined as one that has 15 or fewer grams of carbohydrates in a single serving. Of course, when trying out new low-carb recipes, keep an eye out on blood sugars and insulin dosing. All of these recipes are family-tested, satisfying, and delicious – and that means even to people (such as, for instance, teenagers) who might typically be torn from their beloved carbs kicking and screaming. But don’t take my word for it.
Click to jump to the recipes:
Low-Carb Breakfasts
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Total carbohydrates: 9 grams per serving
My daughter and I would basically eat these every morning – and sometimes, for weeks at a time, we do. It’s mostly only running out of cottage cheese that slows us down. If you have Eastern European relatives, then you will know what I mean when I describe them as a little bit like blintzes, but with the filling and crepe all mixed together: tender, delicate, and so tasty. Please note, too, that the recipe scales down easily: you can even quarter it to make the perfect serving for one person.
Cheesy Mini Ricotta Frittatas
Total carbohydrates: 5 grams per (2-muffin) serving
These individually-portioned spinach and cheese egg bites are not only portable but also are so filling and satisfying. While they're low-carb and a high source of protein, they don't taste like they're trying to be healthy. I like to make a batch at the end of the weekend, and then have them for breakfast for a couple of weekday mornings – although the truth is, they don’t last that long, because my kids also like to take them to school for lunch (sigh). The best part is that they taste wonderful whether served warm or cold. I love the richness of whole-milk ricotta and mozzarella, but you could swap them out for low-fat cheese for a lighter version.
Big-Batch Bacon
Total carbohydrates: 0 grams per serving
To those of you wondering about bacon’s giant cameo appearance in this good-for-you article, it’s true that bacon isn’t conventionally thought of as a health food. But it’s actually a decent source of protein and an excellent source of pleasure (and, with zero grams of carbs, it won’t spike blood sugar).
Our game-changing advice is to make your bacon in the oven. Simply heat the oven, lay the bacon in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet, bake, and prepare to be a hero.
Fluffy Protein-Packed Pancakes
Total carbohydrates: 8 grams per serving
The secret to making these petite silver dollar pancakes that won’t spike your blood sugar? Almond flour. These grain-free pancakes are protein-rich, meaning nice, steady energy for your morning. They’re delicate, fluffy, and have a light egg flavor. You can also double the dry ingredients and store this in the fridge as “pancake mix.” Just add 1 cup of the mix to the wet ingredients that go into the blender, and you’re all set.
Scrambled Omelet
Total carbohydrates: 1 gram per serving
Scrambled eggs because they’re unfussy and the eggs are fluffier. Add your favorite ingredients here, and feel free to get creative (think: pizza toppings).
Low-Carb Lunches
Mason Jar Salads
Total carbohydrates: 20 grams per serving
Mason jar salads are simply the most perfectly portable lunch ever, and they’re Pinterest-pretty to boot! As an added bonus, you can even make 2 or 3 at one time and eat them a few days in a row.
Zippy Egg Salad
Total carbohydrates: 2 grams per serving
If you’re not in the habit of making egg salad from scratch yourself, give it a try. It’s a wonderful treat, which is kind of amazing considering how easy, cheap, and full of nutrients it is. Make a point to season the dish vigorously: Anything with a decent amount of fat, like eggs, needs salt and tang to balance out the richness. My version of egg salad is particularly punchy, thanks to the addition of tart capers and a bit of brine from the jar, along with salt, pepper, and fresh dill.
Green Roll-Ups
Total carbohydrates: 2 grams per serving
If you’re counting carbs, or thinking about carbs, or wondering why you’re tired after lunch or your blood sugar is all over the place, well, bread is kind of an obvious place to cast your side-eye. Which doesn’t mean you can never eat it, but maybe you’d like to mix up your routine a little! Low-carb tortillas are one way; eating your sandwich filling with a fork or atop a salad is another. But wrapping sandwich fillings in something green is my favorite. The collards are sturdy, packed with nutrients, and taste incredibly – for lack of a better adjective – green-tasting.
Low-Carb Snacks
Smoky Feta Dip
Total carbohydrates: 3 grams per serving
At home we like to make dips with protein-rich ingredients such as cheese, beans, and nuts, because then you can eat something fun, filling, and wholesome at the same time. This dip is especially tangy and lovely because of the combination of sharp feta and sweet peppers. If you have it, the smoked paprika will add an extra kick of smokiness.
Salami Jerky
Total carbohydrates: About 1 gram per serving
If you’ve never tried these, they’re more crispy-chewy than straight-up crisp – kind of like beef jerky, and just as addictively, salty, meaty, and delicious. Plus, one serving has not only just a single gram of carbohydrates, but it also contains about 6 grams of protein. Be sure to experiment with different kinds of salami to figure out what you like best. I speak from experience when I tell you that you will make some for your kids’ (or your own) lunchbox, but then you will eat them all and you will have to make some more.
Quesadizza
Total carbohydrates: 10 grams per serving
This versatile snack has the open, round look of a pizza, the cheese-and-tortilla ingredients of a quesadilla, and the topping opportunities of nachos. It’s a gooey, melty, and excellent low-carb alternative to all of them, especially because it’s too cheesy to feel like a compromise. Although do note that if you make one, everyone will gather in the kitchen suddenly, and then you will have to make a couple more.
Rosemary-Roasted Pecans
Total carbohydrates: 4 grams per serving
For high-protein, low-carb snacking, there is pretty much no better choice than nuts, when consumed in reasonable quantities. They’re able to offer all of that same crunchy satisfaction as chip-based snacks, which makes them a great food to eat for people with diabetes. While nuts vary in carb content, pecans fall into the super-low-carb camp, and these rosemary-roasted pecans are not only special but also incredibly easy considering how special they are. They’re great make-ahead snacks, too.
Cheater Deviled Eggs
Total carbohydrates: 1 gram per serving
If true deviled eggs were a practical snack, I would eat them every day. But they don’t actually keep well enough to be a go-to, and they’re too fiddly to make fresh daily. These, however, are entirely practical, and I do eat one most days. The idea is that you hard-boil some eggs (perfectly) and whisk up some deviled-egg-style dressing, and then you keep both in the fridge. Come snack time, you simply cut open an egg and top each half with a spoonful of dressing. The result is so satisfying that you may not even notice that you cheated.
Perfectly Simple Guacamole
Total carbohydrates: 7-10 grams per serving
You probably think your favorite part of chips and guac is the chips, but if you make really excellent guacamole and serve it with an exciting assortment of vegetables, you might not miss those chips as much as you imagine. Feel free to add whatever you like to this recipe: salsa, chopped tomatoes, even corn kernels. But try it plain first – that’s how we grew to love it after a trip to Mexico, where we were served chunky, simple guacamole seasoned only with lime and salt, and it was absolute perfection. Plus, avocados are such nutritional powerhouses – filled with fats, vitamins, and minerals – that you’ll feel great after eating it.
Perfect Boiled Eggs
Total carbohydrates: 1 gram per serving
Boiled eggs are a rich source of protein, easily portable, and low in cost and carbs. This method guarantees perfect medium-boiled eggs – totally set egg whites, with the yolks still bright and soft and with barely liquidy centers – every single time you make them. For a first meal of the day or a protein-filled snack, you can’t really beat the simplicity. Get the recipe.
Low-Carb Dinners
Any-Veggie Soup
Total carbohydrates: About 22 grams per serving
I usually make a big pot of soup for dinner, and then we bring leftovers to work and school in our thermoses the next day (and the day after that). As it turns out, vegetable soup is a lovely thing to have for lunch. This is also a very forgiving recipe that takes well to lots of vegetal odds and ends.
Basic Cauliflower Rice
Total carbohydrates: 6 grams per serving
“Cauliflower rice” is the kind of thing you see all over the internet, and you’re like, please. Because you imagine it’s going to have as much in common with real rice as a baby carrots have with Cheetos. And you’re kind of right. Cauliflower rice is not really like rice. But it is delicious and satisfying as its own thing – a cross between a vegetable and something vaguely grain-like, and it’s packed with vitamins and fiber instead of carbs. You can buy it in 16-ounce packages at Trader Joe’s and many supermarkets, but it’s easy to make your own from a whole head of cauliflower (or a bag of florets, if that’s what you’ve got). And you can use it as a simple or gussied-up side, or as the base for a main dish.
Zucchini Spaghetti
Total carbohydrates: 3 grams per serving
It’s true that spiralizing vegetables, or slicing them into spaghetti-shaped strands, was kind of a former food trend. But it’s also the case that zucchini noodles are light and delicious, naturally low in carbohydrates, and naturally high in fiber and nutrients. And if you give them the spaghetti treatment – sauce and cheese, a spoonful of pesto, or even simply a little pat of melting butter – you just might convince any squash-wary family members that they’re worth tasting.
Slow-Roasted Salmon
Total carbohydrates: 1 gram per serving
My very favorite way to cook salmon (or any fish, such as cod or striped bass, for that matter) is to roast it very slowly. The fish ends up meltingly tender, with a velvety texture and a very fresh, mild flavor. One caveat: Don’t expect it to brown, or to look the way you might expect cooked fish to look, since it won’t turn pale pink and opaque. Nevertheless, it’s perfect as a regular entrée course, or atop a salad for a leafier meal.
Secret Ingredient Roasted Vegetables
Total carbohydrates: 10 grams per serving
This otherwise basic roasted vegetable recipe, which works remarkably well on cruciferous greens like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, contains a secret ingredient that might surprise you. This singular recipe has also, for years, been the best method I have for getting vast quantities of vegetables into the bodies of my children. Try it and see for yourself.
Herby Asian-Style Lettuce Wraps
Total carbohydrates: 2-6 grams per serving
This is such an insanely delicious dinner that my family can identify it by the smell from outside of our house. Plus, it’s lots of fun for each person to assemble their own wraps with all their favorite herbs and accompaniments. Even the herb-suspicious tend to feel friendly towards fresh mint, if you can get your hands on some. The only problem is the deliciousness itself, which makes it so that you kind of have to double this recipe to feed a family of four.
Read more about eating smart while living with diabetes:
Photo credits: iStock (Big-Batch Bacon, Protein-Packed Pancakes, Slow-Roasted Salmon); Catherine Newman (all others).
