Low-Carb Recipe Ideas and Resources

One thing that predicts how well a person will make a healthy eating transition is how comfortable and interested they are in doing a certain amount of simple cooking. People who hate cooking and are used to relying on a lot of packaged foods and fast foods are going to have a harder time.

Of course, it can be done. You can buy a lot of bagged salads and prepared rotisserie chickens in the grocery store. You can seek out where the best low-carb take-out food and fast food is (yes, there is low-carb fast food). But, frankly, this can get expensive and boring pretty quickly.

So, if you are new to cooking, the best thing to do is begin with easy recipes. For example, eggs and vegetables are both great places to start! There are so many easy low-carb dishes you can make!

• Eggs for Beginners
• Omelets, Frittatas, and Other Egg Dishes
• How to Make a Frittata
• Easy Tips for Vegetables

Many people new to low-carb eating find that breakfast is the first big stumbling block. When you are used to reaching for the cereal box or toast, it can be puzzling to figure out what to eat instead. Check out Low-Carb Breakfast Menu Ideas and Quick Low-Carb Breakfasts for some ideas. 

In addition to the egg recipes above, there are low-carb recipes that can bring back the pancakes and muffins you may be missing, including:

• Low-Carb Pancakes (made with almond meal)
• Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes
• Instant Hot Flax Cereal With Peanut Butter (cooks in your bowl!)
• TVP "Oatmeal"
• Hot Pumpkin "Cereal" (this can be made without the pumpkin and then it's similar to cream of wheat)
• Sugar-Free Granola
• Low-Carb Muffins (made with almond meal)
• Easy Eggs Florentine
• Terri's Tofu Scramble

Yes, you are right—regular wheat flour is mostly off-limits when eating low-carb, but we can use substitutes such as almond flour and flax seed meal to make quick breads (yeast breads don't work so well with these ingredients). For example, check out:

• Flax Bread (makes great toast!)
• Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Bread
• Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
• Low-Carb Biscuits
• Raspberry Coconut Muffins

Salads are a low-carb mainstay, either as the primary part of the meal or on the side. It's important to pay attention not only to the ingredients in the salad itself, but the dressing, as most commercial dressings have a fair amount of sugar added. Try these:

• Thai-Style Chicken Salad
• Chopped Salad With Chicken, Bacon, and Apple
• Strawberry Chicken Salad
• Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing
• Tuna Walnut Salad
• Salmon Salad
• Low-Carb Blue Cheese Dressing
• Low-Carb Avocado Tuna Salad Crisps

Low-carb main dishes can be simple (think burger and a salad) or as elaborate and gourmet as you'd like. A nice compromise is easy but tasty dishes that don't require a great deal of cooking skill.

All the recipes in this Low-Carb Guide to Main Dishes are very-to-fairly easy to make and include de-carbed versions of such favorites as Meatloaf and Chicken Pot Pie.

Most of these 10 Low-Carb Soup Recipes can be used as the main part of a meal. And they all could be a great first course, including Low-Carb Clam Chowder and Cauliflower Cheese Soup.

A lot of the main dishes referred to above are really complete meals, but some need side dishes to fill out the plate.

Check out this Low-Carb Guide to Side Dishes for a long list of recipes, such as Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Simple Roasted Asparagus.

Snacks are important, too! Here are over 50 ideas for easy low-carb snacking in this Low-Carb Guide to Healthy Snacks, including Peanut Butter Protein Balls and Low-Carb Nachos.

Yes, we can have dessert! Although it's probably a good idea not to have too many sweets, treats can keep us from drifting back into ways of eating that don't work well for our bodies. There are lots of recipes in this Low-Carb Guide to Desserts, including Low-Carb Lemon Bars and No-Bake Cheesecake.

Can low-carb pizza be delicious? It can! Here are lots of ideas so you can have the pizza flavors you love without sending your blood sugar sky-high. (The favorite is this Deep Dish Pizza. You must try it if you are a pizza lover.)

Sometimes it seems as though every beverage you see is chock-full of sugar. But it doesn't have to be that way! Here are a few suggestions for sugar-free beverages:

• Sugar-Free Sports Drinks
• Low-Carb Cocktail Recipes
• Low-Carb Eggnog

Knowing how to make your own food is empowering. You can make food to your taste and really consider your food needs and preferences. And no longer do you need to worry about how much sugar or other carbs are in your food and how much it will affect your body. Bottom line, it is a big step towards taking control of your health.