You keep hearing about all the weight that your friends have lost on low-carb diets.
It doesn’t matter whether they’re on a keto, Paleo, Whole30 or old-school Atkins diet, they can’t stop telling you how the weight is just falling off, and how much they love their new lives – and their new bodies.
So, naturally, you look into it. You’d already assumed that a low-carb diet would force you to give up your regular weeknight dinners of takeout food. But then you pull up a list of everything else you’d have to give up if you try the low-carb thing.
And you’re horrified.
No bread? No potatoes or corn? No pasta? No chips or cereal? No milk or beer? NO SUGAR?? [1]
No thanks!
But then you check out what you can eat.
Unlimited meat, chicken, fish, eggs and cheese? Hmm, that’s not too bad. [2]
Even more importantly, your friends show you some of the flavorful low-carb dinner recipes they’ve found in cookbooks or online. Wow, those really do sound pretty good, and there are even recipes for desserts like low-carb peanut butter chocolate chip muffins.
Want to know what sounds even better? This compilation of some of the best low-carb recipes we’ve collected.
Get ready to get convinced. The right low-carb meals will have you actually looking forward to dinnertime.
Easy Low-Carb Turkey and Chicken Recipes
Turkey or chicken breasts are a go-to ingredient for most types of diets, because they’re low in fat and carbs but high in protein. And there are a nearly infinite number of ways you can use them in low-carb dinner recipes.
- Italian herb bruschetta chicken, seasoned with garlic and fresh herbs and cooked in olive oil, topped with a mixture of halved cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil and parmesan cheese and served with cauliflower rice
- Crispy parmesan garlic chicken with zucchini, coated in almond meal and cheese and then sautéed, served with zucchini wedges sautéed in the same pan
- Avocado and blackened chicken salad, with the chicken coated in garlic powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, and served on a lettuce bed with chopped avocado, tomato, cucumber, onion and cilantro
- Thai turkey lettuce wraps made with ground turkey, onions, garlic and red curry paste, served with a peanut sauce
Low-Carb Dinner Ideas Made With Meat
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when thinking about a low-carb diet is meat – lots and lots of meat. They’re not wrong, and there are lots and lots of meat recipes to choose from.
- Cheese-stuffed meatballs made from ground beef, Italian sausage, low-moisture mozzarella and almond meal, cooked in an Instant Pot or slow cooker with tomato sauce, chicken stock and spices, and served over zoodles (zucchini noodles) – the same recipe can be used for a terrific meatloaf
- Ground beef cauliflower lasagna, with the meat cooked with onion, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes and basil, and then poured over roasted cauliflower topped with shredded mozzarella and baked briefly – the same basic recipe can be used to make lasagna in stuffed peppers, and pepperoni can be added to boost the Italian flavors
- Coffee-rubbed steak with Brussels sprouts salad, with hanger steak rubbed with ground coffee, salt and pepper and pan-fried until a crust forms, served with shredded Brussels sprouts tossed in a honey-dijon dressing with pecans and blue cheese
- Steak and mushroom quesadillas or enchiladas, with sautéed steak strips and mushrooms placed into grain-free tortillas and filled with shredded cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend, folded and browned for several minutes and served with marinara or chili pepper sauce
Fish and Seafood Low-Carb Dinner Recipes
Lots of people aren’t big fans of plain white fish, but it can be dressed up and turned into yummy low-carb meals with plenty of variety. And seafood is just as versatile when it’s the primary ingredient in low-carb recipes.
- Keto fish tacos made with white fish marinated in cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper and lime juice, coated in egg whites and deep fried, served in grain-free tortillas with your choice of veggies like avocado, lettuce or cabbage and tomatoes, with a sauce made from sour cream, mayo, garlic and cilantro or a tahini sauce made with Greek yogurt
- Asian shrimp stir fry in orange sauce, with the salt-and-peppered shrimp cooked first, then the bell peppers, eggplant and snap peas browned with garlic and ginger, Asian sauce (made with orange juice and zest, lemon juice, chicken stock, and fish sauce) added, and the shrimp finally returned to the stir-fry for completion, served with cauliflower rice or zoodles
- Baked seafood casserole with shrimp and cod poached in white wine and spices, layered and baked in a casserole with sautéed leeks and celery, then topped with a mixture of almond flour, butter, Old Bay and parmesan, served over sautéed kale or in baked zucchini boats
Low-Carb Vegetarian Appetizers, Entrees and Side Dishes
The great thing about these low-carb vegetarian and vegan recipes is that you can make most of them as appetizers, side dishes, or full meals depending on how much you prepare. Or you can make the full recipe and repurpose the leftovers on another day.
- Parmesan garlic spaghetti squash, with the squash cooked in the microwave while an alfredo-substitute sauce of chicken stock, sour cream, garlic and parmesan is cooked on the stove – a perfect choice when you’re craving pasta
- Sheet pan roasted veggies, made with your choice of vegetables such as radishes, Brussels sprouts, squash, peppers and zucchini, tossed in coconut oil, oregano, parsley and basil, drizzled with oil and baked until slightly crunchy – can be served drizzled with balsamic vinegar as a side dish or roasted with sliced sausage for an entrée
- Vegan grilled tofu skewers, with liquid extracted from tofu cubes, which are then marinated in soy sauce and grilled on skewers with sliced zucchini, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and red onions, served with a low-carb BBQ sauce made from tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, chili, garlic and onion powder, cayenne pepper and powdered Swerve sugar replacement
Delicious, But a Lot of Work
Those recipes would make any dedicated home chef excited about the possibilities of a low-carb diet. If you’re not that crazy about prep work, cooking or even shopping, however, they might send you right back to your nightly pizza run or call to GrubHub.
Wait. Don’t give up just yet.
There’s an easier way to enjoy low-carb meals like the ones we’ve listed, but without having to deal with grocery stores, chef’s knives, pots, pans, mixers or food processors.
It’s called Factor.
Factor is the modern way to enjoy healthy food made from high-quality, fresh ingredients. The meals are designed by nutritionists and prepared by expert chefs; you choose your favorites each week from an online menu, and they’re shipped right to your door ready to be heated up and eaten in just minutes. That’s very different than meal kits from competitive services, which just ship you the ingredients and expect you to make and cook the food yourself.
And a large number of Factor’s options are low-carb and keto-friendly, and all are absolutely delicious. Just a few of the low-carb choices available the week this was written: Steak with Loaded Cauliflower Mash, Carnitas Style Pork, Garlic Parmesan Chicken Breast, and Kale Au Gratin (all with tasty sides, of course). Each meal is delivered fresh, and all you have to do is pop it into the microwave or oven.
There’s more to Factor’s approach, too. All ingredients and meals are gluten-free and prepared with no refined sugars. Proteins are grass-fed and pasture-raised, antibiotic- and hormone-free, and with no GMOs. So your meals are not just low-carb, they’re designed to be as healthy as possible. And they’re hassle-free.
You can choose to have as many as 18 meals a week delivered right to your door at a surprisingly-low price.
Now, what do you think about trying a low-carb diet?
That’s what we thought. Subscribing to Factor is even easier than calling DoorDash – and a whole lot healthier.
To learn more about how Factor can help with your low-carb dinner plans, click here.
Thanks to cafedelites.com, the recipecritic.com, cookinglight.com, northsouthblonde.com, brit.co, wholesomeyum.com, my recipes.com, eatwell101.com, mypcoskitchen.com, lifemadesweeter.com, moscatomom.com, simplysohealthy.com and vibrantplate.com for the recipe inspirations.
Sources:
[1] https://www.healthline.com
[2] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com
