Daily Menu Ideas- Low(er) Carb Version!

While I generally do aim for balanced macros overall, my day to day consumption varies. I've noticed that the last couple of recipes I've posted have been higher carb, so today's full day meal plan will be skewed to be slightly lower net carb to give you some more ideas if your body responds better to that! 

I admit I am super grateful not to be requiring a low carb diet. In fact, I get pretty sick (well beyond keto flu levels) if I do try to go low carb, and I have been medically advised against it for my personal circumstances. As a type 2 diabetic, I do try to stick to lower glycemic carbs and to eat carbs only along with proteins to prevent a blood sugar spike, but low carb for me is neither sustainable nor healthy for my body.

While keto/ultra low carb is all in vogue right now, technically the medical definition of "low carb" is less than 130g of carbs per day, so all of the meal plans I post do fit that definition. Low carb doesn't have to mean keto! Don't assume that to lose weight you will have to slash your carb consumption unless it's a recommendation from your nutritionist or doctor- I'm losing weight just fine with dessert every day and balanced macros.

Don't forget to check out my other full day meal plans! I'd love to hear what you think!

Breakfast:

I've posted a delicious dinner shaksuka recipe before, but this breakfast is not only going to change up your usual routine a bit, but it's fairly quick, easy, and filling!

Breakfast Shaksuka:

1 tsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped into strips
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
1 handful fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup cooked chickpeas, well drained

1/2 cup baby spinach
1 can whole tomatoes in juice
2 large eggs

1 oz crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese)
Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

In a large bowl, mash the tomatoes to create a chunky puree. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, and add the onion and bell pepper, cooking for 4-5 min or until softened. Add garlic, paprika, and cumin, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Fold in the tomatoes in juice, and chick peas, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes. Stir in a couple of fresh basil leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the baby spinach and stir to combine.

Using a spoon, make a little indentation in one corner of the pan and crack an egg directly into it. Repeat for the other egg, and sprinkle a little pepper on top if desired. Cover the pan with a glass lid so you can watch the doneness of the eggs, about 6-8 minutes for set whites and slightly runny yolks. Sprinkle with feta cheese and garnish with more fresh basil. Serve right away and enjoy! Recipe serves two portions.

Chickpeas are a great choice for low glycemic carbs because they're also a good source of protein, and the high fiber lowers the total net carbs of this recipe as well. They bring a lot of richness to this Middle Eastern breakfast. To go even lower carb you could remove the chickpeas but I think they really do add to the flavour of this dish.

Breakfast Summary: 282 calories, 12.5g fat, 29.2g carbs, 14g protein

Morning Snack:

I love making little snack boxes to pick at over time. That way if I'm not hungry for my whole snack all at once, I can eat little bits at a time. You can rotate so many different foods through a "snackuterie" box and never get bored! Today's box includes 1oz sharp cheddar cheese cut into cubes, 1oz soppressata salami cut into thin slices, 1/4 of an avocado, cubed, 2 celery stalks cut into sticks, and 2 tbsp of plain Greek yogurt mixed with Ranch seasoning to make dip.

Snack Summary: 299 calories, 23g fat, 7g carbs, 19g protein

Lunch:

So originally this was a Hellofresh recipe, but I didn't have all the ingredients at hand so I decided to make a few modifications. This is a quick and easy recipe that holds up well for lunch on a workday! The earlier you can do the veggies, the better, so that the flavour is stronger. Make enough for leftovers because it'll be even better the next day!

Tangy Chipotle-Lime Chicken Wrap:

1 Orowheat keto tortilla

1 pkg Fresh Additions fully cooked chicken (or else 4oz cooked chicken breast)

1/2 red bell pepper, seeds removed

1/4 red onion, cut into slices and quartered

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/2 cup shredded cabbage mix

2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp lime juice

paprika, chipotle seasoning, garlic/bell pepper seasoning to taste

Pickle the onions in a small bowl with the vinegar, and stir occasionally to ensure that all the onions soak. In a separate bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic/bell pepper seasoning, and just a dash of chipotle. Add the shredded cabbage and toss until well coated.

Cut the half bell pepper in half to create two large flat pieces. Sprinkle a little paprika on the red pepper, and grill until it starts to release its juices. I did mine on the panini press so no oil was needed.

And time to assemble your wrap! Spread out your tortilla on a plate and fill with coleslaw down the middle. Put the chicken in a vertical row next to the coleslaw mix, and the onions next to that. Layer the grilled red peppers over top. Fold up the bottom, roll your tortilla, and enjoy! I'm not so great at folding them, but you could fold over both ends and stick a toothpick through both sides and then cut in the middle for greater portability.

This was tangy, delicious and filling. Note that while the carb count seems high, the fiber is almost 20g so the net carbs are much lower. If it still feels too high for you? You can swap it for a Crepini egg wrap from Costco which has only 30 calories and 0g of carbs! They are very thin so you might need to use 2 so that it doesn't tear but at that calorie/carb count, who's counting??

Lunch Summary: 300 calories, 7g fat, 35g carbs, 30g protein

Afternoon Snack:

                                                           

This snack takes a little advance planning but it's well worth the effort to enjoy a low carb version of a California roll!

Cucumber California Bites:

1 

avocado, sliced thinly

1 

Juice of 1 lemon

ground pepper
kosher salt
1 

large cucumber, sliced into 1/4" coins

8 oz. 

 crabmeat

3 tbsp. 

mayonnaise

3 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp. 

Sriracha

3 

green onions, thinly sliced (plus more for garnish)

Sesame seeds, for garnish

Furikake spice (optional)
Soy sauce for dipping

In a medium bowl, squeeze lemon juice over avocado slices and season with salt and pepper if desired. Top each cucumber slice with some avocado. In another bowl, combine crabmeat, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sriracha, and green onions. Stir until well mixed. Add a spoonful of the crab mixture to each cucumber slice and sprinkle with Furikake spice, if using. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve with soy sauce for dipping. Serves 3 portions.

As someone who isn't a big rice fan anyway, you can enjoy all the flavours of California rolls without the extra carbs or calories. Cucumbers make a great base for a lot of handheld snacks!

Snack Summary: 242 calories, 15g fat, 14g carbs, 15.5g protein

Dinner:

Basque-Style Bouillabaisse: 

8 oz cod (or any other flaky white fish)
8 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 8oz cans of low sodium crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
spice blend, to taste (pepper, garlic, salt substitute, red pepper, powdered vinegar, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne)

In a medium pot, pour a little of the juice from the canned tomatoes (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and heat on medium high. Add the vegetables. Season with the spice blend to taste. Cook, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the vegetables are fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 cups of water to the vegetable mix. Place the raw fish fillets and shrimp into the bouillabaisse. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until fish is opaque and cooked through. Add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes. Serves two portions.

This dinner is low on carbs, but not low on flavour. It's also nice for a day when you're looking for a lighter meal but don't want to skimp on your protein.

Dinner Summary: 210 calories, 7g fat, 15.5g carbs, 20g protein

Dessert:

Cookie Dough Bites:

1/2 c. 

(1 stick) butter, softened

1/3 c. 

keto friendly confectioners sugar (such as Swerve)

1/2 tsp. 

pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. 

kosher salt

2 c. 

almond flour

2/3 c. 

keto friendly dark chocolate chips (such as Lily's)

In a large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat until combined. Slowly beat in the almond flour until no dry spots remain, then fold in chocolate chips. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate to firm slightly, minimum 15-20 minutes. When dough is chilled, use a small dough scoop or spoon to scoop the dough into small balls. No baking required- cookie dough bites will stay good in the fridge for up to a week if you think they will last that long, or they

 can keep in the freezer for up to a month so they're easy to make and enjoy in a big batch! This recipe makes 15 servings of 2 bites each.

To up the protein count, you can consider adding a scoop of vanilla protein powder to the batter, or just enjoy as is. These are also great if you add a little bit of your favourite nut butter- just keep an eye on the calorie count if you make any additions.

Dessert Summary: 200 calories, 18g fat, 6g carbs, 4g protein

Daily Total: 1533 calories, 82.5g fat, 106.7g of carbs, 102.5g protein