So you’ve decided to go for a low carb diet – best of luck to you for that. However, you might realize that it is not as easy as you may have expected it to be; at least without not without proper planning and thoughts.
So What can you do?
Let’s face it- we all have our own daily routines (or at least I hope so!) and it can be quite a difficult task to wake up very early in the morning to prepare low carb breakfast or food for lunch. Lets not also forget that, then you have to struggle through the morning commute for who knows how many more hours and then, as soon as you reach into work, you run down to the vending machine and pick up a chilled can of soda. Whoa there! You’re off to a bad start.
What if I told you, that you can actually carry your low carb meal with you? That too without spending hours of effort in the kitchen before going out for work, but there are ways you can cut down preparation time and enjoy delicious, healthy and most importantly nutritious low carb meals.
First, A Few Quick Tips:
- Start taking preparation even before the week starts – you can easily cut veggies in bulk for salads, marinate and grill meat, and even portion off entire meals, all over the weekend.
- Make a healthy list of foods and groceries for the whole week – without proper planning or ready food, you are more likely to fall off a diet plan! So, stock up, and cook happily!
- Don’t Go for too much flavoring (salt, mustard, or pickle) – by doing this, you can try to try to limit or restrict the amount of condiments loaded with hidden carbs and sodium, which can leave you scratching your head wondering where you’re going wrong.
You might also like to read: A Guide to low carb diet for people with Type 2 Diabetes
With That Out Of The Way, Here Are Some Great, Healthy And Nutritious Low Carb Meals Ideas
- Bread-less Sandwiches: finding it hard to forego your delicious bread-based sandwiches? For many people, bread forms a very important meal base, around which endless varieties of sandwiches can be prepared. Going cold turkey on bread when on a low carb diet can drive you bananas! But, luckily, you can substitute bread slices by using lettuce, or you can also try it with bunless burgers! Let’s face it, Sandwiches are the ultimate portable food, and this can be a blessing for everyone. Fill with lean meats, onion, ranch dressing for a zesty kick (which coincidentally is low in carbs wink wink!) and, in limitation, a bit of cheese. You can try a new type of lettuce for your sandwich base every day if you like!
- Stir Fried Veggies And Seafood: Don’t like the idea of preparing veggies on the weekend? Still, there is no reason to get stressed out. You can just as easily pick up a bag of frozen veggies from your nearest supermarket, and easily cook up a tasty and healthy stir fry. Add shrimp in the mix, or even canned tuna, and what you’ve got is a powerful and portable meal rich in heart-healthy Omega-3 Fatty acids and lots of Zinc (watch out for that libido increase!)
- Low Carb Bento Boxes– If you know about bento boxes, then you may be already aware of that fact that they can be a very nice way to spruce up a boring or visually dead diet. The way food looks plays an important part in its perceived taste, and this is especially where bento box low carb meals excel. All you need is a lunch bowl with 3-4 compartments and fill them up with various foods in each. Typically, Japanese Bento boxes contain rice, but there are many low carb substitutions available which are quite easy and quick to prepare. You can fill each compartment with different low carb items such as seasoned or stir-fried veggies, lean meat, or even better fish; and a boiled egg or two in the other compartment. Sprinkle a little soy sauce over the dish and you will have a delectable meal that looks stunning too.
- Smoked Or Grilled Kebabs – Love Kebabas? Well, now you can have your mini HEALTHY low carb barbecue whenever you need! Just fire up that grill (gas or charcoal) and make your own kebabs on skewers! Accessorize with sweet bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, maybe some bacon, and even the occasional pineapple chunk. A very low carb portable and nutritious meal as long as you do not go overboard with the pineapple.
- Good Old Salads– nothing beats a nice salad when it comes to health and convenience. Salads are quick and easy to prepare, can be done however you like and are filling too. Load up with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers and lean meats of your choice (turkey works well here).
Now that you’ve seen the how simple and easy it is to pack yourself a healthy and nutritious low carb meal, there’s no longer a reason to not carry yours to work.
You might also like to read: Food For Healthy Skin
