Easy and Impressive Low-Carb Recipes

Whether you are on the South Beach, Zone, Adkins or Abs diet -- if you are committed to eating few refined grains and sugars, it is easy to get stuck in a culinary rut. Use these simple recipes and variations to throw your diet a changeup and help you get excited about food again.

Breakfast

For the carbohydrate-addicted, breakfast can be one of the hardest times to stay on plan. After all, most cereals, pastries and bagels are off limits, and who has the time or energy to make a complicated omelet that early?

Keep a few of these ingredients on hand to give a quick-and-easy scrambled egg a face lift:

broccoli

asparagus

shrimp

bacon bits

shredded cheese

walnuts

ham

peppers

sour cream

To reduce your preparation time in the morning, prepare individual packages of chopped mix-ins, ready to be tossed in with your eggs.

Not an egg lover? Coat a pan with a cooking spray and heat up a handful of almonds. Sprinkle on some cinnamon or baking cocoa and enjoy a crunchy, sweet, protein-filled breakfast. If you need a breakfast to eat on the run, consider a square of low fat cheese.

Lunch

Lunchtime seems to fly by, and the fast food joint around the corner beckons so sweetly! Fight the urge to purchase a fat-filled, carbohydrate rich lunch by bringing your own. Dinner leftovers are a good place to start when planning your midday meal. Substitute or supplement them with some of the following:

sautéed chunks of pork, chicken or shrimp

raw broccoli

a cup of ricotta cheese mixed with a packet of sugar free hot chocolate mix

mushroom slices

string cheese

cooked beans

cheese slices microwaved until crispy

warm milk sprinkled with nutmeg

shredded cabbage - makes a great substitute for noodles!

Dinner

Experiment with these easy, low carb supper recipes. Remember to make enough for tomorrow's lunch!

Cajun Beans

14 oz turkey summer sausage, cut into cubes

1 can of black beans, rinsed

1 tomato, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

Cajun seasoning to taste

Heat oil in a medium size frying pan. Over medium heat, brown sausage cubes. Add black beans, tomato and seasoning. Reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for ten minutes.

Shrimp Stirfry

½ pound shrimp - thawed, cooked, cleaned and tailed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups frozen broccoli florets

¾ cup shredded cabbage

Heat oil and butter in a medium size frying pan. Over medium heat, sauté shrimp, garlic and mushrooms. Add broccoli. Reduce heat and let simmer, covered, until broccoli is hot. Serve over shredded cabbage.

Variations: top with a dollop of sour cream; add ginger ; instead of broccoli, add basil and a diced tomato

Crock Pot Three-bean Chili

1 pound of hamburger, browned and drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 cup water

chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic, salt and hot sauce to taste.

Mix all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook on low 6-10 hours. Serve with shredded cheese.

Curried Chicken

1 whole chicken, rinsed and patted dry

1 small apple, rinsed

2 tablespoons curry powder

black pepper to taste

Stuff apple into chicken cavity. Place chicken in crock pot and sprinkle with curry powder and pepper. Cook on medium for 6-10 hours or as directed for your slow cooker.

Variations: use the broth as the base for Mulligatawny stew; stuff the chicken with an onion instead of an apple; slice a bell pepper and lay on top of chicken before cooking; add freshly grated ginger or diced garlic