Going keto? It may be time to rethink your breakfast staples. Even “healthy” choices can be surprisingly high in carbs! We asked low-carb expert Scott Gooding for his tips.
Take a fruit and yoghurt combo for breakfast. A cup of mixed fruit has around 15g carbs – all of which are sugar. Add a small carton of low-fat vanilla yoghurt and you’ve got another 29g carbs – most of which are sugar. That’s 44g carbs before you’ve even had time to wake up! Typically, when going keto you’re aiming to stay below 50g of carbs.Keto brekkie basics
Sure, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of fruit, but when going keto 40+ grams of sugar for brekkie won’t cut it. So what’s the alternative? Healthy chef and THR1VE ambassador Scott Gooding says you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. “While transitioning stick with tried and tested recipes. Simply whipping up some scrambled eggs is a great place to start, or even an omelette with some onion, chilli and spinach.”
A good guide is to fill 1/3 of your plate with protein, the remaining 2/3 with veggies and then add a handful or drizzle of healthy fats. Veggies should be the hero.
“There are a number of ways to make veggies sexy and enticing,” Gooding says. “Don’t overcook them – veggies shouldn’t be exposed to high heat or cooked for a long time, typically. Once you nail the cooking process, try adding staples like tahini dressing, chilli, lemon and olive oil to make them sing.”
So what’s a good go-to breakfast then? “It’s important not to overthink things,” says Gooding. “My go-to is either a fat-rich smoothie – using coconut cream, tahini, MCT, protein powder and some greens or some scrambled eggs cooked in lashings of butter, maybe with some leeks and chilli thrown in if I’m feeling fancy. However, something simple like boiled eggs with good butter and salt will suffice, too.”
Thinking about lunch?
FYI the same rules apply! Make veggies the hero. Kale slaw, zucchini noodles with pesto, baked mushrooms are all lunch and dinner stars. Then add your protein, like roast chicken, crispy skin salmon or grass-fed sirloin. You can then just dress or cook with healthy fats. For example, cook your steak or salmon in ghee or pop butter inside the skin of your roasted chicken. Otherwise, a topping of avo, crushed nuts or seeds work well.
