12 Low Carb Meal Prep Recipes For Vegetarian And Non-vegetarian
Contents
Introduction
The modern-day life is full of complexities. We tend to eat unhealthily, have unhealthy work schedules and often live a life of unhealthy sleeping hours. As much as this unhealthy lifestyle is making our lives difficult, it is the diseases that come with it that make coming out of the trap impossible.
They say when you eat right everything else just falls into place! Therefore, we see a stark rise in the trend where people are trying to make a shift from the regular lifestyle to a much healthier one.
The most popular and needed change in the eating pattern that is required is to shift from unhealthy eating to a LOW CARB MEAL PLAN! The Low carb meals are actually the ones where the sources of carbohydrates are reduced and only the good form of carbohydrates are allowed for the diet.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are compounds in food which are abundant forms of starch, sugar and fiber. The food rich in carbohydrates aren’t just difficult to digest for the body but also consists of a high amount of sugar. Eating high carb food can actually make the digestion problems much common, weight gain, bring in hunger pangs, lead to unhealthy eating habits and also make your stomach feel heavier after meals.in general, we suggest using High-Fiber Low Carb Foods when you make your Low Carb Meal Prep Recipes
Carbohydrates are found in both healthy and unhealthy food like beans, pasta, bread, corn, milk, pies, cakes, cookies, potatoes and even popcorns. Sugar is particularly rich in carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are found in abundance but should be consumed in limits.
Carbohydrates are important for our body but in the right quantities. Carbohydrates provide for the glucose in the body which in turn is converted into energy so that we can carry out our body functions. But over eating of carbohydrates is going to increase the glucose content in our blood and lead to storage of energy in our body (if we do not consume as much energy daily) which is what we term as ‘fat’.
Over eating of high carb food can be dangerous for the health. And thus, the low carb diet came into the picture to help people with the right inclusion of carbohydrates, vitamins, etc. and balance the eating.
What is a low carb meal plan and how to prep?
A low carb meal plan is the plan where the right portion of food according to per day schedule is outlined as per your body needs. The plan is low on carbohydrates and has all other nutrients in the right measure so that you can have a lighter body and a peaceful living.
Low carb meals are preferred for a lot of reasons like:
- Weight loss
- Better immune system
- Control diabetes
- Keep track of heart diseases
How to start with low carb meal prep? Give recipes.
There are a lot of Low Carb Meal plans for people in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian category! One can choose to design their own choices as per their level of activity per day or take a diet plans from the nutritionists to work on the diet plan even more effectively. However, if you like to plan your Low carb meal in your own way then here are some recipes which would be of great help for you!
FOR VEGETARIAN
Hummus
| HUMMUS | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 2 cups chickpeas (soaked overnight and drained) | 1 tsp salt | Pinch of paprika |
| 1/3 cup tahini | 2 garlic cloves | 1 tbsp parsley (freshly chopped) |
| ¼ cup lemon juice | 1 tbsp Olive Oil | |
| Method: | ||
1. In a food processor, put in chilled boiled chickpea, garlic, salt and lemon juice. Blend the mixture until it turns smooth. 2. Take out the mixture in a bowl. 3. Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture and stir a little. 4. Sprinkle some parsley and paprika over the ready hummus! | ||
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
| BROCCOLI CHEESE CASSEROLE | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1 tin cream of mushroom soup | 10 ounce chopped broccoli | 1 cup Mayonnaise |
| 8 ounces Cheddar Cheese grated | 1 egg (Beat) | Paprika to sprinkle |
| Salt to taste | Pepper to taste | |
| Method: | ||
1. Keep the oven pre-heated at 350 degrees for 15 minutes 2. Take a baking dish of about 9×13 inches and grease it with butter 3. Take a bowl and mix eggs, mayonnaise, condensed cream of mushroom soup and onions together! 4. Put in the frozen broccoli and mix well 5. Now sprinkle some cheese over it and let the broccoli get covered in it 6. Put the mixture in the baking dish and smoothen the levels. 7. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and paprika on top 8. Now, bake it for about 45 minutes. 9. Your Broccoli Cheese Casserole is ready! | ||
Asparagus Parmesan
| ASPARAGUS PARMESAN | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1 pound fresh asparagus (trimmed) | 1 cup parmesan cheese | 1 tbsp butter |
| ¼ cup olive oil | Salt to taste | Cherry tomatoes |
| Pepper to taste | ||
| Method: | ||
1. Heat up olive oil in a large skillet and add a dash of butter on it. 2. Now add the asparagus and cook it in high flame for about 30-45 seconds. 3. Now turn the flame into dim and keep cooking it for more 10 minutes with an occasional stir. 4. Take out the excess oil and add some cherry tomatoes to it. 5. Take out in a pan and add some parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Ready! | ||
Best Jalapeno poppers
| BEST JALAPENO POPPERS | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 12-ounce cream cheese | 8-ounce cheddar cheese (shredded) | 12-ounce Jalapeno (sliced) |
| 2-3 green chilies | ½ cup boiled corn | 1 cup milk |
| 1 cup all purpose flour | 1 cup bread crumbs | 2 cup oil (for frying) |
| Method: | ||
1. Take a medium sized bowl and mix the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapeno slices, green chilies and boiled corn well. Now take some halved jalapenos and stuff this mixture inside it. 2. Mix the milk and the flour to form a thick batter 3. Dip the halved-stuffed jalapeno into the batter and then coat it with bread crumbs. Repeat the process to give a thick layering. 4. Let the coated jalapenos to settle and get firm. 5. In a baking dish put all the coated jalapenos and top with a little oil. 6. Bake the poppers in 350 degrees for about 10 minutes to get that golden crust on top. 7. Take out the jalapeno poppers and serve it hot with your favorite seasoning. | ||
Spiced Pumpkin seeds
| SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1 ½ tbsp melted margarine | 2 tsp worscestershire sauce | ½ tsp salt |
| 2 cups pumpkin seeds (whole uncooked) | 1/8 tsp garlic salt | |
| Method: | ||
1. At 135 degrees C preheat the oven for about 10 minutes 2. In a bowl mix the Worcestershire sauce, margarine, salt, pumpkin seeds and garlic salt together. Mix it thoroughly 3. Take a shallow baking dish and spread the mixture well spread. 4. Now bake the mix for an hour. 5. Serve it crunchy and hot or store it for snacking later. | ||
Green Bean and Mushroom Medley
| GREEN BEAN AND MUSHROOM MEDLEY | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| ½ pound beans (fresh and 1-inch long cut) | 2 carrots (cut 1 inch long) | ¼ cup butter |
| ½ pound mushroom (slices) | 1 onion (sliced) | 1 tsp salt |
| ½ tsp sea salt | ¼ tsp garlic salt | ¼ tsp white pepper |
| Method: | ||
1. Half cook the beans and carrot. In boiling water. Drain the water and keep aside 2. On a large skillet, heat the butter. Add in the onions and mushrooms to sauté 3. Reduce heat after a minute and let them cook almost 80%. 4. Now add in the boiled beans and carrot, salt, sea salt, garlic salt and white pepper. 5. Cook for a while on medium heat and turn the heat off. 6. Cover the lid for about a minute now and the dish is ready to be served! | ||
FOR NON-VEGETARIAN
Low Carb Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza
Avoiding All Purpose Flour does not mean that you have to compromise on the Pizza cravings now! Pizza can be easily brought into the Low Carb Meal Plan with a smart mind. Here is a simple recipe!
| LOW CARB DEEP DISH BREAKFAST PIZZA | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 6 eggs | 3 slices bacon | Basil to sprinkle |
| 1 ½ tbsp butter (divided) | ½ cup tomato puree | Salt to taste |
| 1.4 cup whipped cream | ¼ tsp garlic powder | Black pepper to taste |
| ¼ cup cheddar cheese (shredded) | ¼ tsp onion powder | |
| 2 onions (chopped) | 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese | |
| ½ bell pepper (chopped) | Oregano to sprinkle | |
| Method: | ||
1. Take a pie pan and add 1 tablespoon of butter on it. Grease the pan! 2. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees and now heat the pie pan for a quick 30 seconds to melt the butter 3. Take a large bowl and whisk 6 eggs, cream and cheddar cheese together until it is smooth. Pour the mixture into the pie pan. 4. Bake the mixture in the preheated oven for a good 18-20 minutes or until the eggs turn golden and crusty! Take out the eggs which are not the ‘crust’ for your pizza! 5. In a skilled heat the remaining ½ tbsp butter and add onions & green bell pepper. Cook for a few minutes. 6. Take another large skillet and place bacon slices on it to cook in medium heat. Keep turning the slices and let it cook evenly for about 10 minutes. Take the slices on paper napkins and let the bacon dry. 7. In a small bowl mix tomato puree, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, salt, oregano, black pepper and your pizza sauce is ready! 8. Apply the pizza sauce on top of the egg crust evenly. Add in the cooked onions and green bell peppers. 9. Also, add the bacon slices 10. Now sprinkle generous amounts of mozzarella cheese on top and bake the pizza for 8 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees. 11. Low carb pizza is ready! | ||
Marinated Grill Shrimp
| MARIANTED GRILL SHRIMP | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 3 garlic cloves | ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper | |
| 1/3 cup Olive Oil | Fresh Shrimp 2 pounds | |
| 1/3 cup pureed tomato | (Peeled and deveined) | |
| 2 tbsp Vinegar (Red Wine) | 8 pieces skewers | |
| 2 tbsps Fresh Basil (Chopped) | ||
| Salt to taste | ||
| Method: | ||
1. Mince garlic and add to a large bowl. Now add Olive Oil, tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, salt, basil, and cayenne pepper into the bowl. 2. Stir the mixture and add the shrimps into the bowl. Stir until shrimps are evenly coated with the mix. 3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour. 4. Skew the shrimps into skewers by taking in the head and tail into the skewers. Each skewer can hold about 2-3 shrimps. 5. Grill the skewed shrimps for 2-3 minutes on both sides until they turn opaque and golden-ish. 6. Serve! | ||
Slow cooked Lemon Garlic Chicken
| SLOW COOKED LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into halves) | 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice | |
| 1 tsp oregano sprinkle | 2 garlic cloves (minced) | |
| ½ tsp salt | 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules | |
| A pinch black pepper (ground) | 1 tsp parsley (freshly chopped) | |
| 2 tbsp butter | ||
| ¼ cup water | ||
| Method: | ||
1. Take a bowl and add oregano, salt & ground black pepper to it. Now rub this mixture on the chicken breast. 2. In a skillet, melt the butter in medium heat and put the chicken on it to cook until brown. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side and turn around. Continue until it turns golden brown. 3. Usin the same skillet, mix water, lemon water, bouillon granules and garlic and let the mixture come to a boil. Pour this over the chicken in a slow cooking process. 4. Cover the lid and let the chicken cook on low-medium heat for 4 hours. 5. Add parsley 30 minutes before stopping the heat. 6. Your slow cooked lemon garlic chicken is ready! | ||
Spinach Brownies
| SPINACH BROWNIES | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| A big bunch of spinach (rinsed, chopped) | 1 tsp baking powder | |
| 1 cup all-purpose flour | 1 tsp salt | |
| 8-ounce mozzarella cheese (shredded) | 2 eggs | |
| 1 onion (chopped) | ||
| ½ cup butter (melted) | ||
| 1 cup milk | ||
| Method: | ||
1. Preheat the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes 2. Grease the baking dish with a little butter 3. Take a medium saucepan and add spinach on to it. Now add some boiling water and let it boil for about 3-4 minutes. When the leaves become limp remove the leaves and drain water. Set the leaves aside to cool. 4. Take a large bowl and add all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients. 5. Now add in eggs, melted butter and milk to the mixture and beat well. 6. Mix the boiled spinach, chopped onions and shredded mozzarella cheese into the mixture 7. Now empty the mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly. Bake the mixture in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes. 8. Insert a toothpick and check if it comes out clean. 9. The brownies can now be cut and served hot or cold, as per wish! | ||
Grilled Alaska Salmon
| GRILLED ALASKA SALMON | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 4 ounce of Salmon | ½ cup peanut oil | 4 tbsp Soya Sauce |
| 4 tbsps Balsamic vinegar | 4 tbsps chopped green onions | 3 tbsp demerara brown sugar |
| 2 garlic cloves (clean) | 1 ½ tsp ginger paste | 2 tsp chili flakes (or paprika) |
| 1 tsp sesame oil | ½ tsp salt | |
| Method: | ||
1. Clean the salmon fish and place it in a non-porous medium glass plate. 2. Take a bowl and add sesame oil, peanut oil, balsamic vinegar, soya sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chili flakes and salt to it. Mix it well and pour over the fish. 3. Rub the marination well on the fish to let it completely covered in marination. Now cover it and keep in the freezer for 6 hours for marination. 4. Set up a barbeque or a grill system with the grate nearly 5 inches far from the coal. Grease the grates. 5. Taking it a grilling stick piece the fish on to the griller and start grilling from 5 inches afar. The grilling shall take about 40 minutes to 50 minutes. 6. Take off the grill and add some lemon juice, chopped green onions and start binging. | ||
Pollo Fajitas
| POLLO FAJITAS | ||
| Ingredients: | ||
| 1 ½ pound of chicken (boneless & skinless) | 1 green bell pepper (chopped) | I onion (chopped) |
| 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce | 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar | 1 tbsp soy sauce |
| 1 tsp paprika | 1 garlic clove (clean and chopped) | 1 tsp hot pepper sauce |
| 1 tbsp vegetable oil | ½ lemon juice | Parsley |
| Method: | ||
1. In a large bowl add the Worcestershire sauce, soya sauce, apple cider vinegar, paprika, garlic, and pepper sauce. Mix the sauce well and now put the chicken in the sauce. 2. Give the chicken a good coat of the sauce and leave it for marination into the fridge for about an hour. 3. Take a wide skillet and heat it up well. Now put some oil into the skillet and place the chicken strips for cooking. Turn them around a few times and sauté well for about 5 minutes. You can add onions, chopped green pepper and parsley now. 4. Cook for another 3-4 minutes and remove from heat! 5. Top it up with a little lemon juice and serve immediately! | ||
How to avoid carbohydrates from our daily lives?
Avoiding carbohydrates from the diet is actually pretty simple! You just have to focus on what is rating right and the sources of carbohydrates which are allowed to you. You can keep the following points in your mind:
Start your day with whole grains
Always opt for the whole grains to keep your day blooming. You can opt for the Oatmeals, hot cereal but remember not to buy those instant oatmeal noodles always go for steel cut or rolled oats. The wholegrain packet should express a whole grain first on the ingredient list and should be low in sugar. There should be at least 4 grams of fiber and less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.
Fruits instead of the juices
Fruits and veggies are higher in fiber as compared to the juices and so fruits should be given preference.
Binge on vegetables and salads
Fresh Green Vegetables and salads are an excellent way to cater to healthy eating and adding in a source of fiber.
Add in a source of protein
Protein is essential for our body and thus make sure to take in a little of protein daily. Drink milk, have paneer, beans, chickpeas or soybeans etc. to give your body the needed nutrition.
Are low carb meals beneficial for us?
Low carb meals are highly beneficial in having fuller meals that work for our health. When you have issues with blood sugar, body weight or even some heart diseases, the low carb meal plans are ideal for controlling your body intake and take in meals which actually do good to your body.
- Low carb meals are ideal for balanced blood sugar levels
- Low carb meals reduce the heart risk factors bringing a reduction in effects of cardiovascular diseases and increasing good cholesterol in the body
- Lowers glucose and insulin levels
- Aids weight loss
- Keeps you fuller for longer
How is Keto Meal different from Low carb meals?
Where a low carb diet focuses on decreasing the content of carbohydrates in the body, a Ketogenic diet actually makes the body starve for carbohydrates. The idea of a ketogenic diet is to break down the already stored energy and usage of the carbohydrates so that the body loses weight. Therefore, A keto meal can be ideally called a restorative diet while a low carb diet is a preventive diet. Keto diet or keto meals are very similar to the low carb meals except for the fact that sometimes keto meals might be high on protein and with zero carbohydrates.
One can go for Keto Meal preps or just opt for low carb meals and follow a healthy eating habit. Do give these simple yet nutritious dishes a try and take the best care of your body!
Some Related Articles:
Some Article Resources:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/advantages-of-a-low-carb-diet/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-ways-to-eat-less-carbs
