Low carb breakfast ideas, no dairy or fruit

fishfilet
fishfilet Posts: 18 Member
I need your guys' help...

I have gestational diabetes, and I've been put on a strict diet which limits breakfast to 15g carbs, but no dairy and no fruit at breakfast.

I am sooo tired of eggs every morning.

The only other option I typically do is a half piece of toast or half an english muffin with peanut butter, but it just isn't enough to keep me full. If I'm really rushed in the morning I'll grab a Kind bar, which I can usually find for ~15g.

Do you guys have any better suggestions? The lack of dairy and fruit really limits a lot of things that I would normally eat.

Replies

  • KaelaLee88
    KaelaLee88 Posts: 229 Member
    I would always opt for eggs because they are my favorite, however I can understand that you might get sick of them.

    Have you tried eggy bread? That combines 1 piece of bread, 1 egg and some icing sugar. Also, you could try mixed cold meats and go continental?

    It's all about trial and error, perhaps a smaller breakfast and then a snack about 2 hours later?

    I hope that this helps alittle.

    Kaela
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    bacon
  • dewsmom78
    dewsmom78 Posts: 498 Member
    I tend to eat non breakfast stuff for breakfast, who says you have eat eggs...

    You could cook up a bunch of chicken, add that with cheese and salsa on a low carb wrap. Very filling and low carb.
  • toscarthearmada
    toscarthearmada Posts: 382 Member
    I'm on a "low carb" diet that still allows me to eat 30g of carbs at any meal. Here are a few of the things I perfectly measure to fit my needs. I'm also Gluten Free.

    I always couple a protein with a carb...

    Protein:
    Eggs or Egg Whites
    Left Over Dinner Meat
    Turkey Sausage
    Bacon.
    Deli Meat

    Carb
    French Toast (one slice is usually 10g of carbs)
    Grits
    Oatmeal
    Chex Cereal w/ Almond Milk
    Smoothies with Veggies and Protein powder
    Egg Scrambles
    Omelettes
    Egg Breakfast Burritos
    Tostadas
  • emmaalyssaa
    emmaalyssaa Posts: 35 Member
    Take the idea of "breakfast food" out of your head first of all :) It will seriously help you!


    Have some protein (chicken, steak, whatever) with veggies and some avocado!
    A big *kitten* salad
    Bacon & brussels sprouts with or without poached eggs on top
    A delicious protein shake (I just made an amazing one with choc protein pow, cold brew. almond milk, and ice... carbs was like 15g and kept me full for 3.5hours)
    Shredded meat with spinach and salsa *kind of like a salad I guess lol
  • ncl1313
    ncl1313 Posts: 237 Member
    I had GD...it takes a bit to get used to the low carbs, huh?

    Out of curiosity, are you no dairy due to the carb content, or due to other dietary issues? I just ask because I used to eat a LOT of cottage cheese or yogurt for breakfast when I would get sick of eggs. And did the doctor instruct no fruit or is the reasoning again related to carb content? Some fruits will spike blood sugar easier than others. I ate a lot of blueberries for breakfast and never spiked. Bananas on the other hand would give me numbers like if I'd eaten 3 donuts.

    I will also add that my nutritionist was less strict about the 15g carbs for breakfast as long as my numbers were good post-meal. I found I could eat oatmeal but not cereal, wheat bread but not white, english muffin half but not bagel half, etc. It's a learning curve. Just be in good communication with your doctor and don't lie about your numbers. Having a high number here and there isn't the end of the world.

    My go-to breakfast was omelet muffins...crumbled bacon, sausage or ham (or all 3) in the bottom of a greased muffin tin, top with veggies (tomatoes, spinach, onions, peppers all work good) then pour some beaten eggs over the top and bake at 350 until set. Freeze and microwave like 30 seconds for a breakfast on the go.

    Good luck! Just remember, it's only for a few months and you can go back to eating whatever you want (I celebrated with a dozen donuts and a giant latte).
  • Aeramis13
    Aeramis13 Posts: 135 Member
    How about some protein? Most days I eat a one of those tuna pouches for breakfast. Zero carbs & 15+ grams of protein, in a pretty small caloric package.

    I normally eat a carby snack mid-morning to kill my standard sugar craving around that time (my personal choice is often one of those individually wrapped rice krispie treats, though they're 17 grams of carbs, i think) That being said, I don't limit carbs at all, so you may want to find a different option :)
  • marko320
    marko320 Posts: 84 Member
    Smoked salmon. Zero prep besides opening the package. I get them from Costco. Five slices:

    Calories 70 Sodium 410 mg
    Total Fat 2 g Potassium 0 mg
    Saturated 1 g Total Carbs 2 g
    Polyunsaturated 0 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
    Monounsaturated 0 g Sugars 0 g
    Trans 0 g Protein 11 g
    Cholesterol 31 mg
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
    I know you said you are tired of eggs.. but..

    Try egg whites, a handful of kale or baby spinach and a chicken sausage.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    I agree that you don't have to do breakfast food. Eat a sandwich on lower carb bread/wrap if you want to.

    The other thing I was thinking is breakfast burritos. Low carb tortillas, scrambled eggs, sausage or bacon, peppers and onions, salsa, a bit of avocado. I know it's still eggs, but maybe the other stuff would be enough to change it up. Or you could put whatever fillings you wanted to in there - veggies, meats, whatnot. A tiny bit of cheese would round it out nicely, if you can manage that (someone else asked why no dairy; if it's just from the carbs most cheeses have 0 or nearly 0 so maybe you could find out if you could work that in, obviously if it's for another reason it would be a no-go).
  • janatarnhem
    janatarnhem Posts: 669 Member
    bacon

    Second that!
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Why no dairy or fruit? That really does limit you a lot. I was going to suggest mini crustless quiches, but it looks like that's out too....

    So without dairy, fruit, and going low carb, I guess that leaves you with vegetables. and meat. or granola/ dry cereal.
  • FoamyRiver
    FoamyRiver Posts: 276 Member
    Similar to the omelette muffins already mentioned I do a crustless quiche in a baking dish and eat on it all week. I use turkey sausage or bacon, left over lunchmeat, etc and all the veggies I want. You can use egg beaters/egg whites or eggs as well depending on what kind of calorie content you need. Even when I'm tired of "breakfast" foods I love this; it's great for any meal.
  • ncl1313
    ncl1313 Posts: 237 Member
    I wanted to add this as a separate thought and not just as an add to my original reply...

    I see a lot of people recommending deli meat, smoked salmon, tuna, etc. Please keep in mind that many of these foods are not recommended for pregnant women. What a pregnant woman chooses to eat is totally up to her (I safely ate deli meat, sushi, etc. against recommendations), but just keep that in mind when making suggestions. When the added difficulty of gestational diabetes is added to the mix, you really do feel like you can't eat ANYTHING.

    The biggest rule with GD is to pair protein with carbs, and to eat pretty much every 2-3 hours. You are trying to keep your blood sugar levels steady. If you are newly diagnosed, I understand it can be very scary and confusing. After a few weeks you'll get into a groove and it really does become easier. I am concerned about you not wanting dairy suggestions, only because I wouldn't have been able to do it without the aid of cottage cheese and string cheese (I didn't eat either for at least a year after I gave birth). Feel free to PM me if you'd like to chat.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    I like to stir-fry chicken breast and/or eggs with vegetables (in summer that's zucchini, summer squashes, tomatoes, carrots, baby peas, asparagus, peppers hot or sweet, and dark greens) and serve the mess with plenty of hot sauce or salsa. You can also dry-fry a corn tortilla and serve everything tostada-style for about 12g carbs, if you like.

    Another good one is well-seasoned browned ground beef in miso broth with wilted greens and a poached egg. Basically just keep some browned beef on hand and in the morning heat your broth, toss in your greens, and immediately crack an egg in the center. Give it three minutes at a simmer, put some beef in the bottom of a bowl, and gently pour your broth/greens/egg mixture over the top. It's... breakfast soup, I guess, but it's really satisfying on chilly mornings.

    Colder mornings can call for some full-fat Greek yogurt with pureéd berries on top (berries can be high carb, but if you blitz just a few in the blender and use them as a sauce you reduce the carbs while extending the flavor benefits). Serve this with a couple of slices of quickly fried ham or bacon on the side.
  • fishfilet
    fishfilet Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks everyone, I really am appreciating the inputs =)

    Just to clarify, the no dairy or fruit was dr's orders due to the carb content. I can add them in for lunch or later, but before lunch they are really the strictest with what you eat.

    Thanks for the reminder that it's only a few months =)
  • amyjax
    amyjax Posts: 102
    Bacon, leftovers from dinner, protein shakes with almond milk.
  • Look up muscle egg whites! I eat them every morning :)
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    I eat gardenburgers with cheese and mustard for breakfast on english muffins. It ends up being about 25g protein. You could probably find a low carb bun/bread to use and ditch the muffin.
  • lemonsnlove
    lemonsnlove Posts: 200
    Bump for ideas
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    I'd suggest finding a good list of low carb foods; it'll give you some ideas of what you can have instead of looking at lists of things you can't. I think the list they have at the Atkins site is pretty good: http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase-1/What-You-Can-Eat-in-this-Phase.aspx There's a pretty comprehensive list of vegetables and their carb counts. You want to avoid veggies like carrots and tomatoes which are higher in carbs.

    I'm not typically a low carb eater but I prefer to avoid a lot of sugar for my breakfast. Too much sugar gets me off on the wrong foot for the day. So most mornings my breakfast is an Atkins meal bar. I especially like the peanut butter granola. They're about 200 calories with 1 or 2 grams of sugar and 15-17 grams of protein. Total carbs is usually 2 or 3 grams. They are filling and pretty tasty.
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    Unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, pb2 or nut butter, cocoa and ice.
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
    I like to stir-fry chicken breast and/or eggs with vegetables (in summer that's zucchini, summer squashes, tomatoes, carrots, baby peas, asparagus, peppers hot or sweet, and dark greens) and serve the mess with plenty of hot sauce or salsa. You can also dry-fry a corn tortilla and serve everything tostada-style for about 12g carbs, if you like.

    Another good one is well-seasoned browned ground beef in miso broth with wilted greens and a poached egg. Basically just keep some browned beef on hand and in the morning heat your broth, toss in your greens, and immediately crack an egg in the center. Give it three minutes at a simmer, put some beef in the bottom of a bowl, and gently pour your broth/greens/egg mixture over the top. It's... breakfast soup, I guess, but it's really satisfying on chilly mornings.

    Colder mornings can call for some full-fat Greek yogurt with pureéd berries on top (berries can be high carb, but if you blitz just a few in the blender and use them as a sauce you reduce the carbs while extending the flavor benefits). Serve this with a couple of slices of quickly fried ham or bacon on the side.
    We eat a lot of wilted chard or spinach with poached eggs. Never tried it with ground beef.