The short answer: the easiest low carb meals pair a protein with nonstarchy vegetables and a little healthy fat, and skip or swap the bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.
- Plate: about a quarter protein and about half nonstarchy vegetables
- Proteins: chicken, beef, pork, fish, eggs or tofu
- 60 ideas from breakfast to sheet-pan dinners
- A carb swaps table and a 7-day starter plan
- Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).
Our picks for low carb meals
Starter pickPrintables
Meal Planner & Grocery List
Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
Printables
Family Recipe Binder
Section dividers, four recipe page layouts with room for the family story, 4x6 and 3x5 cards and a conversion chart - print it or type into the fillable version.
Printables
Budget Planner Printable
Twelve undated pages you can print every month: budget, bills, spending, savings and debt.
The easiest low carb meals pair a protein (chicken, beef, pork, fish, eggs or tofu) with nonstarchy vegetables and a little healthy fat, and skip or swap the bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Below are 60 low carb meal ideas grouped by breakfast, lunch, chicken, beef and pork, seafood, vegetarian and one-pan dinners, plus a carb swaps table and a 7-day starter plan you can copy.
The trick with any eating plan is making it fit a normal week. These meals use regular grocery store ingredients, and most of them work for the whole table. If protein is your priority, these high protein low carb meals each have 32 to 50 grams of protein and under 15 grams of net carbs.
What counts as low carb?
Mayo Clinic says most low-carb diets allow about 60 to 130 grams of carbohydrates a day, with very low-carb plans under 60. Mayo Clinic notes that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 130 grams of carbs a day for adults ages 19 to 59, so a low-carb plan simply sits below that. Mayo Clinic also suggests checking with your healthcare professional before starting, especially if you have diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease. For a ranked list of what to buy, see our low carb foods list with net carbs per serving. If you manage diabetes, our diabetic meal plan is built on the ADA Diabetes Plate rather than a strict low-carb target.
| Build your plate | Examples |
|---|---|
| Protein (about a quarter) | Chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, shrimp, eggs, tofu |
| Nonstarchy vegetables (about half) | Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, spinach, peppers, cabbage, salad greens |
| Healthy fat (a little) | Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, cheese |
| Limit | Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, sugary sauces, juice |
Low carb breakfast ideas
- Veggie omelet with spinach, peppers and cheese
- Egg muffins baked in a muffin tin
- Scrambled eggs with sausage and sautéed greens
- Crustless quiche with ham and broccoli
- Plain Greek yogurt with a few berries and walnuts
- Cottage cheese with cucumber and everything seasoning
- Bacon, eggs and sliced tomatoes
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese lettuce cups
Low carb lunch ideas
- Lettuce-wrap turkey and cheese sandwich
- Chef salad with eggs, ham, turkey and cheese
- Tuna salad stuffed in avocado halves
- Chicken salad lettuce cups
- Burrito bowl over cauliflower rice
- Egg roll in a bowl (ground pork and coleslaw mix)
- Cobb salad with a simple vinaigrette
- Leftover chicken over a big green salad
- Antipasto plate with salami, cheese, olives and peppers
- Chicken vegetable soup made with broth
Low carb chicken dinners
- Roasted chicken thighs with broccoli
- Lemon garlic chicken with green beans
- Chicken fajita bowls without tortillas
- Buffalo chicken lettuce wraps
- Chicken parmesan topped with sauce and mozzarella, no breading
- Creamy Tuscan chicken with spinach
- Grilled chicken Caesar salad without croutons
- Pesto chicken with roasted zucchini
- Chicken stir-fry over cauliflower rice
- Slow cooker salsa chicken in lettuce cups
Low carb beef and pork dinners
- Bunless burger bowl with pickles and cheese
- Taco salad with seasoned ground beef
- Zucchini noodles with meat sauce
- Stuffed peppers with beef and cauliflower rice
- Steak with garlic butter mushrooms
- Pork chops with sautéed cabbage
- Meatballs in marinara with roasted vegetables
- Philly cheesesteak skillet without the roll
- Beef and broccoli over cauliflower rice
- No-bean beef chili with cheese and sour cream
Low carb seafood dinners
- Baked salmon with asparagus
- Garlic butter shrimp with zucchini noodles
- Shrimp fajitas on a sheet pan
- Lemon pepper cod with green beans
- Tuna patties made with egg and almond flour
- Shrimp stir-fry with snow peas and peppers
- Salmon Caesar salad
- Cajun shrimp and sausage skillet
Low carb vegetarian meals
- Spaghetti squash with marinara and ricotta
- Cauliflower fried rice with eggs
- Eggplant parmesan, baked not breaded
- Tofu and vegetable stir-fry
- Caprese salad with extra mozzarella
- Zucchini lasagna with ricotta and spinach
- Portobello pizzas with sauce and cheese
- Broccoli cheddar cauliflower soup
Low carb sheet-pan and one-pot dinners
- Sausage, peppers and onions on one pan
- Chicken and vegetable sheet-pan dinner
- Shrimp boil without corn or potatoes
- Pizza chicken baked with sauce, cheese and pepperoni
- Kielbasa with roasted cabbage
- Crustless chicken pot pie in a skillet
Easy low carb swaps
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| Rice | Cauliflower rice |
| Pasta | Zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash |
| Sandwich bread | Lettuce wraps or a portobello cap |
| Tortillas | Lettuce cups or cheese wraps |
| Mashed potatoes | Mashed cauliflower |
| Breadcrumbs | Crushed pork rinds or grated parmesan |
| Croutons | Toasted nuts or seeds |
| Sweet sauces | Salsa, pesto, mustard or herb butter |
A 7-day low carb starter plan
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Egg muffins | Chef salad | Roasted chicken thighs with broccoli |
| Tuesday | Greek yogurt and walnuts | Leftover chicken over greens | Taco salad |
| Wednesday | Egg muffins | Tuna in avocado halves | Baked salmon with asparagus |
| Thursday | Scrambled eggs and sausage | Egg roll in a bowl | Zucchini noodles with meat sauce |
| Friday | Cottage cheese and cucumber | Leftover meat sauce over zucchini | Sausage, peppers and onions sheet pan |
| Saturday | Veggie omelet | Antipasto plate | Bunless burger bowls |
| Sunday | Bacon, eggs and tomatoes | Chicken vegetable soup | Stuffed peppers |
Cook once and eat twice: Monday's chicken and Thursday's meat sauce both become next-day lunches. Keep cooked leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, the time the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart lists for cooked meat and poultry.
Plan your low carb week
- Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. Copy the starter plan onto the weekly grid and build one shopping list from it.
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Save the low carb recipes your family actually likes.
- Budget Planner Printable, $5.99. Set a grocery budget for the month and see where protein costs land.
See all our Printables.
More meal ideas
Counting calories instead of carbs? See our low calorie meals for filling breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
Want a hearty bowl without beans? Try our keto chili, with stovetop, slow cooker and Instant Pot steps.
Curious what ketosis means when carbs drop? See what ketosis is, how long it takes and the signs.
Starting the day low carb? Our keto breakfast list has 40 ideas and a 7-day starter plan. Browse lighter cooking in the healthy recipes hub. Find more low carb recipes in the broader collection, from breakfast to dinner.
Going stricter than low carb? Our keto diet recipes list has 60 ideas, a keto food list and a 5-day starter plan. Comparing patterns side by side? Our diet plans guide covers macros, cost and who each plan fits. Plan the bites between those meals with our low carb snacks list. For a quick cabbage-and-protein skillet, make egg roll in a bowl.
Plan the week's meals and shop once
Weekly meals, a grocery list sorted by aisle, and pantry and freezer inventories so you shop once and waste less.
$3.99 · Instant download. Print at home or fill it in on screen. Or browse the full Home & Organizing collection.
Frequently asked questions
What are some easy low carb meals? Easy low carb meals are a protein plus nonstarchy vegetables: chicken thighs with roasted broccoli, a burger bowl over lettuce, salmon with green beans, egg muffins, taco salad and zucchini noodles with meat sauce. Build each plate around meat, fish, eggs or tofu, then fill half of it with vegetables.
How many carbs are in a low carb diet? Most low-carb diets allow about 60 to 130 grams of carbohydrates a day, and very low-carb plans go under 60, according to Mayo Clinic. For comparison, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest 130 grams a day for adults ages 19 to 59, so check with your healthcare professional before cutting carbs, especially if you have a health condition.
What can I eat on a low carb diet? On a low carb diet you can eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, tofu, nuts, seeds, healthy oils and nonstarchy vegetables such as lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers and green beans. Most plans limit bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, sugary foods and fruit juice.
What is a good low carb breakfast? A good low carb breakfast is eggs with vegetables, such as a veggie omelet, egg muffins or scrambled eggs with sausage and spinach. Plain Greek yogurt with a few berries and nuts, or cottage cheese with cucumber, also works when you don't want eggs.
What can I eat for a low carb lunch? For a low carb lunch, try a lettuce-wrap sandwich, a chef salad, tuna salad in avocado halves, leftover chili without beans, a burrito bowl over cauliflower rice or soup made with broth, chicken and vegetables. Cooking extra protein at dinner makes lunch fast.
What can I use instead of rice, pasta and bread? Swap rice for cauliflower rice, pasta for zucchini or spaghetti squash noodles, bread for lettuce wraps or a portobello cap, tortillas for cheese or egg wraps, and mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower. The swaps table on this page lists more.
Are low carb meals expensive? Low carb meals don't have to be expensive if you build them around eggs, chicken thighs, ground beef or turkey, canned tuna, cabbage, frozen vegetables and store-brand cheese. A written meal plan helps too, and the Meal Planner & Grocery List from HomeBase Paper Co. puts the week's dinners and the shopping list on one page so you buy only what you'll cook.
Is low carb the same as keto? No, low carb is not the same as keto. Keto is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that usually keeps carbs low enough to cause ketosis, while low carb is a broader term for any plan that cuts carbs below the usual amount. Every meal on this page fits a general low carb plan, and many fit keto if you skip the beans, fruit and higher-carb vegetables.
Can a family eat low carb meals together? Yes, a family can eat low carb meals together. Serve the low carb main dish to everyone and add a side of rice, pasta, potatoes or bread for anyone who wants it. Taco bowls, burger nights and sheet-pan dinners make this easy because each person builds their own plate.
How do I meal prep low carb meals? Cook two proteins, roast two trays of vegetables and boil a dozen eggs on one day, then mix and match them into bowls, salads and wraps through the week. Store cooked food in shallow containers in the fridge and eat it within 3 to 4 days.
What snacks are low carb? Low carb snacks include cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, pork rinds, celery with peanut butter, cucumber slices with ranch, olives, deli roll-ups and plain Greek yogurt. Portion nuts ahead of time because they are easy to overeat.
How do I keep track of low carb recipes I like? Write each keeper recipe on one page with the ingredients, steps and any swaps you made. The Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. keeps those pages together so your low carb favorites are easy to repeat.
Free printable
Save the family favorites: get the free recipe book pages
Printable recipe pages and a recipe request card to send to relatives, so the dishes everyone loves end up in one book. You'll also get our weekly HomeBase email with easy meal planning ideas and family recipe tips.
Sources
- Low-carb diet: Can it help you lose weight? (Mayo Clinic) mayoclinic.org
- FoodSafety.gov: Cold food storage chart foodsafety.gov