If you're following a low-carb diet and want a quick meal that doesn't require heating up a pan or turning on the oven, try these recipes. With 25 grams of carbs or fewer, you can enjoy everything from fresh and filling salads to fast and fruity smoothies.
All you need is one ripe avocado, hummus, a lime, some sea salt, and a little fresh cilantro. That's it. And you can even serve it in the avocado shell!
If you're bored with your usual salad bowl, mix things up by serving yours in a watermelon. Filled with shredded romaine, cucumbers, sweet yellow peppers, and even sweeter cubed watermelon as well as cherry tomatoes, this huge salad is juicy, light, and refreshing.
If your garden (or farmers market) is overflowing with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and basil, it's salad-making time! Just add a few more key ingredients, and this fresh and flavorful recipe will be your new favorite oven-free dish.
Marinated tofu can be added to salads, or used as a protein-packed filling for sandwiches or wraps. This recipe calls for baking the tofu after you marinate it, but you can skip that step; the texture of the tofu will just be more moist and tender.
Made with low-carb raspberries, fiber-filled almond butter, and low-carb plant-based protein powder, this 312-calorie raspberry vanilla smoothie tastes sweet enough without overloading you with sugar. The healthy fats, fiber, and protein (almost 35 grams!) offer a quick and easy way to stay full until lunch.
The combination of avocado and sunflower seeds brings the body a healthy dose of fiber, vitamins E and K, and potassium. You also get a little bit of protein, too.
A mango lassi hits the sweet spot of being both refreshing and indulgent, and is made from simple, whole ingredients. By subbing cottage cheese for yogurt, you'll have a protein-dense shake, with all the natural sweetness and flavor from mangoes.
Chopped tomatoes, peppers, and radishes are tossed in a spicy lime dressing, then neatly tucked into a halved avocado for a pretty presentation. With a mix of crunchy, creamy, cooling, and spicy ingredients, eating the rainbow has never tasted so good.
With this recipe for chocolate chia protein pudding, you can get your chocolate fix and still get a ton of protein — almost 24 grams — making this a great breakfast if you're looking to lose weight.
Creamy and fruity, these mini strawberry cheesecakes are the perfect dessert to make in warm weather. No oven needed; they're dairy- and gluten-free, so your friends with dietary restrictions will want to pick you up and hug you and twirl you around for finally making a treat they can eat!
For just the same addictive taste with an added bonus — vitamin A-rich superfood, kale — opt for this lighter Caesar salad dressing instead. This recipe omits the egg yolk and a lot of the cheese for a lower-calorie dressing that tastes exactly like the classic.
Low in calories, but packed with flavor and creaminess, top this chia seed pudding with your favorite fruit, shredded coconut, or pumpkin seeds (or all of the above) to make a tasty parfait.
If you're watching your carbs or trying to cut back on your sugar intake — even natural sugars — grab your blender and whip up this subtly sweet and creamy smoothie.
Cooling cucumbers, mint, and yogurt make up the base of this cucumber mint soup that can soothe and pamper your belly while helping you debloat all at once.
This creamy smoothie is made from Vitamin E-rich spinach and avocado, and is sweetened with grapes which contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants that can help your skin.