Cutting down on carbs doesn't have to mean ditching your favourite comfort foods. Here's a collection of our favourite low-carb meals, with super-tasty recipes from classic steak to stews, casseroles, roasts and traybakes. Many of these pack in extra vegetables too, giving you a healthy boost at the same time.
Tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds, is a perfect companion to fish. In this recipe, it's used to make a creamy lemon and spinach sauce for salmon fillets. The fish is flavoured with citrus-tasting sumac and herby za'atar. The recipe takes just 25 minutes from start to finish. Serve with extra green vegetables, such as green beans, to help mop up the sauce.
This fresh and fragrant Vietnamese dish is packed with seafood, vegetables, herbs and fresh pineapple. All the ingredients are readily available in supermarkets and you can vary the seafood according to what's available. The recipe uses prawns, white fish and clams, and you could add squid or mussels too, for a protein-packed meal.
Savour the tastes of the Middle East in this show-stopping veggie centrepiece. The smoky cauliflower is coated in a spicy butter, topped with a garlicky tahini sauce, and covered with pomegranate seeds, chilli, parsley and toasted pine nuts. It should be served hot from the oven, although you can make the butter and sauce ahead of time.
Get the recipe for roasted cauliflower shawarma here
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Tender, flavoursome steak served with a traditional Argentinian herby, punchy sauce is a winner. You can make the sauce ahead of time, but get it back to room temperature before serving. On a low-carb diet, you'll have to ditch the fries, but try serving it with courgette fries or roasted peppers, onions and aubergine.
N'duja is a soft, spicy sausage from southern Italy. In this easy traybake, it really lifts the flavour of the avocado, combined with baby aubergines and tender chicken fillets. It's mixed into butter with garlic and lemon to make a punchy sauce. If your avocados are a little under-ripe, roasting will bring out their creaminess.
Get the recipe for roast avocado and chicken with n'duja butter here
Salmon is high in protein, which keeps you fuller for longer, and it's a rich source of heart-friendly fatty acids. In this recipe, it's spiced with smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper, which is mixed into a little maple syrup to give a rich glaze. The fresh pineapple salsa is refreshing with a kick of chilli. Instead of the caramelised onion rice the recipe suggests, serve it with a big salad.
On a low-carb diet, eggs will become your new best friend, perfect for a nutritious breakfast and speedy lunches. Here, they are combined with melting, sweet red onions, salty feta and fresh spinach for a filling and tasty meal in no time at all. For an even faster omelette, use chopped spring onions instead of caramelised.
Get the recipe for feta, spinach and caramelised onion omelette here
This Spanish-influenced dish is bursting with flavour. It consists of a spicy lamb ragù stuffed into roasted aubergines, along with the sweet flesh, topped with manchego and baked in the oven until the cheese is bubbling and melted. Cheese is allowed in a low-carb diet, so fill your boots! If you can't find manchego, use a mature Cheddar.
Get the recipe for lamb-stuffed aubergines with manchego here
Dukkah is an Egyptian nut and spice blend, with hazelnuts and sesame seeds. It's incredibly versatile – sprinkle it on egg dishes, salads, meats and fish. Buy it from the supermarket or make your own with this recipe. Here it's sprinkled over chicken which has been roasted with preserved lemons, rosemary and a pomegranate gravy. Serve with roasted vegetables.
Get the recipe for dukkah roast chicken here
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Dinner will be on the table in just 20 minutes with this recipe, where plump fillets of cod are coated with a spice mix, fresh coriander, garlic and olive oil, and baked in a lemon and tahini sauce. A big bowl of spinach or kale would be a great accompaniment.
Slow-cooked chicken thighs in stock, white wine and herbs, with pieces of smoky bacon and mushrooms, require little preparation time and your oven will do the rest. Topped with crisp sage leaves, this is a really rich, flavoursome dish, with crème fraîche added towards the end of cooking. Serve with plenty of buttered greens.
A frittata is a rich Italian omelette which is made with eggs and cream. In this recipe, some Parmesan and strips of smoked salmon are added – a little luxury, all made in one pan. Add a green salad on the side.
Flattened chicken breasts (for quick, even cooking) are marinated in lemon, herbs, chilli, garlic and olive oil for a simple and speedy dish, served with celeriac in a creamy mustard mayo. Allow at least 30 minutes to marinate the chicken for the best flavour.
Get the recipe for lemon and herb chicken with celeriac remoulade here
If the word Sichuan is in the title, it's a sure bet the recipe will be fiery, and this flavoursome beef recipe is no different. The heat comes from Sichuan peppercorns, with fillet of beef, beansprouts, soy, sesame and stock. It's a little different, in that the thin slices of beef are added raw, then "cooked" by pouring hot oil over them.
An easy, tasty traybake with tender chicken breasts, baked with cream cheese, melting Taleggio, pesto and cherry tomatoes. The only carb is a small amount of breadcrumbs, which add a crunchy texture. If you can't find Taleggio, a washed-rind, fruity, mild cheese from northern Italy which melts to perfection, use Camembert or Brie.
Get the recipe for chicken with pesto, Taleggio and roasted tomatoes here
Succulent pieces of chicken are cooked with fresh apples, onions, cabbage and chestnuts in a simple, savoury sauce. If you don't love chestnuts, use pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts instead. To make it a little more filling for your low-carb meal, try doubling up the quantity of nuts.
Get the recipe for chicken thighs with apple, red onion and chestnuts here
A sweet, mild and fragrant curry, with chunks of pork shoulder slow-cooked until meltingly tender with onions, ginger, soy and a slightly sour hint of vinegar. Serve with plenty of stir-fried greens.
Gochujang is a Korean paste made from fermented chillies. It has an unique, multi-layered flavour, so do hunt it out for this easy, spicy recipe. The chicken wings are deep-fried before being coated in the rich, fragrant butter and baked in the oven. If you don't like the idea of deep-frying, put them into a very hot oven for 10 minutes before adding the butter.
Get the recipe for chicken wings with gochujang, lime and herb butter here
Juicy prawns are cooked in an aromatic tomato sauce, flavoured with chilli, dill, garlic and spices. It's topped with toasted sesame seeds and fresh herbs, and you could serve it with some cauliflower rice to mop up the tasty stew.
A Malaysian-inspired dish, where a whole chicken is marinated in a chilli, coconut, garlic and lemongrass paste before being roasted. It has quite a kick, but you can reduce the chilli if you prefer. The result is succulent, juicy and tender, perfect served with stir-fried greens or steamed broccoli and green beans.
Get the recipe for coconut and lemongrass roast chicken here
Even if it's not barbecue weather, you can cook these spicy, juicy prawns on a griddle pan. The prawns are cooked in a vibrant green butter, whizzed up with coriander, chilli, ginger and lime. Griddle the limes too, to bring out their flavour. This is a quick and easy dish, perfect served with a green salad and some guacamole.
Get the recipe for BBQ prawns with chilli, ginger and coriander here
A different way of serving steak, with a fragrant salad and punchy marinade. With this traditional Vietnamese dish, the "shaking" refers to the back-and-forth movement of the wok that's needed as the beef cooks. The beef juices and the dressing combine to make a tangy sauce.
Reducing carbs is tricky on a vegan diet, as protein sources are more limited. But this one-pot spicy curry with a cooling coriander yogurt will do the job. Although it contains lentils, which are a carbohydrate, they are a good source of protein and fibre too.
Lamb steaks marinated in lemon, garlic, rosemary and balsamic vinegar are seared until crisp on the outside, and dressed with the remaining marinade and a touch of honey. Served with wilted cabbage and sliced artichokes from a jar, it's an easy dish to put together. Just allow a few hours for the meat to marinate.
Get the recipe for lamb steaks with artichokes and cabbage here
Vietnamese salads are always fresh and fragrant, with ginger, herbs and a dressing with a hint of chilli and garlic. There's a little sugar in the dressing, but not sufficient to spoil your low-carb eating. A lovely crunch is added to the salad with roasted peanuts and sesame seeds.
There will always be a debate as to what should go into a salade Niçoise, but we think this recipe nails it to bring some southern French sunshine to your plate. Top-quality tinned tuna with boiled eggs, olives, tomatoes and fresh basil are tossed in a simple dressing of red wine vinegar and olive oil for a high-protein, filling dish.
Make these moreish lettuce cups, filled with fragrant, spicy minced pork. The recipe uses a slow cooker, but you can easily cook the meat on the hob on a gentle simmer, covered, for an hour. Topped with fresh herbs, crunchy peanuts and lime to serve, they are little parcels of flavour.
These little veggie fritters are perfect served warm with a salad and a yogurt dip. Frozen peas and spinach are mashed, mixed with eggs, ricotta, chia seeds, fresh mint and dill, then fried in olive oil. You'll need to cook them in batches, so pre-heat your oven before starting the prep. Any leftovers will keep well for lunchboxes the next day.
Get the recipe for mint, pea, spinach and chia fritters here
Vegan comfort food for a chilly day, this rich mushroom stew is flavoured with garlic, balsamic vinegar and miso to make it wonderfully savoury. The stew does contain lentils, technically a carb, but there's a small amount and lentils are also high in fibre and protein so a little is fine. The creamy cauliflower mash makes a perfect low-carb substitute for potatoes.
Everyone loves an easy traybake to save on effort and washing up. Tender chicken breasts are combined with chunks of pumpkin, onions and tomatoes, cooked in a rich broth with stock, herbs and balsamic vinegar. It's a meal in itself, with no accompaniment needed. When pumpkins are out of season, use butternut squash instead.
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