What to Eat for Breakfast on the Slow Carb Diet

Eating breakfast on the Slow Carb Diet is where most people have to make the most significant changes. In the Western world we generally eat carbohydrates (toast, cereal, etc) for breakfast and this change is where the best payback can be seen on this diet. If you are unsure about the 4-Hour Body Diet and want to try just one step, implement a Slow Carb Breakfast and it will quickly convince you of the benefits.

As with all meals on this meal plan…keep it simple and consistent and try to eat within 30 minutes of waking. People tend to have the most success with a variation of eggs, vegetables, and beans for breakfast. The minimum amount of protein you should target for breakfast is 20 grams so spend a few minutes the first week and figure out how much you are getting and adjust if needed. In The 4-Hour Body Tim mentions that at first you will likely feel you are force-feeding yourself and I have to agree, but this will pass after a couple weeks and your appetite for early morning calories will rise.

Eggs
For the eggs buy the best quality you can. Use one to three whole eggs and then three to five egg whites depending on how much protein intake you are targeting.  Below I link to a video of Tim Ferriss making breakfast and this is a good starting point.

Tim has mentioned several times that he hates adding olive oil to eggs because  he thinks it tastes awful, but I have never found this expect if the oil is either too old or gets too hot (which can happen in the microwave). If you don’t overcook your eggs and you keep your oil away from light and heat you will likely also have no issues with olive oil in eggs. Ghee (clarified butter – look in the Indian food area) is another great fat to add to eggs that doesn’t have much taste and has the milk solids removed from the butter.

Beans
A lot of people skip this one and I made the same mistake at first and found myself very hungry within a few hours. This is because you will be lacking in calories and it will lead you to crave bad foods. Open a couple of cans of beans, rinse them, and keep them in a container in the fridge so that your breakfast experience is as painless as possible. Microwaving them in a little bowl is an easy prep method, but sometimes I fry up the beans in a little olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper to keep things interesting.

Vegetables
Your plate should be broken into three sections of near equal size of eggs, beans, and vegetables. Lots of vegetables is key to getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet so don’t skimp and as always keep it simple. I use frozen vegetables as I don’t have the time to prep fresh and canned ones taste absolutely awful to me. Most frozen vegetables will have microwave instructions and it’s usually as simple as putting them in a bowl with a little water, covering the bowl, and then mixing it ever minute or so until they are hot.

Tim Ferriss has a video The 3-Minute “Slow-Carb” Breakfast that details what he eats for breakfast and how he prepares it. The video is a little older and Tim’s recommendations these days are similar, but he usually adds in some beans to increase the caloric density. Too few calories can cause your metabolism to downshift and will lead to massive cravings for cheat foods to snack on and both of these outcomes are going to severely diminish the results you see.

Want a little more variety? Add some hot sauce or salsa (with little to no added sugar) to your eggs. Spices such as tarragon, chives, and chervil are also great additions for your eggs that will brighten up their flavor.