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I always keep eggs, avocados, bacon and mushrooms in my fridge and that's all you need for this recipe! Typically, I'm very busy and always looking for a quick & healthy solution that would fit my lifestyle. This meal is very easy and done in less that 15 minutes. It has the right amount of nutrients (60% RDA of potassium!) and is very low in carbs.

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Net carbs per serving: 6.6 g

Total carbs: 15.5 g, Fiber: 8.9 g, Protein: 19.5 g,

Fat: 41.3 g (of which saturated 14.3 g), Energy: 489 kcal, Potassium: 1173 mg

Ingredients (per serving):

Note: When looking for ingredients, try to get them in their most natural form (organic, without unnecessary additives). Try to get nitrate-free bacon / pancetta or slice your own from pork belly.

Simply pan-roast the mushrooms (top side down), heat half of the butter / ghee on a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle them with sea salt and pepper and cook for about 5-8 minutes until tender. The mushrooms will release some water and it's better to fry the egg on a separate butter-greased pan together with the bacon. That's it - it cannot be any easier! :-)

Why you should eat avocados...

AVOCADO is so healthy: low in net carbs, rich in fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. It also contains potassium which is often deficient in low-carb diets. Just one average avocado has less than 4 grams of net carbs and provides almost 1000 mg of potassium (50% RDA)! It's not just avocado that is recommended for breakfast. As posted previously, eating food rich in fat (avocado, eggs, coconut oil, etc), especially for breakfast, will speed up your metabolism and help you with fat-loss!  

Want more? Have a look at:

• Shamrock Eggs with Braised Spinach (4.3g net carbs) 
• Easter Frittata (6.6g net carbs)
• Broccoli Cheese Pie (3.8g net carbs)
• Leprechaun Protein Smoothie (9.4g net carbs)

Rhubarb is one of the strangest vegetables and is more known to be used as fruit. It's quite sour and you usually have to add a lot of sugar to beat that taste. However, you can achieve the same by mixing rhubarb with strawberries and low-carb sweeteners such as Stevia or Erythritol. This smoothie is inspired by the strawberry rhubarb pie, which is one of my favourite summer pies.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Net carbs per serving: 8.6 g

Total carbs: 14.7 g, Fiber: 6.1 g, Protein: 14.2 g,

Fat: 31.8 g (of which saturated 10.1 g), Energy: 392 kcal, Potassium: 508 mg

Ingredients (per serving):

Note: When looking for ingredients, try to get them in their most natural form (organic, without unnecessary additives).

Making this smoothie is very simple: Place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. That's it!

Strawberries & Low-carb diet...

This succulent and fragrant fruit is flavourful and low in carbs. Strawberries, like blueberries and other berries, are relatively low in carbs, but you need to be careful not to exceed your carbs limit. The carbs content in strawberries is about 1.7 grams of net carbs per oz (~ 30g). Strawberries are also beneficial for our health: they have the ability to protect cells against cervical and breast cancer thanks to their content of phytochemicals and antioxidants. They may also protect the brain and improve memory. Based on the USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory, they contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and are high in vitamin C. Unfortunately, based on the Environmental Working Group's report, strawberries are one of the twelve most contaminated on the list of fruits and vegetables for 2013. Therefore, it is advisable to get them from your local farmer in their organic form. 

Want more? Have a look at:

• Easter Smoothie (10.8g net carbs)

• Leprechaun Protein Smoothie (9.4g net carbs)

Never heard of swede / rutabaga? Well, it's time you get to know this vegetable, it's low-carb friendly! Swede (aka Rutabaga) is commonly used in paleo diet meals as a replacement to potatoes. Unlike sweet potatoes, swede is low in carbs. Just for comparison, here is a quick overview of the average net carbs of similar vegetables:

• sweet potatoes: 17 g net carbs
• parsnip: 13 g net carbs
• potatoes: 10-17 g net carbs depending on type
• celery root: 7 g net carbs
• carrot: 6.8 g net carbs
• swede: 5.6 g net carbs

However, if you aim for even less carbs, try fries from these:

• turnip: 3.9 g net carbs
• kohlrabi: 2.6 g net carbs
• parsley root: 1.7 g net carbs

After a few cooking experiments, I would say swede was a good compromise. But don't expect the same taste and crispiness of potato fries. I also tried fries from other vegetables: Turnip and kohlrabi fries had more water content and the texture was a bit too soft and chewy for fries, but they are still good for those who want to save more carbs. Parsley root fries tasted great but they may not be easy to find (at least not in the UK). Just make sure you don't get parsnips - they look the same but the carbs content is A LOT higher!

Hands-on time: 10 minutes

Total time: 35-45 minutes

Net carbs per serving: 8.6 g

Total carbs: 12.5 g, Fiber: 3.9 g, Protein: 1.9 g,

Fat: 7.2 g (of which saturated: 5.9 g), Energy: 113 kcal, Potassium: 513 mg

Ingredients (per 4 servings):

Note: Oils that have high smoke points are suitable for cooking (avocado oil, coconut oil, macadamia oil, red palm oil, lard, etc.).

When looking for ingredients, try to get them in their most natural form (organic, without unnecessary additives).

How to make the fries:

First, preheat the oven to 450 F / 225 C.

Wash and peel the swede.

Cut them into spears about 1/4 inch / 1/2 cm wide (or even less for crisping them up). As I realised in my previous post, the wider you cut them, the more difficult it will be to make them crispy. Place the fries into a bowl and remove any excess water using a paper towel.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, paprika, salt, pepper and ground cloves (if used).

Pour the oil mixture over the fries evenly and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Make sure the tray is not overcrowded and use two of them if needed. Cook for 25-35 minutes (it depends on how thick you cut them). Check the fries regularly and turn the baking tray a couple of times to make sure they are evenly cooked.

Remove from the oven and serve with meat and sugar-free ketchup or mayonnaise. Enjoy hot and don't leave them for too long or they will get soggy. 

Note: If your daily carbs target is low, serve them with meat to make sure you don't eat any additional carbs.

Want more? Have a look at:

• Mixed Vegetable Chips   (11.4g of net carbs)
• Parmesan Kale Chips   (4.2g of net carbs)
• Mushroom Chips   (3.9g of net carbs)
• Spicy Zucchini Chips   (3.2g of net carbs)
• Rosemary & Garlic Eggplant Chips   (3.1g net carbs)
• Simple Parmesan Crisps   (2.7g net carbs)
• Orange-scented Celeriac Chips   (7.7g net carbs)
• .....and more will be added soon!