Why Soup Is My Low-Carb Breakfast of Choice
I’m always looking for an easy, fast low-carb breakfast but given the frenetic pace of life — I often joke my hobby is rushing — it’s hard to resist the ease, portability, and affordability of carbs. However, I recently discovered a low-carb breakfast that works: soup — particularly fitting since The Kitchn is celebrating soup this month.
Chicken vegetable soup for breakfast is warm, filling and best of all, easy. I ladle some into a pot as I put on the coffee maker in the morning, and while the soup is on the stove, I shepherd my family through what can only be called the morning Olympics. The soup doesn’t burn and it doesn’t get cold and once everyone’s out the door the moment arrives — a healthy, satisfying breakfast. The days I drop my son Alex off at school, the soup comes with me in a commuter coffee tumbler.
I usually have a couple of types of soup in the freezer, so there is always something to put on the stove in the morning, even in those weeks where the wheels come off the wagon because my son is sick or work deadlines have wreaked havoc on our grocery shopping and cooking routines.
Breakfast hasn’t always been so easy, particularly because I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, a fairly common hormonal disorder. Experts say, and my own personal experience bears out, that a low-carb diet really can help manage the condition, particularly in patients who struggle with their weight.
As a result I’ve done a lot of low-carb breakfast experimentation. I started with eggs (scrambled eggs, fried eggs, poached eggs, hard boiled eggs, egg muffins), then moved on to the “antipasti” era (cured meats, nuts, and cheese) until I was diagnosed as lactose intolerant, which was a real setback to my breakfast ways, as cheese, even in small amounts, helped make meals more satisfying. Along the way I also tried bars of all kinds, protein smoothies, green juices, with detours into Paleo and Whole30 living.
After trying so many different types of breakfasts, I am so happy with the simplicity and ease of starting my day with a warm bowl of soup.
5 Favorite Soups for Breakfast
Of course, not all soups qualify as strictly low-carb but I’ve found that soups with a good mix of protein and fiber are satisfying and help me maintain my weight. The most portable breakfast soup is chicken with vegetables, but here are some of my other favorites:
- Lentil Soup – Joy of Cooking
- Chicken, Corn and Lima-Bean Stew – Martha Stewart
- Beef and Guinness Stew – Blanchard’s Table
- Beef Chili – The Kitchn
- Bone Broth Chicken Soup – The Kitchn
Will my obsession with soup for breakfast last? I expect it will get me through the cold months here on the East Coast and come May, I’ll be on to something new. However, a few months reprieve from the decision fatigue of breakfast is a beautiful thing.