Atkins Diet Idea: Faux Potatoes for Breakfast!

If you've ever tried the Atkins Diet, you know that boredom and cravings are the biggest reasons for falling off of it. In fact, one of the reasons that Atkins doesn't rank higher is that there is big weight loss, then people stop the diet and get fat again. Maintenance is the issue, and I've found some workarounds for that.

I like my cheese browned to crunchy goodness, so
I use the convection fan on mine. You don't have to.

Chief in importance for me are scheduled "diet breaks." Those are interludes in the diet, of a pre-set duration. When I've plateaued, but still wanted to lose more, I'll schedule a cheat day. Maybe a 2-day cheat, with the certainty that I'd begin the induction phase of Atkins again the following day. Typically, at worst you gain a pound or two, and you kick-start the diet, and start losing again. For my Christmas vacation, The Other Half and I actually took a rare cheat week, from Christmas Eve to the following week. The damage for me? Four or five pounds, which I've lost in the next eight days!

So, that is one way to keep on track, and even goose the diet into helping you lose weight.  Another is to find recipes that are not only on the diet, but delicious. I've presented several here on the blog, and you can find ideas and links to ideas here. Included there, you will find a link for my recipe for Cheesy Baked Faux Potato Casserole. It is made from cauliflower, but even a cauliflower hater will like it. I know this, because I taste tested it on a cauliflower hater (Hi, Les!). 

But, even though I've posted this recipe several times, I'm doing so again for a reason. See, on Atkins, one of the easiest meals is breakfast. Eggs--even omelets made with most common ingredients--are completely on the menu. Bacon, sausage, bacon, ham, bacon, steak and bacon are all on the menu! So that part is easy. But if you're like me, you like some carbs with breakfast too. Toast can be handled with this recipe for flaxseed focaccia bread, which isn't delicious, but is also inoffensive (which you can't say about many other bread substitutes). I've dressed up the recipe with garlic powder and cheese to make it tastier, and it makes a fine yolk-scooping substance! But you know what else is missing? Potatoes. Potatoes, rice and bread are all verboten on a low-carb diet, and I love them all. Bread I've covered. Rice is also taken care of in that link I gave you above, but here it is again.

Well, as it turns out, my Cheesy Baked Faux Potato Casserole? It makes a hell of an addition to breakfast. When we make it (and we're rarely without it), whether in single or double batch, there will always be leftovers in the fridge. Take a scoop of that and warm it up with your bacon and eggs, and you'll swear you're eating potatoes, especially from leftovers, when all the flavors have had time to settle. With this tip, and those linked above, I hope I've helped you stick to the low-carb diet. And I'm always looking for more ideas, so please let me know if you've got more! Thanks for reading.

BAKED CHEESY MASHED FAUXTATOES

1 large head of cauliflower
4 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2-cup sour cream (or chip dip of our choice!)
1/4-cup grated Parmesan (or mozzarella, or other cheese)
Bacon bits (real ones!)
Chopped green onion, chives or sauteed white onions (to taste)
1 cup grated cheddar
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Dollop heavy whipping cream (optional) 

(Extra butter, cream cheese, sour cream, whipping cream, Parmesan and cheddar cheeses, and bacon will only make this better. Use your own discretion.)

Steam cauliflower until it is soft and mushy. Mash it. Put butter and cream cheese into mixing bowl. Put hot mashed cauliflower in bowl to melt the butter and cream cheese. Put in all other ingredients except for cheddar (and save a little bacon for later), and stir it all up. Put the mixture into an 8" x 8" baking pan. Sprinkle shredded cheddar on top, along with some of the bacon. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

I found this at (of all places) a body building site. But who cares, it's great!

Source: forum.bodybuilding.com