The go-to Low Carb favorite for me is by far the Cobb Salad. You just can't go wrong with chopped lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, turkey, bacon, and blue cheese. Yum! I have found that certain restaurants over-glorify the cobb salad. They feel the need to add croutons and grilled chicken. Just stick to the basics with this salad and you will love it.
What keeps a cobb salad low carb
A cobb is already built for low-carb eating, since it is protein and fat fanned over greens, which is why a whole bowl lands around 4 grams of net carb. The carbs sneak in at the restaurant, where croutons and a sweet vinaigrette can double the count without adding much you want. Leave the croutons off, keep the egg whole for the fat the yolk brings, and reach for a creamy dressing. A blue cheese or ranch dressing keeps it rich and low, while bottled vinaigrettes are the ones to read twice.
Build it your way
The classic formula is turkey, bacon, egg, and blue cheese, but a cobb is forgiving, so feel free to change it up with leftover chicken, avocado, or a different cheese. Fan the toppings in rows for the look, or toss it all together for lunch on the go; either way it travels well if you keep the dressing on the side. My pick is a homemade blue cheese dressing, and a handful of blue cheese stuffed olives on the side never hurts. There are more Low Carb lunch recipes to keep the rotation interesting.
Sources:
USDA FoodData Central, nutrient reference for lettuce, turkey, bacon, egg, and blue cheese
Sugarfreechic test kitchen, low-carb cobb salad notes
