Grilled lountza and halloumi with a fried egg. 32 g protein and 7 g net carbs at 412 kcal, in 15 minutes.
By Frixos Dimitriadis · Published November 7, 2026 · Updated November 7, 2026
1 serving · Prep 5 min · Cook 8 min · Total 13 min · Per serving: 412 kcal, 31.6 g protein, 8.2 g carbs, 28.8 g fat
Ask anyone in Cyprus for a proper breakfast and you will probably get some version of this: grilled halloumi, a few slices of lountza, an egg, cucumber, tomatoes and olives. It is already keto. There is nothing to swap and nothing to replace, only the bread to leave out, which makes it one of the easiest low-carb breakfasts you can make.
One plate gives 412 kcal, 31.6 g of protein, 28.8 g of fat and 6.9 g of net carbs (8.2 g of total carbs minus 1.3 g of fibre). The numbers come from the DietSync app, where every ingredient is weighed in grams.
Lountza is a Cypriot cured pork loin. The meat is marinated in red wine with spices such as coriander seeds, then smoked, and it is sliced thin and grilled or eaten as it is. Because it is cut from the loin, it is lean: in the DietSync food database, 100 g has 18.9 g of protein and only 2.5 g of fat. That makes it one of the best protein sources in a Cypriot breakfast. You will find it at any Cypriot deli counter; ask for it sliced thin, about the thickness of a coin.
The protein comes in almost equal parts from three places: about 11 g from the 60 g of lountza, about 13 g from the 60 g of halloumi and 6.5 g from the egg. The fat comes mainly from the halloumi, then the egg, the olives and the 5 g of olive oil for frying. The few carbs come from the cucumber, the tomatoes, the olives and the cheese, which is why the plate stays under 7 g of net carbs.
In the DietSync app
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat with no oil. Lay in the halloumi and the lountza and grill them for 2 minutes on each side, until the halloumi is golden and the lountza is lightly crisp at the edges. Move them to the plate, add the olive oil to the same pan and fry the egg. It picks up the flavour of the cheese and the smoked meat. While the egg cooks, slice the cucumber and halve the tomatoes. The whole plate takes about 15 minutes.
Lountza is lean and already cured, so it needs very little time in the pan. Two minutes a side is enough to warm it through and crisp the edges. Leave it longer and it dries out and turns chewy. If your slices are very thin, one minute a side is plenty.
Look for Cypriot halloumi with the PDO label. Regular halloumi gives the richest flavour. If you want the plate lighter, light halloumi has about 58 kcal less for the same 60 g, a little more protein, and grills just as well. Pat the slices dry before they go into the pan, and don't move them for the first 2 minutes so they form a crust.
Cured lountza, halloumi and olives are all salty, so you won't need to add any salt. On keto that is not a bad thing. When you cut carbs, your body lets go of more water and sodium, which is part of why some people feel tired or get headaches in the first week, the so-called keto flu. A salty breakfast like this one, with a big glass of water, helps. Our keto meal plan has a full section on electrolytes.
This plate scales up easily for the whole family. Multiply everything by the number of people, grill the halloumi and lountza in batches, and keep them warm in a low oven while you fry the eggs. Put it all on a big platter with a bowl of cucumber, tomatoes and olives in the middle. Those who aren't on keto can add bread or koulouri; you won't miss it.
This plate works any time of day. As a breakfast, it keeps you full until lunch thanks to the protein and fat. As a lunch, add a bigger salad on the side, a second egg, or some avocado. For a lunchbox, swap the fried egg for a boiled one and warm the halloumi for a minute before eating.
At 6.9 g of net carbs, this plate is one of the lowest-carb ways to start a keto day, leaving plenty of room in a strict 25 g day. Build the rest around the meals in our 7-day keto meal plan, or follow it with the Greek salad with grilled halloumi for lunch.
For a sweet keto snack later in the day, try the keto tahini-cocoa fudge. The plate is in the DietSync app, in the Keto Main Meals book. Log it in one tap and the app keeps count of your net carbs, protein and fat for the day.
Grill the halloumi and lountza first, then fry the egg in the same pan. It picks up their flavour.
Thin lountza needs 2 minutes a side. Longer, and the lean meat turns dry and chewy.
Keep the cucumber and tomatoes cold and fresh. They balance the salty cheese and cured meat.
Lountza is a Cypriot cured pork loin, marinated in red wine and spices such as coriander seeds and then smoked. It is lean: in the DietSync food database, 100 g has 18.9 g of protein and only 2.5 g of fat.
Yes. Lountza, halloumi and egg have almost no carbs, and the vegetables and olives bring the plate to 6.9 g of net carbs. Just leave out the bread on the side.
Yes. 60 g of light halloumi has about 58 kcal less than regular and a little more protein, and it grills just as well.
Yes. It works as a light lunch with a bigger salad on the side. Add a second egg if you want more protein.
