You can explore even more keto dinner ideas here the next time you’re struggling to come up with meal prep for the week, and after dinner’s done, indulge in these nutritionist-approved tasty keto dessert recipes! 

Table of Contents 
Skillet Baked Cheesy Jalapeño Chicken  
Garlic Shrimp Zoodle Pasta 
Bell Pepper Philly Cheesesteaks 
Unstuffed Beef Cabbage 
Shredded Chicken Zucchini Boats 
Salisbury Steak with Creamy Mushroom Gravy 
Turkey Bacon and Avocado Taquitos 
One Pot Ground Beef and Broccoli 
Buttered Basil Cod Filets 
Spicy Shredded Salmon Sushi Bowl 

Skillet Baked Cheesy Jalapeño Chicken

Ingredients 

4 skinless chicken breasts (pre-cooked or raw) 
8 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened 
3 jalapeños, chopped 
½ cup mozzarella, grated 
½ cup bacon, crumbled 
Salt & pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
2. Lay your chicken breasts (cooked or raw) flat on a lined baking sheet or covered with non-stick spray.  
3. Spread softened cream cheese on top of chicken, coating evenly.  
4. Sprinkle grated mozzarella, crumbled bacon, and chopped jalapeños on top of the cream cheese. 
5. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. 
6. For raw chicken, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the cheese is bubbling. 

Garlic Shrimp Zoodle Pasta 

Ingredients 

1 lb shrimp, washed, peeled & deveined  
4 cups zoodles (or 2-3 whole zucchinis spiralized) 
½ lemon zest 
⅓ cup lemon juice 
⅓ cup grated parmesan 
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved 
4 Tbsp parsley, chopped 
½ Tbsp garlic, minced 
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
Salt & pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Heat your olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Once heated, add shrimp to pan and season with salt, and pepper. 
2. After 1 minute, toss the shrimp and add minced garlic.  
3. Cook shrimp until golden brown and transfer to a bowl, set aside.  
4. In the same pan, add zoodles, cherry tomatoes, and lemon juice. Cook until tender.  
5. Turn off heat, return shrimp to the pan with the zoodles. Add parm, parsley, and lemon zest and toss until mixed, then serve. 
   
   
   
   

Bell Pepper Philly Cheesesteaks 

Ingredients 

8 oz lean sirloin steak, cooked (or seasoned elk meat!)  
2-4 red bell peppers, halved and cleaned 
1 cup shredded lettuce 
1 Tbsp olive oil mayonnaise  
2 oz low-sodium mozzarella, shredded 
1 sweet onion, diced 
1 Tbsp garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Pre-heat oven to 300°F.
2. Make sure your sliced bell peppers are free of the stem, seeds, and inner pith. Spread mayo on the inside and add shredded lettuce on top. Place bell peppers on a baking sheet and set aside.
3. Slice your cooked sirloin steak into thin slices*, and toss in a bowl with diced onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
4. Add seasoned steak/onion mix to your bell peppers and top with shredded mozzarella.
5. Bake in the oven until bell peppers are soft, and cheese is melted. Eat with a fork or as an opened-faced “sandwich.”

Note: *If you’re using our seasoned elk meat, you may want to slice the chunks into smaller, thinner pieces, so they fit into the bell pepper a little easier. 

Unstuffed Beef Cabbage 

Ingredients 

1 large head of cabbage, chopped 
1 lb ground beef (crumbled cooked beef patties will do!) 
½ cup riced cauliflower 
½ white onion, diced 
½ cup crushed tomatoes 
15 oz tomato sauce or low-sodium marinara 
4 cloves of garlic 
2 tsp dried oregano 
1 tsp onion powder 
½ cup water 
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
Salt & pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  
2. Season ground beef with onion powder, salt, and pepper, then add to heated pan. (If using our pre-cooked beef patties, skip this step! Just crumble the patties and jump to step 3) 
3. Add diced onion, garlic, and riced cauliflower to skillet, stirring often. Add meat and cook until browned, crumbling it as you go. 
4. Add cabbage, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and dried oregano and continue cooking until cabbage is tender. Serve! 

Shredded Chicken Zucchini Boats 

Ingredients 

2 medium zucchinis, halved lengthwise 
1 ½ cups shredded chicken (or ground turkey) 
4 oz low-fat cream cheese 
½ cup baby spinach, chopped 
1 cup parmesan, shredded 
1 tsp red pepper flakes 
½ Tbsp onion powder 
Pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Hollow out a shallow indent in your halved zucchinis, leaving about ¼ in border on the edges. Set the scooped-out center aside for later. Arrange zucchini boats on a large baking pan and set aside. 
3. For raw ground meat, heat 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Season meat with pepper and onion powder and add to the pan. Cook until browned. Let rest and cool, then shred. Proceed to next step. (If using cooked meat, skip this step!) 
4. Toss your cooked chicken/turkey with zucchini insides, parmesan, cream cheese, and chopped spinach in a bowl. Season with onion powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Scoop mixture into zucchini boats.  
5. Place zucchini boats back in the oven and cook until zucchini is tender. Let cool before digging in! 

Note: Try these other easy keto dinner ideas using chicken! 

Salisbury Steak with Creamy Mushroom Gravy 

Ingredients 

4 beef patties 
2 Tbsp unsalted butter (or butter alternative) 
8 oz cremini mushrooms 
½ onion, diced 
2 cups low-sodium beef broth 
1 Tbsp low-fat cream cheese, chunked 
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
1 tsp dried parsley 
Salt & pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Add olive oil to a skillet on medium heat. Add butter and diced onion to skillet and sauté until soft but not browned (about 3 minutes).  
2. Add sliced mushrooms to pan and further sauté until mushrooms are soft and onions are browned (about 5 minutes). 
3. Add beef broth, salt, and pepper and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.  
4. Reduce heat and add chunked cream cheese. Mix until gravy is smooth and thickened.  
5. Heat your beef patties (either in the microwave or in another pan with olive oil) and top with your gravy. Garnish with dried parsley and serve with your favorite veggies.* 

Note: *If you’re using raw ground beef or patties, simply season your meat and cook in a pan with extra virgin olive oil on medium-high heat until browned on either side (about 10-15 minutes), then top with your gravy and garnish. 

Turkey Bacon and Avocado Taquitos 

Ingredients 

6 slices mozzarella cheese 
6 oz sliced deli turkey 
3 slices of turkey bacon, cooked (or tempeh) 
½ avocado, thinly sliced 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Place mozzarella slices on a greased pan and bake until edges have browned, and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them with your bear hands. (For more cheese suggestions to use for this keto dinner idea, check out this guide.) 
3. Place sliced turkey, cooked bacon, and avocado slices on one side, then tightly roll them up in the cheese. Let cheese firm and cool before eating. 
   
   
   

One Pot Ground Beef and Broccoli 

Ingredients 

1 lb ground beef (or ~4 crumbled beef patties) 
10 oz broccoli florets, raw
3 cups baby spinach, rinsed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 
4 tsp apple cider vinegar 
¼ cup sesame oil 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
1 tsp onion powder 

Directions 

1. Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Add ground beef, onion powder, and minced garlic. (For raw ground beef, season and cook on medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes until browned. Make sure to break apart the meat as it cooks! After, proceed to the next step.)  
2. Stir in apple cider vinegar and sesame oil. Cook for 3 minutes. 
3. Add broccoli florets and spinach to pot and stir. Cover with lid and let your ground beef and veggies steam for 3-5 minutes until the broccoli is tender. 
4. Enjoy as-is or serve with riced cauliflower.

Buttered Basil Cod Filets 

Ingredients 

4 cod filets 
5 Tbsp unsalted butter 
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped 
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped 
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped 
1 tsp garlic, minced 
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
1 tsp garlic salt 

Directions 

1. Heat your olive oil in a saucepan on low-medium heat and add the butter, chopped fresh herbs, and garlic salt until the butter is melted.  
2. Add filets to the same pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, spooning the butter on top as they heat.* 
3. After cooking and plating, top cod with more garlic butter sauce and serve with veggies. 

Note: *If cooking cod from scratch, make sure to pat the filets dry to make sure they cook properly! 

Spicy Shredded Salmon Sushi Bowl 

Ingredients 

1 salmon filet, cooked 
3 sheets of dried seaweed (nori) or wet seaweed
½ cucumber, sliced 
1 small radish, sliced 
½ avocado, sliced 
⅜ cup shredded carrots
¾ cup rice cauliflower 
¼ cup mango, diced 
¼ cup tofu, cubed
½ tsp wasabi 
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce 
3 Tbsp olive oil mayo 
Sesame seeds for garnish 

Directions 

1. Combine riced cauliflower, mayo, wasabi, and soy sauce in a bowl until rice is coated. 
2. In the same bowl, gently mash your salmon with a fork until it is shredded and mix into the rice. 
3. Top rice and salmon mix with diced cucumber, carrots, tofu, seaweed, radish, mango, and avocado. Garnish with sesame seeds. Drizzle with sriracha for more of a kick! 

Note: Try our salmon sushi bowl recipe or this philly roll recipe if you want more keto dinner ideas that are closer to a traditional sushi experience.  

The post Easy & Healthy Keto Dinner Ideas (Under 10 Minutes!) appeared first on Fresh n' Lean.

We scoped the internet for the best keto breakfasts we could find that expand out from the usual go-tos in one way or another. Best of all, they won’t take up any more than 10 minutes of your time to make! Easy AF!

Table of Contents 
Classic Bacon & Eggs 
Turkey, Bacon, & Avocado Taquitos 
Easy 4-Ingredient Chia Pudding 
Basic Keto “Chaffles” 
Blackberry Egg Bake 
Spaghetti Squash Keto Hash Browns 
Keto Breakfast Sandwich 
Cauliflower Avocado Toast
1 Minute Keto Muffins 
Keto Friendly Oatmeal 
Fluffy Keto Pancakes 
Smoked Salmon & Green Eggs 
Keto Breakfast Tacos 
Keto French Toast 
Keto Chicken Curry 
Deviled Green Eggs & Ham 
Green Keto Smoothie 
Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies 
Keto Cinnamon Roll in a Mug 
Keto Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal 
Eggless Keto English Muffin 

Classic Bacon & Eggs 

Calories: 309   Fat: 26g    Total Carbs: 1g    Net Carbs: 1g    Fiber: 0g    Protein: 17g 

Okay, we said we were expanding out (and we will be!) but if you didn’t know, this traditional breakfast is perfectly ketogenic. Don’t knock the classics! 

Turkey, Bacon, & Avocado Taquitos 

Calories: 443   Fat: 33.6g    Total Carbs: 3g    Net Carbs: 1g    Fiber: 2g    Protein: 26.9g 

Avocados are full of healthy fats. They can help lower LDL cholesterol, which leads to heart disease and stroke. (Plus, they’re super delicious too). But why just eat an avocado for breakfast? Put it in a delicious, portable taquito instead.  

Easy 4-Ingredient Chia Pudding 

Calories: 170   Fat: 9g    Total Carbs: 16g    Net Carbs: 3g    Fiber: 13g    Protein: 7g 

While this isn’t necessarily ready in 10 minutes (the pudding needs to sit overnight), this pudding is still easily prepped for a quick breakfast ready the next morning. You can make the pudding base ahead of time and when you’re ready to eat, just add different fruits, nuts, and toppings for a new flavor every day! 

Basic Keto “Chaffles” 

Calories: 208   Fat: 16g    Total Carbs: 4g    Net Carbs: 2g    Fiber: 2g    Protein: 11g 

A chaffle is a portmanteau for a cheese waffle. Though it does contain eggs and cheese, it doesn’t taste like it at all because of the addition of almond flour and psyllium husk powder. This gives them a fluffier, more traditional waffle flavor and texture closer to your average waffle.  

Blackberry Egg Bake 

Calories: 144   Fat: 10g    Total Carbs: 3g    Net Carbs: 2g    Fiber: 1g    Protein: 8.5g 

This is a unique recipe, but trust us – TRY IT! It’ll surprise you! These bites can be refrigerated for weekly meal prep. When you’re ready to chow down, just reheat them (or eat cold, we won’t judge)! 

Spaghetti Squash Keto Hash Browns 

Calories: 58   Fat: 5g    Total Carbs: 1g    Net Carbs: 0g    Fiber: 1g    Protein: 2.3g 

Miss the crispiness of hash browns alongside your breakfast dishes? Now you can enjoy that same comfort food with a keto makeover. Most keto hash brown recipes use cauliflower or cabbage or take entirely too much time to prepare. This recipe uses spaghetti squash, seasoning, and a good ol’ frying pan. 

Keto Breakfast Sandwich  

Calories: 603   Fat: 54g    Total Carbs: 7g    Net Carbs: 4g    Fiber: 3g    Protein: 22g 

Start your day with a low carb, high healthy fat treat with a spicy sriracha touch. It makes a great keto fast food breakfast replacement for those super unhealthy drive thru McGriddles! 

Cauliflower Avocado Toast

Calories: 278   Fat: 15.6g   Total Carbs: 7.7g   Net Carbs: 0g   Fiber: 8.2g  Protein: 14.1g 

This is a gluten-free keto friendly breakfast to help you live that Millennial avocado toast lifestyle with no shame.  

1 Minute Keto Muffins 

Calories: 113     Fat: 6g    Total Carbs: 5g    Net Carbs: 2g    Fiber: 3g    Protein: 7g 

These muffins can be made several ways – savory, sweet, nutty, citrusy – you name it! Change the main ingredient or toppings to fulfill any craving. 

Keto Friendly Oatmeal 

Calories: 174     Fat: 11g    Total Carbs: 17g    Net Carbs: 8.5g    Fiber: 8.5g    Protein: 9.5g 

For those looking for a keto breakfast without eggs, this is a perfect way to fill up and load up on delicious fiber-packed foods and natural sugars. Top with your choice of fruit or nuts to boost your nutrition even more. 

Fluffy Keto Pancakes 

Calories: 242     Fat: 20g    Total Carbs: 5g    Net Carbs: 2g    Fiber: 3g    Protein: 9g 

Yes, you can still enjoy pancakes on keto! A simple trade of regular flour with almond and coconut flour makes these super low-carb and also gluten-free. Top with low-fat Greek yogurt, butter, fresh fruit, or keto maple syrup and you’ve got yourself a Saturday morning classic.  

Smoked Salmon & Green Eggs 

Calories: 654   Fat: 51.8g   Total Carbs: 5.6g   Net Carbs: 2.6g   Fiber: 3g   Protein: 41.4g 

A hearty egg muffin is a mouthwatering, nutritious way to start your day, especially if it’s packed with protein like this tasty keto smoked salmon and egg breakfast plate. 

Keto Breakfast Tacos 

Calories: 360     Fat: 29g    Total Carbs: 4g    Net Carbs: 0g    Fiber: .4g    Protein: 20g 

You’ve heard of the breakfast burrito, but what about the breakfast taco? The shell is made from crispy cheese, making it one of the most innovative keto breakfast ideas.  

Keto French Toast 

Calories: 255   Fat: 22.7g   Total Carbs: 5.1g   Net Carbs: 2.5g   Fiber: 2.6g   Protein: 8.8g 

This recipe includes instructions for both keto bread and the actual French toast recipe. The bread is ready in 90 seconds and has a chewy, airy texture for a scrumptiously sweet breakfast. 

Keto Chicken Curry  

Calories: 330     Fat: 23g    Total Carbs: 6g    Net Carbs: 3g    Fiber: 3g    Protein: 25g 

Who said breakfast has to be traditional? Mix it up with this savory energy-packed mix! Enjoy in a lettuce wrap, a keto friendly wrap, or a hollowed-out bell pepper.  

Deviled Green Eggs & Ham 

Calories: 438     Fat: 38g    Total Carbs: 2g    Net Carbs: 0g    Fiber: 1g    Protein: 34g 

The Dr. Seuss story comes to life with this keto-approved recipe. Don’t worry, there’s no unnaturally colored food here, just a generous helping of avocado and green onions. 

Green Keto Smoothie 

Calories: 141    Fat: 10.8g   Total Carbs: 8.6g   Net Carbs: 5g    Fiber: 13.8g    Protein: 4g 

Forget the green juice! Smoothies don’t take out the helpful fiber that juicing does. With a little peanut butter to thicken it up, this smoothie is a whole meal on its own. 

Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies 

Calories: 325    Fat: 8g    Total Carbs: 9g    Net Carbs: 7g    Fiber: 2g    Protein: 12g 

Eat alone or pair with one of the above entrees for a hearty keto breakfast. All you need to do for this recipe is chop, season, and pop in the oven or air fryer. 

Keto Cinnamon Roll in a Mug 

Calories: 378     Fat: 31g    Total Carbs: 11g    Net Carbs: 4g    Fiber: 7g    Protein: 12g 

Move over, Cinnabon! This changes everything – a whole keto approved cinnamon roll in under 10 minutes? Um, YES? 

Keto Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal

Calories: 172    Fat: 16g    Total Carbs: 4g    Net Carbs: 2g    Fiber: 2g    Protein: 4g 

Pour on some ice-cold plant milk and voila! Prep ahead of time and store in an airtight container until you have that craving for crunchy sweet cereal.

Eggless Keto English Muffin 

Calories: 268   Fat: 24.4g  Total Carbs: 10.1g   Net Carbs: 2.5g   Fiber: 7.6g   Protein: 6.1g 

Made with flax meal, ghee, almond and coconut flour, the texture of these muffins is light and earthy. The key to this recipe is to replace the eggs with flax meal – about 1 Tablespoon per egg. And of course, if you’d prefer more protein, simply switch the flax out for eggs! 

For more keto breakfast ideas (or any keto meals, really!), check out our 5 Step Chef page. Feeling a little shaky in the kitchen? Let us do the cooking for you! Sign up to get keto meals delivered weekly to your door – no prep needed! Reach your health goals using a ketogenic diet just like thousands of others across the country.  

The post 21 Easy Keto Breakfasts (Under 10 Min Each!) appeared first on Fresh n' Lean.

The Keto Diet (aka Ketogenetic or Ketosis Diet) is famously known across the fitness and health world for helping people reach their wellness goals. The Keto Diet is a highly effective tool for weight loss because it utilizes the body’s natural processes to break down fat faster.  

Of course, this diet presents challenges and constructing a Keto diet plan can be difficult if you don’t understand how the body works. Being able to trigger ketosis is key to succeeding, but not many know what that means. We’re here to help you understand the Ketogenic Diet and its ins and outs so you can decide if it aligns best with your health goals! 

Table of Contents 

The Basics of The Keto Diet 

Understanding Glucose and Its Role In Your Body 

What Are Ketones? 

The Benefits of The Keto Diet 

How To Follow a Keto Diet Plan 

Potential Downsides to The Keto Diet 

The Basics of the Keto Diet 

The Keto Diet is a plan designed to put your body into a constant state of ketogenesis. In this state, your body burns fat for fuel rather than carbs! As you would expect, this means severely limiting carbohydrate intake and replacing them with other energy sources.  It also prioritizes getting more daily caloric intake from fats than from protein, as high levels of protein can interfere with maintaining a ketogenic state. 

In practice, the Keto Diet consists of consuming less than 50g of carbohydrates per day. For reference, a cup of cooked white rice has 44g of carbs.  A “normal” diet might involve consuming around 225-325g of carbs per day, so this can be a big change from the way you usually eat. 

With the Keto Diet, you will completely avoid foods you usually think of as “carby”, like bread, pasta, potatoes, or rice.  Since you still obtain a certain amount of carbs from even low-carb foods, you won’t have room in your daily carb budget for higher, carb-heavy foods (that means passing on your Morning Muffin from Starbucks!) 

Understanding Glucose and Its Role In Your Body 

Glucose comes from almost all the foods you eat and provides the body with the energy it needs to function properly. Normally, you need about 10% of your daily calories to come from glucose. Your body gets its energy from what you eat each day and will usually hold that energy (in the short term) in the form of glucose.  

If you think of energy as money that your body “spends” on activities like jumping or thinking, then glucose is like cash. Quick and easy to use. Carbohydrates are easily broken down into glucose molecules, which is why they are a fast source of energy (and why you crave carbs when you’re tired). When you have more energy than you need (excess calories), your body stores those calories by converting the glucose into fat. So, if glucose is cash in your wallet, then fat is money in the bank. 

Low glucose levels in the body stimulate a state of Gluconeogenesis. This involves the liver generating glucose from non-carbohydrate sources like lactate or certain amino acids. However, this process makes it difficult for the body to keep up with its energy demands, especially if your diet is very low in carbohydrates. This is when the body turns to glucose’s close “energy-cousin,” ketones.  

What Are Ketones?

Whereas glucose is created via the breakdown of carbohydrates, ketone bodies are generated via the breakdown of fat. This process is called ketogenesis. So now, instead of storing new fat, we are aggressively breaking down our existing fat stores to solve the fuel shortage created by not consuming carbohydrates. 

Optimal levels for ketones while on the Ketogenic Diet are about 0.5 – 3 mg/dL in the blood. To reach these levels, a strict restriction of carbs is necessary. If you want to measure these levels accurately, there are blood ketone measurement devices available, as well as breath and urine tests, to test your body’s ketone levels. However, this isn’t necessary unless you want to keep a rigid regime.  

The Benefits of The Keto Diet 

Having more ketone bodies in your bloodstream instead of normal blood sugar (glucose), is associated with a number of beneficial health effects. Weight loss alone is an incredibly important health effect.  In fact, by losing weight you are improving your ability to fight or prevent many of the most important chronic diseases and doing one of the best things you for preventive health and wellness.

Ketosis and Weight Loss 

Ketogenic diets have been shown to be effective for weight loss. Unfortunately, it’s not well understood why it leads to weight loss. While it may seem obvious based on the fat-burning mechanism caused by ketogenesis, regardless of if your body is using fat or glucose for fuel; eating more calories than you burn will still cause weight gain. 

There are several theories on how Ketogenic Diets lead to weight loss. The leading theory, based on available studies, is that it suppresses appetite. This may be because the Keto diet allows the consumption of more protein and fat than a normal diet does, and since protein and fat are more filling than carbohydrates, you feel hungry less often.  

There also may be a direct appetite suppression effect by the ketone bodies themselves. Either way, it seems that people eat fewer calories per day when on the keto diet and this seems to contribute to weight loss. 

There are other more complicated theories as to why ketogenesis causes weight loss. Some of the most popular notions are related to metabolic topics like resting energy expenditure, the balance of lipogenesis vs. lipolysis (or the creation of and burning of fat in storage, respectively), and the amount of energy bodies use to break down food over the amount of energy that food provides.  

Each of these may provide some insight into the effectiveness of keto diet, but none have substantial clinical evidence to support them yet.  

Lower Cholesterol 

Being on a Ketogenic Diet can decrease the amount of cholesterol and lipids in your blood despite the high amounts of fat allowed. This is likely due to the decrease in blood sugar. High blood sugar would ordinarily stimulate the body to release more cholesterol and triglycerides into the bloodstream.  These molecules are major sources of plaque which causes heart attacks and strokes. 

Studies have shown that people following a Keto Diet are more likely to have lower levels of “bad cholesterol” (LDL) and high levels of “good cholesterol (HDL). This can reduce the chances of developing heart disease and other complications.  

However, this also depends on how well you balance this diet, as it is easy to overdo fatty foods on the Keto Diet, which are known to lead to heart disease and other health issues.  

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels 

Speaking of blood sugar – consistently high levels of glucose in your blood stream can cause your pancreas to lose its ability to regulate your blood sugar which can lead to diabetes.  

Diabetes is an incredibly destructive disease, and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The Keto Diet has been shown to be effective at preventing and treating diabetes alongside medication for the disease. 

Other Health Benefits 

There are many other potential benefits that come with eating a keto-friendly diet. You can feel more energized and happier due to the increase in healthier foods and removal of processed foods. Other benefits that have been found can be found below.  

• Manage hormonal disorders like Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) 
• Help prevent breakouts by lowering insulin levels which normally trigger the release of acne-causing hormones 
• It may play a role as an adjuvant therapy for cancer (meaning, it may be useful alongside chemotherapy and other cancer treatments) 
• Initially created as a treatment for epilepsy, the keto diet has long been known to be effective for reducing seizures 
• Can protect the brain and nerve cells to help prevent dementia and protect against or manage Alzheimer’s 

How To Follow a Keto Diet Plan

When you do keto, your diet will revolve around high fat foods like cheese or oils, as well as fatty proteins like red meat or fish. Ideally, you’ll utilize your 50g carb limit to make sure you’re getting plenty of fruits and vegetables.  

Eating ONLY high fat meats and cheese all day will technically work for a keto diet, but it’ll mean you’re not getting a lot of necessary nutrients in your diet and it’s not recommended. Nuts are also an important component of a low carb diet since they’re high in fat, reasonably low in carbs, and packed with vitamins and minerals. 

A sample Keto Diet plan might include: 

Breakfast: Broccoli cheddar quiche made with coconut creamer, eggs, almond and coconut flour, and vegan cheddar cheese 

Lunch: Mini eggplant pizza, replacing the traditional dough with sliced eggplants. Top with a big helping of arugula, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, shredded chicken breast, red onion, balsamic glaze, and low-fat mozzarella cheese and voila! 

Dinner: Keto Big Mac sliders made with beyond beef and vegan cheddar cheese 

Dessert: Chocolate chip cookies made with almond or coconut flour and monkfruit sugar instead of regular flour and brown sugar. 

Snack: Cream cheese avocado dip with carrots, celery, and baked sweet potato veggie sticks for dipping 

Potential Downsides to the Keto Diet 

For many, maintaining a very low amount of carbohydrates can be difficult to maintain. Many people fall back into their old eating habits and gain back the weight they lost. In the end, rapid and significant weight loss does not matter if it is not maintained in the long term.  

That being said, sustainability is a major challenge for every weight loss method. There is little data on whether a keto diet is any harder to maintain than other options like low calorie or low-fat diets.  However, there are studies suggesting that keto diet can be a highly effective long term weight loss option when combined with Mediterranean Diet in the maintenance phase.  

Some people may also experience other symptoms, such as muscle cramps, bad breath, changes in bowel habits, keto-flu, and loss of energy 

The Keto Flu 

It is unclear exactly why, but starting a Keto Diet may cause flu-like symptoms. About 2-3 days after starting a Ketogenic Diet symptoms like headache, brain fog, fatigue, nausea, constipation, difficulty sleeping, and body aches can appear.  

Some health officials suggest this is due to a “withdrawal” from the lack of carbohydrates, an immunity reaction in the body, or simply a change in your gut’s microbiome. Whatever its cause, to avoid the keto flu or to reduce its effects, starting slow, staying hydrated, resting, and more can help. 

Long-Term Concerns 

Going through long-term periods with consuming low amounts of carbohydrates but very high fats has been shown to promote inflammation and advance biological aging. There have also been studies showing potential cardiovascular concerns with long term Keto Diet. As such, it is only recommended that this diet be followed short-term, or in tandem with another diet that can help you control your fat and carb intake. 

Cardiovascular Issues 

The Keto Diet can lead to very high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, especially with the “bacon and cheese” version of the diet. Just because bacon and cheese are technically allowed on this diet, eating them every day can have serious health risks! 

Even though people seem to have lower cholesterol as a result of Keto dieting, that may only be due to them losing weight or managing their diabetes. For an otherwise fit person, long term, it is possible that Keto could increase risk of heart disease or stroke.  

Possible Nutrition Deficiency 

As mentioned above, this diet tends to exclude foods which are important for good health like whole grains, fruits, and veggies. Studies on epileptic patients using the keto diet have shown that it can cause micronutrient deficiencies. 

TL; DR  

When you eat extremely low amounts of carbohydrates (about 50 grams or less a day), the body runs out of the blood sugar it needs to keep going. After a few days, your body will start breaking down proteins and fats for energy instead which can help you lose weight. This is usually only an ideal diet for short-term use! 

If eating a very low carbohydrate diet is something you think you can handle, then it can absolutely improve your health via weight loss and better blood sugar control.  However, long-term, we would encourage you to look into switching to a more sustainable choice like the Mediterranean Diet as your maintenance phase diet. 

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