As I filmed this weeks YouTube video on my favorite go to keto meals, I remembered I had started this blog post a while back and never got around to finishing it. Never to late right?
Keto was easily the diet fad of late 2018 and most of 2019. I will say I feel like the fad has come to a slow halt, while some people still are using this diet as a lifestyle. I was apart of this diet fad after seeing beauty influencer Katy’s videos on her progress with this diet. I was intrigued immediately as her starting place was very similar to mine. Like Katy, I felt uncomfortable with my body, with my eating habits, and moreover, uncomfortable with how much I was craving sweets and carbs. I decided that I was going to try being keto for 30 days, as a sort of cleanse, and thought it was a tough first week, soon it became easier. One thing I will say right off the bat, this diet works best if you have a support system to do it with you. A friend, family member significant other, etc. Having a significant other do it with me, as well as support from my mom and sister really helped me reset my diet habits.
When prepping to start the keto diet, one of the most important things is to figure out was how many carbs are appropriate for you body on a low carb diet such as keto. I will admit the first time I did this, I did not research what the appropriate amount would be for me, but I did the second time, and it really opened up a giant variety of things I could eat. When doing my research I found that many sites stated that 20 total grams of carbs per day was the perfect amount to remain in ketosis. While for most, 20 net grams of carbs can also maintain one in ketosis. I know what you are thinking, “What’s the difference?”. Total carbs, is pretty self explanatory, its the total amount of carbs that you have eaten in a day. Total net carbs, is the total amount of carbs – the amount of dietary fiber – sugar alcohols (not found in all foods.) For example, if my box of granola has, 20 carbs and 15 dietary fibers, it would equal a total of 5 net cards that I am eating. For myself, though 20 net carbs was the recommended amount across many websites, I also wanted to make sure I was doing what was right and healthy for my body. Using the PerfectKeto Calculator which can be found here, I found that my perfect amount of carbs was 30 net grams per day to remain in ketosis. I also love that this website helps explain how your protein intake works as well!
Once you have your totals figured out comes my favorite part, the grocery shopping. One thing that you will learn while doing keto is that you need to have a house stocked full of the healthy things you can eat; especially to fight against those cravings you are bound to have. Here are some of my essentials to start this cleanse off right:
- Cauliflower: Make it into fried “rice”, mashed “potatoes”, breading for chicken, etc. I prefer to buy mine already “riced” as it makes cooking generally easier for the above mentioned.
- Spinach or Mixed Greens: It’ll make breakfast less bland, it’s perfect for salads and a good addition to any dinner veggie mix.
- Almond Milk: This is the only milk with the least amount of carbs. I personally love unsweetened vanilla almond milk. More over if you are really having additional sweet cravings, you can also get unsweetened chocolate almond milk.
- Proteins: Chicken breast, lean ground turkey, salmon, tilapia, shrimp, different lunch meats, avocados, bacon, cheese, and eggs.
- Other Low Carb Veggies: Lettuce, Asparagus, Cucumber, Zucchini, Olives, Eggplant, Green Peppers, Tomato, Cabbage, Kale, Green Beans, Broccoli, Red Pepper, Yellow Pepper, Celery, Mushrooms, Jicama, and Brussels Sprouts.
- Low Carb Fruits: Raspberries, Blackberries, Lemon, Coconut, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Strawberries, Plums, Clementines, Kiwi, and Peach. Fruits are something to be careful for as they can have as high as 8 net grams of carbs. Raspberries and Blackberries are your best options as they only have 5 net carbs.
- Low Carb Snacks: Pecans, Walnuts, Almonds, Peanuts, Pepperoni, Seaweed, Dark Chocolate, Whip Cream, String Cheese, Hard Boiled Eggs, Pork Rinds and Peanut Butter.
These are just some of the basics that will help make this diet a lot easier! I cannot wait to share more recipes and foods that will help you out on your keto journey. Of course if there are any that you find along the way I hope you share them with me.
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