Ketogenic diet has gained global popularity as the ultimate means of managing blood sugar, achieving weight loss and similar health-related goals.
However, beginners might feel lost while juggling with their nutrition parameters.
Keeping such things in mind, we have come up with a list of keto-friendly food options well suited for novice dieters.
Seafood
Fishes like salmon carry a rich stock of potassium, Vitamin B, and selenium while being virtually carb-free.
Beginners can include these fishes in their keto diet as they also contain high degree of omega-3 fats which have been associated with increasing insulin sensitivity in obese people.
Frequent intake of fish has also been linked with improved cognitive health and decreased risk of disease.
As per the recommendations of the American Heart Association, you should consume between 1 to 2 seafood meals weekly.
Low Carb Veggies
This popular high fibre keto food carries a low count of carbs and calories. However, it is also rich in Vitamin C and several other minerals. Some keto-friendly vegetables which you can include in your meal plan are broccoli, asparagus, avocado, cauliflower, cabbage, green beans, cucumber, lettuce, eggplant, kale, olives, spinach, green pepper, zucchini and tomato. The high antioxidant count of vegetables can also keep you buffered from the free radicals which tend to cause cell damage.
Cheese
In spite of being absolutely delicious, cheese has very low carb count making it the perfect substitute for a ketogenic diet.
Although cheese is rich in saturated fat, the same hasn’t been linked with an increase in chances of heart ailments.
Conjugated linoleic acid found in cheese has also been associated with improvement in body composition and fat loss.
Regular consumption of cheese can help in dealing with loss of strength and muscle mass which occurs due to ageing.
Camembert, blue cheese, chevre, brie, cottage cheese, feta, cheddar, goat cheese, colby jack, Limburger, cream cheese, mozzarella, string cheese, halloumi, muenster, Havarti, Swiss, parmesan, manchego, romano, mascarpone, provolone and pepper jack are some variants of cheese which you can add to your keto friendly diet.
Almonds
Your search for a high magnesium food keto ends with almonds which are also considered as store houses of manganese and Vitamin E. However, it has a low carbohydrate count of just 2.7 gram per ounce making it a highly keto-friendly snack option for beginners. The skin of raw almonds serves as rich reserves of manganese and vitamin E which helps in fighting the natural signs of ageing.
Avocados
Avocados are rich in an array of vitamins and minerals including potassium which is otherwise pretty difficult to inculcate in your daily diet.
Higher levels of potassium intake can also ease out the transition process to a ketogenic diet.
Avocados have also been associated with improvement in triglyceride levels and lowering of bad cholesterol.
Poultry & Meat
Poultry and meat are completely free of carbs and are rich in various important minerals and vitamins.
They also serve as a viable source of premium grade protein which can preserve muscle mass while following a low carb diet.
But for best results, you should choose grass-fed meat as animals consuming grass tend to produce higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid, omega-3 fats and antioxidants when compared to their grain-fed peers.
Eggs
One egg contains around 6 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of carb making it the perfect food for a ketogenic lifestyle.
Research studies have also shown that eggs bring early satiety provided you eat the entire egg as most of its nutrients are found in the yolk.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs which can be converted into ketones directly by our liver for rapid energy generation.
Health practitioners have used coconut oil for increasing ketone levels in people suffering Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders of the nervous system and brain.
The perfect blend of lauric acid and MCTs found in coconut oil helps in promoting a sustained level of ketosis while helping with obesity.
Greek Yogurt
This is a high protein food which can be included in your ketogenic lifestyle in moderation as they contain some carbs.
Half cup or 105 grams of plain Greek yogurt contains 9 grams of protein and 4 grams of carbs. However, it has gained a massive fan following amongst health enthusiasts given the ability of bringing early satiety.
You can also mix cinnamon, chopped nuts and other spices with Greek yogurt for a healthy and tasty keto treat.
Conclusion
For best results, you should rotate meat and vegetables to benefit from different nutrients present in each variety.
While it might be a bit challenging to get started with keto, things become easy once you familiarize yourself with the food levels and start checking the individual constituents like fibre, carbs and fat to gauge whether it can be a part of your diet.
Advance meal planning can also be of great help if you rarely get time to cook during weekdays.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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