Keto Diet Menu For Beginners

Keto Diet Menu For Beginners – What does Keto diet meal plan mean? In general, the term keto meal refers to food which is low in carbs. But with a limitation of the amount of carbs that can be consumed within the body. A Keto diet differs from traditional diets by limiting net carbohydrates instead of total carbohydrates (total carbs minus fibre). The ratio of fat to protein and carbs is 4:1. If you find yourself in a conversation about dieting or weight loss, chances are you’ll hear of the ketogenic, or keto, diet. That’s because the keto diet has become one of the most popular methods worldwide to shed excess weight and improve health. Research has demonstrated that adopting this low-carb, high-fat diet can promote fat loss and even improve certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline.

Keto Diet Menu For Beginners

In this post of keto diet menu for beginners,I’ll give you everything you need to succeed on a ketogenic diet. The keto diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, is a high-fat diet that helps you lose weight quickly and effectively. A common misconception is that you can’t eat your favorite foods forever with the keto diet. In reality you can but you must be selective about your choices of what to eat and what not to eat. This article explains what to eat and avoid while following a keto diet and provides a one-week keto meal plan to get you started.

What Is the Keto Diet?

What is Keto Diet? The Keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low carb diets. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. When your body is unable to get glucose from carbs, your liver converts fatty acids into an energy-rich compound called ketones. The Keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and moderate protein diet that forces the body to enter a metabolic state called ketosis and have many benefits. This state helps burn your fat stores faster and produce energy in a more efficient manner. It may help reduce body fat, blood sugar, and blood pressure. It also may help improve memory and focus, lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and even boost your mood!

Ketogenic Diet Basics

The keto diet, as a rule, is very low in carbs, high in fat and moderate in protein. When following a ketogenic diet, carbs are typically reduced to 20 to 50 grams per day, though looser versions of the diet exist. Fats should replace the majority of cut carbs and deliver approximately 75% of your total calorie intake. Proteins should account for around 10-30% of energy needs, while carbs are usually restricted to 5%. This carb reduction forces your body to rely on fats for its main energy source instead of glucose — a process known as ketosis. While in ketosis, your body uses ketones — molecules produced in the liver from fats when glucose is limited — as an alternate fuel source. Though fat is often avoided for its high calorie content, research shows that ketogenic diets are significantly more effective at promoting weight loss than low-fat diets. Plus, keto diets reduce hunger and increase satiety, which can be particularly helpful when trying to lose weight .

Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan

Switching over to a ketogenic diet can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Your focus should be on reducing carbs while increasing the fat and protein content of meals and snacks. In order to reach and remain in a state of ketosis, carbs must be restricted. While certain people might only achieve ketosis by eating 20 grams of carbs per day, others may be successful with a much higher carb intake. Generally, the lower your carbohydrate intake, the easier it is to reach and stay in ketosis. This is why sticking to keto-friendly foods and avoiding items rich in carbs is the best way to successfully lose weight on a ketogenic diet.

Keto-Friendly Foods To Eat

When following a ketogenic diet, meals and snacks should center around the following foods:

Eggs: Pastured, organic whole eggs make the best choice.
Poultry: Chicken and turkey.
Fatty fish: Wild-caught salmon, herring and mackerel.
Meat: Grass-fed beef, venison, pork, organ meats and bison.
Full-fat dairy: Yogurt, butter and cream.
Full- fat cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, brie, goat cheese and cream cheese.
Nuts and seeds: Macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts and flaxseeds.
Nut butter: Natural peanut, almond and cashew butters.
Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut butter and sesame oil.
Avocados: Whole avocados can be added to almost any meal or snack.
Non-starchy vegetables: Greens, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers.
Condiments: Salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs and spices.

Foods To Avoid

Avoid foods rich in carbs while following a keto diet. The following foods should be restricted:

Bread and baked goods: White bread, whole-wheat bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts and rolls.
Sweets and sugary foods: Sugar, ice cream, candy, maple syrup, agave syrup and coconut sugar.
Sweetened beverages: Soda, juice, sweetened teas and sports drinks.
Pasta: Spaghetti and noodles.
Grains and grain products: Wheat, rice, oats, breakfast cereals and tortillas.
Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, corn, peas and pumpkin.
Beans and legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans.
Fruit: Citrus, grapes, bananas and pineapple.
High-carb sauces: Barbecue sauce, sugary salad dressings and dipping sauces.
Certain alcoholic beverages: Beer and sugary mixed drinks.

Though carbs should be restricted, low-glycemic fruits such as berries can be enjoyed in limited amounts as long as you’re maintaining a keto-friendly macronutrient range. Be sure to choose healthy food sources and steer clear of processed foods and unhealthy fats. The following items should be avoided:

Unhealthy fats: Margarine, shortening and and other sources of trans fat.
Processed foods: Fast food, packaged foods and processed meats such as hot dogs and lunch meats.
Diet foods: Foods that contain artificial colors, preservatives and sweeteners such as sugar alcohols and aspartame.

Keto-Friendly Beverages

Sugar can be found in a wide variety of beverages including juice, soda, iced tea and coffee drinks. While on a ketogenic diet, high-carb drinks must be avoided just like high-carb foods. It’s no small matter that sugary beverages have also been linked to various health issues — from obesity to an increased risk of diabetes. Thankfully, there are many tasty, sugar-free options for those on the keto diet. Keto-friendly beverage choices include:

Water: Water is the best choice for hydration and should be consumed throughout the day.
Sparkling water: Sparkling water can make an excellent soda replacement.
Unsweetened coffee: Try heavy cream to add flavor to your cup of joe.
Unsweetened green tea: Green tea is delicious and provides many health benefits.

If you want to add some extra flavor to your water, try experimenting with different keto-friendly flavor combinations. For example, tossing some fresh mint and lemon peel into your water bottle can make hydration a breeze. Though alcohol should be restricted, enjoying a low-carb drink like vodka or tequila mixed with soda water is perfectly fine on occasion.

A Sample Keto Diet Meal Plan For One Week

The following menu provides less than 50 grams of total carbs per day. As mentioned above, some people may have to reduce carbohydrates even further in order to reach ketosis. This is a general one-week ketogenic menu that can be altered depending on individual dietary needs.

Monday

Breakfast: Two eggs fried in pastured butter served with sauteed greens.
Lunch: A bunless grass-fed burger topped with cheese, mushrooms and avocado atop a bed of greens.
Dinner: Pork chops with green beans sauteed in coconut oil.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Mushroom omelet.
Lunch: Tuna salad with celery and tomato atop a bed of greens.
Dinner: Roast chicken with cream sauce and sauteed broccoli.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Bell pepper stuffed with cheese and eggs.
Lunch: Arugula salad with hard-boiled eggs, turkey, avocado and blue cheese.
Dinner: Grilled salmon with spinach sauteed in coconut oil.

Thursday

Breakfast: Full-fat yogurt topped with Keto granola.
Lunch: Steak bowl with cauliflower rice, cheese, herbs, avocado and salsa.
Dinner: Bison steak with cheesy broccoli.

Friday

Breakfast: Baked avocado egg boats.
Lunch: Caesar salad with chicken.
Dinner: Pork chops with vegetables.

Saturday

Breakfast: Cauliflower toast topped with cheese and avocado.
Lunch: Bunless salmon burgers topped with pesto.
Dinner: Meatballs served with zucchini noodles and parmesan cheese.

Sunday

Breakfast: Coconut milk chia pudding topped with coconut and walnuts.
Lunch: Cobb salad made with greens, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, cheese and turkey.
Dinner: Coconut chicken curry.

As you can see, ketogenic meals can be diverse and flavorful. Although many ketogenic meals are based around animal products, there is a wide variety of vegetarian options to choose from as well. If you’re following a more liberal ketogenic diet, adding a cup of berries to your breakfast or a small serving of a starchy vegetable to your dinner will increase the number of carbs in this meal plan.

Keto Diet Meal Plan: Benefits And Risks

We all need to eat—but that doesn’t mean we’re knowledgeable about the right way to meal prep. If you’ve been looking for a wholesome keto diet meal plan, look no further. This ketogenic diet meal plan will be your go-to guide since it provides an abundance of healthy, homemade options you can feel good about.

Looking to lose weight? Keto is one of the biggest diet fads out there today. But first, learn what you can and can’t eat with this comprehensive food list and meal plan.

If you’re looking to get a jump start on your health and fitness goals this year, you may be thinking about trying the ketogenic diet. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase before — it’s a huge diet buzzword — but aren’t sure what it means. Here’s a primer: The ketogenic diet is an eating plan that drives your body into ketosis, a state where the body uses fat as a primary fuel source (instead of carbohydrates), says Stacey Mattinson, RDN, who is based in Austin, Texas. When you’re eating the foods that get you there (more on that in a minute), your body can enter a state of ketosis in one to three days, she adds. During the diet, the majority of calories you consume come from fat, with a little protein and very little carbohydrates. Ketosis also happens if you eat a very low-calorie diet — think doctor-supervised, medically recommended diets of 600 to 800 total calories per day.

Benefits and Risks of the Diet That Beginners Need to Know

Before you dive in, it’s key to know the possible benefits and risks of keto. Research backs up undertaking a ketogenic diet in three circumstances: to aid treatment of epilepsy, to help manage type 2 diabetes, and to support weight loss, says Mattinson, and the last two purposes still need more studies. “In terms of diabetes, there is some promising research showing that the ketogenic diet may improve glycemic control. It may cause a reduction in A1C — a key test for diabetes that measures a person’s average blood sugar control over two to three months — something that may help you reduce medication use,” she says. But for people with diabetes, one big concern is you’re eating a lot of fat on keto, and that fat may be saturated, which is unhealthy when eaten in excess. (The much higher total fat intake is also a challenge among keto beginners.)

Because people with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, there’s a specific concern that the saturated fat in the diet may drive up LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol levels, and further increase the odds of heart problems. If you have type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor before attempting a ketogenic diet. She may recommend a different weight loss diet for you, like a reduced-calorie diet, to manage diabetes. Those with epilepsy should also consult their doctor before using this as part of their treatment plan.

The keto diet may also help improve short- and long-term cognition among people who are living with Alzheimer’s disease and are experiencing mild cognitive impairment, according to a systematic review of randomized controlled trials that was published in Advances in Nutrition in June 2020. Researchers caution that further research is needed to confirm these findings and prove a cause-and-effect relationship between keto and preventing dementia.

In terms of weight loss, you may be interested in trying the ketogenic diet because you’ve heard that it can make a big impact right away. And that may be true. “Ketogenic diets will cause you to lose weight within the first week,” says Mattinson. She explains that your body will first use up all its glycogen stores (the storage form of carbohydrate). With depleted glycogen, you’ll drop water weight. While it can be motivating to see the number on the scale go down (often dramatically), do keep in mind that most of this is water loss initially.

But the keto diet can be an effective option over time. One review suggested the keto diet can spur fat loss in obese people when used for a couple of weeks and up to one year. A meta-analysis noted that one likely reason for weight loss is that keto diets may suppress hunger.

One downside to the ketogenic diet for weight loss is that it’s difficult to maintain. “Studies show that weight loss results from being on a low-carb diet for more than 12 months tend to be the same as being on a normal, healthy diet,” says Mattinson. While you may be eating more satiating fats (like peanut butter, regular butter, or avocado), you’re also way more limited in what’s allowed on the diet, which can make everyday situations, like eating dinner with family or going out with friends, far more difficult. Because people often find it tough to sustain, it’s easy to rely on it as a short-term diet rather than a long-term lifestyle.

Another potential downside to the keto diet: the keto flu. One study, published in March 2020 in Frontiers in Nutrition, found that across 43 different online forums for people following a keto diet, about a third of commenters reported experiencing this short-term keto side effect. In the first few days after you begin your keto diet plan, you may experience headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, nausea, constipation, and other flu-like symptoms, according to Harvard Health Publishing. These symptoms usually resolve within a few days to a few weeks, and you can help to counter them by drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes, according to an article published June 2020 in StatPearls.

Before starting, ask yourself what is really realistic for you, Mattinson suggests. Then get your doctor’s okay. You may also work with a local registered dietitian nutritionist to limit potential nutrient deficiencies and talk about vitamin supplementation, as you won’t be eating whole grains, dairy, or fruit, and will eliminate many veggies. “A diet that eliminates entire food groups is a red flag to me. This isn’t something to take lightly or dive into headfirst with no medical supervision,” she says.

Who is a keto diet plan for?

Keto diet plan is for people who are looking to lose weight. On the keto diet, you eat high amounts of fat and very little amounts of carbs. The point behind the keto diet is that it helps you enter into a state called ketosis. Keto diet works by depriving your body of carbs. Normally, when we consume less amount of food, our body uses more amount of stored fats as a source of energy. When our body does not have enough source of calories (carbs) then it is forced to use stored fats for its energy needs. This process helps your body losing excessive fats and weight. A keto diet plan is for people who want to simplify their lives while getting all the benefits of keto eating: appetite suppression, weight loss, better blood sugar control, and other health improvements.

Keto Diet Plan Basics

Keto Diet Plan Basics – Keto diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein and low-carbohydrate diet that helps you lose weight easily. They say it’s good to follow as part of a healthy diet since keto diet helps control your food cravings and appetite. To follow the Keto Diet Plan, you’ll need to keep track of what food you eat. Rather than painstakingly tracking every single thing that goes into your mouth, you’ll simply keep a general idea of what foods are allowed on Keto, and avoid everything else. In this post we’ll address the basics of a healthy Keto Diet Plan – what should be the foundations for anyone wanting to lose weight with this plan, and list our top 5 tips for getting started on a Keto Diet Plan. On a keto diet plan, your meals contain less than 20 grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) per day. They also provide enough protein to meet your needs and help you feel satisfied. Following a diet plan can help simplify your keto journey and set you up to succeed, because all of the planning is done for you.

Risks

Following a keto diet appears to be safe for most people. However, before starting a keto diet plan, make sure to check with your doctor if you take medication for diabetes or high blood pressure. If you’re breastfeeding, you should not follow a keto diet.

Start fresh

Use our kitchen clean-out list to help you make sure your kitchen is keto-friendly before starting your keto diet plan. This can dramatically increase your chances of success.

Avoid keto flu

Drink lots of fluids and get enough salt, especially during the first week of the meal plan, to minimize symptoms of the initial “keto flu.” For example, a cup of bouillon daily and salting your food ‘to taste’ really helps.

Disclaimer: While the ketogenic diet has many proven health benefits (e.g. weight loss, reversal of type 2 diabetes) it’s still controversial. Most importantly, there may be a need to adapt pre-existing medications (see above). Discuss any changes in medication and relevant lifestyle changes with your doctor.

Keto Diet Menu For Beginners

Keto Diet Menu For Beginners

What Is the Keto Diet?

Ketogenic Diet Basics

Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan

Keto-Friendly Foods To Eat

Foods To Avoid

Keto-Friendly Beverages