Looking for a quick jump-start to lose weight fast? Well, apart from Intermittent Fasting, the Keto Diet can be one of the best ways to lose weight. And, there’s a possibility that you might have heard of it before. Simply put, a ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that transforms your metabolic state into ketosis, where you start burning your body fat as a source of energy. While this diet comes with benefits and potential risks, here’s what you need to know.
Read on to explore everything from the benefits and risks, keto food list, and the best & FREE meal plan for this diet.
Potential Benefits of the Keto Diet
Before you jot down our free meal plan, let’s talk about some of the benefits of the keto diet.
As stated above, the keto diet plan is a low-carb, high-fat diet that puts your body in a state of ketosis. There are multiple studies suggesting that this particular diet can be used for three circumstances:
1. To treat epilepsy.
2. To stabilize blood sugar or help with weight loss in Type 2 diabetes management.
3. To generally lose weight.
Talking about the benefits, keto can help people with diabetes. Since diabetic plans call for low-carb consumption, the keto diet can be a good pick. A keto diet can help average a person’s blood sugar level and help reduce medication use in people with diabetes.
However, it might not be recommended for everyone. Since people on a keto diet consume a lot of saturated fats, this can increase the chances of heart attacks as well. It is vital to get in touch with a medical expert before considering the keto diet if you have diabetes.
Regarding weight loss, a keto diet plan can come with exceptional results. Because keto sends your body into a state of ketosis, where you burn fat for energy, you could be shedding serious pounds with this diet plan. Some experts even state that you can feel the weight loss even in the first week of trying this plan.
Risks Associated with the Keto
While this diet can help you lose weight fast, it comes with certain side effects. Reportedly, every 1 in 3 people trying keto reported that they had short-term keto side effects. This includes headaches, nausea, fatigue, muscle cramps, constipation, and other flu-like symptoms.
These side effects generally last for a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on your body type. It is always advised to follow this diet plan under medical supervision, and never alone.
Tips For Creating A Keto Diet Meal Plan
If you have decided to stick to keto to lose weight fast, you would have to follow a proper diet plan. About 70-80% of your calories should come from fat, 10-20% should come from protein, and just 5-10% should come from carbohydrates.
Another thing to remember is that you can switch to a normal metabolic state pretty fast. Even a small bite of something that you are not allowed to eat will switch your body from burning fat to carbs.
A Comprehensive Keto Food List
Considering such a state, you would want to know what you can and cannot eat. Below are some kinds of keto foods you can take:
Protein
Since the keto diet is all about fat consumption, you would have to consume protein moderately.
Safe: Pure, grass-fed beef, chicken, or fatty fish like salmon.
Occasionally: Bacon, shrimp, skinless chicken, or other low-fat proteins.
Never: Cold cuts with added sugar, fish/chicken nuggets, meats that are marinated in sugary batter.
Oil & Fat
Safe: Avocado, avocado oil, olive oil.
Occasionally: Sunflower oil, safflower oil, heavy cream, whole milk, butter, corn oil, and coconut oil.
Never: Margarine, trans fats.
Fruits & Vegetables
Safe: celery, avocado, asparagus, spinach, arugula.
Occasionally: Leeks, lemon, tomatoes, raspberries, avocado, eggplant.
Never: Potatoes, corn, raisins.
Nuts & Seeds
Safe: Walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and nut butter.
Occasionally: Cashews, pistachios, almond or peanut butter.
Never: Trail mixes with dried fruits, sweetened nuts, or seed butter, and chocolate-covered nuts.
Dairy Products
Safe: Cream cheese, feta cheese, Parmesan, blue cheese.
Occasionally: Full-fat cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, American cheese, full-fat ricotta cheese, full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
Never: Milk, sweetened yogurt, ice cream
Sweetneners
Safe: NONE
Occasionally: Stevia
Never: Agave, honey, maple syrup, white sugar, brown sugar.
Condiments & Sauces
Safe: Lemon butter sauce, mayonnaise (without added sugar), guac
Occasionally: Roasted garlic, balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce (without added sugar).
Never: barbecue sauce, ketchup, honey mustard.
Drinks
Safe: Water, plain tea, bone broth, unsweetened almond milk.
Occasionally: Black coffee, zero-calorie drinks, alcohol, diet soda.
Never: Soda, fruit juice, lemonade.
Lastly, consider taking multivitamins and fiber in your diet.
Detailed Keto Diet Meal Plan
Below is a 7-day diet plan for the keto diet.
Day 1
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs in butter, served on top of lettuce and topped with avocado
Snack: macadamia nuts
Lunch: Grilled salmon over spinach salad
Snack: pepper and celery sticks with guac
Dinner: Pork chop with cauliflower mash and a red cabbage stew
Day 2
Breakfast: Coffee, with a splash of butter or coconut oil, and a hard-boiled egg
Snack: Sunflower seeds
Lunch: Tuna salad stuffed in tomatoes
Snack: Sliced cheese roll-ups with roasted beef
Dinner: Zucchini noodles, topped with cream sauce and meatballs
Day 3
Breakfast: Cheese & veggie omelet, topped with salsa
Snack: Plan- full-fat Greek yogurt with crushed pecans
Lunch: Sashimi with miso soup
Snack: Almond milk smoothie with protein powder, almond butter, and greens
Dinner: Roast chicken with sautéed mushrooms
Day 4
Breakfast: Almond milk smoothie, with greens, almond butter, and protein powder
Snack: two hard-boiled eggs
Lunch: Chicken tenders made with almond flour, cucumbers, and goat cheese
Snack: Sliced cheese with bell peppers
Dinner: Grilled shrimp with lemon butter sauce and a side of asparagus
Day 5
Breakfast: Fried eggs, bacon, and a side of cucumbers
Snack: a few walnuts & a quarter cup of berries
Lunch: Lettuce burger, with a grass-fed patty, avocado, and side salad
Snack: celery sticks and almond butter
Dinner: baked tofu with cauliflower, over a bed of rice, peppers, and homemade peanut sauce
Day 6
Breakfast: Baked eggs in cups made of avocado
Snack: Kale chips
Lunch: Poached salmon and avocado rolls, rolled in seaweed
Snack: Turkey bar
Dinner: Grilled beef kebabs with sautéed peppers
Day 7
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with veggies and salsa
Snack: Dried seaweed and cheese
Lunch: Sardine salad
Snack: Turkey jerky
Dinner: Broiled trout with butter
Wrapping It Up: Snacking on a Keto Diet
Okay- snacking on a keto diet can be tricky. And, your usual go-tos like granola bars or crackers are seriously off-limits. However, the good thing is that when on keto, you usually consume a lot of fat, which suppresses your hunger. In short, you won’t be feeling like snacking too often.
However, if you still have a small craving, you can stick to certain nuts (already mentioned above), cheese, and olives.