1. Clean out the pantry! We didn't buy any program or anything to do Keto, we got rid of sugar and things with carbs that would tempt us. (My boys aren't doing keto so we have carby stuff for them, but it's off limits for us).
2. MEAL PLAN!! This is the only way I've been able to stay strong. I had to make a list of keto friendly foods (see links & pics below) and plan the week ahead so I wouldn't get stuck hungry with no plan and cave in. When we started I literally wrote out breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, until I got used to knowing what worked for us.
3. Friendly accountability. It helps that my hubby and I are doing this together to keep us encouraged, but it also helps to find other people who are doing it too. I get a lot of recipes & tips from facebook groups and Instagrams I follow, and fellow friends who are doing it. We've even held keto parties together to taste each others favorite recipes!
4. Eating out tips. It's totally possible to eat out at restaurants & fast food. We don't do it much, hello $$$, but when you're in a hurry or want to treat yourself, there are options! Non- breaded chicken wings, veggies & blue cheese dip are a GO TO! Bunless Burgers! Non breaded fish with salads and side veggies are good, and STEAK! Broccoli cheese soup is good too.
5. Get electrolytes w/ B vitamins. We take vitamins that have some vitamins that you'll be low on being low carb like B6 & B12, D3, Potassium, Magnesium, but also drink sugar free gatorade type drinks or liquid flavoring with electrolytes w/ B vitamins to add to water. This is Super helpful as you start so you don't feel as much sugar detox when you begin. (some people call it keto flu). There are a lot of supplement powder electrolytes you can find from Walmart to Health food stores as an option (just check labels).
6. Track your Macros. We use an App called Carb Manager. You can set the settings to keto and track what you eat. Macros are the % of nutrients you intake. For keto, you generally wanna stay 70% high quality fats, 25% protein, 5% Carbs. I signed up for free PerfectKeto.com emails that have helpful tips and ideas and you can enter in your body info to find out best amount of carbs to have for weightloss. I try to stay between 20-30 carbs a day. I do what they call "dirty keto" so I still stick with my carb level goals, but I might take a bite or 2 of something with real sugar in it / "not keto friendly" ;) it works for some people, but everyone's body is different so be careful. Some people get blood tests/ urine tests to see in they're in ketosis (you can read more about that at the perfect keto website), but we haven't, we just track our macros & weigh in.
7. Try different things until you find one you like! Fake sugar being one of them: The sugar I'm using is Pyure Organic Stevia Blend (granular and a squeeze liquid bottle) Basically get something with the ingredients as plain stevia or erythritol but not dextrose or sucrlose, those made the gross aftertaste. I'm not saying theres none in this kind but it's surprisingly better than I thought. Trader Joes Organic Stevia and Swerve Confectioners Sugar are good too. I've found a lot of good recipes, and some that were not edible, lol... keep adjusting & trying til you find one you like! Fake Sugar warning: I only use 1/4-1/3 of the amount recipes usually call for because otherwise I taste the aftertaste, yuck. But that keeps it just sweet enough to work.
8. Read Labels. Look at the sugar content! It took me longer the first few times at the grocery store when we started to find out that CARBS ARE EVERYWHERE, lol. Seriously, they hide it in everything. So know your numbers and add up the sugars! Know the difference between total carbs & net carbs- Net carbs is what you measure: Sugars -subtract Fiber and - subtract sugar alcohols in the ingredients. I keep that total under 25 every day.
Remember, I'm not an expert, I don't claim to know it all about Keto, I'm just figuring it out along the way :) but feel free to ask me questions or share if I'm wrong about something on here! lol.
Here are some of my favorite recipes/ websites.
Breakfast- smoothies (w/ coconut milk), eggs, bacon or sausage, keto friendly fruits (I'll attach a pic) or plain greek yogurt with fresh berries, Bullet proof coffee, sausage gravy w/ keto biscuits (recipe below), Sausage patty w/ Cheese on a biscuit, coffee w/ heavy whipping creamOur daily food ideas:
Snacks- nuts, kale chips, cheddar crisps, hard boiled eggs, cheese & pepperoni, veggies w/ blue cheese dressing, deviled eggs, Celery w/ PB or cream cheese, seaweed.
Lunch- meat/cheese rolls, tuna or chicken salad (I use celery as the spoon and bite it off each swoop, salad with grilled chicken or steak, left overs (my favorite), salmon & cream cheese, Caprese salad, bunless burgers or hotdogs, berries, Carb counter tortillas used for a wrap with spinach, and cheese & lunch meat
Dinner- all listed above & below and a bunch from that website with Merakilane.
Desert- we love the mason jar ice cream (adding a splash of vodka helps keep it from getting icy) but I do this same recipe for fresh strawberry too. Or Dark chocolate covered strawberries or berries with fresh whip cream.
Some random recipes & helpful infographics we LOVE:
Keto Country Sausage Gravy (4 carbs/ serving)
1 lb pork sausage
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 tsp Xanthum gum
Cook sausage in skillet, break up into little pieces. add 1 c. chicken broth, stir. Sprinkle Xanthum gum slowly as you mix. Let simmer and stir until thickened. Stir in heavy cream and seasoning until to thickened to desired consistency. Serve over Good biscuits recipe below:
Good Biscuits (9 = 2.5 carbs)
1.5 C Almond flour (Kirkland brand is my favorite!!)
pinch salt
1 T. Baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 c. sour cream
4 T. Melted butter
(optional for cheesy garlic biscuits: 1/3 c. cheddar cheese & 1/2 t. garlic powder)
Bake at 400 for 10-12 min.
Fat Head Pizza Dough (we use for cheesy garlic bread as well or pigs in a blanket) (2 carbs/ slice)
1.5 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. almond flour
2 T. cream cheese
1 egg, beaten
garlic powder to taste
Put mozzarella and cream cheese in microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 min. stir and continue another 30 sec. (very hot). Stir in beaten egg and flour. Wet hands and spread "dough" on parchment paper on a baking sheet. It should even like a dough, if stringy, warm in microwave a few more sec. Poke holes with a fork to avoid bubbles. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bake at 425 for 8 min. poke more holes with fork if bubbling. Continue baking for 8 more min. until slightly brown. Top with favorite toppings and cook for 8 min or until cheese browns.
I'll try to update this blog when I find new ones too!
At the bottom are some tips to help if you feel symptoms from detox of carbs, like headaches/ dizziness/ tiredness (when you first start especially).
