Keeping Protein Intake Low On A Keto Diet

Keeping protein down on keto can be challenging, especially for meat lovers. While protein is essential for muscle maintenance and growth, too much can kick you out of ketosis. The ideal protein intake for keto is 20-30% of your calories, or 1.2-2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.

To keep protein down, focus on fatty cuts of meat and add extra fat to your meals. Choose beef over chicken, salmon over white fish, and macadamia nuts over peanuts. Avocados, butter, and full-fat dairy are also good sources of fat. If you're a snacker, nuts, seeds, and cheese can help boost your fat intake, but be mindful of the calories if you're trying to lose weight.

Remember, it's not just about the protein; it's also about the carbs and fat. Make sure you're getting enough fat and keeping your carbs low.

Eat protein with fat

Protein is one of the three macronutrients that provide calories and is essential for the body. It is broken down into amino acids, which the body uses to build new tissues, aiding wound healing, injury recovery, and muscle growth.

On the keto diet, it is recommended that you get 20-30% of your calories from protein. This equates to 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you are a male who lifts heavy weights, you may want to eat at the higher end of the protein range, whereas a smaller female who doesn't do much weight lifting may be better off at the lower end.

It is a common misconception that eating too much protein will kick you out of ketosis by increasing blood sugar and insulin levels. However, this is unlikely to happen unless you have type 1 diabetes. Sticking to the recommended guidelines of 1.2-2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight should be adequate to support ketosis.

• Meat and protein powder are the easiest ways to increase your protein intake. Adding an extra serving of meat to your meals or having a protein shake as a snack will significantly boost your protein intake without drastically changing your meal plan.
• Spreading protein intake evenly throughout the day is the easiest way to meet your goals. Protein is extremely filling, so it can be challenging to meet your goal if you try to cram it all into one meal.
• Nuts, seeds, and cheese can help boost your protein intake. Adding these as a snack or sprinkling them on your meals can help you reach your target. However, if you're trying to lose weight, be mindful that these foods are calorie-dense and may slow down weight loss.
• A piece of meat the size of a deck of cards (roughly 20 grams of protein) can be used to build each meal, ensuring you get adequate protein. Most people will need at least 60 grams of protein per day.
• For more exact numbers, a food scale is a worthwhile investment. Although not necessary, it can be helpful if you want to track your intake more accurately.

Space out protein intake

Spacing out your protein intake is one of the most important things to do when on a keto diet. Here are some reasons why:

• Proteins are constantly being remodelled, and the proteins we eat provide the building blocks to support the remodelling. Spacing out protein intake throughout the day ensures a constant supply of these building blocks, which is essential for muscle repair and growth.
• Eating protein with fat helps you feel satiated and prevents overeating.
• Eating smaller amounts of protein more frequently makes it easier to meet your protein goals.
• It can be challenging to eat adequate protein if you are an intermittent faster or if you eat only one meal a day. Spacing out your protein intake over 2-3 meals can help overcome this challenge.
• Aiming for a moderate amount of protein (1.2-2.0g/kg/day) spread over 2-3 meals is recommended.

Avoid protein sources with carbs

When choosing your protein sources on a keto diet, it's important to be mindful of the carbohydrate content of certain foods. Nuts, for example, can be a good source of protein, but they also contain carbohydrates, which can add up quickly. For instance, macadamia nuts have 4 grams of carbs per ounce, while cashews contain 9 grams.

Other protein sources that contain carbohydrates and should be avoided or limited on a keto diet include:

• Processed meats: bacon, sausage, chicken nuggets, and chicken strips.
• Tofu: 1.5 ounces of tofu has the same protein content as 1 ounce of meat but also contains carbohydrates.
• Dairy: milk and sweetened yogurts.
• Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, and beans (all varieties).
• Vegetarian/vegan meat substitutes.
• Certain nuts and seeds: cashews, pistachios, and chia seeds are higher in carbs than other options.

It's important to read nutrition labels carefully and be mindful of your total carbohydrate intake when choosing protein sources on a keto diet.

Monitor protein intake

Protein is a crucial component of a keto diet. It is one of the three macronutrients, along with carbohydrates and fat, that the body needs in large quantities to function properly. It is essential for healthy brain function, skin, bone and muscle health, building muscle mass, and recovering after workouts.

However, keeping track of protein intake is crucial when following a keto diet. Here are some tips to monitor and adjust your protein intake to stay within the recommended range:

• Calculate your protein needs: The recommended protein intake for most people on a keto diet is 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of reference body weight. You can calculate this by multiplying your target weight in kilograms by 1.2 to get the lower end of the range and by 2.0 to get the higher end. For example, if your target weight is 60 kg, your protein intake should be between 72 grams (60 x 1.2) and 120 grams (60 x 2.0) per day.
• Consider your activity level: If you are sedentary, aim for the lower end of the recommended protein range. If you are regularly active or engage in weight lifting, aim for the higher end. For example, if you are a male who lifts heavy weights frequently, you may want to consume around 1.8 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
• Space out your protein intake: Instead of consuming all your protein in one meal, try to spread it out throughout the day. This will ensure that your body has a steady supply of amino acids to support muscle growth and repair.
• Combine protein with fat: When consuming protein-rich foods, make sure to add healthy fats to your meals. This will help you feel satiated and prevent overeating.
• Be mindful of protein sources: Choose high-quality protein sources such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and cheese. Be cautious with nuts and seeds as they contain carbohydrates and fat, which can add up quickly.
• Monitor your progress: Keep track of your body composition, lean tissue growth, and energy levels. If you find that your protein intake is too low and you are losing muscle mass, adjust your diet to include more protein-rich foods. Similarly, if you are exceeding your protein range and it is affecting your ketone levels, reduce your protein intake slightly.
• Use a keto calculator: If you want a more precise calculation of your protein needs, you can use an online keto calculator. This will take into account your activity level, body composition, and other factors to give you a personalised protein intake recommendation.

Eat enough protein

Protein is an essential macronutrient, crucial for healthy brain function, skin, bone, and muscle health, as well as building muscle mass and recovering after workouts. It also helps with fat loss, provides fewer calories than fat, and its deficiency can be dangerous. Therefore, it is important to eat enough protein while on a keto diet.

The recommended protein intake for most people is 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kg of reference body weight. This range has been shown to preserve muscle mass, improve body composition, and provide other health benefits. If you are sedentary, aim for 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Regularly active people should consume 0.8-1.0 grams, while those who lift weights should eat 1.0-1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.

Tips to Ensure Adequate Protein Intake

• Space out your protein intake throughout the day.
• Eat protein with fat to ensure satiety and prevent overeating.
• Aim for at least 20 grams of protein at each meal.
• Choose high-quality, keto-friendly protein sources such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cheese, tofu, nuts, and seeds.
• If you are an athlete or looking to build muscle, consider consuming higher amounts of protein, up to 1.6-2.0 grams per kg of body weight.
• For therapeutic purposes, such as managing certain cancers, aim for the lower end of the protein range, 1.2-1.5 grams per kg of body weight, under strict medical supervision.
• If you are an older adult, aim for a minimum of 1.2 grams of protein per kg daily to counteract muscle loss and age-related changes.

Benefits of Eating Enough Protein

• Maintain and Gain Muscle Mass: Adequate protein intake helps prevent muscle loss and, when combined with resistance training, promotes muscle growth.
• Improve Body Composition: Eating enough protein can help with weight loss by reducing appetite, increasing feelings of fullness, and burning more calories during digestion.
• Optimise Health: Protein is essential for maintaining healthy skin, hair, nails, bones, and internal organs. It also plays a role in creating hormones and enzymes, such as insulin and growth hormones.
• Enhance Workout Performance: Sufficient protein intake is crucial for maintaining and building muscle mass, which is essential for workout performance.

In summary, while managing your protein intake is important on a keto diet, it is crucial to ensure you are eating enough. By following the recommendations and tips above, you can ensure you are getting the full benefits of protein while still maintaining ketosis.

Frequently asked questions