The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to put your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns stored fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This diet has gained popularity for its potential to aid in weight loss and improve health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. On the keto diet, meals typically include foods like eggs, meats, fatty fish, dairy, nuts, seeds, and non-starchy vegetables, while sugary foods, starchy foods, and high-carb beverages are avoided. An example of a keto meal is scrambled eggs in butter on a bed of lettuce topped with avocado.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Carbohydrates | Low |
Fats | High |
Proteins | Moderate |
Calories | 70-80% from fats, 10-20% from protein, 5-10% from carbohydrates |
Meals | Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks |
Food | Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, non-starchy vegetables, condiments |
What You'll Learn
Keto breakfast ideas
Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, and this is no different when following a keto diet. Here are some ideas for keto-friendly breakfasts to get you started on your low-carb journey.
Firstly, eggs are a great option for a keto breakfast. You could make scrambled eggs with spinach, basil, and tomatoes, or fry them in butter and serve on a bed of lettuce topped with avocado. Alternatively, you could make an omelette with herbs and fried tomatoes, or a cheese and veggie omelette topped with salsa.
If you're looking for something a little different, you could try a keto breakfast smoothie with spinach and berries, or natural savory turkey breakfast sausage patties with scrambled eggs. For those with a sweet tooth, there's keto chocolate cake, or coconut milk chia pudding topped with coconut and walnuts.
There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to keto breakfasts, so you can find something that suits your taste and keeps you on track with your dietary goals.
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Keto lunch ideas
Baked Salmon with Horseradish Cream Sauce and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
This omega-3-rich lunch is a great partner for salads, veggies, and pasta.
Chicken Curry Bell-Pepper Sandwich
A low-calorie, tasty, and spicy lunch option.
Keto Chicken Sheet-Pan with Tzatziki
A keto-friendly, tasty, and easy-to-make lunch.
Keto Tex-Mex Stuffed Zucchini Boats
A low-carb, healthy, and colourful meal.
Chicken, Broccoli & Beetroot Salad with Avocado Pesto
This superfood salad is packed with ingredients to give your body a boost, such as red onion, nigella seeds, walnuts, avocado oil, and lemon.
Salmon Salad with Avocado
A keto-friendly introduction to salmon for adults.
No-Cook Zucchini Noodle Salad
A quick and easy keto-friendly salad with sausage and zucchini noodles.
Ham, Mushroom & Spinach Frittata
A filling and low-calorie frittata that is guaranteed to keep you going until dinner.
Mediterranean Turkey-Stuffed Peppers
A low-calorie, vitamin-rich, and tasty option for lunch.
Tuna Salad Stuffed in Tomatoes
A keto-friendly and healthy lunch option.
Chicken Tenders with Almond Flour on a Bed of Greens with Cucumbers and Goat Cheese
A keto-friendly, tasty, and healthy option for lunch.
Crab-Stuffed Avocados
An easy and keto-friendly way to serve avocados.
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Keto dinner ideas
A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Meals are built around foods such as eggs, meats, dairy, and low-carb vegetables, as well as sugar-free beverages. Here are some keto dinner ideas:
Dinner Ideas
- Pork chops with green beans sautéed in olive oil
- Roast chicken with cream sauce and sautéed broccoli
- Grilled salmon with spinach sautéed in sesame oil
- Bison steak with cheesy broccoli
- Chicken breast with grilled asparagus topped with lemon and pine nuts
- Pizza-style stuffed portobellos with grilled asparagus
- No-cook zucchini noodle salad with sausage
- Roasted salmon stuffed with spinach, feta, and ricotta
- Pan-seared Chilean sea bass with caramelized lemon sauce
- Meatballs served with zucchini noodles and Parmesan cheese
- Chicken, broccoli, and beetroot salad with avocado pesto
- Seared steak with chimichurri dressing
- Barbecued bavette steak and tomato salad
- Crab-stuffed avocados
- Chicken curry bell-pepper sandwich
- Keto chicken sheet-pan with tzatziki
- Flank steak with pepper sauce and cauliflower-broccoli gratin
- Baked salmon with horseradish cream sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts
- Chicken cheeseburgers with green garlic dressing
- Italian keto meatballs with mozzarella cheese
- Veggie keto scramble
- Crispy keto tuna burgers
- Keto Tex-Mex stuffed zucchini boats
- Asian keto chicken stir-fry with broccoli
- Jill's cheese-crusted keto omelet
- Keto seafood chowder
- Classic bacon and eggs
- Garlic steak bite salad with tarragon dressing
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Keto chicken recipes
Keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help with weight loss and certain medical conditions. It typically includes foods like meat, fish, eggs, nuts, oils, and some vegetables. Here are some delicious keto chicken recipes to try:
Keto Crack Chicken
This addictive and comforting dish combines chicken, bacon, two kinds of cheese, and ranch seasoning. It takes less than 20 minutes to make and is perfect for picky eaters. You'll need chicken breast fillets, salt, pepper, garlic powder, butter, cream cheese, onion powder, dried dill, celery salt, thick-cut bacon, olive oil, and shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
First, pan-fry the bacon until crispy, then set it aside and keep the bacon grease in the pan. Add butter and season the chicken breast fillets with salt and pepper before pan-frying them until they're golden. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish, pour the pan juices over it, and whisk together the cream cheese and spice mix. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chicken, top with the bacon and shredded cheese, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Cheesy Jalapeño Keto Chicken
This easy and flavorful recipe is ready in under 30 minutes and is perfect for busy weeknights. It requires chicken breast, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, butter, onion, jalapeños, garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth, cream cheese, and shredded cheddar cheese.
Start by mixing the spices and sprinkling them over the chicken. Heat a skillet, add olive oil, and sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Next, sauté the onion and jalapeños for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the cream, broth, and cream cheese, stirring until the cream cheese melts. Add half the shredded cheese to the sauce, followed by the chicken breasts, and cover with the remaining cheese. Simmer for 6-8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Greek Chicken Bake
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the full recipe for this dish, but it's mentioned as a favorite keto option and sounds delicious!
Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake
Another popular keto recipe, this dish is cheesy and creamy. However, I wasn't able to find the full recipe for this one either.
Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms
This quick and easy dinner is perfect for a keto-friendly meal. While I don't have the full recipe, it sounds like a tasty option to try!
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Keto vegetarian recipes
A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that can promote weight loss and improve cognitive function. While it may be challenging to follow a keto diet while also being vegetarian, there are plenty of meal options to choose from. Here are some keto vegetarian recipes to get you started:
Breakfast
- Keto yogurt bowl: Top full-fat, plain Greek yogurt with crushed pecans, chia seeds, or berries.
- Keto granola: Make a keto granola by combining nuts and seeds with unsweetened coconut and serving it with coconut milk.
- Keto pancakes: Make low-carb pancakes using almond flour or ground almonds and serve with blueberries and a keto-friendly syrup.
- Keto avocado toast: Make keto-friendly bread using almond flour, flax seeds, and psyllium husks, then top with sliced avocado.
- Keto chia pudding: Combine chia seeds with coconut milk and top with berries or a keto-friendly sweetener.
- Keto egg boats: Bake eggs in avocado cups or serve them with sliced avocado.
- Keto omelette: Make an omelette with spinach, basil, and tomatoes or try a masala omelette with coriander and cherry tomatoes.
- Keto waffles: Make waffles using almond flour and serve with your choice of toppings.
Lunch and Dinner
- Cauliflower rice bowls: Use cauliflower rice as a base and top with tofu, vegetables, cheese, or sauces. Try a Mexican-style bowl with taco-seasoned cauliflower rice, tofu or vegetarian meat crumbles, salsa, and guacamole.
- Zucchini noodles: Use zucchini noodles as a pasta replacement and top with marinara sauce, pesto, or a creamy sauce.
- Keto pizza: Make a pizza crust using cauliflower rice, coconut flour, and flaxseed, and top with parmesan, tomatoes, rocket, and olives.
- Keto sandwiches: Make keto-friendly bread and use it to make avocado toast, grilled cheese, or sandwiches with vegetarian deli slices, tofu, or tempeh.
- Keto soups: Make a roasted vegetable soup and add halloumi 'croutons' or blend cauliflower into a creamy soup.
- Keto salads: Try a Greek salad with halloumi, courgette, and vegetables or a spinach salad with grilled salmon, shrimp, or tofu.
- Keto curry: Make an Indian-style curry with tofu, paneer, or vegetarian meat crumbles and serve with cauliflower rice or broccoli rice.
- Keto frittata: Make a masala frittata with avocado salsa or a spinach and artichoke frittata.
- Keto tofu: Air fry tofu with barbecue, herb, or buffalo sauce and serve with vegetables.
- Keto tempeh: Make a tempeh salad with tempeh, vegetables, and a creamy dressing or use tempeh as a tofu replacement in any of the above recipes.
- Keto stuffed vegetables: Stuff bell peppers, aubergine, or courgette with cheese, tofu, or vegetarian meat crumbles and bake until tender.
- Keto grilled cheese: Make a grilled cheese sandwich using zucchini slices or keto bread.
- Keto nachos: Make low-carb nachos using zucchini slices, keto tortillas, or keto chips and top with cheese, salsa, guacamole, and vegetarian meat crumbles or tofu.
Snacks and Desserts
- Keto chips: Make crispy chips using zucchini, keto tortillas, or keto bagels and serve with guacamole or spinach and artichoke dip.
- Keto bread: Make keto bread using almond flour, flax seeds, and psyllium husks and enjoy it with your choice of toppings or dips.
- Keto cake: Make a keto-friendly cake using almond flour, sunflower seed flour, and a creamy yogurt frosting.
- Keto ice cream: Make keto ice cream using coconut milk and nut butter and serve with a blueberry chia jam.
- Keto chocolate: Try keto-friendly chocolate made with xylitol and cacao powder or cocoa powder.
- Keto trail mix: Make a trail mix with nuts, seeds, and unsweetened coconut.
- Keto smoothies: Blend almond milk, spinach, almond butter, and protein powder for a nutritious smoothie.
- Keto pudding: Make a chia seed pudding or a tofu pudding with cocoa powder and a keto-friendly sweetener.
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Frequently asked questions
A keto meal is typically high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates. This means that foods like eggs, meats, dairy, and low-carb vegetables are staples of the keto diet.
Some examples of keto breakfasts include scrambled eggs with spinach and tomatoes, keto pancakes with blueberries, and chia seed pudding.
Yes, there are several keto-friendly snacks, such as nuts, certain meats, olives, cheese, and guacamole with low-carb veggies.
Some keto lunch options include tuna salad, chicken tenders made with almond flour, and sashimi takeout with miso soup.
Some keto dinner recipes include grilled shrimp with lemon butter sauce, chicken curry bell pepper sandwich, and keto chicken stir-fry with broccoli.