Cold Keto Lunch: Quick, Easy, And Delicious

The keto diet can be challenging, especially when it comes to figuring out what to eat for lunch. But with a bit of creativity and preparation, it is possible to enjoy delicious and satisfying keto-friendly meals. Here are some ideas for the best cold keto lunches to help you stick to your diet.

Keto chicken salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp celery, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Lettuce leaves, optional

Optional extras:

• Chopped nuts
• Crumbled pieces of cooked bacon
• Hard-boiled egg
• Chopped pickles
• Salt to taste

Method:

• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
• Eat the chicken salad right away or chill it in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavours develop.
• Serve in a bowl or as a wrap in lettuce leaves.

Storage:

The keto chicken salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Freezing is not recommended as it may affect the consistency of the salad.

Keto soups and stews

Soups and stews are a great way to stay on track with your keto diet while enjoying a comforting and indulgent meal. Here are some delicious keto soup and stew ideas to warm you up:

Keto Soups

• Keto French Onion Soup: This classic soup is made keto-friendly by using 90-second keto bread, made with almond flour, butter, egg, and psyllium husk powder. It's perfect for soaking up the savoury onion broth and melted cheese.
• Creamy Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Soup with Bacon: A hearty soup with a mix of mushrooms like white button, baby bella, cremini, and oyster, all brought together with a creamy bacon base.
• Keto Clam Chowder: A low-carb take on the classic New England-style clam chowder, this soup includes bacon, sausage, and canned clams in a creamy seafood stock broth.
• Keto Chicken and Dumplings Soup: A Southern favourite, this soup uses cauliflower florets instead of traditional biscuit-based dumplings to make it keto-friendly.
• Low-Carb Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is a must-have ingredient for keto dieters, and this soup showcases it perfectly. It's high in fat, low in carbs, and adds a creamy texture to the soup.
• Keto Cheeseburger Soup: A comforting and indulgent soup with bacon, ground beef, beef broth, and cream cheese. The secret ingredient is a dash of yellow mustard for a tangy kick.
• Low-Carb Chicken Pot Pie Soup: A decadent and comforting soup packed with chicken and vegetables. You won't even miss the biscuit topping!
• Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup: A convincing copycat of the Panera Bread favourite, this soup is easy to make from scratch. It's loaded with cheddar cheese and can be customised with your choice of vegetables.
• Low-Carb Roast Chicken Soup: A time-saving trick is to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken as the base for this soup.
• Keto Slow Cooker Green Enchilada Chicken Soup: This Mexican-inspired soup gets its unique colour and flavour from salsa verde and canned green enchilada sauce.
• Keto Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup: Tender roasted cauliflower is simmered in a blend of vegetable broth and cashew cream, resulting in a luscious and creamy soup.
• Keto Cream of Mushroom Soup: A comforting and indulgent soup with a silky and thick texture.
• Keto Creamy Taco Soup: A fun twist on taco night! This soup uses ground chicken, beef, turkey, or your favourite meat substitute, and cream cheese to make a rich broth. Top with your favourite taco toppings like avocado, tomato, and shredded cheese.
• Keto Clam Chowder: A keto-friendly take on the classic clam chowder, this soup omits the potatoes but includes bacon, sausage, and clams in a creamy seafood broth.
• Low-Carb Zuppa Toscana: A hearty and flavourful soup with Italian sausage, melt-in-your-mouth cauliflower, spinach, and bacon in a rich and creamy broth.

Keto Stews

• Keto Beef Stew: The ultimate cold-weather comfort food. This stew is hearty and cosy, perfect for a family weeknight dinner. It features tender beef simmered with celery, turnips, green beans, and onion in a delicious broth.
• Keto Pork Stew: A quick and flavourful slow cooker dinner. It's creamy and tasty, perfect for warming you up during the colder months.
• Beef Pot Roast Soup: A keto-friendly soup with beef, vegetables, and a rich broth.
• Keto Chicken Meatball and Zoodle Soup: A fun take on chicken noodle soup, this keto version uses zucchini noodles, carrots, celery, and onion, along with homemade or store-bought chicken meatballs.
• Italian Vegetable Stew with Sausage: A keto and low-carb stew with Italian sausage and an assortment of vegetables.
• Keto Beef Stroganoff Soup: A hearty and comforting soup with beef, mushrooms, and a creamy sauce.

Keto sandwiches and wraps

Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps are a great keto-friendly alternative to sandwiches and are highly customisable. You can use iceberg lettuce for a crunchy texture or go for green leaf or romaine lettuce if you prefer your wraps pliable.

For a simple and quick lunch, you can fill your lettuce wrap with deli meats like turkey, ham, and bacon, along with cheese, cucumbers, avocado, and tomatoes. You can also add some mustard and mayonnaise for extra flavour.

If you want to get more creative, you can try making turkey taco lettuce wraps, Philly cheesesteak cabbage wraps, or even fill your lettuce wrap with tuna salad.

Cheese Wraps

If you're craving something a little more indulgent, you can make keto-friendly wraps with cheese instead of bread. Simply bake slices of cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese in the oven until they're bubbly and slightly toasted, then fill them with your favourite sandwich toppings.

For a more substantial meal, you can also use cheese as a base for a pizza or as a substitute for tortilla chips.

Keto Bread

Although it requires a bit more preparation, making your own keto bread can be a great option for sandwiches and wraps. You can find recipes for keto-friendly bread online, such as the 90-second keto bread made with almond flour, parmesan cheese, baking powder, and an egg.

With a slice of keto bread in hand, the options are endless—from classic sandwiches to bruschetta chicken or even a BLT.

Other Wrap Ideas

In addition to lettuce and cheese, there are a few other creative options for keto-friendly wraps:

• Keto Sandwich Wraps: These wraps are made with psyllium husk powder, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado oil spray, and coconut flour. They are versatile and can be used for sandwiches, lasagna noodles, or even as tortillas for burritos.
• Dash Griddle Wraps: This technique involves cooking a batter made with eggs, coconut flour, and sun-dried tomatoes on a Dash Griddle or non-stick pan. The result is a thin, flexible wrap that can be filled with your favourite ingredients.

With these keto-friendly wrap options, you can enjoy a variety of sandwiches and wraps while sticking to your low-carb diet.

Keto sushi

Ingredients

• 6 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
• 1-2 tbsp. Rice Vinegar (unseasoned)
• 1 tbsp. Soy Sauce (or coconut aminos)
• 5 oz. Smoked Salmon (or any seafood)
• 1/2 an avocado, sliced into small strips
• 1 cucumber
• Cauliflower
• Nori sheets
• Pickled ginger, wasabi, or spicy mayo (optional)

Method

• Using a food processor, rice the cauliflower into rice-sized pieces by pulsing. Make sure not to over-process the cauliflower and do this in smaller batches to ensure you get a good consistency.
• Slice the cucumber on each end, then place the cucumber upright and slice off each side. You want to discard the middle and slice about 2 side pieces into small strips. Set aside in the fridge.
• In a very hot pan, add cauliflower rice and cook. Season with soy sauce as the cooking process happens (about 1 tbsp).
• Once the cauliflower is finished and dried out some, add to a bowl with cream cheese and rice vinegar (1-2 tbsp depending on how seasoned you want it to taste). Mix together well and set in the fridge until cool.
• Once the rice mixture is cooled, slice 1/2 an avocado into small strips and scoop out of the shell.
• Put a nori sheet down on a bamboo roller covered with plastic wrap (this helps with sticking). Spread some of the cauliflower rice mixtures over the nori sheet, leaving about 3/4 inches of space at the top. Make sure this is quite a thin layer.
• Place all of the filling items into the sushi roll, layering whichever flavors you want.
• Roll sushi tightly using bamboo. You can see many videos on YouTube on how to do this if you aren’t sure.
• Serve and enjoy! Feel free to pair with pickled ginger, wasabi, or a spicy mayo you make yourself if you want to up the fat content in this.

Tips

• Don't rice the cauliflower too much. You don't want it to become a paste.
• Make sure to use a very hot pan to cook the cauliflower rice and get some of the extra moisture out.
• Don't over-process the cauliflower—you want it to have some texture.
• Use a bamboo roller to help keep the sushi tight and keep the roll whole.

Variations

Philadelphia Roll

Replace the mayonnaise with cream cheese and add salmon and cucumber.

Cucumber Roll

Double the mayonnaise and cucumber.

Spicy Tuna Roll

Add sushi grade tuna, cucumber, and sriracha mixed into the mayonnaise.

California Roll

Skip the imitation crab (which isn’t keto-friendly) and use real crab mixed with mayonnaise.

Shrimp Roll

Add broiled or boiled shrimp (with tails removed), cucumber, and mayonnaise.

Keto shakes and bars

Keto bars are designed to be a sweet treat that fits into a ketogenic diet. They are like a brownie in texture and taste but are low in carbohydrates and intentionally high in fat. The bars typically contain natural ingredients such as dark chocolate, coconut, eggs, heavy cream, butter, and stevia. They are also gluten-free, contain no added sugars, and are a good source of protein and fibre.

Keto shakes are another option for those following a ketogenic diet who want a convenient, portable snack or small meal replacement. While I couldn't find much information on keto shakes, one source mentions that they can be drunk hot, with chocolate and vanilla cinnamon flavours available.

Keto bars and shakes can be a good option for those on a ketogenic diet who want a quick and easy snack or meal replacement that fits their dietary requirements.

Frequently asked questions