Top 5 Keto Fast Food Hacks

Eating on the Run
Let’s face it. Everyone is on the run these days and many people find they fall off the wagon when they eat on the run. The good news is, many restaurants now have low carb options and there are simple ways of adjusting what you are eating.

If you’re like me when you go out to eat, you feel like you’ve failed before you even get into the restaurant. There is bread everywhere! On chicken, with salad, it’s fried on a side, or already at your table for an appetizer. And the sugar. Oh the sugar. They sneak it in wherever they can. Fortunately, restaurants offer some good low-carb options.  In addition, most meals can easily be modified for a low-carb lifestyle.  

Here’s a sure fire game plan to kick those carbs aside while out and about on the town.

  1. Eliminate the starch
    Basically anything white you’ll want to steer clear of. Give bread the boot. Push out the pasta. Pass on the potatoes. Reject the rice. Keep temptation at bay by ordering your meal without the starchy sides. When ordering an entrĂ©e, most restaurants will substitute a salad or extra veggies for the starch. Salad is always a great option for more fiber intake. More greens please! Choose broiled, roasted, or grilled chicken over battered or breaded. If they don’t have the option, you can peel off the skin to take off some of the carbs.  When that sandwich or burger is calling your name, you can always ask them to hold the bun and substitute it for a lettuce wrap instead. Or take off the bun and eat it with a fork. This is one of the best options in most cases. If by chance, they won’t substitute an item, you can choose to eliminate the unwanted food.
  2. Add healthy fat
    Restaurant meals can be low in fat; therefore, making it hard to feel satisfied without eating carbs. This too can be solved. It’s all in the condiments, and not the ones loaded with sugar!

    Butta. Ask for extra butter and melt it on veggies or meat. Request olive oil and vinegar dressing and drizzle the oil liberally on salads and your meal. Be careful with sauces and dressings. They can be packed full of sugar and it’s where most of the carbs are sneakily hiding, ready to knock you out of ketosis. Some sauces, like BĂ©arnaise sauce, contain mostly fat. Others, like ketchup, contain mostly carbs. Gravies can go either way. Stick to fatty and low carb sauces. Always use a vinaigrette for your salads. If you are unsure about the sauce, ask about the ingredients and avoid it if it contains sugar or flour. You can also ask for the sauce on the side so you can decide how much to add to your meal. Adding some avocado or bacon on the side will provide additional fats as well.

  3. Choose drinks with care
    Perfect drinks are water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, or black coffee. If you choose to add an alcoholic beverage, champagne, dry wine, light beer, or spirits – straight or with club soda – are awesome low-carb choices.
  4. Stick to simple ingredients
    Stick to mainly meats, cheeses, and veggies. Many restaurants and fast food places add extra sugars and carbs in their ingredients. You can steer clear of the unknown or look online. Many restaurants list nutritional information there.
  5. Rethink dessert
    Really? Still hungry? If your stomach is still feeling deprived and you feel you need more food, try a cheese plate or a berry plate with heavy cream. Sometimes just cream or butter in your coffee is enough to satisfy.  Get creative if necessary. When the menu just isn’t cutting it, feel free to improvise. Maybe piece together different items in an la carte or order a couple appetizers with a salad.

    Being mindful of what you are eating makes all the difference in the world. Make better choices of the options you have while eating out and it will pay off. Before you know it, you will be a pro at what is keto friendly and what to steer clear of.

Keto Food Substitution List

What to Eat
When beginning the Ketogenic Diet people often wonder what types of foods they should be eating and what their daily caloric allowance should be. In my experience, counting calories isn’t a necessity. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t want to jump the gun and think you can eat as many calories as you’d like but a big part of the ketogenic diet is ensuring you have enough healthy fats and a moderate amount of protein to keep you satiated for longer. Counting calories or fat intake is not exactly necessary because eating foods low in carbs and high in fiber is going to naturally keep the body fulfilled and satisfied for a longer period of time. The goal is to make sure to keep your fat intake high with healthy fats to satisfy your hunger pangs, keep insulin levels steady, and cravings low.

While below is a great list of food substitutes it is not all inclusive, there are many other substitutions not listed that can be very beneficial in the ketogenic lifestyle. Just be sure to always check the nutrition label.


Food Substitutions: 
Common Foods                                                  Common Food Replacements

Vegetable oil and canola oil MCT oils, Coconut oil, Avocado oil
Margarine Grass fed butter, coconut butter
Bread Crusts or Fried food breading Pork Rind Dust or Parmesan cheese
Pancakes/Waffles Almond flour pancakes and waffles; cream cheese pancakes
Common table salt Pink Himalayan salt; Celtic Sea Salt
Chips Baked Parmesan Crisps, Bacon Chips
Buns or Bread Cloud Bread, Lettuce Wrap
Biscuits Low carb keto biscuits made with blanched almond flour
Dough pizza Cauliflower crusted pizza
Mashed potatoes Loaded Cauliflower potatoes
Pasta Zucchini, spaghetti squash or shirataki  noodles
Taco shells Baked parmesan cheese shells
Sweets and treats Fat Bombs and low carb desserts
Soda LaCroix or natural sparkling water with stevia sweetened flavoring drops
Fruit Juice Low carb berries with heavy whipping cream and almond milk smoothie
Coffee and sweetener; cappuccino Fat Coffee, Functional Fat Coffee, or Coffee with Stevia and your favorite flavored sweetener drops (i.e caramel or vanilla drops)
Flour Almond or Coconut flour
Sugar Stevia, Erythritol or Swerve sweetener
Yogurt Full fat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, coconut milk yogurt

Quality Recipes
Eating ketogenic does not have to be boring or fully restrictive of the things you love. When it truly is adopted as a lifestyle change, you will dive more into finding tons of quality recipes and tweaking the recipes you already love to fit the ketogenic way of eating.

Ketogenic Diet Grocery List

 

Grocery List.png

One of the first questions we find people asking right after they make the decision to start the ketogenic diet is, “What should I eat?” We covered the basic macros in our “Ketogenic Diet 101” post that went over the foods you should eat. In this post we will dive into our suggested grocery list for your first time to the store shopping keto.

Using This List

Our grocery list below will serve as a guide for your trips to the store. We will list out a variety of different options that you can use to properly outline your macros. We organize everything by food group making it easier for you while you’re in the store. As you read over this list feel free to mark anything off you don’t plan on buying. From our experience, we definitely suggest not buying more food than you or your family can consume in a week. This allows you to buy more fresh foods without the worry they will spoil and be thrown out. Although all the food on this list is “keto-friendly” it’s important to note that all foods are not created equal. Even though foods are keto it doesn’t mean you can indulge everyday.

Meats/Proteins

When picking out meats for the keto lifestyle it’s important to emphasize quality over quantity. Personally, I like to suggest people stay towards high quality white meats more often than red meats. Since the goal is to keep your fat content high and your proteins moderate you need to ensure all your meats are high-quality, healthy, and full of nutrients. The best choices would be grass-fed or pasture raised beef, bison, and lamb. When looking at fish I always recommend wild caught instead of farmed. Properly raised pork and chicken are harder to find for a good price, so you might end up limiting these more unless your budget allows more frequency.

Oils and Fats

For most people learning about healthy oils can be one of the best tools in the keto arsenal. They are absolutely great for baking and cooking but it’s important to keep an eye on amounts you are using at first, since both the fat content and carb count can add up quickly with small serving sizes.

Vegetables and Fruits

Ultimately, on the keto diet, the majority of your carb intake should come from vegetables. You will want to get creative with different recipes, as items in this section should be eaten regularly to ensure your body is getting the proper nutrition and fiber.

Low-carb veggies should be eaten at almost every meal. Fruits need to be more of a treat for the most part. The only exception to this would be avocados, which technically are a fruit and are one of the best sources for “good fat.”

Baking Supplies and Sweeteners

It goes without saying that you should pick low carb flours and sweetners vs the normal versions. However, you’ll want to limit this in general since they don’t contain as much nutrition as whole food keto options.

 

 

 

MEATS/PROTEINS

Beef (fattier cuts)

  • Steak
  • Prime rib
  • Veal
  • Roast beef
  • Baby back ribs
  • Ground beef
  • Corned beef
  • Hamburger
  • Stew meats

Organ meats

  • Heart
  • Liver
  • Tongue
  • Kidney
  • Offal

Other

  • Bison
  • Lamb
  • Goat

Seafood

  • Tuna
  • Salmon
  • Catfish
  • Trout
  • Halibut
  • Mackerel
  • Mahi-mahi
  • Cod
  • Bass
  • Anchovies
  • Orange roughy
  • Sardines
  • Haddock
  • Tilapia
  • Clams
  • Oysters
  • Mussels
  • Crab (make sure it’s the real thing—not imitation)
  • Lobster
  • Scallops
  • Shrimp

Poultry

  • Duck
  • Chicken (leg, thigh, wings, breasts, whole, or ground)
  • Quail
  • Turkey (leg, breast, whole, or ground)
  • Wild game
  • Cornish hen
  • Chicken broth
  • Turkey bacon
  • Turkey sausage

Deli meats

  • Cold cuts
  • Salami
  • Pepperoni
  • Prosciutto

Pork

  • Tenderloin
  • Pork loin
  • Ham
  • Pork chops
  • Bacon
  • Ground pork

DAIRY PRODUCTS

  • Full-fat Greek yogurt
  • Heavy creams (preferably raw)
  • Kefir
  • Full-Fat Sour cream
  • Mayonnaise
  • Butter (grass-fed)
  • Ghee
  • Whole milk (preferably raw)

Cheeses

  • Parmesan
  • Swiss
  • Feta
  • Cheddar
  • Brie
  • Monterrey jack
  • Mozzarella
  • Colby
  • Goat cheese
  • Bleu cheese
  • Cottage cheese
  • Cream cheese
  • String cheese

HEALTHY OILS AND FATS

Oils

  • Coconut oil
  • Olive oil
  • Avocado oil
  • MCT oil

Nuts/seeds

  • Almonds (or almond butter)
  • Macadamias
  • Hazelnuts
  • Pecans
  • Pistachios
  • Walnuts
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Flax seeds
  • Chia seeds

Other fats

  • Cocoa butter
  • Coconut butter
  • Bacon fat
  • Duck fat

KETO VEGETABLES

  • Leafy greens
  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Swiss chard
  • Bok choy
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Iceberg lettuce
  • Radicchio
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Bean sprouts
  • Broccoli
  • Garlic
  • Onions
  • Bell peppers
  • Asparagus
  • Kohlrabi
  • Celery
  • Cucumber
  • White mushrooms
  • Portobello mushrooms
  • Black olives
  • Green olives
  • Zucchini
  • Spaghetti squash
  • Yellow squash
  • Snow peas
  • Okra
  • Leeks
  • Cauliflower
  • Artichokes
  • Cabbage

FERMENTED FOODS

  • Sauerkraut (no added sugars)
  • Kimchi
  • Natto
  • Pickles
  • Salsa (sugar-free)
  • Kefir

KETO FRUITS

  • Avocados
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Cherries
  • Cranberries
  • Mulberries

BAKING SUPPLIES

  • Coconut flour
  • Almond flour
  • Coconut flakes
  • Cocoa powder
  • Sea salt
  • Baking soda
  • Vanilla

SWEETENERS

  • Erythritol
  • Xylitol
  • Pure stevia powder
  • Pure stevia drops
  • Monk fruit
  • Mannitol

CONDIMENTS

  • Yellow mustard
  • Brown mustard
  • Soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • Sugar-free ketchup
  • Mayonnaise
  • Horseradish
  • Hot sauce
  • Low-carb salsa
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • No- or very-low-sugar high-fat salad dressings, such as Ranch or blue cheese
  • Lemon juice
  • Lime juice
  • Sugar-free syrup

SPICES AND HERBS

  • Basil
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Cilantro
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper

DRINKS/LIQUIDS

  • Raw milk
  • Coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • Unsweetened almond milk- carrageenan free
  • Cashew milk (unsweetened)
  • Unsweetened tea or coffee
  • Heavy creamer (sugar-free)

Summary

Making sure to have an outlined list is crucial in saving yourself time and money. It’s important to have a plan for the meals that you will make each week. With the right groceries in the pantry, you will be more apt to stay on track and be successful.

 

 

Ketogenic Diet 101

Keto Diet 101
You are here because you are ready for a change, you have exhausted many efforts and came up wanting. You are the mom or dad wanting more time and energy with your children. You are the person wanting to feel better in their clothes. You are tired of feeling like there is nothing more to life than working and sleeping.

You heard someone, somewhere, say their life has changed drastically because they are doing this low carb thing. You have tons of questions and are looking for where to begin. Look no further! We are here to make your new lifestyle transition smooth and easy. Now let’s get started!

Why is this diet transforming into a lifestyle and movement that is working for so many people? The answer is simple… it gets us back to our “native state” which is proven with the latest scientific research. What is our native state? Back in the days of the caveman, humans hunted and gathered their kill and what they ate off the land would allow them to thrive, with sustained energy for long periods of time until their next meal was found.

Small Daily Changes 
Some people take an all or nothing approach to the ketogenic diet. If you are one of the 5% of the world that can take a massively strict approach and not fail… go on with your bad self! For the rest of the population, I suggest making small changes to your eating habits over time to make a big impact. We didn’t get radical and throw out everything in our pantry when beginning the keto lifestyle. We started with taking the bun off our burger when eating fast food, having our coffee black without the added artificial sugars, and cutting out soda. That lead to cooking with grass fed butter, using zuchinni in place of noodles, and adding mct oil to our coffee. Gradually our family adapted this way of eating and our children even got on board.

Macronutrients
When I heard someone say, “eat fat to burn fat” I thought they were crazy. Unbeknownst to me, they were right! The typical American diet has an abundance of carbs and unhealthy fats. Many people are carb loaded, meaning their diet is made up of mostly carbs that are converted into glucose. The energy from glucose is not sustainable and short lived. Think of when you have a breakfast consisting of toast or cereal. Within a couple hours hunger creeps in again and energy levels crash. When following the Ketogenic Diet the body transitions from running on glucose to burning fat, which breaks down into ketones. Once your body is producing ketones from fat this is the  metobolic process called ketosis. Ketones are a much cleaner fuel source that allow for sustained energy and satiety. In order to get in and stay in a state of ketosis, carb intake must be low. Macronutrients are the compounds in food in which we get the bulk of our calories from to create the body’s energy. They include carbs, proteins, and fats. Typically one should maintain 5-10% of calories from carbs. Keeping carb counts under 20-30 grams of net carbs (grams of carbs minus grams of fiber) is a good start; 15-30% of calories from protein; and 60-75% of calories from wholesome, healthy fats.                                                                        
With that being said, macronutrient intake is not exact and every person is different, meaning, one person can maintain ketosis with 30% protein, 60% fat, and 10% carbs while another person has to stick to 5% carbs, 25% protein, and 70% fat. There are apps available to help track macros to figure out the ideal route for each individual. You can access a keto calculator here.

Suggested Foods
At a high level, to understand what to eat, here is a suggested food list.
Keto-Food-List-1.jpgCritical Tips to Stay in Ketosis
When following a ketogenic diet there are some critical tips to follow to stay in a state of ketosis.

1. Stay Hydrated
2. Practice Intermittent Fasting
3. Consume Enough Good Salts
4. Get Regular Exercise
5. Improve Your Bowel Motility
6. Don’t Eat Too Much Protein
7. Choose Carbs Wisely
8. Use MCT Oil When Possible
9. Keep Stress Down
10. Improve Your Sleep
You can find the full break down here.

I hope this intro has helped to get you started. Here are a couple more links I recommend checking out to get a jump start. Keto Diet App, Ruled Me.

 

 

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