A healthy keto plan emphasizes eating foods rich in healthy fats (olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil and seed oils) as well as low-carb vegetables.
Food products like cheese and yogurt contain calcium and Vitamin D while providing potassium.
This plan also restricts sugary beverages and emphasizes eating lots of fresh produce like greens and tomatoes.
Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are an integral component of a balanced keto plan. Packed full of proteins, fats and minerals – as well as being satisfyingly filling – they’re great if you’re new to keto or experiencing cravings. Just be wary when eating these foods because their carb counts tend to exceed other plant-based options and could easily surpass your daily macro goals.
As luck would have it, there are a variety of nuts and seeds that are compatible with keto. You can select from pecans, sunflower seeds and flaxseeds – each low in net carbs (total carbs minus fiber). They make for excellent snack foods or salad additions!
Other good options for snacking include peanuts, pistachios and pumpkin seeds. Peanuts provide protein, fatty acids and leucine (an amino acid essential to muscle development), while pistachios offer vitamin B-6, thiamin and potassium content. And pumpkin seeds offer protein zinc and magnesium content.
macadamia nuts contain high concentrations of both omega-3 fatty acids and other essential fatty acids that have been linked with reduced heart disease risk. Furthermore, they’re widely recognized for lowering cholesterol, and one study discovered that people consuming over 15 percent of their calories from these nuts had a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.
Olive oil
Olive oil was prized as both food and medicine in ancient Greece and Rome for thousands of years. Today, its popularity continues in Mediterranean diets as one of the healthiest fats around; providing essential monounsaturated oleic acid as well as Vitamin E and antioxidants.
Recent studies have linked consuming olive oil to reduced risks for cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders (44). Furthermore, test tube studies demonstrate its protective benefits against free radical damage caused by free radicals as well as potential protection from carcinogenic tumor development (45).
Keep an extra virgin olive oil bottle handy to use in cooking, salad dressing and flavoring low-carb snacks. Store olive oil in a cool, dark location away from heat and sunlight in order to prevent degradation.
For optimal ketosis, the healthy keto plan recommends keeping carb intake to below 50 grams daily to achieve and sustain ketosis. You may still enjoy carb-containing foods like berries, vegetables and probiotic dairy foods; just choose them wisely by selecting foods such as berries, vegetables and probiotic-rich dairy foods – remembering not to consume sugary drinks, candy or processed snacks that could increase carb intake too quickly; limit any sweet treats to two servings and ensure your calories come from fat, protein or cruciferous veggies instead.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil has quickly become a favorite in the health industry due to its varied uses in weight loss, disease risk reduction, skin and hair care and island communities for years. Even with its high saturated fat content, advocates swear it helps lower heart-related risk factors as well as reduce inflammation in the body.
Coconut oil contains both saturated and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs break down faster than long-chain triglycerides found in animal fat, leading to increased ketones production and metabolism boost. With more research required, MCTs could also potentially help lower insulin levels linked to diabetes.
MCTs also appear to possess antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral properties that could help protect the liver; one study suggests that coconut oil consumption could improve measures of liver health among those suffering from Hepatitis C.
MCTs can be added to foods like berries and dairy, though you should still limit your total saturated fat consumption. Choose low-carb foods like nuts and seeds, olive oil and vegetables from this plan; these contain plenty of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, fiber and protein and very few net carbohydrates compared to traditional keto plans – the Healthy Keto plan allows up to 50 grams per day so there’s room for nutritious options like berries and beans!
Berries
Raspberries and blackberries, like raspberries and blackberries, are low-sugar fruits that fit seamlessly with a keto diet. Incorporating them into breakfast smoothies or snacks pairs well with their high antioxidant content that may boost immune systems while protecting from disease. Berries make an ideal addition to salads as well as delicious combinations like nuts butters or creamy cheese for even further enriching a diet plan.
Moderation is key when adding any fruit to the diet, particularly berries which contain naturally occurring sugars and must be consumed in small portions to avoid exceeding your daily carbohydrate allowance. Still, they offer fiber and other beneficial nutrients.
Strawberry fruit contains approximately 8.7 grams of net carbohydrates per cup serving, making them relatively low-carb fruits. They also boast plenty of fiber, vitamin C and manganese as well as being an excellent source of anthocyanins that support cardiovascular health.
Blueberries are another ideal fruit choice for keto dieters, offering only six net carbohydrates in one-cup serving compared to 10-13 for other popular fruits like strawberries or raspberries. Blueberries contain fiber, vitamins A, C and K and flavonoids which may help reduce inflammation while simultaneously lowering blood pressure.
Peaches can also make an excellent addition to a keto diet. A one-cup serving contains approximately 13 grams of net carbohydrates, making them one of the lowest net carb fruits compared with strawberries and raspberries. Plus, peaches provide many health benefits including dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium and copper!
Meat
As keto has grown increasingly popular, its definition has come to be defined by some as eating “three bacon cheeseburgers without bun a day.” Unfortunately, this diet can lead to excessive saturated fat intake and high cholesterol levels which is harmful for heart health; however, according to Healthline studies have demonstrated that keto can increase HDL (healthy cholesterol) levels while simultaneously decreasing blood pressure.
If you’re following a healthy keto plan, be sure to incorporate lean cuts of meat, poultry and fish as well as full-fat dairy into your diet as well as low-carb vegetables and healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil and nuts into it.
Avoid processed meats that are high in sugar and could throw you out of ketosis, including deli and cold cuts, hot dogs, sausages, bacon jerky and pepperoni.
Consume vegetables that are low in carbohydrates, like leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini. You could also incorporate these veggies into smoothies to meet your carb goals. Another strategy for sticking to your keto plan successfully is intermittent fasting: regularly eating during certain windows of time before skipping meals at other times. Although this approach may sound daunting at first, intermittent fasting can actually increase energy and mindfulness when it comes to meal times; furthermore it helps cut back calories, reduce hunger cravings, and help sustain your keto plan long term!
Vegetables
As part of your healthy keto plan, including plenty of gut-friendly vegetables into each meal is one of the key elements. They provide essential vitamins and minerals while keeping carb counts down; broccoli and spinach contain numerous micronutrients while still being low in both carbs and calories.
Broccoli contains only 4g net carbs per cup and is packed with vitamins C and K; studies have also suggested it can reduce insulin resistance in type 2 diabetics while decreasing their cancer risks. Spinach makes an ideal keto diet food option with 1 gram of net carbs in 1 cup while providing vitamins A, C and iron.
There is an array of delicious low-carb vegetables that you can incorporate into your meals, including arugula, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and kale. Try including these veggies in salads, roasting with butter or hummus for roasting or making into delicious vegetable soup!
Add non-starchy vegetables like zucchini and green beans to your meals for optimal nutrition, with low carbs and calories but an abundance of potassium and fiber – aim for 25-38 grams daily using a macro tracking app like Carb Manager! Incorporate dairy such as yogurt or cottage cheese which is rich in calcium as well as probiotics beneficial to digestive health for even further improvements.