Several studies show that the ketogenic diet is one of the most effective in weight loss and yields many health benefits, yet it is simultaneously one of the easiest diets to follow. Some people get freaked out over the word “diet” and therefore are intimidated by the thought of beginning a new diet in their lives.
Others are not so much afraid of starting a new diet as they are apprehensive of the outcome. In terms of the keto diet, people can get skeptical about a diet that consists of mostly fats as we’ve been taught for decades to avoid just that.
So what is the keto diet? The keto diet is an entirely different method of weight loss, throwing out the window all you ever thought you knew about dieting and weight loss. In the keto diet, the rules change. Fats are no longer considered the enemy, so long as carbohydrates are minimized or eliminated entirely. You can read all about the keto diet and the metabolic state of ketosis in Ketogenic Diet For Beginners.
I have to be honest, when I heard of the keto diet at first I scuffed at it. It seemed like such a too good to be true gimmick, that I didn’t even pay it a second thought. After going through major weight loss (50 lbs) while adhering to the Paleo diet I figured that it was the best option for me. But eventually I hit a weight loss plateau, and even gained a little bit of weight back. If you’re at that place, read about 5 Ways To Overcome A Weight Loss Plateau. With 15 lbs left to lose to attain my goal, I became interested in what all the hype was about the keto diet.
I began looking into the keto diet and with nothing to lose (except hopefully weight) I decided to delve into the details of the keto diet for once. What I learned about it would amaze me and excite me. But there was one rule of the keto diet that I felt I could not conquer, and that was the fact that while on the keto diet you must eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, and the most you should be consuming throughout the day is 20 to 50 g of carbs. To put that into perspective, 2 bananas equals approximately 50 g of carbs.
Aside from the fact that I am a serious carb lover, always have been, it was the thought of creating recipes without the use of foods containing carbs was particularly daunting. How do you make a breakfast sandwich without a croissant or English muffin? How do you enjoy chicken pasta… Without the pasta?!  I begin to wonder if the keto diet was possible for me at all.
After moping and feeling sorry for myself I wondered what was more important to me. And I believe that anybody who is struggling with weight loss whether the end goal is to be healthier, look better, or whatever the reason, they should be asking themselves the same question. What is more important to you? Is a plate of your favorite carb filled food more important then your weight loss goals? And you have to answer this question honestly.
It turned out that staying keto was much easier than I thought it would be once you get through the mental aspect of it. I realized that you can make keto burgers, keto burritos, keto breakfast sandwiches, and even traditional dishes like lasagna and even enjoy “pasta”. You just had to get a bit creative about replacing the carbs with something else.
For those of you that are new to keto and aren’t sure what kind of food to make, I’m happy to bring you a list of three easy keto recipes for beginners!
1. Keto Mac and Cheese
So admittedly mac & cheese is one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasures. I knew that if I wanted to succeed at keto, I had to incorporate the foods I couldn’t live without into my keto diet. When you deprive yourself of your favorite foods, you end up waiting for a “cheat day” which can turn into a “cheat week” to a “cheat month”.. you get where I’m going with this. Don’t let that happen!
What You Need:
3 heads cauliflower (cut into florets)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
1 cup Gruyer cheese (cut into 1 in cubes)
4 oz cream cheese (room temp)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine cauliflower with oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Lay out cauliflower on a sheet pan and roast for about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile heat the heavy cream in a pot on the stovetop and add the cheeses to melt. Reserve 1/4 cup of shredded cheese to sprinkle on top later.
Prepare a casserole baking dish by buttering it. When the cauliflower is done, combine it with the cheese mixture and fold into the casserole baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more shredded cheese and cook in the oven uncovered for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
This mac and cheese is amazing as is, but I like to go the extra mile and top it with even more goodness. Some ideas for toppings are chopped bacon, hot sauce or sriracha, and chopped chives or parsley. This mac and cheese is so easy to make and delicious, and you won’t even miss the pasta!
2. Keto Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan is a classic dish loved by many! This keto chicken Parmesan is the perfect easy dinner you can whip up tonight.
What You Need:
2 tsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts
4 cups Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
3 eggs
3/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)
1/2 cup tomato sauce (sugar free)
Instructions:
First preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Prep your station: in three separate bowls add 1. beaten eggs, 2. almond flour, salt, oregano, and pepper, and 3. Parmesan.
Dip chicken breast into almond flour, followed by eggs, and finally the Parmesan. Cook chicken in the pan until golden, and transfer to a baking dish. Add tomato sauce on top and sprinkle heavily with the mozzarella cheese. You may purchase a sugar free low carb tomato sauce or even better- make one at home.
Cook the chicken Parmesan in the oven for about 15 minutes. When ready to serve, top with extra Parmesan and fresh chopped basil!
3. Keto Shrimp Scampi
I love traditional shrimp scampi. It is one of my absolute favorite dishes since I can remember. Since a typical shrimp scampi is prepared on top of linguine, I prefer to make my own low carb keto shrimp scampi at home. To be honest, it’s even better when it’s homemade. And you get to be in charge of what you serve the shrimp with.
Zucchini noodles or squash spirals are super fun and delicious- making you feel like you’re actually still eating pasta. But they can be difficult and time consuming to prepare. I love my vegetable spiralizer from Fullstar. You can buy it on Amazon for around $10.
You don’t have to serve this shrimp scampi with zoodles though, either. A chopped romaine salad, or fresh veggies is all you need alongside this amazing shrimp.
What You Need:
1 lb shrimp- peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic- chopped
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup white wine
Optional: spiraled squash or zoodles (zucchini noodles)
Instructions:
Once your shrimp has been peeled and deveined, heat up 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the shrimp, salt, pepper, and chopped garlic. Sauté until shrimp is nearly done and add the lemon juice and white wine. Reduce the sauce and shrimp scampi is done! Super easy and super delicious.
If you want to incorporate zoodles or squash spirals into your shrimp scampi, it’s also super easy with a vegetable slicer or spiraler. To cook your squash or zucchini and not ruin the noodles, make sure you do not overcook. Once water is salted and boiling blanch the spiraled veggies for only 3 minutes.
To sum things up, keto food is not only full of healthy fats and proteins your body needs for fuel, but omitting carbohydrates can be easy if you use a little imagination! These 3 recipes prove that cooking keto can be easy, fun, and yield incredibly delicious results!