keto and diet – Page 2 – Keto Tips and Tricks

Keto Chicken Taco Soup

August 19

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Keto Diet, Keto Lunch and Dinner Recipes, Keto Recipes

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The “Keto Chicken Taco Soup” recipe is below the video. Click the video to watch it on YouTube.

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“Keto Chicken Taco Soup” – Video Summary

This easy and quick Keto Chicken Taco Soup recipe is perfect for weeknights. It’s loaded with all the flavors of traditional taco soup without the carbs. This is a recipe you can whip up in about 20 minutes.

Request our “Delicious Keto Recipes” eBook with 21 keto recipes written by Rachel Roberts:

Most importantly, we offer a complete 8-week Custom Keto Meal Plan made for you based on your own physical attributes, activity level, and weight goal. You can watch this video to learn more about it here.

“Keto Chicken Taco Soup” – Recipe

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients:

1.75 oz (50g) Diced Chicken Breasts
2 Tbsp diced White Onion
1 Tbsp diced Red Bell Pepper
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp minced Jalapenos
1.5 cups Chicken Stock
1/3 cup sugar-free Tomato Sauce
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Taco Spice Mix
1.75 oz (50g) diced Avocado
Fresh Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1) Sear chicken pieces lightly in olive oil.
2) Add garlic, onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos. Sweat until aromatic.
3) Add spice mix, stock, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4) Ladle into a bowl and top with avocados and cilantro.

Nutritional Information:

Energy – 300 kcal
Protein – 12g (16%)
Fat – 25g (74%)
Carbohydrates – 7g (9%)
Fiber – 4g

Learn how to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” prepared for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner below to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Click to get your own Custom Keto Diet Plan

Infographic of the things you can do to banish sugar cravings. Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.

10 Ways to curb your sweet tooth on the keto diet

by Ryan Roberts

August 17

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Keto Diet, Keto Snacks, ketosis

alcohol and keto, keto, keto and diet, keto and weight loss, keto meal planning

Getting a sweet tooth while you’re on a keto diet can be especially rough at the beginning of your dietary journey. After all, it’s unlikely that you’ve tasted your favorite sweet treat since beginning the keto diet.

Don’t get discouraged! Cravings for sweets won’t last forever. Most people usually find their cravings diminish substantially within just a few weeks of adapting to the keto diet. You just need a little time to get there.

Here is a list of 10 ways to curb your sweet tooth on the keto diet. This should be especially helpful to people who are just starting the keto diet.

1 – Avoid sweets

The fewer sweets you eat, the better. You may be able to avoid sweets altogether if your taste buds are adjusting from regular food to the kinds of foods you eat on a keto diet. You won’t need to eat as much sugar before your sweet tooth is satisfied. When cravings hit, turn to fat bombs or cooking with butter and heavy cream. And avoid artificial sweeteners at all costs!

Related reading: Keto-Friendly Tiramisu Fat Bombs

2 – Avoid artificial sweeteners at all costs!

Yes, avoid artificial sweeteners (especially if they are in the form of a drink mix) at all costs. Artificial sweeteners can confuse your body and keep you thinking about sweets without ever actually satisfying your desire for sweets. As soon as you avoid them, your taste buds will adjust and give up wanting things that used to taste good but aren’t good for you anyway.

3 – Think of the reasons why you started eating fewer carbs in the first place

Remember why you wanted to eat healthier in the first place: maybe it was because your cholesterol levels were too high and your doctor wanted to put you on a medication for high cholesterol. You made the keto diet changes because you really wanted to avoid taking medications. Why would you want to start taking medications now? As soon as your cravings start, think of the things that motivated you: pain from heart disease, joint problems from diabetes, etc. Think about why those reasons were strong enough to make you change your diet in the first place and what terrible consequences might happen if you let yourself give in to your sugar cravings.

4 – Keep away from places where there is junk food or sweets

This can include avoiding restaurants (go out less often), avoid free food samples, avoid going into bakeries, and don’t shop while hungry.

5 – Eat fat, it’s the keto thing to do

Fat is the most satisfying thing you can put in your mouth. When you are hungry, eat some butter or olive oil, or heavy cream (which has a similar consistency to ice cream). As far as fats go, avoid processed vegetable oils: they are unhealthy. There is a lot of information about all the different kinds of fats — please do read it! Also, avoid dairy products that contain “added sugar” such as chocolate milk and flavored yogurts. Avoiding sugar-rich foods like cheesecake will eventually turn off your cravings for it and make you less likely to go back to eating things that don’t work for you.

6 – Avoid partying or social eating events where there will be alcohol and sugar

Alcohol makes it difficult for many people to avoid desserts since alcohol tastes delicious with sugar. Alcohol also adds calories to the meal (and therefore the waistline!).

Related reading: Does Keto And Alcohol Mix?

7 – Avoid eating anything that comes in a box or wrapped packaging

This includes not eating any snacks that come prepackaged like granola bars, cookies from a jar (unless you have them at home already), or things made with white flour. Anything packaged has sugar added to make it taste better and last longer on the shelf before spoiling.

8 – Avoid eating out and bringing home leftovers

Most restaurants use white flour for their cooking and sweeteners to make their food taste better. Don’t eat anything out of a box — if you have had bad experiences with some packaged things in the past (such as macaroni and cheese that tastes different from your homemade recipe) avoid those kinds of meals every time. If you want to go out with friends to be with them, eat beforehand so that you avoid temptation.

9 – Avoid snacking (or eat low carb snacks) and avoid eating at night

Avoid bringing food into the bedroom at night. If you must snack, eat something that won’t raise your blood sugar levels too quickly, and avoid sugars altogether if possible.

10 – Consider adding in more healthy fats to help suppress the hunger but still avoid sugary foods!

Eat eggs for breakfast or add avocado to a salad with some olive oil; nuts are also a good choice to satisfy those cravings without compromising ketosis. There is no need to avoid fat on the keto diet — just make sure it’s not coming from junk like corn oil or seed oils (which are high omega-6).

Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Video capture of the "Keto-Friendly Cheese Biscuit" recipe video on YouTube. Click to watch the video on YouTube.

Keto Cheese Biscuits

by Ryan Roberts

August 12

The “Keto-Friendly Cheese Biscuits” recipe is below the video. Click the video to watch it on YouTube.

“Keto-Friendly Cheese Biscuits” – Video Summary

These keto cheese biscuits (crackers) are epic! They’re so tasty, so crisp. You can pair these low-carb keto-friendly cheese biscuits with anything…. From your favorite dip to a creamy smooth nut butter or a bowl of “Keto Chicken Taco Soup”. These are made with cheddar cheese and almond flour. Although you could substitute the cheese with mozzarella or virtually any other cheese to change the flavor. They bake to crispy perfection in just 6-8 minutes!

Adding these crackers to your meal planning will change your snacking routine forever!

Request our “Delicious Keto Recipes” eBook with 21 keto recipes written by Rachel Roberts:

“Keto-Friendly Cheese Biscuits” – Recipe

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 Tbsp Almond Flour
1 Egg Yolk
pinch of Black Pepper

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl and knead into a smooth dough.
2) Line a baking sheet with parchment and preheat the oven to 425F.
3) Place dough in between sheets of parchment and flatten with a rolling pin.
4) Cut into serving-sized pieces and prick holes on the surface with a fork.
5) Transfer onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes.

Learn how to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” prepared for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner below to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs

by Ryan Roberts

August 5

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Keto Dessert Recipe, Keto Recipes, Keto Snacks

keto, keto and diet, keto dessert, keto recipe

The “Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs” recipe is below the video. Click the video to watch it on YouTube.

Related reading: Summary of “Keto-Friendly Tiramisu Fat Bombs” – Video

“Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs” – Video Summary

One of the greatest challenges of being on the keto diet is coping with our craving for sweets. Even people who can easily pass on the rice, pasta, and bread find it hard to control their sweet tooth.

But these delicious, creamy, and sweet-tasting Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs are just the thing. They may be smaller in size, but they are full of flavor.

They’ll satisfy even the most persistent sweet tooth!

Request our “Delicious Keto Recipes” eBook with 21 keto recipes written by Rachel Roberts:

“Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs” – Recipe

Preparation time: 1 hour
Servings: 3 fat bombs

Ingredients:

30 grams of Strawberries (fresh or frozen), diced
100 grams Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Erythritol
1/3 cup Coconut Flour

Directions:

Purée the strawberries and erythritol in a food processor.
Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Divide the dough into balls and chill until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information:

Energy – 146 kcal
Protein – 2.6g (7%)
Fat – 14g (85%)
Carbohydrates – 3g (8%)
Fiber – 0.8g

Learn how to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” prepared for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner below to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Photograph of a woman not feeling well due to the Keto Flu. Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.

Top 5 Keto Flu Remedies That Work!

by Ryan Roberts

August 3

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Keto Diet, Keto Flu, working out

keto, keto and diet, keto and weight loss, keto meal planning, keto-flu, ketosis, ketosis and weight loss, wellness

Keto flu remedies that work are a handful of things for you to do if, or when, you find yourself feeling the symptoms. Or, by doing these things at the same time you begin your keto diet you may well avoid feeling the symptoms entirely!

What is the keto flu?

The keto flu is a group of flu-like symptoms that some people experience when they start the keto diet. The keto diet is a high-fat, medium amount of protein, and very low-carb. The objective of the keto diet is to put your body in a state of ketosis. In ketosis, you’ll burn stored fat instead of glucose. This process is quite a change of metabolism and some people react to it by presenting flu-like symptoms. However, there isn’t any disease involved and the symptoms are very temporary.

The symptoms and severity vary by person. But most people who are affected will have some combination of general achiness, constipation, headache, or nausea because of the sudden diet change. Be aware that, unlike The Flu, keto flu does not cause fever. If you have a fever you may want to see your doctor.

These side effects, or symptoms, seldom last more than a few days to a week. That is, so long as the ketoer strictly adheres to the diet. Falling in and out of ketosis will cause the symptoms to last longer because you’re not giving your body time to adjust.

The keto flu can be very uncomfortable for some people, while others won’t even think about how their feeling. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, treating the keto flu symptoms appropriately will get you through this adjustment period more quickly and with less discomfort.

And consider this. If you start following these remedies at the same time you start your keto diet you may be able to avoid the keto flu entirely.

Related reading: The Keto Flu: Symptoms, Causes, And Remedies

Top 5 keto flu remedies that work!

1 – Drink plenty of water

Extra sugar is stored as glycogen. Our body’s cells hold the glycogen molecule and a lot of water. Our bodies dump a lot of that water and glycogen as we go into ketosis. Because we are losing so much water we can become dehydrated unless we drink plenty of water.

Dehydration can lead to general body aches, headaches, and sluggishness.

Because dehydration is such an unwanted side effect, be sure to drink plenty of water to prevent it. This is particularly important if you were drinking a lot of sugary drinks before starting your keto diet.

2 – Boost your electrolytes

As your body expels water it also loses electrolytes. The loss of electrolytes is compounded as insulin levels decrease. A lot of the keto flu symptoms are associated with lower levels of electrolytes. If you’re experiencing a feeling of weakness, fatigue, or cramping, it could be the lack of electrolytes.

You can improve your electrolyte levels by adding salt to your diet or drinking a sports drink that is high in electrolytes. Because sports drinks can have added sugar, you will have to watch your carbs more closely. Alternatively, drink sugar-free sports drinks.

3 – Consume enough calories

Eating a keto diet will reduce your appetite. Because your appetite is reduced you run the risk of not consuming enough calories to stay healthy. The combination of a decreased appetite from eating keto, and feeling nauseous from the keto flu, can put you in a position where you’re not taking in enough calories.

Ensure you’re eating healthy fats and consuming enough calories every day. Then your energy level should improve and your nausea will be reduced.

Accurate meal planning is crucial to consuming both the right amount of macronutrients and calories. Correct meal planning is also time-consuming and can be frustrating. One option is to have a custom keto meal plan prepared for you by professional nutritionists and chefs based on your food preferences, weight goals, and other personal information. Click here or on the banner below to learn more.

Related reading: How To Make A Keto Meal Plan

4 – Take it easy

It’s important to avoid overdoing things at the start of your keto diet. Because it takes time for your body to transition completely to ketosis.

For the first 7-10 days avoid strenuous exercise and hard work. Instead, try lighter types of exercise like yoga, walking, or medicine ball exercises. Then you get back to your regular routine when you’re feeling better.

Related reading: Lose Weight Fast With Yoga And Keto

5 – Try transitioning more slowly

Since many of the keto flu symptoms are caused by a sudden dietary change, you can transition to keto more slowly versus going full bore. Phasing out carbohydrates while increasing fats over a week or two will let your body adjust over time instead of overnight. Avoiding keto flu symptoms entirely!

When should you see a doctor?

The keto flu is very temporary and should go away pretty soon after starting the diet. If your symptoms last longer than 10 days or are painfully debilitating, or they’re accompanied by a fever, you might want to see your doctor.

Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Screen capture of the "Keto No-bake Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe video on YouTube. Click to watch the video on YouTube.

Easy No-bake Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Ryan Roberts

July 29

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Keto Dessert Recipe, Keto Recipes, Keto Snacks

keto, keto and diet, keto dessert, keto recipe, keto snacks

The “Keto No-bake Chocolate Chip Cookies” recipe is below the video. Click the video to watch it on YouTube.

“Keto No-bake Chocolate Chip Cookies” – Video Summary

These no-bake, keto-friendly, chocolate chip cookies are made with almond flour, real butter, cream cheese, and loads of sugar-free chocolate chips. These cookies are a mouthwatering treat without the guilt! They’re perfect for giving as a gift, or to eat anytime you have to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Since these are made without flour or added sugar, they are naturally low-carb and keto-friendly. Almond flour is used as the base ingredient instead of regular flour. This produces a wonderfully pleasant taste and texture. Perfect for a chocolate chip cookie!

Request our “Delicious Keto Recipes” eBook with 21 keto recipes written by Rachel Roberts:

“Keto No-bake Chocolate Chip Cookies” – Recipe

Preparation time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 cookies

Ingredients:

4 oz softened cream cheese
2 oz softened butter
1 Tbsp erythritol
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup almond flour
1/4 cup sugar-free chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Combine cream cheese, butter, erythritol, and vanilla extract in a food processor, pulsing until smooth.
2) Add in the almond flour and blend into a smooth dough.
3) Fold the chocolate chips into the mixture.
4) Divide the dough into 6 balls and gently flatten them into round shapes.
5) Chill until ready to serve. At least one hour.

Nutritional Information:

Energy – 136 kcal
Protein – 2.7g (8%)
Fat – 13g (87%)
Carbohydrates – 1.8g (6%)
Fiber – 0.7g

Learn how to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” prepared for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner below to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Photo of a cutting board with a tape measure and the words "lacto-ovo keto" to illustrate, "Lacto-Ovo Keto, How?". Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.

Lacto-Ovo Ketogenic Diet, How?

by Ryan Roberts

July 27

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Keto Diet, ketosis, Vegetarian

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A Lacto-Ovo ketogenic diet is just what it sounds like. A hybrid between a keto diet and a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian diet.

Lacto-Ovo vegetarianism is the most common style of vegetarianism. A Lacto-Ovo vegetarian includes dairy and eggs in their diet but won’t eat meat, fish, or poultry.

Even though they don’t restrict themselves in food, they enjoy eating like delicious no-bake keto chocolate chip cookies, it could still be hard being on a keto diet. Because meat is one of the most consumed foods on the keto diet!

But, that doesn’t mean Lacto-Ovo ketogenic diet isn’t possible. In fact, there exists a variation of the keto diet called “the vegetarian keto diet”. Go figure. Because the keto diet is very strict and hard for sometimes hard to follow, here is how to successfully be a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian.

Related reading: Can A Vegetarian Or Vegan Go Keto?

Know what you can eat

Dieting is a lot easier when you know exactly what you can eat, and what you can’t eat. The majority of keto-friendly foods are high-fat, low-carb, and medium protein. Because vegetarians don’t eat meat they have to make some adjustments to the traditional keto diet. With that in mind, here is a look at what a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian keto dieter can eat.

- Plant-based proteins – tofu, tempeh, seitan, textured vegetable protein.
- Low-carb vegetables – asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, kale, lettuces, swiss chard, turnip greens.
- Plant-based fats – avocado, coconut, and olive, and their oils.
- Dairy – full-fat milk, heavy cream, non-sweetened butter, cheese, plain cottage cheese, full-fat yogurt.
- Seeds and nuts
- Eggs
- Berries

Eat something high in protein with each meal

The standard keto diet is built around animal products because they are the best source of protein. Animal protein contains all nine of the essential amino acids that we have to have to be healthy. Because Lacto-Ovo vegetarians don’t eat meat they will need to eat a combination of dairy, eggs, seeds, and nuts.

So when planning their meals, the Lacto-Ovo vegetarian ketoer needs to create meals that include eggs and/or dairy products. To give you an idea, for breakfast try having low-carb keto-friendly bread, greek yogurt with berries. For lunch help yourself to a Broccoli and Cheddar Frittata.

Related reading: 6 Alternatives For Bread On The Keto Diet

Limit your carbohydrates

The keto diet focuses on eating low-carb foods that are high in fat and proteins. Therefore limiting your carbohydrate intake is crucial. Because they’re avoiding carbs, a vegetarian on keto has to avoid the typical vegetarian protein sources (i.e., legumes, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.) because they all have too many carbs.

Focus on the low-carb vegetables

Because vegetables are very healthy, include them in your meals. Not all vegetables are low in carbohydrates. So be mindful and eat only low-carb vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, etc. Avoid all of the root vegetables because they are high in carbs (carrots, potatoes, turnips – but the greens are good, beets, etc.).

Add healthy oils

Consuming oils is inevitable because we use them so much for cooking as well as ingredients in our recipes. Oils make each meal taste better, improves our food’s texture, helps us feel satiated for longer periods of time. Oils are also needed for our bodies to properly absorb some vitamins.

Keeping in mind that oils are a great source of fats, limit your use of oils to only healthy oils. So instead of using the typical vegetable oils (sunflower, safflower, or canola oils), use avocado, olive, coconut oils, and butter or ghee.

Spices and herbs are your friends

Spices and herbs give your meals a better flavor. They also increase the variety of dishes and provide micronutrients. Experiment with different spices and herbs to change the flavor of the same, or similar, meals. So if you use common spices like cinnamon, basil, or rosemary try something different like; nutmeg, cumin, or thyme.

A Lacto-Ovo vegetarian keto diet is a splendid blend of high-fat, low-carb, and protein-rich foods that take care of your daily needs. It’s the perfect diet for vegetarians who want the benefits of a keto diet without giving up their diet.

But before going keto you need to learn what you can and can’t have in your meal plan. Planning meals isn’t that simple. If you would like help planning your meals, click here and learn about an eight-week custom keto diet plan that’s designed for you based on your food preferences (such as no meat, fish, or poultry) and other personal data.

Related reading: How To Make A Keto Meal Plan

Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

A woman eating chocolate. Click to learn about our 8 week custom keto meal plan.

Dark Chocolate and Keto Dieting?

by Ryan Roberts

July 6

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Brain Health, Keto Diet, Keto Snacks

brain function, brain health, keto, keto and diet, keto meal planning

High-quality dark chocolate is a very nutritious, slightly sweet, delicious treat for the keto dieter.

Dark chocolate is loaded with minerals and antioxidants and includes a fair amount of fiber.

But with so many carbohydrates (11.6g per 100g serving) how can dark chocolate have a place in the keto diet? Here we’re going to talk about enjoying dark chocolate as part of the keto diet.

First, what is dark chocolate?

Dark chocolate is a mixture of cocoa, fat, and sugar. It’s different from milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is made with milk solids, more sugar, and more cocoa.

Some sugar is used in the production of dark chocolate to offset the cocoa’s bitterness. But far less sugar is used than what’s used in milk chocolate.

However, not all dark chocolate is the same. Each bar of dark chocolate can vary in how much cocoa and sugar are used. The amount of cacao found in a bar determines how dark the chocolate will be and its quality.

Related reading: “Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease“

Generally speaking, a quality bar of dark chocolate will contain at least 70% cocoa, usually producing a bar with less sugar as well. These higher-quality bars are especially rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are a strong antioxidant and dark chocolate contains more of it than red wine, black tea, or apples.

Related reading: “Flavonoids: an overview“

Because dark chocolate is so full of flavonoids it has been associated with many health benefits. These benefits include a lower risk of heart disease and improved brain functions.

Related reading:

“Chocolate consumption is inversely associated with a calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries: the NHLBI Family Heart Study“

“The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people“

The carbohydrates in dark chocolate

Most sweets contain a lot of carbohydrates and have to be radically restricted by the keto diet. But in comparison, high-quality dark chocolate contains fewer carbs. For example, an ounce of 70-80% dark chocolate may have 13g of carbs with 3g of fiber, resulting in about 10g of net carbs.

Fiber is a carb we can’t fully digest. Because of that, we can subtract it from the listed carbohydrates.

Are dark chocolate and keto dieting compatible?

You can enjoy the delights of high-quality dark chocolate so long as it doesn’t exceed your daily carb limit. The standard keto diet limits your carb intake to just five percent of your calorie intake. Therefore you would be limited to 25g of carbs on a 2000 calorie/day diet. So one ounce of chocolate would be about 40% of your daily carbohydrates for the day.

Related reading: “How To Make A Keto Meal Plan“

It really depends on what else you eat during the day. If you want to have some dark chocolate you’ll have to plan your food for the day accordingly.

It’s imperative that you choose high-quality dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa. The greater the amount of cocoa the healthier the chocolate will be, but also the more bitter it will taste. Start with a 70% bar then buy chocolate with greater amounts of cocoa until you find your “bitterness limit”.

Having said that, keep in mind that portion control is key. Because an ounce of chocolate isn’t a whole lot you can easily find yourself eating too much chocolate and knocking yourself out of ketosis.

Wrapping it up

Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants. It’s made from cocoa, fat, and sugar and contains less sugar than milk chocolate. The higher the cocoa percentage the better the quality.

An ounce of 70-80% dark chocolate may have 13g of carbs with 3g of fiber, resulting in about 10g of net carbs.

There’s room for dark chocolate and keto dieting if your dark chocolate is at least 70 percent cocoa in a keto diet. But portion control is key to avoid consuming excessive carbs.

Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Image of Munk Keto Granola Bars. Click to read more.

6 Tastiest Keto-Friendly Granola Bars Available

by Ryan Roberts

June 29

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Keto Diet, Keto Snacks, ketosis

keto, keto and diet, keto snacks, snacks

When was the last time you enjoyed a good ol’ granola bar while eating a keto diet?

There’s nothing new or exciting about the keto protein bars you find at your favorite store. But finding low-carb, keto-friendly, granola bars is another story. Fortunately for us, there are a few producers who have tackled the challenge and crafted some tasty granola bars that we ketoers can pack and take with us.

In this post, we’re going to touch on a half dozen keto-friendly granola bars that we think are quite tasty. Each of these granola bars comes in a variety of flavors.

6 Tastiest Keto-Friendly Granola Bars Available

1 – Nola Bars Perfect Keto Granola Bars

Nola Bars are our top pick for a few reasons.

- They’re free of dairy, soy, gluten, and grains making them a product that vegan and paleo dieters can eat as well.
- Unlike many granola bars on the market, these are completely sugar-free. Monk fruit and stevia are used to give them their sweetness.
- Perfect Keto Bars are made with the highest quality ingredients. The only preservative used is vitamin E.
- Lastly, these bars contain just 3g of net carbs. That means these bars are a great choice for snacking at any time of day!

2 – Munk Pack

Munk Pack bars are totally plant-based, gluten-free, and come in a large variety of flavors. These are very keto-friendly with macros fitting perfectly with the keto framework and just 2g of net carbs.

One downside of these bars is that they have some vegetable glycerine in them. Even though vegetable glycerine is approved by the FDA, it’s not clear whether it converts to glucose or not when metabolized.

If you are easily knocked out of ketosis you may want to avoid these bars and their vegetable glycerine.

Related reading on the Diabetes Spectrum website: “Low-Carbohydrate Food Facts and Fallacies”

3 – Ratio granola bars

With 220 calories, Ratio granola bars are a little more substantial than a lot of the other bars. They also have only 2g of carbohydrates and no added sugar.

This is a bar that will hold you over for a while. However, These bars include protein derived from soy and chicory root.

Chicory root is difficult for some people to digest. So if you tend to have digestive problems you may want to steer clear. Or venture gently when trying these bars for the first time.

Soy protein is an allergen to some people and they may want to avoid Ratio bars. There’s also debate about soy and hormonal health.

Related reading: “The Science of Soy: What Do We Really Know?“

Unlike the other bars on this list, Ratio bars come in just two flavors: Toasted Almond Crunchy Bar and Lemon Almond Crunchy Bar

4 – Love Good Fats

Love Good Fats has found a way to produce traditional snacks like granola bars with loads of healthy fat. These tasty, nutty, chewy granola bars contain just 4g of net carbs and 8g of protein.

On the downside, Love Good Fats uses rice protein and the glycerine may convert to glucose. Additionally, the ingredients include chicory. We talked earlier about how chicory might cause some digestive issues.

All and all, Love Good Fats makes a good and tasty granola bar.

5 – Hungry Buddha Keto Bars

The Hungry Buddha Keto Bars are plant-based, soy-free, and keto certified. These bars are a great choice for both plant-based fans and ketoers. They have 9g of protein. These also contain MCTs that aid in the production of ketones.

Hungry Buddha bars also contain rice, peas, and some cane sugar and chicory root. These aren’t total deal breakers but they aren’t ideal either.

Related reading: “Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)“

6 – Quest Snack Bars

The Quest Snack Bar looks a lot like the Kind Bar but without all the extra sugar from maple syrup and honey. Quest bars are certified to be gluten-free. They’re high in protein (~10g) with only 5g of net carbs. They are also among the most affordable granola bar options at the time of the post. Just $1.31 each!

Regrettably, the Quest bar ingredients are as clean as the bars on this list. Besides having glycerine they have soluble corn fiber. Soluble corn fiber may be from GMO corn and sodium caseinate. Sodium caseinate is a known allergen to some and is linked to inflammation.

Related reading: “The Role of Soluble Corn Fiber on Glycemic and Insulin Response“

Summary

The keto diet is a low-carb diet. That means you need to plan out what you’re going to eat throughout the day. Having high-fat, sugar-free granola bars on hand will help you with planning.

These keto granola bars can be used as meal replacement bars for breakfast or as a healthy keto snack to get you by until your next meal. Just drop a bar in your lunch box, backpack, or purse and you are ready to go!

Related reading: “How To Make A Keto Meal Plan“

Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Couple walking away from camera on a beach during summer vacation. Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.

Top 3 Ways To Maintain Your Keto Diet During Summer Vacation

by Ryan Roberts

June 22

Leave a comment on Top 3 Ways To Maintain Your Keto Diet During Summer Vacation

Keto Diet, Weight Loss, Wellness

alcohol and keto, keto, keto and diet, keto and weight loss, ketosis, ketosis and weight loss, wellness, working out

The ketogenic diet is a challenging diet because of its restrictive nature. And even the most devoted ketoer has a hard time saying “no” to all align: right; the goodness of summertime food, like BBQs or fish fries at the beach. Here we’re going to give you the top 3 ways to maintain your keto diet during summer vacation. Our tips will limit what summertime fun can do to your waistline and your keto diet.

With our top 3 ways to maintain your keto diet during summer vacation, you will be able to enjoy yourself during the summer without sacrificing your success with the keto diet.

Are you interested in trying the keto diet but you’re not sure what to do? Get a custom keto meal plan based on your unique requirements here.

1 – Alternatives to alcohol

For some people, the hard part about staying on their keto diet isn’t watching what they eat, but rather what they drink.

A lot of cocktails and pre-mixed alcoholic drinks are full of sugar. Because they are full of sugar, they’re also loaded with carbohydrates. And all those carbs take them off the keto dieter’s menu.

Beer can also be very high in carbohydrates. A rule of thumb is, “the darker the beer, the greater the carb count”. Luckily, there are options for ketoers who want to enjoy an adult beverage.

The ketoer who prefers beer can find low-carb options distributed by many of the big names in brewing alongside their traditional beers.

Make sure the number of beers you drink fits into your daily keto targets. Because drinking too many will put you over your carb and calorie limits.

An alternative is to drink your favorite liquor mixed with flavored water or diet soda because a lot of liquors are carb-free, though not always low in calories.

So check the carb count of your favorite hard alcohol and mix it with the sugar-free drinks you like best for a tasty cocktail that fits your diet plan.

Related reading: “Does Keto And Alcohol Mix?“

2 – Get outdoors and move

It seems obvious that working out and exercising while vacationing is a good way to stay on track with your keto diet. However, a lot of people just want to relax on their vacation, and that means lounging around, watching your screens, and snacking because of boredom.

Instead of binge-watching your favorite Prime Video programs, go on some outings instead. Depending on where you are you may be able to take a long daily walk, hike some local trails, or literally fly a kite at the beach!

Families with children might like going to a water park or public pool. Because that will let everybody get some healthy and fun exercise as well as cooling off from the summer heat.

Choose destinations that have options for exercising when you’re planning your vacation, versus locations where vacationers typically spend their time sitting on a beach or otherwise not being active.

A lot of vacation destinations have activities requiring some level of exercise like a city walking tour.

Related reading: “25 Bucket List Worthy Walking Tours Around The Globe“

Take the time to schedule your vacation in a beautiful place. A place where eating isn’t the vacation’s focus.

Exercising and healthy eating are key to being successful on your keto diet plan. So don’t let vacationing be an excuse to fall off your diet. Keep moving!

3 – Take your food with you

An excellent way to stay on track with your keto diet when you travel locally, or are heading out for a BBQ, or any other summertime event is to take the food you’re going to eat with you.

A lot of BBQs will provide keto-friendly meat options but the sides will likely be full of carbs. We’re thinking of macaroni and potato salads, chips, sweet fruit, and bread. The temptation to fall out of ketosis is everywhere at a BBQ.

Rather than suffering all those temptations, pack your own keto-friendly side dishes and desserts.

Related reading: “Keto Desset Recipes“

When delicious keto-friendly food choices are available, it’s much easier to make the right choices.

Be sure to keep yourself on your keto diet by insuring you come prepared to eat well instead of falling back into your old carb-loaded eating habits

Although some dieters will fail during their summer vacation, our top 3 ways to maintain your keto diet during summer vacation will keep you on the path to success. So with a little planning and creativity, there’s no reason the keto diet won’t so long as you’re thinking about the long-term.

Successful dieting is seldom quick and usually comes from making good decisions about exercise and food. So keep making those good decisions and stay on your keto diet plan.

Are you interested in trying the keto diet but you’re not sure what to do? Get an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

The “Keto Chicken Taco Soup” recipe is below the video. Click the video to watch it on YouTube.

“Keto Chicken Taco Soup” – Video Summary

“Keto Chicken Taco Soup” – Recipe

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1 – Avoid sweets

Related reading: Keto-Friendly Tiramisu Fat Bombs

2 – Avoid artificial sweeteners at all costs!

3 – Think of the reasons why you started eating fewer carbs in the first place

4 – Keep away from places where there is junk food or sweets

5 – Eat fat, it’s the keto thing to do

6 – Avoid partying or social eating events where there will be alcohol and sugar

Related reading: Does Keto And Alcohol Mix?

7 – Avoid eating anything that comes in a box or wrapped packaging

8 – Avoid eating out and bringing home leftovers

9 – Avoid snacking (or eat low carb snacks) and avoid eating at night

10 – Consider adding in more healthy fats to help suppress the hunger but still avoid sugary foods!

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The “Keto-Friendly Cheese Biscuits” recipe is below the video. Click the video to watch it on YouTube.

“Keto-Friendly Cheese Biscuits” – Video Summary

“Keto-Friendly Cheese Biscuits” – Recipe

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The “Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs” recipe is below the video. Click the video to watch it on YouTube.

Related reading: Summary of “Keto-Friendly Tiramisu Fat Bombs” – Video

“Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs” – Video Summary

“Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs” – Recipe

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Get your FREE eBook, "Deliciously Easy Keto Recipes", delivered directly to your inbox!

What is the keto flu?

Related reading: The Keto Flu: Symptoms, Causes, And Remedies

Top 5 keto flu remedies that work!

1 – Drink plenty of water

2 – Boost your electrolytes

3 – Consume enough calories

Related reading: How To Make A Keto Meal Plan

4 – Take it easy

Related reading: Lose Weight Fast With Yoga And Keto

5 – Try transitioning more slowly

When should you see a doctor?

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The “Keto No-bake Chocolate Chip Cookies” recipe is below the video. Click the video to watch it on YouTube.

“Keto No-bake Chocolate Chip Cookies” – Video Summary

“Keto No-bake Chocolate Chip Cookies” – Recipe

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Related reading: Can A Vegetarian Or Vegan Go Keto?

Know what you can eat

Eat something high in protein with each meal

Related reading: 6 Alternatives For Bread On The Keto Diet

Limit your carbohydrates

Focus on the low-carb vegetables

Add healthy oils

Spices and herbs are your friends

Related reading: How To Make A Keto Meal Plan

First, what is dark chocolate?

Related reading: “Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease“

Related reading: “Flavonoids: an overview“

Related reading:

“Chocolate consumption is inversely associated with a calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries: the NHLBI Family Heart Study“

“The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people“

The carbohydrates in dark chocolate

Are dark chocolate and keto dieting compatible?

Related reading: “How To Make A Keto Meal Plan“

Wrapping it up

6 Tastiest Keto-Friendly Granola Bars Available

1 – Nola Bars Perfect Keto Granola Bars

2 – Munk Pack

Related reading on the Diabetes Spectrum website: “Low-Carbohydrate Food Facts and Fallacies”

3 – Ratio granola bars

Related reading: “The Science of Soy: What Do We Really Know?“

4 – Love Good Fats

5 – Hungry Buddha Keto Bars

Related reading: “Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)“

6 – Quest Snack Bars

Related reading: “The Role of Soluble Corn Fiber on Glycemic and Insulin Response“

Summary

Related reading: “How To Make A Keto Meal Plan“