Switching your diet sounds easier than it really is, especially when you move to something more strict. So, it’s a common challenge to find it difficult to maintain at the start.
If you’re on a keto diet meal plan, you should know what’s best to include and avoid. One solution to make sure you follow these is by subscribing to a meal prep service.
Here’s what you need to know and how fully prepared meals contribute to your goal.
What Can You Eat in a Keto Diet?
A keto diet is a high-fat and low-carb plan that trains your metabolism to break down fat and turn it into energy rather than carbohydrates alone. Because of its nature, it comes with specific guidelines of what to add and remove from your dishes.
Generally, you want your meals to focus more on fat with some protein and as little carbs as possible. The food that works best for this includes the following:
- Meat: Meat gives you the protein you need in your plan, helping you feel fuller. Most recommend choosing fatty cuts.
- Fatty seafood: Various fish contain little to no carb content and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which provides additional benefits.
- Dairy: Among other dairy options, cheese offers high fat and no carbs, making it a keto diet staple. Yogurt is also a common choice for its protein content.
- Eggs: Eggs are a high source of protein loaded with different nutrients. This makes it an ideal addition to any diet.
- Low-carb veggies: Select vegetables that work best for a keto diet, such as broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, spinach, and other low-carb options. Note that these are preferred over starchy and whole wheat-based ones.
- Seeds and nuts: You can find seeds and oil-rich nuts that provide high nutritional value while adding a fun twist to your meals.
- Berries: Berries can help give you the sweet content you need without the sugar while keeping carbohydrate content low.
- Oils: Usually, cooking in olive oil is a common choice for its high-fat content and health benefits.
Food to Avoid in a Keto Diet
You don’t always have to follow a keto diet to a T, but it helps to understand what works best for the meal plan. This way, you can maximize the benefits you receive.
Likewise, you want to know what to avoid or reduce in your recipes. It mainly includes most sugars and starches. It includes anything from fruits with high sugar content to grains and common starches, like bread, pasta, and rice.
Note that you don’t have to avoid all these completely. But for a keto diet, it helps to reduce the amount of sugar and starch you consume for effective results.
How Do Meal Prep Services Help?
Meal prep services can help you with a keto diet meal plan by providing you with meals that contain the ingredients you need. Some of these services allow you to customize your plan, allowing your meals to be specifically keto-based.
At the same time, it helps your body get used to the construction of each meal without feeling too restricted by what you can and cannot eat.