I always get questions about how I can stand being on a keto diet – people always assume that it’s extremely restrictive. Well it is, and it isn’t. With a little ingenuity, you can easily replace old habits with new (and healthier) ones. Here are some essential tips for you to utilize in order to ensure a successful low carb diet.
Get a Food Scale
A food scale is a crucial tool to have in your kitchen, especially when on a diet. Accuracy is extremely important when monitoring what you are putting into your body. If you’re counting your calories and tracking your carbs on a regular basis, you will need to know exactly how much you are eating.
Most people measure the amount of food they eat by “eyeballing” it out – which we all know gets us in trouble. That 6oz portion of ground beef really turns out to be 9oz, that spoonful of peanut butter ended up being almost 2 tablespoons worth. Seriously, what are you waiting for? Go buy a food scale TODAY.
There are certain things I look for when buying a scale, and most importantly include:
- Having a conversion button – sometimes the apps and websites we use to track our nutrients have a mixture of units on them. Having a conversion button on your scale can easily defer the annoyance of converting this yourself. Make sure your scale has a gram to ounce conversion button!
- Automatic Shutoff – make sure you research the scale you are buying. If the scales have an automatic shutoff, it can be troublesome to properly measure your food. If you are making a recipe and adding to it as you go, a 15 second inactivity timer would really push your wits.
- Tare Function – being able to place bowls, plates, and utensils on your scale makes it a lot easier to weight things out. Make sure that your scale has a tare option, which will allow you to place an item on the scale and revert back to 0. Easy measuring at its finest.
- Removable Plate – cleaning scales can be a huge hassle when dealing with messy foods. Double check that the scale you are buying has a removable plate for easy cleaning. You don’t want to have gobs of week old chicken fat hiding underneath your weighing plate, do you?
Hearty Carbohydrate Alternatives
My all-time top craving goes out to Chinese food – I absolutely love it. Something about fried rice and chicken lathered in sweet sauce makes my stomach pang, so I sought out some replacements for it. Believe it or not, cauliflower fried rice is an amazing alternative. You can spice it up in your own way, and it really tastes similar to a Chinese takeout!
Pasta is another thing that I adore to eat. I used to race with my brother growing up just to finish my spaghetti first and go back for seconds.
I am so close to finding the perfect alternative for noodles, but it took some time. You should try shirataki noodles, which are extremely low carb and very keto friendly. They’re made out of an Asian yam, but be careful of the brand you buy – some have very gummy textures. House Foods is my personal favorite. Spaghetti squash is also something that I’ve tried a number of times. While I do enjoy the taste, the texture is just not there. It’s a bit crunchy, and the carb count can get high quite easily – but some people just can’t get enough.Shirataki Noodles
I Need My Dairy!
Calorie Countdown Low Carb MilkI sure drink a lot of tea and coffee, and they’re not complete without a helping of milk inside. There’s something about the richness of milk that really adds to my cuppa’ in the morning. I enjoy using heavy whipping cream in my coffee, but for my tea it’s too strong. Through multiple trials and failures, my personal favorite is Calorie Countdown. They’ve started selling it in most grocery stores I visit, which is a huge plus! If this isn’t available to you locally, similar options are almond milk and soy milk.
Bread Lovers Unite
Sandwiches for lunch have been a staple for me since I was a kid, but that’s a thing of the past. When I started a keto diet, I had to search high and low for a good alternative to bread. There’s really 2 routes you can go to here: make your own low carb bread, or use low carb tortillas.
My new lunch staple is in the form of a wrap with salad and meat stuffed inside. They’re too easy for fast meals, and usually only contain 3-5 net carbs. Wraps are extremely versatile, though, and allow you to create tons of new items in your dietary menu. My personal favorite for a fast dinner is the keto friendly pizza.
For the Sweet Tooth
A sugarless life is just not worth living, is it? Chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert is something that just dwells in my mind late at night. Have no fear though, there are alternatives for this! Protein powder can go a really long way when it comes to cooking for your sweet tooth. In any successful diet, let alone a keto diet, restricting yourself too much can be a bad thing. You can use protein powder to bake cookies, cakes, and pastries to your heart’s desire – well, use a little caution!
Chocolate Protein PowderProtein powder comes in hundreds of different flavors and once you find the right one, you won’t be able to get enough. I’ll let you in on a great late night snack I’ve come up with. I pair cookies and cream protein powder with cottage cheese, throw it in the freezer, and in 25 minutes you have some seriously delicious ice cream. You’re probably grunting at your screen right now in disbelief and disgust, but don’t bash this one until you try it.
Remember, weighing your food is a must when it comes to tracking your progression. Go and buy a food scale already! That being said, there’s a multitude of different ways to get your favorite foods into your keto diet – or at least close to it. From subbing out fried rice with cauliflower to using protein powder for your next batch of cookies, experimenting and tasting is always the best bet for you to reach success on your diet.http://themexplore.com/