Want to know the dietary method to lose weight and eat healthily? This is a useful guide for beginners to design an easy keto meal plan.
When it comes to searching for weight loss meal plans, the keto meal plan is a topic that cannot be avoided. As we all know, following a keto diet usually means following a diet that is low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and high in fat.
If you haven’t heard about the keto meal plan or have no experience trying it, don’t worry. Designing a suitable one is not a big deal. This article aims to help anyone unfamiliar with the keto diet to get a better understanding and design their own simple keto meal plan.
Benefits and risks of a keto diet you should know
Once you understand the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet for weight loss plan, you also need to understand the pros and cons before you start designing your easy keto meal plan.
Benefits of a keto diet
i. Weight Loss
The difference between the ketogenic diet and other diets is that this diet shows faster weight loss results. By following an easy keto diet plan, you not only eat healthily but also lose weight healthily.
ii. Reduce appetite
For people who decide to get on a keto diet, they may find that they have reduced appetite. That is mainly because vegetables consumed in a daily ketogenic diet contain dietary fiber, which increases the body’s sense of satiety. Protein-rich products like meat, milk, and beans can also play their roles in delaying satiety.
iii. Maintain complete muscle mass
The weight lost during a period of the keto meal plan is a result of fat loss. Thanks to consuming a large protein content in this diet, muscle mass will remain intact.
iv. Increase healthy fat sources
Ketosis diets are effective in lowering bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing healthy cholesterol levels.
Risks of a keto diet
i. Nutritional deficiencies
A standard keto diet recipe contains fewer carbohydrates than recommended for a healthy diet and reduced sources of vitamins and minerals, which may cause malnutrition and harm the body over time.
ii. Ketoacidosis
A keto meal plan will cause excessive production of ketones in the body. Once the ketone level in the blood is too high, it will lead to ketoacidosis, which will cause nausea, vomiting, and a strong taste of rotten apple in the mouth. This leads to dizziness, headache, drowsiness, dehydration, and other symptoms. In more serious cases, it will also cause coma, cerebral hypoxia, and ischemia.
iii. Other disadvantages
A keto meal plan with high amount of fat and protein may also reduce fiber, which can cause digestive problems and constipation over time. In some cases, an unsuitable keto diet can also affect people’s memory and concentration.
What should you know more about the keto meal plan?
Proportion of intake of various nutrients
In a standard keto meal plan, the proportion of nutrient intake is 70%-75% of fat, 3%-5% of carbohydrates, and 20%-27% of protein. The ketogenic ratio is usually kept at 4:1. Other essential substances for body growth and physiological activities should also be added to the diet.
Duration of the keto meal plan
It is recommended that a healthy ketosis diet should be done for about 4 months, each period. As mentioned, this weight loss method leads the body to metabolize faster, to achieve the purpose of weight loss.
However, the daily routine of eating keto food cannot last forever. After 4 months, readjust the diet to avoid health issues. Exercise should also be properly combined to improve the effectiveness of weight loss.
Which foods are recommended in your ketogenic diet plan?
Animal protein
i. Seafood
Fish and shellfish are good choices for the keto meal plan for beginners. Salmon and other fish are not only virtually carb-free but also rich in vitamin B, potassium, and selenium.
ii. Meat and poultry
Fresh meat and poultry are carb-free and rich in vitamin B and several important minerals. They are also a great source of quality protein, which helps maintain muscle mass during very low-carb diets. However, if your design is a vegan keto meal plan, these should be completely avoided.
iii. Egg
Eggs contain a great amount of healthy protein, with less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and about 6 grams of protein per large egg, Eggs have also been shown to produce hormones that increase satiety.
Dairy products and by-products
i. Cheese
Most cheeses are low in carbohydrates and high in fat, making them ideal for your meal plan. Cheese also contains conjugated linoleic acid, associated with fat loss and improving body composition.
ii. Greek cheese and cottage cheese
Greek cheese and cottage cheese are healthy, high-protein foods that you can eat in a simple keto meal plan, although they contain carbohydrates. Whether it’s cheese or cottage cheese, both have been shown to help reduce appetite and boost satiety. You can eat them on your own or combine them with chopped nuts, cinnamon, or other spices to make an easy keto meal plan.
iii. Sugar-free plant milk
Several plant-based kinds of milk such as soy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk are good choices. Be sure to choose the sugar-free version to avoid sugar overloading. You should avoid oat milk as even unsweetened oat milk is too high in carbohydrates for those who are on a ketosis diet.
Fat and oils
i. Olive oil
As a pure fat source, olive oil contains no carbohydrates and can be used as a base for salads or mayonnaise instead of other oils.
ii. Beef tallow and Ghee
Both beef tallow and Ghee are good fats that can be added to your keto diet meal plan. Beef tallow contains only a small amount of carbohydrates, while ghee has no carbs at all!
4. Summary
Since you have an idea of what the benefits and risks are to start a keto diet, you will now be able to make a well-informed decision about it. Look forward to your change!