The ketogenic (keto) diet is a restrictive low-carb, high-fat diet which more and more people are choosing to be on as it helps lose weight and improves one’s health. There are several versions of it, but the most common is the standard keto diet which typically requires 70 percent fat, 20 percent protein and only 10 percent carbs.
The goal is to get into ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body becomes more efficient at burning fat, so it becomes your fuel instead of carbs. This can be done by drastically reducing your carb intake to limit the body’s supply of sugar, which is usually the main source of energy.
The most effective way to enter ketosis is to limit your carbs to just 20 grams per day, fill up on fats from meat, fish, eggs and healthy oils and go easy on the protein. If consumed in high amounts, protein can still be converted to glucose and this can slow down your progress. Aside from weight loss, the benefits of keto include improved insulin sensitivity and reductions in blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
While keto dieters get to enjoy tasty and filling treats, there will be times when the craving for carb-laden comfort food seems too much to bear. Thus, we’ve come up with this list of keto-friendly substitutes for your favorites:
Potato chips
Keto swaps: Baked cheese chips, zucchini chips, pork rinds
Why have vegetable chips when you can have pork rinds (chicharon), right? That’s just another advantage of being on keto.
Burger buns
Keto swaps: Cheese buns, avocado halves, egg buns
The classic cheeseburger can be a complete meal in itself, but since bread is off-limits, try making cheese buns with just cheese and eggs. Now you have the good stuff stuffed in between more good stuff!
Pasta
Keto swaps: Spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, shirataki noodles
Anything starchy should be avoided at all costs. The shirataki is a must-try as it mimics the texture of regular pasta and has only one net carb per serving.
Tortilla wraps
Keto swaps: Lettuce wraps, egg wraps, coconut or almond flour tortillas
Wheat-based products should be eliminated from your diet when on keto.
Mashed potatoes
Keto swaps: Mashed broccoli, mashed cauliflower, mashed turnip
When done right, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart, texture-wise. Another great thing about being on keto? You can have as much butter as you want as it’s carb-free. This is perfect for your mash plus garlic and buttermilk.