Whether you want to shed a few pounds or do your body a favor by limiting your carb intake and making wiser choices, keto diet is one of the best lifestyle options out there for your health and happiness. It is indeed a lifestyle rather than just another diet trend, and many holistic health professionals actually prescribe it to their patients to keep numerous health conditions at bay. What’s more, it’s pretty easy to understand and follow, with only a few basic rules! So even if you’re a hopeless foodie who just can’t give up on his/her big breakfasts, family dinners or Sunday barbecues, you don’t have to battle with guilt or give up on your weight loss plan!
A Carnivore’s Heaven
Even those who are not completely familiar with the principles of the ketogenic diet might have come across some delicious-looking Instagram posts and wondered how in the world these dishes are allowed in any kind of “diet.” You can do some research online about keto diet for beginners to get a better understanding of the science behind it; but in essence, it severely restricts carbohydrates, while completely allowing for ‘good’ fats and proteins. If you decide to give this globally successful health plan a try, you can give your skim milk and low-fat cheese away, and get ready to fry some chicken!
When it’s time to get friends and family together in the backyard, keto is no obstacle either. You can throw some juicy steaks on the grill and enjoy it with a side of salad or green veggies; and make yourself burger substitutes with homemade keto-friendly buns, or simply lettuce! Same goes for hot dogs; you can choose your hot dogs from a high-quality, trustworthy brand and prepare your buns ahead of time using many different flour substitutes (coconut flour, almond flour, whey protein isolate can all work.) If you’re worried about the sugar content of your favorite BBQ sauce, on the other hand, there’s also hundreds of homemade keto-friendly recipes for a wide range of sauces, condiments and basically everything edible you can think of!
Plant-Based Alternatives
We naturally associate barbecues with all sorts of meats and animal products, but you don’t necessarily have to be a complete carnivore to enjoy a good barbecue. While it’s true that following a keto diet can be rather challenging for vegans, it’s not impossible. Vegans can also reach ketosis, the metabolic state on which the ketogenic diet is based, by relying on high-fat plant-based products like coconut oil, avocados, seeds and nuts. If you’re not a vegan, but would still prefer not to go for the meat products during your next barbecue, you can easily blend in by filling your plate with coleslaw, eggplant salad, low-carb onion rings, zucchini fries, grilled veggies and green salads.
Cookout without the Guilt
Yes, we do care about weight loss and physical health, but we also need our fun times and peace of mind! Luckily, these two faces of overall wellbeing don’t have to go separately. You can stick with your keto diet plan while participating in many different kinds of outings, events and gatherings—and a barbecue party probably ranks high on that list. So don’t despair if you’re craving some smoky ribs or tender pork—take that grill out this weekend and enjoy!