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.
Nowadays, when it comes to dietary weight loss methods, the keto meal plan is a topic that cannot be avoided. As we all know, the keto meal usually means a diet very low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and high in fat. It not only helps us treat epilepsy but also plays an important role in losing weight, maintaining brain health, and modifying athletic performance. Even if you haven’t heard about the keto meal plan or have no experience with it, don’t worry, design a suitable keto diet menu for beginners is not a big deal. For anyone who doesn’t familiar with the keto diet meal plan, this article aims at helping you get a better understanding of that and assist you to design your simple keto meal plan.
1. Benefits and risks of a keto diet you should know
After understanding the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet for weight loss plan, you also need to have a thorough understanding of its pros and cons before you start your first step to designing your easy keto meal plan so that you will not get into the wrong place.
1) Benefits of a keto meal plan
i. Loss weight
The difference between the ketogenic diet and other diets is that this diet is faster and more obvious in losing weight. By following an easy keto meal, you can lose weight as well as eat healthily.
ii. Reduce appetite
For people who start a keto diet meal plan, their appetite may be suppressed. That is mainly because vegetables in the daily ketogenic diet contain dietary fiber, which increases the body’s sense of satiety. Meat, milk, and beans which are high in protein can also play their roles in delaying satiety.
iii. Maintain complete muscle mass
The weight lost during a period of keto meal plan is fat. Thanks to the protein content of this diet, muscle mass will remain intact.
iv. Increase healthy fat sources
Ketosis diets are effective in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.
2) Risks of a keto meal plan
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, and once the ketone level in the blood is too high, it will lead to ketoacidosis, which will cause nausea, vomiting, a strong taste of rotten apple in the mouth, and lead to dizziness, headache, drowsiness, dehydration, and other symptoms. In serious cases, it will also cause coma and cerebral hypoxia and ischemia, etc.
iii. Other disadvantages
A keto meal plan with much fat and protein may also lead to a reduction in fiber, which can cause digestive problems and constipation over time. In some cases, an unsuitable keto diet may also affect people’s memory and concentration.
2. What should you know more about the keto meal plan?
1) Proportion of intake of various nutrients
Under normal circumstances, in the standard keto meal plan, the proportion of nutrient intake is 70%-75% of fat, 3%-5% of carbohydrates, and 20%-27% of protein. Usually, the ketogenic ratio is kept at 4:1, and other essential substances for body growth and physiological activities should be added.
2) Duration of keto meal plan
It is recommended that a healthy ketosis diet weight loss for about 4 months for a period. As we mentioned, this weight loss method can let the body fat into heat metabolism, so as to achieve the purpose of weight loss. However, the daily routine of eating keto food cannot last forever, in about 4 months, it should be appropriate to adjust to avoid health effects. During the period of losing weight on the thoughtful keto plan, exercise can be properly combined, which can increase calorie consumption and improve the effectiveness of weight loss.
3. Which foods are recommended in your ketogenic diet plan?
1) Animal protein
i. Seafood
Fish and shellfish are good choices for the keto diet menu 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, so eggs are ideal for the plan and have also been shown to produce hormones that increase satiety.
2) 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, which is associated with fat loss and improved body composition.
ii. Greek cheese and cottage cheese
Greek cheese and cottage cheese are healthy, high-protein foods that you can eat with 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 also avoid oat milk as even unsweetened oat milk is too high in carbohydrates for those who are on a ketosis diet.
3) 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 add to your keto diet menu. Beef tallow contains only a small amount of carbohydrates, while ghee has no carbs at all!
4. Summary
You may have a better understanding of the ketogenic diet, so take the first step to make a ketogenic plan. Look forward to your change!