Keto diet isn’t for everyone. It is not healthy for those that have a gene called APOA2 or APOE3/4 or APOE 4/4! This gene does not allow processing of saturated fats well. It is recommended for those that are diabetic, have cancer or even neurological issues like Alzheimer’s.
I do recommend a healthier version of the Keto diet for those who are wanting to try Keto, which includes healthier fats, not just a slab of bacon and fatty low-quality steaks! This Keto plan would include lots of low carbohydrate veggies like dark green leafy greens, broccoli, cucumbers, celery, and cauliflower.
It’s simple to make some delicious recipes that adhere to the guidelines of this specific diet and include healthier fats. If you’re searching for ways to spruce up your meals, the following is a collection of eight recipes that will keep you in the keto game.
Keto Garlic Chicken
When you’re looking to make some garlic chicken, keep in mind that you should probably avoid chicken breasts, which are somewhat high in protein and come with low-fat content. Instead, consider making this recipe with either thighs or legs, which are decidedly higher in fat content. If you need the lower fat option, chicken breasts are the way to go.
About 1/2 skinless chicken breast (100 gms) and contains: 165 calories, 31 grams of protein and 3.6 grams of fat.
About 2 skinless chicken thighs (104 gms) and contains: 218 calories, 27 grams of protein, 0 carbs and 5.7 grams of fat.
The ingredients that are used for this recipe include:
- 1-2 ounces of grassfed butter
- A few shakes of salt and pepper
- 2 pounds of organic non-gmo free range chicken thighs or drumsticks
- The juice from a single lemon
- 3 tablespoons of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup chopped organic parsley or basil
- 8 sliced garlic cloves
To begin this recipe, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The chicken legs or drumsticks that you’re using should then be placed into a baking pan that’s been greased with butter. It’s at this point that you should generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. The olive oil and lemon juice should then be drizzled over each piece of chicken before you place the parsley and garlic on the chicken. Once you’ve finished this step, all that’s left is for you to bake the chicken and enjoy. Make sure that you bake the drumsticks for around 60 minutes or until browned. It’s possible that the baking time will take longer if the pieces of chicken are larger in size.
Pork Roast with Garlic and Rosemary
While many people believe pork to be somewhat bland, they can actually be very tasty if you use the right spices and the correct cooking method. For this recipe, the pork roast will be baked in the oven with a large cast-iron skillet. Prep time only takes around 10-15 minutes, which means that this is an easy recipe to make after returning home from a long day at work.
The ingredients that you’ll need for this recipe include:
- Pork Roast (about 3 pounds)
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon of EV olive oil
- 1 stick of grassfed butter, which equates to 1/2 cup
- 1 tablespoon of fresh organic rosemary
- grass fed ghee butter for searing at high heat
With all of the ingredients in hand, you need to preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Before doing anything else, season the pork roast on both sides with salt and pepper. In a small or medium bowl, you’ll want to mix together the garlic, rosemary, and butter before setting the mixture aside. Place a skillet on your stove so that you can heat the ghee at a medium-high heat. Once the ghee is well heated, add the roast, which you should sear for 4-5 minutes on each side to add some crust.. Once you’ve finished searing, brush the roast with the butter and garlic mixture. Place this skillet in the oven and cook for an additional 20 minutes per pound, about an hour. Serve the dish with some more garlic butter.
Broiled Salmon
When you’re in the mood for fish and want an easy-to-make recipe, broiled salmon is the thing for you.
The ingredients for boiled salmon include:
- 4 wild caught salmon fillets at 4 ounces apiece
- 1 tablespoon of mustard/seeds
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons of chopped thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons of rosemary
- Juice of a single lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon slices to serve
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper before heating your broiler. Use a small or medium bowl to mix together the garlic, mustard, rosemary, thyme, and lemon juice. An ample amount of salt and pepper should be placed in the mixture as well. Spread this mixture over every salmon fillet before broiling for around 7-10 minutes. Serve with some lemon slices for added flavor.
Keto Quesadillas
If you’re looking for a light yet sumptuous meal, you should think about making quesadillas with the following recipe.
This particular recipe is heavy on cheese and includes such ingredients as:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 3 cups of Gouda or Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups of cheddar cheese
- 1 green onion
- 4 cups shredded chicken
Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with high-quality parchment paper. Place a medium-sized skillet onto your stove at a medium-high heat. Add your olive oil to the skillet and heat before adding the yellow pepper, chili powder, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for around 5-7 minutes before transferring the mixture to a plate. It’s at this time that you should combine all of your cheeses in a medium bowl. Stir these cheeses together before adding 1.5 cups of the mixture into the very center of each baking sheet. This should be an even layer of cheese that’s shaped like a circle and sized like a tortilla.
Bake the cheese until slightly golden, which will take around 7-10 minutes. You should then add the chicken and onion-pepper mixture to one half of both cheese tortillas. Gently lift the other side with a spatula to place over the filling. Return the tortillas to the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Repeat this process until you have the desired number of tortillas. The green pepper should be used as a garnish once the tortillas are ready to plate.
Cheesy Butternut Squash
A healthy yet highly appetizing recipe on this list is cheesy butternut squash, which is perfectly suitable for the ketogenic diet as long as you eat small portion sizes.
The many ingredients that you need to gather for this recipe include:
- 2 pounds of butternut squash, which should be fully peeled and cut into one-inch pieces- no need for organic
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons of cold pressed EV olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 pound of chopped bacon
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup of grated Parmesan
Make sure that you preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large baking dish or skillet, toss the butternut squash with the garlic, thyme, and olive oil. Season the squash with substantial amounts of salt and pepper before spreading the bacon on top. You’ll want to bake the dish for around 20-30 minutes until the bacon has been cooked through and the squash is tender. At this point, you’ll want to remove the baking dish or skillet from the oven and place the Parmesan and mozzarella on top. Bake for an additional 7-10 minutes. Serve this dish warm.
Keto Avocados with Taco Filling
Avocados are among the best things you can eat when following the ketogenic diet, which is why you should think about making this recipe, which involves placing delicious taco filling into tasty avocados. The recipe takes around 10-15 minutes to make and will yield around 6-8 servings.
The primary ingredients that must be used within this recipe include:
- 4 fully ripe avocados
- The juice of a single lime
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon of EV olive oil
- 1 pound of grass fed ground beef
- Salt and pepper
- 1 packet of taco seasoning
- 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese
- 2/3 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup of halved grape tomatoes
Start this recipe by halving and pitting the avocados. Use a spoon to remove some of the avocado, which will leave you with a larger well for the ingredients. You should dice the removed avocado for later use. Spread the lime juice over the avocados so that they don’t brown. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for around 5-6 minutes. Add the taco seasoning and ground beef, which you should break up with some kind of wooden spoon. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Cook the beef until you can’t see any pink, which should take around 5 minutes. Remove so that you can drain the fat. Place the beef in each avocado first before adding some of the removed avocado on top. The cheese, tomato, and lettuce should be placed on top of the avocado, after which you can dig in.
Grilled Keto Chicken
If you’re in the mood for chicken breasts and haven’t had any carbohydrates for the day, you might want to consider making some grilled chicken breasts, which are relatively easy to make and come with a delectable marinade. For most of the ingredients listed below that are meant to be used for the marinade, you can alter the recipe to put in any other spice or herb that you would prefer.
The ingredients that you need for this recipe include:
- 2.5 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 gloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon of rosemary
- 2 teaspoons of thyme
- 4 large chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons of parsley as a garnish
To begin this recipe, you’ll want to create a marinade. Take a medium or large bowl and whisk together the dried herbs, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil, and garlic. A significant amount of salt and pepper should also be added to the marinade. Consider reserving 1/3 cup of this marinade for basting later on. Once you’ve combined these ingredients, place the chicken in the bowl and use a large spoon or your hands to coat each chicken breast with the marinade. You could also toss the chicken around in the bowl for the desired effect.
You should let the chicken marinate for anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours. When the chicken is finally ready, preheat your grill to a medium-high setting. Add the four chicken breasts to the grill and use the rest of the marinade that you’ve reserved to baste each piece. The chicken needs to be fully cooked through, which should take around 5-6 minutes for each side. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the grill and eat immediately.
Keto Pizza
While there are numerous different types of pizzas that you could make when following this diet, the recipe that’s recommended here has practically no carbs but uses some delicious ingredients. For the crust, you’ll need four eggs and six ounces of shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese. Swiss cheese can also be used in place of the recommended options.
As for the topping, the main ingredients that are called for in this recipe include:
- Four tablespoons of tomato sauce, unsweetened
- 5-6 ounces of shredded mozzarella or Gouda cheese
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 2 ounces of pepperoni
Before you start to make the crust, you’ll want to preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. To make the crust, simply combined the shredded cheese with the eggs. Stir until it has a smooth consistency. You should line the baking sheet that you’re going to use with parchment paper. Once you’ve combined the crust batter, spread it onto the baking sheet with a spatula. You can either make a couple of smaller pizzas or one large pizza depending on your preference.
Before adding the sauce and toppings, bake the crust for 15 minutes until it turns a light golden brown, after which you’ll want to let it cool for a couple of minutes before adding the toppings. Evenly spread the sauce over the crust before adding the oregano on top. You should then top the sauce with some cheese before adding the pepperoni. If you want a vegetarian option, consider using olives instead.