With a plethora of diet plans available around, Keto diet has made a name of itself for some reason. Thanks to its simplicity and efficiency, health bloggers and nutritionists alike have treated keto diet as the holy grail of all weight loss regimen. There are plenty of benefits that keto diet has in store for us starting from the most obvious one weight loss, down to lower blood sugar levels, and so on.
For students that want to lose weight, or for those who want to live healthy, then keto diet may be the next big thing that should be added in their daily routine. However, keto diet is not your “typical” weight-loss gimmick. So what exactly is keto diet?
Keto Diet Explained
- Keto is short for ketogenic. Keto diet is basically a low-carb diet where you have to eat lesser carbs than your usual consumption on a daily basis. However, this is not your typical low-carb diet. This diet is all about reaching the state of ketosis. Which is a state where your body burns fat instead of carbs for energy use.
- This has driven health specialists and fitness consultants nuts because who on earth would’ve thought that consuming lesser carbs is a thing? For decades, dietitians and doctors have suggested that you need to eat as much carbs as you can to fuel your body. Whereas in Keto diet, it’s quite the opposite. Reaching the ketosis state is not a walk in the park. It takes practice, patience, and most of all, discipline.
Grocery Tips
- Now that you know what keto diet is, it’s time to give some tips on how to achieve it in a student-friendly way. There are plenty of keto-friendly foods that are available around in the grocery store. Don’t forget to check its nutrition facts first before putting it in your shopping cart. Assorted nuts is an example, cheese is also an excellent choice as well.
- People that are on a keto diet always had cheese present on their plate. However, researchers are still doing further research of the matter if it is really beneficial or not. If you take a look at the internet for keto recipes, you will find cheese as a primary ingredient which is not surprising after all.
- Keto diet also involves eating less fruits. Yes, you heard that right, less fruits. This is because most fruits contain sugar. Some keto-friendly fruits include coconut, lime, avocados, lemon, and any types of berries. Say goodbye to your favorite apples and bananas. Along with papayas, pineapples, and watermelons, these fruits are packed with sugar which is something that we need to avoid to get into the state of ketosis.
- Pro-keto people have gone to the extreme by only eating grass-fed meat to reach the state of ketosis much faster. This is essential for those who wants to lose weight as well. The only downside of grass-fed meat is they come at a price that can put a dent on your wallet.
Keto-Friendly Recipe Tips
- For those college students that aren’t fond of cooking, then you should know that keto diet requires little to less cooking. The cheapest way to get a keto breakfast is to prepare bacon and eggs with an avocado on the side, which is a pretty basic thing that you can do in minutes.
- You can cook eggs the way you like them. Be it scrambled or sunny-side up, whatever comes into your mind. Egg yolk is rich in fats while egg whites is an excellent source of protein. That’s why you should never forget including eggs to your keto-friendly breakfast.
- For lunch and dinner, buy an oven-baked chicken, vegetables paired with hamburgers or a pizza with a cauliflower crust. These cauliflower-crust pizzas are mostly found in WalMart, Trader Joe’s, or Aldi’s. Want some dessert? Hop onto your seat and do a quick Google search for keto-friendly sweets to satisfy your cravings. There are plenty of keto recipes that uses less sugar and carbs. Purchase sugar alternatives instead such as coconut flour, Truvia, or almonds that you can use on making keto-friendly desserts.
Buying Keto-Friendly Meals at Restaurants
- Late night snacks with friends is a thing in college. However, instead of going to keto-friendly diners, you will probably be taken to the nearest fast food chain to munch on greasy meals. The aroma of those fries paired with onion-grilled burgers will surely put your keto diet plan into a halt. But don’t be tempted just yet! Stay strong and it will be worth the effort.
- Dining keto is as easy as eating burgers minus the buns. Burger King for example, let’s you choose your own burger ingredients. This lets you order a bun-less burger, or ask them to use a lettuce wrap that substitutes as a bun. Sounds weird, but there’s nothing wrong with being in control of yourself, right?
- Before heading into nearby restaurants or fast-food chains, doing your research first is a must. This lets you see which of them has a keto-friendly menu to avoid being tempted. A little discipline can go a long way, and your body will thank you later.