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How Do You Know If You’re In Ketosis?

Results of a meta-analysis in 2013 which reviewed the results of several randomised controlled trials suggest that people who follow a ketogenic diet lose weight more in the long run than people who follow a low-fat diet.

If you eat a ketogenic diet rich in fat, protein and low in digestible carbohydrates you reach a state of ketosis. If you stick to the diet, you will get ketosis at the end of each week, and your body fat will slowly but steadily decrease. As your body is used to ketosis and turns fat into ketones for fuel, you can experience more body fat loss over time.

Ketogen The keto diet aims to trigger ketosis to burn fat. A ketogenic diet allows the body to switch fuel sources and burn sugar (glucose) instead of fat (ketones). If you have ketosis, your body uses the most efficient energy sources (sugar, fat and ketones).

One of the things that separates the ketogenic diet from other diets is the fact that one of its primary objectives is to put you in ketosis and maintain ketonometric levels for as long as you are on the diet. In many ways, your keto diet is the perfect weight loss recipe as it focuses on satiating whole foods such as meat, fish, cheese and low-carb vegetables to stimulate the body to use fuel sources such as ketones and efficient sugars. The keto diet is a plan that aims to get you to ketosis by shifting your macro-balance from fatty to low protein and low carbohydrate.

In the state of ketosis, your body breaks down fat to produce ketones. In ketogenic diets, the body undergoes many biological adjustments, including a reduction in insulin levels and an increase in fat loss. If you are healthy and eat a balanced diet, your body has control over how much fat burns, so that you don’t need to use ketones to get there.

Now that we have talked about how to measure blood ketones, let’s talk about the telltale signs that your body is in ketosis. If you have started or were on ketosis for a while, there are a number of ways our body tells us that we have ketosis. This is a sign that your body has made the transition from supplying energy with glucose (carbohydrates / sugars) to using ketones (fat) and fat stores as fuel.

The most reliable and accurate method of measuring ketosis is the measurement of blood ketone levels with a special measuring instrument. According to experts in ketogenic nutrition, nutritional ketosis can be defined as blood ketones in the range of 0.5 to 3.0 mmol / L. If a person has ketosis, their blood ketone level should be between 0.0 and 3 millimoles per liter.

If you follow the keto diet and are interested in how it gets your body into ketosis, you will get there. Ketosis sounds like a medical term for bad breath, but it is actually what keto and the ketogenic diet stand for. It is defined as a natural metabolic process that consists of the production of energy by breaking down fat and ketones in the body.

When you start a keto lifestyle, start with a low-carbohydrate, low-protein, high-fat diet. The goal is for your body to remain in nutritional ketosis by burning fat as a source of energy and fuel instead of carbohydrates, especially carbohydrates.

Achieving a nutritional ketosis with a keto diet including a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet can take about a week if you eat the right amount of daily macros, which include many healthy fats (including olive oil and dairy products) and moderate protein intake. When ketosis reaches a blood ketone level of 0.5 mmol / l, people develop ketosis if they restrict carbohydrates, eat ketogenically, consume very few calories, fast for several days or limit calories.

Asymptoms of keto flu does not mean that you have ketosis – it is just a means for the body to re-prioritize how it converts food into energy. This is a great tool to start with, as the phases of starting a keto diet can cause them to fade as the body adapts to filling up with fat. This happens when the body starts using fat as fuel, causing celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens to rave about the diet.

When you start keto for the first time, your body is not accustomed to such a high-fat diet and you may notice digestive problems such as diarrhoea or constipation. Weakness and fatigue can cause some people to stop eating ketosis before reaching full ketosis and reaping the many long-term benefits. Some people need a little less sleep than before the diet, which is a great sign that you suffer from ketosis.

Understanding and recognizing the signs of ketosis or ketosis is the key to losing weight with the keto diet as much as possible. The guidelines people follow to formulate a ketogenic diet are not always known, especially if they follow a diet that is already in or near ketosis. If for some reason you are on a diet and trying to lose weight, you may find that you lose weight so quickly that it is not worth checking if you actually suffer from ketosis or not.

It should be taken for granted, but I would like to emphasize that the body can cause kidney damage with a low-carb diet, so do not try to achieve ketosis with a ketogenic diet.

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Keto Vegetables To Avoid

Some fruits and vegetables are safe to eat and some are a bit trickier, so I’ve compiled a list of the best keto vegetables for low-carb diets and how to get started. re new to ketos (low-carb diet), it is obvious which foods you need to avoid or restrict, but others can be a little more difficult. [Sources: 4] 

One thing that those of us who try to live this lifestyle do not often consider is the avoidance of certain fruits and vegetables, such as fruits, vegetables and nuts. [Sources: 4] 

It can be difficult to reconcile these foods with other keto foods that you normally eat, especially if they are high in fat and protein. As a general guideline, try to eat at least 1 – 2 portions of the following foods per meal. Take as much as you can as long as the net carbohydrates are not too high, but not too low. [Sources: 1] 

You can also try to incorporate this information into your keto calculator to personalize your macronutrient recommendations and use them as a general goal for each meal. [Sources: 1] 

In general, you will be able to incorporate all the foods you eat into your keto diet as long as they meet your macronutrient requirements. Some foods may not be keto-friendly in the sense that they do not fit into a ketos diet because they meet the requirements of a normal diet of “eating in moderation” or “not overeating.” This is because some foods, such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts and legumes, do not need to contain high amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates or sugar. [Sources: 1] 

For a keto diet, you need to know how many net carbohydrates it contains. However, the net carb content is not the only factor you should consider when choosing ketos foods. There are plenty of keto- friendly vegetables, but some things, such as spinach, make for a blast because they provide you with the most nutrients with the fewest carbohydrates. [Sources: 0, 1] 

In general, leafy vegetables are good for you, and vegetables contain less carbohydrates than colorful vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, onions, celery, beans, etc. [Sources: 0] 

This does not mean that you should avoid tomatoes and peppers, but these vegetables are important to incorporate into your meals, just as you would if you were to eat bacon every day. Fortunately, there are keto – friendly vegetables that are low in carbohydrates and won’t knock you out of ketosis by using fat as fuel. This includes making sure you eat enough plant-based foods, so try to push your fat intake to its limits. Amounts of carbohydrates do not mean that you should not still focus on a balanced diet, and I have added that I aim to stay below 20 net carbohydrates per day, but I am still a bit more conservative. [Sources: 0, 5] 

Fruits you can eat on the keto diet are the same as on a low-carbohydrate diet, and most guidelines recommend between 20 and 50 grams per day. For more information on estimating your ketos diet carbohydrate content, use the Keto Calculator. A person on a ketonaut diet needs 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrates per week to consume all of their carbohydrates. [Sources: 4, 5] 

You just need to make sure you don’t exceed your daily carbohydrate intake and eat enough fat to develop ketosis, or you’ll forget about it. [Sources: 4] 

Although bananas and oranges top the list of the best low-carb fruits, they don’t make it to my list because they eat the most on the keto diet. Although I know that you have to eat in moderation, knowing what foods to eat can be confusing, especially if you eat a low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet, such as a ketogenic or low-carbohydrate diet, or even a high-fat diet such as a vegan and a low-carb vegetarian diet. [Sources: 3, 4] 

The Keto Diet contains a list of foods that you should avoid and some foods that you can eat but should avoid. Here are some of the low-carbohydrate foods you should eat when you eat ketogenic, and here are the foods you should eat or avoid, as well as some foods that are high in fat, such as nuts, seeds, nuts, and seeds, if you stick to the ketone diet. [Sources: 2, 3] 

These foods must be avoided because they do not contribute to a good diet and may even prove to be unhealthy. By avoiding certain foods in your diet, keep your carbohydrate intake at the recommended limit so that you get a healthy amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat, as well as healthy fats and vitamins. [Sources: 2] 

Starting a keto diet doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to fruit forever, but make sure you stick to the foods you avoid on the ketos diet. You will reap the benefits of ketosis and the keto diet over time, and you will also benefit from the fruits and vegetables in your diet. [Sources: 2, 6] 

Sources:

[0]: https://surviveketo.com/best-worst-vegetables-keto-diet/
[1]: https://www.ruled.me/foods-to-avoid-on-a-ketogenic-diet-what-is-keto-friendly/
[2]: https://blog.magickitchen.com/2019/09/05/9-foods-to-avoid-on-a-keto-diet/
[3]: http://www.eatingwell.com/article/291245/complete-keto-diet-food-list-what-you-can-and-cannot-eat-if-youre-on-a-ketogenic-diet/
[4]: https://twosleevers.com/low-carb-fruits-vegetables/
[5]: https://highkey.com/blogs/keto101/keto-friendly-veggies
[6]: https://keyeats.com/keto-diet/food-list/

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Does Keto Give You The Night Sweats?

Before beginning a ketogenic diet, you may experience a slight drop in blood sugar levels at night as your body gets thicker and adapts. Certain medications for type 2 diabetes stimulate insulin production, which can lead to lower blood sugar levels on a low-carbohydrate diet such as keto. A few days to a few weeks on the diet can consume a larger amount of carbohydrates than before the keto diet and those who do so may have a tendency to develop a condition called transient hypoglycemia which leads to a drastic drop in blood glucose levels.

Weight loss is slow with a low-carb diet, so that you can experience some nights of keto nights sweats. Night sweats are associated with problems such as insomnia, low blood sugar, dehydration, a weakened immune system and sugar withdrawal – which are likely reactions that your body goes through as it transitions into a state of ketosis. While a low-carb diet can cause night sweats, the product of keto flu can come from a few other keto-related problems.

In this article, I will discuss the various causes of night sweats, how the ketogenic diet can play a role in various symptoms you experience due to keto and how to mitigate your night sweats problems. There are many things that can cause night sweats and the reasons why the keto diet can cause night sweats, including night-time hypoglycemia (falling blood sugar during sleep), dehydration and sugar withdrawal from certain medications. In most cases, keto night sweats are a temporary problem that improves when you are on a diet for several weeks.

Keto night sweats are a common occurrence for people who eat ketogenic diets and there are a few good reasons to get them. Although night sweats have not been reported as a symptom of a low-carb diet, there is anecdotal evidence that some people sweat more at night during a ketogenic diet.

The idea is to allow the body to adapt to sudden dietary changes and to fall into ketosis So experts suggest that you control the sweat on keto diet in such a way that you do not feel drenched during sleep. Speaking of the body that sweats during intense physical activity: extreme sweating can occur during moderate physical activity during the diet. With a super-low-carb diet with a high fat content, sweating at night can be a little more intense even with simple exercises.

Dehydration and night sweats In a ketone diet, it is important to pay attention to water intake as the body releases a lot of water and vital vitamins and nutrients when we reduce carbohydrates. Especially for women in the menopause, the water intake of a keto diet is important, as most women lose an increased amount of water through night sweats. The next best thing to do is make sure you stay hydrated and get adequate amounts of electrolytes. This is the next best thing to reduce keto night sweats.

Water weight is common in the keto diet because carbohydrates bind to water : The less carbohydrates there are in the diet the less water the body can absorb, which means that more water goes into the sweat. In a low-carbohydrate, high-fat keto diet the body is in a state of ketosis which drains stored fluids in the form of sweat and urine like a bullet train. In this way, the ketogenic diet can lead to excessive sweat and increased ketone production in the blood.

Cold water lowers the core temperature of the human body, and as a result, ketogenic food sweats very little in sleep. The Keto diet involves sweating to eliminate excess water that is stored in the body as additional carbohydrates.

Night sweats can occur during the first few days on keto diet but most symptoms subside after 3-4 days and the body reacts normally. Symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, headache, irritability, muscle spasms, drowsiness and nausea vary from person to person and begin to improve as the body adapts to diets.

Ketoflu (also called influenza) is another symptom that occurs when people enter a state of ketosis, similar to traditional flu virus, which includes fatigue, nausea, chills and excessive sweating during the night. In addition to increased concentration and energy, some people report brain fog, fatigue and nausea after a low-carb diet. While you may see some benefits, you may also experience some low-carb side effects of your diet as your body adapts to the changes in diet, including drowsiness and night sweats.

The metabolic state of ketosis is a fantasy word for burning fat instead of carbohydrates and it is the secret weapon for weight loss in the keto diet. If you have already taken a keto diet, you know that the ketogenic diet is high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates, which means that you burn fatty acids instead of glucose which comes from sugar and other carbohydrates for energy. Unlike a zero-carbohydrate diet, ketosis has many health benefits, and eliminating carbohydrates is not necessary to achieve ketosis, and is not necessary to lose body fat in an acetogenic diet.

It may be because the ketogenic diet pushes the human body into another phase, ketosis, which works in different patterns than many other changes, but random sweating on the keto diet has been questioned. Studies have shown that flaxseed can curb hot flushes in the body and reduce night sweats on this diet.

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Can You Drink Beer Or Wine On The Keto Diet?

In this article, we will examine how alcohol affects your ketogenic diet, which drinks you can add to your keto-approved list of alcohol and which ones you should avoid. We will also look at which drinks to avoid due to their high sugar and carbohydrate content. Read on to learn more about alcohol and keto diets, how it affects ketosis, whether it slows fat burning and weight loss and the best and worst beverages for diet.

Read on to discover what type of alcohol is best, how many carbohydrates differ when you consume alcohol, and how to fit into a low-carb diet, ketogenic diet or diabetes.

When it comes to keto mixed drinks, you should opt for a low-carb blender that also contains low carbohydrates. If you consume alcohol on the keto diet, you will also want to make sure you stick to low-carb drinks. However, if you are worried about carbohydrates, you can still drink alcohol while on a low-carb diet.

If you consume more and more alcohol, especially wine, you can get into trouble because your body is no longer in a state of ketosis, where it will burn carbohydrates to produce energy and fat. Eating lots of carbohydrates can slow down alcohol intake on keto, so you don’t have that option.

While it is recommended that you abstain from alcohol when on the keto-diet, a glass of wine will not stifle your progress and make it a problem. A glass of something strong will not throw your body out of ketosis, but alcohol while following the diet can impact your progress.

They can minimize the disadvantages of drinking alcoholic beverages in ketogenic diets. Once you have ketosis, alcohol has no additional negative side effects and will throw you out faster than a sugary, carbohydrate-rich drink with blenders and additives. If you want to avoid a low-carbohydrate diet, you have many ways to drink keto alcohol.

Some alcoholic drinks are carbohydrate bombs, others keto-friendly. Alcohol is not an approved component of the keto diet, but you can consume certain types that do not occur during ketosis.

Share on Pinterest A low-carb alcoholic beverage may be best suited to a person who follows the keto diet. Choosing an alcoholic drink with less carbohydrates can help a person stay within the daily limits of diet.

Alcoholic beverages contain many hidden carbohydrates and sugars, which can make it difficult to stick to the keto diet. Alcoholic beverages go perfectly with a healthy diet, especially when garnished with a mixture of drinks that contain enormous amounts of sugar. Many alcoholic drinks contain a lot of sugar, but there are some great keto alternatives that contain little sugar or carbohydrates.

Those who eat ketogenic or low-carbohydrate diets should not be blamed. Wine is a low-carb option if you want to stick to keto and drink 2g of carbohydrates in a small glass. If you drink low-carbohydrate or low-alcohol wine, you can drink an extra glass without blowing up your carbohydrate count or alcohol level.

If you want to indulge in alcoholic beverages while sticking to the keto diet, opt for low-carbohydrate drinks and avoid excessive cocktails. Depending on your keto meal plan and your overall carbohydrate intake, you can consume alcoholic beverages on the diet in moderation. With a limited amount of carbohydrates (20-50 grams (g) of net carbohydrates per day is not much) and alcohol is known to contain carbohydrates, you might think that ketogenic diets are not the way to drink.

If a person eats a meal that contains a lot of carbohydrates before drinking, this can reduce the effects of alcohol. Some people report that alcohol on the keto diet can cause them to feel intoxicated, which can increase the severity of hangover symptoms. On the other hand, those who follow the diet may feel less drunk because they do not consume carbohydrates that are absorbed by alcohol.

It is possible to drink alcohol while eating a ketogenic diet, but it is important to understand how alcohol and diet interact and affect your body. When you talk about drinking on a keto diet, you should consider the processes that take place in your body during the metabolism of alcohol and how they can disrupt your body in ketosis. Unmixed alcoholic drinks contain few carbs, so your body processes alcohol in a way that inhibits the breakdown of fat acids and ketosis.

Keto diet can change the effects of alcohol on your body if you have a glass of red wine after work with two friends or a beer on the weekend after 18 holes of golf. People who start on ketogenic diets should avoid alcohol as their body adapts to ketosis.

Cider, produced by the fermentation process of fruit juice, contains added sugar and juice, making it an unsuitable option for drinking alcohol on keto. Even if you consume low-carb alcohol to stay in ketosis, the ethyl is burned because of the body’s preference for other nutrients.

If you want to drink a glass of wine during the Keto diet, it is recommended to stick as much as possible to dry wine and limit the amount you drink. The only way to drink wine on the diet without affecting progress is to choose low-carbohydrate wines without added sugar.

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Ranking the Best Keto Diet Plans

Whether you’ve been a long time keto-worshipper or just testing out the keto diet or any of its variants, you might have experienced that it’s not always easy. 

You need enough inspiration to keep going past the initial phase. Some people are happy with eating the same meals over and over, but for those who like some variety in their food, a keto diet meal plan is the perfect tool to stick to the ketogenic lifestyle.

To help you pick the right one for you, we’ve listed the most popular and widely used Keto Diet Plans and given them a ranking. Keep in mind that in the end, this choice is personal, so read on to find the one that works best for your taste!

Our #1 Pick: Custom Keto Diet

Our #1 Pick: Custom Keto Diet

Highly personalized & Tasty – this plan has it all!

Custom Keto Diet is an online meal plan that takes into account your food preferences, daily activity levels, height, weight and target weight goals. Not only will you receive a custom meal plan based on this information, you’ll also get access to shopping lists, recipes, macro nutrient information, and more.

Price: Use our link for a $1 Trial

Safely purchase the Custom Keto Diet here.

Runner-up: Healthful Pursuit Keto Meal Plans

Runner-up: Healthful Pursuit Keto Meal Plans

More than a meal plan

The Healthful Pursuit is the perfect starting point for anyone trying out the Keto lifestyle. It’s founder Leanne is a nutrition educator and host of The Keto Diet podcast. She uses her knowledge to take the stress and guesswork out of eating low-carb diets for her clients. Plus, you’ll gain access to her exclusive Facebook Group Community.

Price: A yearly plan costs $8/month

Safely purchase the Healthful Pursuit Meal Plans here:

https://shop.healthfulpursuit.com/product/balanced-keto-weekly-meal-plans/

Budget Pick: Kickstart Keto Diet

Budget Pick: Kickstart Keto Diet

When you need some emotional support, this one’s for you

The Kickstart Keto Diet was created by Anni Sirvio, who will coach you throughout your Keto journey with the help of Freddie, a certified personal trainer. The Kickstart Keto Diet is a membership platform that not only provides you with a proper meal plan, but serves as a support system for those times when you need a boost.

Price: Lifetime access for $37

Safely purchase the Kickstart Keto Diet Plan here:

https://www.kickstartketodiet.com/keto-affiliates

For Women: Ketogenic Girl

For Women: Ketogenic Girl

A 28-day challenge with countless happy reviews

Besides the meal plans, Ketogenic Girl offers a Challenge which motivates you to reach your goals and provides you with coaching. Started in 2015, Ketogenic Girl Vanessa Spina has built a social media audience of over half a million people. Using #KetogenicGirlChallenge allows you to win prizes during the challenge!

Price: the 28-day Accelerated Ketogenic Girl Challenge costs $159

Safely purchase the Ketogenic Girl plans here:

https://www.ketogenicgirl.com/

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Cheat Day: your Keto Fast Food Guide

McDonald's fries are off the menu when looking for a keto fast food breakfast!

If you’re following the keto diet and you’re looking to go out for some fast food or to a drive-through but you don’t really know what your options are or what you should look out for when ordering keto fast food, you’ve come to the right place. 

Obviously as a follower of the ketodiet you know it’s not always easy to find something keto friendly when eating out. Or if you’re just a beginner, you will soon find out. 

When it comes to keto fast food, it is actually even more difficult, as fast food is very high in carbs and/or high in sugar. This means it’s something you should generally avoid. However, some fast food is keto friendly, even if it means you have to make some just adjustments to the meal. 

Still, if you would go to a fast food restaurant looking for a keto meal and you’re not prepared, you might end up ordering something wrong or not ordering at all. Either way that’s not really a fun experience so in this article, we’ll try to help you plan out your next visit to the fast food joint, while complying to the basic rules of the ketogenic diet. 

Let’s take a look at the things you have to pay attention to when going out for a keto fast food meal. 

#1 Bunless Burgers

So first of all: burgers! When you think of fast food, a lot of people instantly think of burgers. And here’s our first problem, because a staple ingredient of a burger is the bun, and the bun is bread… which makes it not really keto friendly as it’s high in carbs. 

First rule: ditch any bun or sandwich or kind of bread. 

#2 Fried is bad

Secondly, avoid anything fried. This could, of course, mean KFC fried chicken, but don’t forget mozzarella sticks or any kind of fried fish (for example in a fish and chips meal). The breading and frying process adds a ton of carbs with which should be avoided. In the case of fried chicken, a good alternative could be grilled chicken, which they also offer at KFC and some other fast food restaurants.

Second rule: Nothing fried. Grilled can be an alternative. 

#3 Stupid Sides

Next, we have sides. Lots of fast food joints offer potato-based sides like French fries, tater tots, chips, etc.. Which contain a very high carb content and should definitely not be eaten while following the keto diet. This also applies to other popular sides like corn, rice, fried onion rings and stuff like that. Avoid at all costs. Except for a side salad, even though you still have to be wary of the dressing, as we’ll see in the next paragraph.

Third rule: Avoid (most) sides.

#4 Dangerous Dressings

Next up is dressings and sauces. To start off, not all sauces, dressings or condiments are evil, but quite a lot of them – especially at a fast food restaurant – have a very high sugar content. This means they are high in carbs as well. A very famous example of this is ketchup. Some people think ketchup is actually quite healthy, while it’s very high in carbs, and should therefore be avoided on a keto diet.

Fourth rule: Pay attention to the sauce. If it’s sweet, avoid it.

#5 Desserts

Last but not least, desserts! As you can see in this article, finding a keto proof dessert at a fast food restaurant is almost mission impossible. There are some options though, if you’re willing to eat a slight amount of carbs. In general, you should not really hope to find a keto fast food dessert. Your options are extremely limited, as both sweets/cookies and any kind of fruit is going to have a lot of carbs in it.

Fifth rule: Desserts are no-go

Conclusion

These rules list out pretty much what you should avoid when looking for some keto fast food. Still, that doesn’t mean you there’s nothing you can eat. As you apply these rules, you’ll see that there’s actually quite a lot of options left, like Bunless Burger or some kind of burrito bowl with some low carb ingredients.

Bon appetit!

Keto Fast Food Cheat Sheet

If you’re looking for a quick reference to see your options at a glance, you can download our printable Fast Food Cheat Sheet here!

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Vegan Keto Fast Food – Mission Impossible?

A balanced Keto Fast Food Breakfast

Maybe you’re a vegan that wants to try out the Keto Diet, or maybe you’re on the keto diet and you want to go Vegan. Either way, both diets are quite different but they also both contribute to a lot of health benefits. So good on you for living in both the vegan and the keto lifestyle! 

On the other hand, you are probably  here because you were looking for fast food. Just like the rest of us, you definitely sometimes just have that fast food itch. 

Let’s take a look at the possibilities when you’re looking for some vegan keto friendly fast food. 

Overlap between vegan and keto

So first of all, let’s talk about the overlap between vegan and keto – or rather the lack thereof.

Vegan, by definition, is a diet that avoids any kind of animal products or ingredients that come from animals. While the ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carb diet that basically avoids anything that is high in carbs (and therefore also avoids a lot of sugar).

So at their core these diets don’t really overlap at all. This actually makes it harder to find foods that are compliant, so to speak, for both of these diets, especially when we’re talking about fast food, as you will see later in this article. 

Protein is important

One thing that should be noted is the importance of protein. As vegans avoid any kind of animal based products, they should make sure that they have another source of protein to turn to, to make sure they get at least the minimum recommended amount of protein for a healthy balance in their diet. There’s a lot of options to achieve this, there’s a lot of vegan protein sources. So while it should not pose a problem, it should be kept in mind. 

Keto, on the other hand, is a diet that does not really focus on protein too much. It’s more of a moderate protein approach. But if you have to choose between carbs and protein, it’s always going to be protein. 

General rules for fast food restaurants

If you’re looking for a keto meal at a fast food restaurant that is also vegan, we’ll have to keep in mind the basic rules. So starting with keto, that means no carbs in the form of no buts, no fries or any other potato dish nor rice. Pay attention to avoiding most sauces as well, because some sauces, condiments and dressings contain quite a lot of sugar. Like ketchup, for example, which also means they are high in carbs and should be avoided when following the keto diet. 

Besides all these things, as a vegan, you’ll also want to avoid any kind of meats, egg based ingredients, chicken and cheese. This means that on your average fast food burger, you’re left with… the pickles. Quite a bummer, as this can barely be called “fast food”, right?

That being said, there are still some options, for example in the form of salads. But again, you’ll have to stick to salads that do not contain any kind of meat, fish or chicken, while also making sure that they don’t contain any kind of fruit because a lot of fruits are actually high in carbs and therefore not keto friendly. 

So you’re really going to be focusing on greens and lettuce. Also, again, be wary of any possible salad dressings that are high in sugar because they’re not to a friendly. 

At places like Chipotle and Taco Bell, they have a bowl option, which you can use to your advantage by customizing the bowl and basing it around lettuce and some fajita veggies, some green salsa, some guacamole. However, obviously, any rice or beans should be excluded to make it to keto approved. The same goes for cheese and things like sour cream, as they are not vegan-friendly.

Still, this meal still has quite the fast food feel to it and it’s a good option for both keto and vegan diets. 

The verdict: Mission Impossible?

Besides this very short list of options, there isn’t really all that much that you can eat when looking for a vegan keto fast food meal. It’s not completely impossible, but it’s quite rare. 

If you’re truly looking to stick to your vegan keto lifestyle, it might be the best idea to just whip up something yourself or go to another restaurant that isn’t based solely around fast food. Still, if your friends are heading out to a fast food restaurant, you’ll be able to order something if you’re applying the basic rules of vegan and keto, but your options will be fairly limited. Keep that in mind. 

Vegetarian Keto Fast Food

If you’re not strictly vegan but more of a vegetarian, your options to find some keto fast food quickly multiply. This means that you can actually include egg based stuff and cheese or sour cream, and that basically opens up a lot more options.

For example, you could bake a keto-friendly pizza at home.

Besides that, there’s also a lot of fast food places that have specific veggie options. So if you order one of these veggie dishes and then apply the rules of keto by removing the bun or the fries, you would have a perfectly fine vegetarian keto fast food meal. Obviously, if you’re looking for something truly vegan, the above solution is not for you.

If you have any suggestions for vegan keto fast food or you’d like to share some ideas, then make sure to let us know in the comments below!

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The Quest for a Keto Fast Food Salad

If you and your friends are heading out to a fast food restaurant and you are on the keto diet, you might be afraid there’s not really any options for you. Luckily, most fast food restaurants offer some kind of salad menu. Most of the time these salad options are safe to eat while on the keto diet. 

Obviously, fast food restaurants are not really known for their salads, so if you’re actually looking for a decent salad you should probably go elsewhere. But if you find yourself in a fast food place in a pinch, they are a good option to eat something keto-friendly and just have a healthier meal overall. 

Fast Food vs “Fast” Food

First of all, to get any confusion out of the way, when we talk about fast food, we are actually talking about fast food joints. We know some people might be looking for “fast food” to make at home. But for that, you should just apply the basic rules of eating keto. 

→ See also: Ranking the Best Keto Diet Plans

This article will list a few of your options when actually going out to eat to a fast food place and looking for a keto approved salad. 

Rules to live by when making a Keto Salad

The keto “rules” to keep in mind when making a salad. come down to the basic rule of keto, which is low carb. Of course, a salad by definition has greens or lettuce as the main ingredient, which are (in most cases) low carb. So the most important thing to keep your salad keto-friendly is to avoid bread,pasta or rice and other fillers that you would possibly include with your salad.

As we mentioned above, most greens and any meat, chicken or fish are all fine. Dressings, on the other hand, are a special case. Some dressings are completely fine to eat on a keto diet. Other dressings contain a lot of sugar and sauces that are high in sugar content have a lot of carbs, so they are not keto approved. That said, if you want some specific dressing that you really like but you’re not sure if it’s keto, you can find a lot of recipes online to create a keto variant of almost any popular dressing. 

One note, though. When you’re making a salad at home (or looking for a salad somewhere else) is that you should be wary of some vegetables. Not all greens are low carb!

Things like corn, green peas, sweet potatoes and raw carrots are actually quite high in carbs and should be avoided in any kind of keto salad or any kind of keto meal, for that matter. So be wary of high carb vegetables.

The best Keto Salads at Fast Food Restaurants

So with the basics out of the way, let’s take a look at your actual options for a keto fast food salad. Starting with the most famous fast food joint in the world: McDonald’s.

McDonald’s

A nice choice at McDonald’s is the Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad with guacamole. It has some carbs, but not enough to take you out of ketosis. Also, it does contain quite a lot of protein and fat, so that’s that’s perfect for any follower of the keto diet. 

You won't find a Keto Fast Food Salad at McDonald's

Wendy’s

Let’s take a look at Wendy’s next. Actually Wendy’s almost didn’t make this list, because a lot of their salads contain a lot of carbs, even though it might not seem that way. For example, their Apple Pecan Chicken Salad contains 52 grams of carbs, which is way too much to be keto approved. So this one should definitely be avoided. It’s just one of those cases where a dressing and some fruit quickly adds up to a high carb content. 

Chipotle

Looking at Chipotle. Here you can order a nice salad bowl, with any kind of meat like steak or chicken. Add some lettuce or greens and add as much cheese and sour cream as you want. However, be careful with the salsa. The corn salsa has quite a high carb content compared to the tomato salsa. Again, this gives you a meal that is low in carbs, but has quite a lot of fat and quite a lot of protein. So it’s a perfect pick when looking for a keto fast food salad at Chipotle.

Subway

Then there’s Subway. It might be weird to find Subway on this list because by definition, subway is all about the sub sandwiches, which means bread and therefore is not keto friendly. However, you can actually order any of their sandwiches to be turned into a salad in which they replace the bread with some veggies and use the other ingredients that would have been on the sandwich in a salad bowl instead. They also have real nice portions where you’re ordering one of these salad bows, so you’ll definitely won’t be leaving hungry. 

Honorable Mention

Besides the ones listed above, we think Five Guys deserves a special mention, because even though they’re not really about salads at all, they do have the option to order any of their burgers with a lettuce wrap to replace the bun.

You can barely speak of a “salad” in this case, But still, it’s a very nice option. We’d say this is one of the meals that comes closest to real fast food when looking for a keto fast food salad. 

And that’s it! As expected, there’s not really that many options when looking for a keto fast food salad, as “fast food” and “salad” usually don’t go well together.

If you’re looking for a Meal Plan to help you stick to your Keto lifestyle and maximize your health benefits, take a look here!

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Lunchtime: Keto Fast Food Lunches that Rock

Sometimes you just crave some fast food. But if you’re following the Keto diet, then you might be afraid that you will have to miss out and just ignore the craving. But that’s definitely not the case. 

Luckily, most fast food joints have something very nice to offer in terms of a keto fast food lunch, and even if they do not, you can customize a dish of their menu and still enjoy your nice fast food lunch while on the Keto Diet.

Fast Food vs “Fast” Food

So first of all, to get something out of the way. People can mean two different things when they talk about the fast food lunch. Either they mean going to an actual fast food restaurant and grabbing lunch there, or they’re talking about making a fast lunch at home. Assuming you’re thinking of what to order or you want to know what your options are when going out to a fast food joint on the Keto diet, we will be talking about those.

Keto rules to keep in mind

As a follower of the keto diet, you’ll obviously know the basic rules, which, to sum it up,  It’s low carb. When applying the low carb rule to your favorite fast food restaurant, you’ll see that some of their staple ingredients have to be avoided. 

First of all, anything that is breaded or fried should be dropped. Obviously, it adds a lot of carbs to whatever it is that you’re frying , so think of KFC for example, with their fried wings. Those cannot be eaten on the Keto diet. 

Next, we also have burgers, which is a pretty big one, as the burger is often a staple dish for a lot of fast food chains that we will be listing in his article. And it’s actually the bun itself that’s the problem. So ditching the bread is a good way to make most burgers keto friendly. 

Take note, though, that sauces are also pretty dangerous.

Things like mayonnaise and mustard are actually fine. But ketchup and barbecue sauce, for example, have a high sugar content and should be removed or avoided when going for a keto fast food lunch.

Lastly. There’s also actually some sides that you should be cautious of. Obvious ones are anything that are made from potatoes. So fries, hash browns, tater tots should all be avoided. But also rice, beans, and corn are a no-go when following the Keto diet. 

And again, be careful with sauces and condiments. 

Top keto lunches at fast food restaurants

Let’s dive into the actual list of some nice choices that you have when going out for a Keto fast food lunch, depending on where you’re headed to. 

1. The Chicken Colonel

Let’s start with KFC. As we already mentioned above, a lot of the items on their menu are actually fried, which makes them a bad choice for anyone following the Keto lifestyle. But luckily they offer one good alternative, which is grilled chicken instead of fried chicken? 

Actually, grilled chicken is a lot healthier than fried chicken, not only for those following Keto, but basically for anyone. 

So if you’re heading for KFC, make sure to check to take the grilled chicken. And as a side, you’ll sadly only have one option, which is the green beans. That being said, the grilled chicken with beans is actually a well rounded meal that should power you throughout the day.

You might think that coleslaw also is an option, but actually it contains five times as much carbs as the creme beets. So that’s a no go. 

2. Keto Burgers vs. Buns

Secondly, we’ll have a look at the popular burger joints. Think of Burger King. McDonald’s, In-N-Out. Obviously, as we mentioned, the buns are an issue. You’ll either have to avoid any item on the menu that has a burger bun (good luck though) or you can customize it. 

Personally we prefer the second option.

You can just remove the bun and any ketchup or BBQ sauce and you’ll have a perfectly good burger that you can enjoy while still having a keto lunch. 

Some of these fast food restaurants actually go as far as to offer a lettuce replacement for the bun. Which is always a good idea, because otherwise you’ll be needing a fork and a knife to eat what’s left of your burger. That being said, it’s still very tasty, even without the bun.

3. Sub in a Tub

Next, we’ll take a look at Subway. Of course, as the name implies, the sub sandwich is their staple ingredient for most of their dishes. And that’s something we have to avoid. 

Subway has a very nice alternative for this, which basically is a sub in a tub. You can order any of your favorite subs to be made into a salad. So you’ll avoid the bread while you can still eat your favorite composition of sub, with some added some added salad or greens. 

Maybe think of taking a chicken salad or turkey breast to keep it as healthy as possible. 

4. Bowl Buddies

Finally, you also have places like Chipotle and Taco Bell. In both of these cases, your best option is to go for a bowl. 

Both Chipotle and Taco Bell offer a bowl dish on their menu that you can customize yourself. The takeaway here is to replace the rice and beans, as they are both very high in carbs. A good replacement for them is some lettuce or other greens and some guacamole. This makes sure you have a nice protein- and fat-packed meal, which actually makes a very good keto fast food lunch to get you through the afternoon.

One thing that is to be noted is that at Chipotle you should probably avoid the corn salsa as well.

Conclusion

All right.  We’ve listed a few of the most popular fast food joints and included some options of how to pick or customize your keto fast food lunch. As you see, if you have a craving for fast food or your friends are going out for fast food, you definitely don’t have to miss out even though you’re on the keto diet. 

Just applying the basic rule of keto can get you pretty far. You’ll still be able to enjoy a nice keto fast food lunch. 

If you have any suggestions or you want to share your favorite keto dish at any of these fast food joints, make sure to leave us a note in the comments!

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Which Fast Food Restaurants are Keto Friendly?

A Reddit user has come up with a weird milkshake alternative as a fast food keto dessert.

Imagine you’re getting that fast food itch, but you are on the keto diet. You think you’re screwed, and don’t have any options. But that’s not true at all!

In this article, we’ll take a look at what dishes or what meals you can choose when you’re on the keto diet and looking for some fast food. We’ll take a look at which restaurants have a good keto offer or have something that is keto-friendly on their menu. 

Fast food restaurants that serve keto food

So let’s take a look at the list of fast food restaurants that supply some kind of keto dish. Actually, most of them have either something to offer that’s completely keto or you can customize a certain dish to make it keto-approved. Restaurants that offer some keto options include, but are not limited to:

  • Chipotle
  • In-N-Out Burger
  • KFC
  • Burger King
  • Subway
  • Taco Bell
  • Wendy’s. 

And of course, don’t forget McDonald’s.

Some of these will require a custom order to make the fast food keto-friendly.

Starbucks could be included in this list, as it offers quite a lot of food besides their coffee menu. Even though not a lot of people think of Starbucks as a fast food chain. 

Rules for eating keto at a fast food restaurant

The rules that apply for eating keto at all of these fast food restaurants are, well, the basic rules of keto, so we go for a low-carb approach. 

This immediately poses quite a problem. A lot of the fast food includes bread, burger buns and the like. In other cases, at KFC for example, most meals are fried, which also adds a lot of carbs to the food. And then there’s sauces and condiments like ketchup, which has actually quite a lot of sugar in it, which in turn means it has a high carb content.

As you’ll see throughout the article, we’ll be ditching bread, sauces and fried stuff ingredients. But still, besides these things, most of the fast food restaurants we’ve mentioned here have something tasty to offer for anyone following the keto diet.

Keto Fast Food Restaurants

Let’s take a look at each individual restaurant and list out some options, starting with Subway. 

1. Subway

For Subway, of course, their main ingredient is bread – the sub – which we obviously cannot eat when we’re on the the keto diet. Luckily, they have a nice solution to this, which is basically making a sub into a salad. You can ask for any sub they offer to be turned into a salad, which they’ll dress nicely and is perfectly safe to eat on keto. 

Some exceptions apply, namely the meatballs and the sweet onion teriyaki, as well as anything that includes a very sugary dressing. Besides those limitations, you should be able to turn every of your favorite subs into a salad and enjoy it while still adhering to the keto diet.

2. Taco Bell

Next up is Taco Bell. You’ll have an easier time at Taco Bell eating keto because they have a highly customizable menu. Even though two of their main ingredients, which are rice and beans, are not too keto-friendly, they’re easy to replace with extra lettuce and guacamole. This results in a nicely fat- and protein packed meal. 

In other words, either you customize one of their dishes and swap out the rice and beans, or you just put together a custom bowl yourself. Whatever you desire, as long as it’s not high in carbs. 

Notice we are only mentioning the bowls here because obviously you can’t eat something that includes a taco or tortilla. 

3. Wendy’s

Next, we have Wendy’s. They have some good-to-go salads available on their menu. But for those of you who don’t really like salads (we don’t blame you) there’s also the option of just picking out a nice burger. 

Take their iconic Baconator, for example, and just remove the bun. You’re now good to go! You’ve got a satisfying low carb meal. Obviously, without the bun you’ll need a fork and a knife to eat it… or a lot of napkins. 

4. KFC

Let’s take a look at KFC next. As we said that in the intro, anything fried is definitely a no-go while looking for some keto fast food. Which kind of limits your choices at KFC altogether.

However, they have another variant of their chicken, which is the grilled chicken. With grilled chicken, you’re good to go. Still, just chicken by itself is not much of a meal. You can add a side of green beans, which unfortunately is the only keto-friendly side they offer. 

Even though it doesn’t sound that awesome, with some grilled chicken and the greens beans you’ll have a nicely rounded fast food meal that is keto-approved.

5. Burger King

Next up on this list of fast food restaurants is Burger King. As the name clearly implies, the focus here is on burgers. But as you now know, you’ll have to ditch the bun to make a burger keto approved. 

So basically, just pick your favorite Whopper variation or another burger. Remove the bun and the ketchup, just like we mentioned above for Wendy’s. You’ll end up with some very nice keto fast food , lots of protein, lots of fat and still tasty nonetheless.

6. In-N-Out

Same goes for In-N-Out Burger, but they have a nicer way of ordering some keto fast food, because it’s featured on the “secret menu”. You can order any burger and just order it “protein style”. This will swap out the buns for a crispy lettuce wrap. Meaning you basically turn a burger into a keto friendly fast food meal.

If you don’t like the idea of a lettuce wrap instead of buns, you can order a Flying Dutchman, which means you get just two patties with two slices of cheese in between. Very tasty. But you’ll probably need a fork and a knife to eat this without making a mess.

7. Chipotle

Then there’s Chipotle. Just like with Taco Bell, they have bowls available. Swapping out your rice and beans is the way to go here. You can add some guacamole and some greens to replace the rice. Add some nice cheese and you will be good to go. 

Together with Taco Bell, we think Chipotle is one of the more keto friendly fast food restaurants on this list!

Also, make sure you don’t think the corn salsa. It’s quite high in carbs.

8. McDonald’s

Finally, this list would not be complete without McDonald’s. Just like the other burger places, you know what to adjust, so you can take (almost) anything off their menu. It just means you have to ditch the bun and the ketchup or any other sauces because the McDonald’s sauces are all pretty high in sugar, meaning more carbs. 

You could pick a grilled chicken sandwich with no bun, no ketchup. Or maybe a quarter pounder with no bun and no ketchup. Also, if you’re looking for some breakfast, the Egg McMuffin can be eaten with no bread. You can read more about that here.

Conclusion

We went over quite a few of the most popular fast food restaurants. There’s more, obviously, but if you apply the rules we’ve lined out at the start of the article, you can find a keto friendly dish in almost any fast food restaurant, really.

So, next time your friends want to go out for some burgers or you have the craving for some tasty fast food, don’t worry. You can just stick to you keto diet, even though it might mean that you have to skip out on the bun or some some sauces.

If you have any favorites on this list or maybe some other restaurants that we didn’t mention, make sure to let us know in the comments!