Starting a diet isn’t easy, and it’s even more difficult when you’re going into a specific diet like keto. The keto diet adopts the philosophy of reducing carbohydrates in favor of a high-fat diet to place your body into a state called ketosis—a state that efficiently burns fat for energy. If you’re interested in trying the keto diet but aren’t sure where to start, consider these reasons why meal prep delivery is perfect for keto beginners. Learn how it can help you get accustomed to your new lifestyle.
Specially Prepared Meals
The biggest benefit beginners reap from keto meal delivery services is that they become familiar with the foods they can eat on this diet. Thanks to our professional chefs, each meal is tailored to the keto diet and any other dietary needs and restrictions you may have. Meal prep is always a great way to learn how to cook new meals, as each meal delivery is properly portioned for your convenience. By using keto ingredients, each meal is properly balanced to ensure you get all the nutrients you need to make the diet effective.
Types of Keto Diets
It may be helpful to understand the different kinds of keto diets to help you further customize your meal plan.
- Standard Ketogenic Diet: A low-carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. You can typically expect a 10/20/70 percent split of these nutrients, respectively.
- Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: This version involves periods of higher-carb refeeds. A common example of this diet is five ketogenic days followed by two high-carb days.
- Targeted Ketogenic Diet: If you’re following a workout routine alongside your diet, you can use this version to add carbs around your workouts.
- High Protein Keto Diet: A variant of the standard ketogenic diet, this variation simply includes more protein.
With an understanding of these different keto diets, you can find the one that best suits your goals and lifestyle. Then, you can customize your meal prep deliveries to fulfill your nutritional needs. Keep in mind that cyclical and targeted keto diets are much more advanced and typically best suited for bodybuilders or athletes who are already familiar with their diets.
A Wide Variety
Another reason why meal prep delivery is perfect for keto beginners is you’ll be able to experience and try out all the different foods and meals suitable for the keto diet. Most people associate diets with heavy restrictions on what they can eat, and that’s often a very discouraging misconception keto beginners have.
Meat and Fish
The concept of any diet is typically associated with the exclusion of meat, but meat and poultry are staples of the keto diet. Fresh meat and poultry contain no carbs, are rich in vitamin B, and are primary sources of protein. This essential nutrient is especially important for preserving muscle mass with such a low-carb diet.
Other keto-friendly sources of protein include eggs and seafood. Fish and shellfish are well-loved by the keto community for being nearly carb-free and rich in vitamin B, potassium, and selenium. Furthermore, fatty fish like salmon or sardines are rich in omega-3 fats, which are incredibly beneficial for regulating the body’s insulin levels and improving overall health.
Dairy Products
Cheese has hundreds of variations, some of which are low-carb and high-fat, making them perfect for keto diets. While cheese does have a high saturated fat content, it isn’t known to cause any adverse effects that may increase the risk of heart disease.
Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are also fantastic keto-friendly foods. Nutritious and high in protein, they are great choices as snacks or side dishes for any meal. Because yogurt and cottage cheese contain some carbs, ensure you’re enjoying them in moderation.
Vegetables
Veggies are inevitable parts of any healthy and balanced diet. The question is which ones are suitable for the keto diet. Green leafy vegetables like lettuce or cooking greens are extremely low in carbs while offering a bevy of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In fact, the darker green the vegetable, the better. Dark green vegetables like spinach or kale contain vitamin K and iron. Vegetable greens are perfect for bulking up any keto meal without drastically increasing the carb count.
For more variation, you can opt for high-fat veggies like avocados and olives. They contain additional benefits like high fiber content and low carbs. Olives contain an antioxidant called Oleuropein with anti-inflammatory properties that may protect blood cells from damage by lowering your blood pressure. Additionally, the metabolic state of ketosis increases the number of mitochondria and makes cells more efficient at producing energy. With this extra energy, your T-cells are bolstered, allowing your immune system to quickly fight germs and bacteria.
Other Notables
Some other notable examples of keto-friendly foods include dark chocolate and berries. Now, you can see how diverse the keto palate can be. While moderation is, of course, necessary to the keto diet, dark chocolate is perfectly fine to eat and might even help you maintain your blood pressure. Berries are an exception to the fact that many fruits are high in carbs. Raspberries and strawberries are low in carbs but high in fiber, making them fair game for a keto diet unless you’re following a very strict regimen.
Ease and Convenience
Sometimes, you just don’t have time to cook, let alone account for all the needs and restrictions of your keto diet. Meal prep delivery provides you with an easy and convenient solution that will help you eat healthier with minimum effort. Each delivery requires you to follow a few simple instructions before your meal is ready to eat. A diet can make you feel like you have to give up on food delivery and eating out entirely, but that’s no longer the case. Sign up with Eat Clean today to build your meal plan and receive high-quality and tailored keto meals right at your doorstep. We’ll help you start your keto diet on the right foot and dispel any lingering doubts that, by starting your diet, you’ll be forced to give up delicious and varied meals in favor of bland and tedious meals.
