My husband and I recently started keto (3 weeks ago) not knowing a whole lot about it. Let’s just say it’s been a constant learning process! So far we are doing great but, I am pretty stuck in a rut as far as what I eat. I feel like all I eat, is meat, eggs, nuts, and cheese, everyyyyy dayyyyy. Everyonce in a while we make a good recipe like cream cheese stuffed jalepenos, or cream cheese stuffed pork chops. But The amount of carbs in veggies scare me, im not huge on measuring things out. And WHAT kind of fruit do you guys eat?? Id love if I could get some help finding a more balanced diet, that includes some more veggies and at least SOME fruit. Do you count your calories as well? Thanks for your help!
NEW to keto, stuck!
ava_ad0re
(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja )
#2
This is a great page which lets you know what you can and can’t eat and their carb values.
Personally I enjoy berries - strawberries and blueberries but usually for a dessert treat, I don’t eat these every day. Keto is what you want it to be.
OgreZed
#3
Are you looking at total carbs instead of net carbs for the veggies?
Have you tried meal prepping? I do very simple meal preps. Basically just dump everything into a 9x13" baking dish, let it bake for a few hours (while I go do something else), then when I come back I put it into containers for the fridge and freezer.
They’re pretty much mix and match between the protein and the veggies. Whatever combination you want to use. Whatever spices you want to use.
RWillis91
(Rayleen Willis)
#5
Thanks for the link, and the good info. So whats the difference in net carbs vs. Total? I have been counting total carbs consumed… Hm. As far as fruit, thats such a hard one because I love fruit, and I hear about some people who do keto for life… Idk if I could give fruit up for life… Ahhhhh
Amy_R0922
(Amy Ramadan)
#6
Do a search of keto recipes… Pinterest has some great ones!! My kids and I started around about the time you did, almost three weeks in, and we have found some great recipes. As a rule, we stick to lower carb veggies, but don’t count or measure them, not do we count calories. Net carbs are carbs minus dietary fiber. Aim to stay at 20g or less per day and you should be good!! Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are good fruit options, but you may not want to eat them in a daily basis. Berries and cream make a great low carb dessert!! And if you are looking for a good bread source, try Joseph’s pita bread, they are excellent!! Love carb and reasonably priced. Hope this helps!!
YoAdrienne
(Adrienne P.)
#7
Veggies can seem high carb but remember to only count net carbs and it should be more manageable.
Madeleine
#8
Also check out the thread What did you keto today?
Lots and lots (thousands!) of photos of food.
Good luck and welcome! There are lots of ways to do this. Some people are zero carb (meat and some dairy), others are lazy keto and just do something along the lines of Paleo without the starches and fruits except for some berries here and there.
If you’re active and you’re in decent metabolic shape you can often do more than 20g of carbs eventually, but it really helps to set yourself up well and get fat-adapted before messing with that number.
Bellyman
(Brian)
#9
That RuledMe page has lots of good suggestions.
My own opinion is not to be afraid of non-starchy veggies. I came from a vegetarian and vegan background so I had no desire to give up veggies when I went keto, and didn’t need to. The hardest for me to leave behind were potatoes, wheat (bread, pasta), and an abundance of beans. Fruit juices were actually harder for me to leave behind than fruit.
I didn’t have to leave behind all veggies, just the starchy / sugary ones. We love green beans, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, yellow & zucchini squash, and more. They make great additions to a good protein of fish or chicken or beef, maybe a few others. Some, like asparagus, we really like with some browned butter over them. Good eats! (And quite keto friendly.)
Berries tend to be a part of our desserts, often along with some sugar-free whipped cream, maybe as a part of a keto muffin. It varies.
We like variety and eat lots of different food, veggies included.
Good luck!
Happyheart
(Wendy)
#10
You don’t have to give up anything for life. I occasionally will have some fruit besides berries, just very infrequently and in maybe a smaller amount than I use to.
Wishbone
#11
One of the most important things KETO has taught me, is food is just fuel. It doesn’t matter if I eat the same thing every day. I don’t have a love affair with food anymore. The love affair got me fat.
Eat to live, don’t live to eat.
MrMartyJones
#12
Total carbs vs. “net carbs” will make a huge difference for you! “Net carbs” are the total carbs minus the fiber (because the body doesn’t process fiber and turn it into sugar). So, for example, I like broccoli, here’s the nutritional info (in 1 cup) when you Google it:
| Total Carbohydrate 6 g | 2% |
|---|---|
| Dietary fiber 2.4 g | 9% |
| Sugar 1.5 g |
Yikes! 6g of carbs! But wait. Of those 6g, 2.5g of it is fiber so I don’t count it. Therefore,
Total (6g) - Fiber (2.4g) = NET (3.6g)
Not bad for a whole cup of crunchy greens!
Another favorite of mine, spinach (great source of the electrolyte potassium), for one cup:
Total Carbohydrates 1.1g 3 %
Dietary Fiber 0.7ggrams
Sugars 0.1g
Total (1.1g) - Fiber (.7g) = Net (.4g)
That’s less than half a gram for a big ole cup of leafy salad filler.
Jacymac
(Ellie)
#13
Just to double check though, the calculation above for food labels and net carbs is correct if you live in the US. In the UK fibre is already removed on the label so the carbs you see are the carbs you get!
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#15
If you eat leafy greens and fibrous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, you can have a fair amount. It helps to treat them as vehicles for fat, too, such as a high-fat blue cheese dressing, or a cheese sauce made with heavy cream. Gravy made from cream is great on the meat course, too. Vary the spices you put in your dishes, as well.