The Perfect Ketogenic Breakfast

While originally derived to help treat children’s epilepsy, the ketogenic diet has been picking up speed in the weight loss world. This high fat, low carb diet has its followers consuming less than 30 grams of carbohydrates for an entire day. With such a low intake of carbs, your body must find other ways to make the energy it needs for daily functioning. Therefore, your body goes into a state of ketosis, which basically means your body starts to burn fat for energy instead of carbs. This allows all of the fats you are eating, as well as any excess fat in your body to get used up for this energy conversion process, which in turn causes you to lose weight.

What Can You Eat For Breakfast?

Being on such a low carb diet, automatic breakfast foods, like cereal, pancakes, or french toast are out of the question. So, what’s left? Eggs and breakfast meats are a common staple for those following this kind of diet. There are lots of recipes available to help you keep your diet varied so you don’t get bored of eating scrambled eggs and sausage every morning. Things like a crustless quiche, or scrambled egg cups with veggies can be great grab-and-go options if you are in a hurry in the morning.

And, what can you eat if you’re not an egg person? While eggs are a great source of protein, there are still plenty of things to eat without ever having to touch an egg. Ingredients like cottage cheese or almond butter are great ways to start your day off right. Try putting cottage cheese with some big slices of tomato, or having a few tablespoons of nut butter with an apple!

Ketogenic Breakfasts Without Ketosis

Many people have claimed that even while not being on a full-time ketogenic diet, eating a ketogenic style breakfast helps them start their day off better. While you may not be in a state of ketosis, because you do not follow the diet all day long, having a breakfast that is high in fat and protein, while keeping the carbohydrates to a minimum can kickstart your metabolism to work better throughout the day. Many athletes and trainers follow this diet for their morning meal and have said that if they try to eat carbs in the morning now, they feel tired and lethargic for the rest of the day. This is not to say these athletes don’t eat carbs during the rest of their day, but avoiding them in the early hours helps their metabolism keeping them feeling right throughout the day!

Conclusion

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! But, when we load that meal up with carbohydrates, its not working for us the way we want! Whether you have decided to follow a ketogenic diet for your entire meal plan, or are just trying to jumpstart your metabolism in the morning, lowering your carbohydrate intake and raising your fat and protein intake can make sure you’ll be on the right path for the rest of your day.

What Is The Ketogenic Diet?

This type of diet involves ingesting large amounts of fats, a reasonable amount of protein, and very few carbohydrates (less than 50 grams of carbs). This process is categorized under banting. The term ketogenic itself refers to the state which the body enters as it uses up the fats and ketones (by-products of burning fat) as fuel. The result of this type of diet is weight loss. Appetite is suppressed as the levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, are reduced and body fat is burnt. This diet has also been used to treat epilepsy patients as well as other neurological conditions. The ketogenic diet is very similar to the Atkins diet, as it follows the first few steps of the Atkins diet. However, unlike the Atkins diet, this diet does not work in phases. The Atkins diet allows carbs to be reintroduced after a certain length of time.

What are some of the possible side effects of the ketogenic diet?

During the first two weeks, side effects can include headaches, constipation, fatigue, and dizziness, as the body adjusts to the diet. These are all short-term side effects. Long-term side effects are also possible. These include kidney stones, increased risk of bone fractures, and increased risk of higher cholesterol levels. Some women may also experience an interruption to their menstrual cycle. It should also be noted that there is a lack of long-term research data on the effects of this diet on the human body, despite that this diet was first proposed in the 1920s. It is advisable, as with any diet plan, to speak to your doctor before embarking on such a diet.

What does a ketogenic diet meal plan look like?

Breakfast

Ideally, this would be up to four eggs with mushrooms, spinach, and onions, covered in olive oil and served with up to two ounces of cheddar cheese. This is a breakfast that contains less than 15 grams of carbohydrates from non-starchy vegetables (not bread), some proteins, and a great deal of fat. Also, there is a difference between good and bad fats. Bad fats are saturated fats which are linked to increased LDL-cholesterol; however, unsaturated fats, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, are good fats. Consuming this type of fat is linked to an 11 to 19% lower risk of death.

Lunch

An easy lunch would be a salad with non-starchy veggies, such as arugula, and avocados, mixed with a protein source such as eggs, tuna, chicken or beef, and sources of fats in the form of bacon, cheese, nuts, with olive oil as a dressing.

Dinner

With this type of diet, it is recommended that at least four ounces of protein be consumed at night. This can be any meat or eggs. Added to that, large quantities of non-starchy veggies (broccoli or green beans, for example) should provide you with not more than 15 grams of carbohydrates. In addition, eat at least two tablespoons of fat (used during the cooking of the meat, olive oil drizzled over the veggies, or butter on the vegetables). In-between snacks: As with the other meals, no snack should have more than 15 grams of carbs, but should contain some protein and large amounts of fats. Snow peas dipped in peanut butter, and some cheese will do.