Keto Lunch is Our Discussion Today! Taking a leap towards fitness doesn’t only mean exercising 2-3 times a week; it’s also summoning the courage to say “No!” to tempting yet unhealthy food. According to a 1994 study by the National Weight Control Registry, only 1% out of 10,000 Americans were able to lose weight with exercise alone. Ten (10) percent lost weight on diet alone, but a whopping 89% reported the effectiveness of both in keeping away the unwanted pounds.
Running a Google search will give you a lot of options if you want to work on your diet. There is the Atkins diet, Paleo diet, and many more. For this article, we’ll be focusing on one of today’s most popular diet systems, the Ketogenic diet.

What is the Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet is basically grouped with other low-carb diets. While all low-carb diets aim to force the body to burn fat for energy, the ketogenic diet aims to focus on aiding the body towards reaching ketosis (hence, the name).

How Does It Work?

When the body is in ketosis, it only means that the stored glucose has been exhausted, forcing the body to generate an alternative source of energy: the ketones. Once the body’s carbohydrate storage is exhausted, it then turns to protein and eventually starts to burn stored fat for fuel. This is when ketones are produced, and weight loss happens.

What You Can and Can’t Eat?

Just like other diet schemes, the ketogenic diet has its own list of “to-eat” and “not-to-eat” foods. Here is a short overview of which foods are keto-friendly, and which aren’t.
To Eat: Cheese
Eggs
Fish and seafood
Meat
Natural fats (e.g. olive oil, butter, etc.)
Vegetables
NOTE: The ideal carb intake should always be under 50 grams a day. Ideally, it should be below 20 grams. The fewer the carb intake, the more effective this diet will be.

Avoid: Bread
Beer
Candies
Chocolate bar
Fruits (sugary ones, like mango)
Pastries
Potatoes and other starchy root crops
Rice (cooked)
Soda drinks / juice

Ketogenic Diet for the Busy Person

People who work at a 9-5 day job find it difficult to adjust their diet, but planning meals well and preparing everything the night before should do the trick.
Bringing your lunch to work is beneficial, especially if you’re just starting on the ketogenic diet, and have no idea if there will be food stalls or restaurants that serve keto-friendly meals. The solution is to prepare your own keto lunch so you’ll stay on-track even during a busy day.

Easy Keto Recipes to Pack for Lunch

Here are some easy-to-prepare lunch recipes that are perfect for people who are on the ketogenic diet.

Keto Caesar Salad

This Caesar salad is made from scratch, which means no store-bought dressings here. This  keto lunch Caesar salad contains no canola oil, no sugar, no thickeners, and neither does it contain any gluten and soybean oil.

Ingredients:
Avocado oil (8 tbsp)
Anchovy fillets (4 pieces)
Apple cider vinegar (3 tbsp)
Dijon mustard (1 tsp)
Egg yolk (1)
Garlic cloves (2)
Grated parmesan (4 tbsp)
Pork rinds (2 oz, chopped in pieces)
Shaved parmesan (4 tbsp, for garnish)
Romaine lettuce (24 whole leaves)

Preparation: keto lunch
Using an immersion blender, combine the apple cider vinegar, egg yolk, and mustard. Once you have inserted the blender stick and stand, carefully pour in the avocado oil. Keto Lunch Sample Recipes are located right below this content.

Start the blender on low setting, maintaining the location of the stick and stand until the mixture starts to form a mayo-like consistency.

Remove mayo from the blender, and add in the grated Parmesan, garlic, and anchovies. Blend slowly until ingredients are all well-combined and has the same consistency as the mayo.
Wash and dry the romaine leaves. Place them on serving plates.
Carefully drizzle the dressing on the leaves. Add the pork rinds.
Sprinkle shaved Parmesan on top for garnish.

Pesto Egg Muffins

This recipe is also perfect for breakfast, but would also make a great lunch recipe.
Ingredients:
Eggs (6, large, organic or free-range)
Frozen spinach (2/3 cup, thawed and dried)
Kalamata or olives (1/2 cup, pitted)
Pesto (3 tbsp)
Soft goat cheese (125g, you can use other soft types of cheese, e.g. feta)
Sun-dried tomatoes (1/4 cup, chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Crack eggs and place on a bowl. Add in salt, pepper, and pesto. Mix well.
Place the crumbled goat cheese, olives, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes evenly in a muffin pan. Add the pesto and egg mixture and put in the oven.
Bake this for 20-25 minutes, until the top turns brown.
Remove from oven, and cool out on a muffin tray before serving.

You’ll be surprised at how delicious this recipe is, even without the gluten and dairy. You can make this the night before, and store it in the fridge so you can easily bring it with you to work.
Ingredients:
Broccoli florets (4 cups)
Chicken (3 cups, cooked and shredded)
Chicken bone broth (1 cup)
Coconut oil (2 tbsp)
Eggs (2)
Full fat coconut milk (1 cup)
Mushrooms (8 oz)
Nutmeg (1/2 tsp, optional)
White onion (1, medium, diced)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Use half the amount of coconut oil to grease the casserole pan. Set aside.
Lightly steam the broccoli. Set aside uncovered.
Melt the rest of the coconut oil in a saucepan. Saute onions until brown. Season with salt and pepper.
Throw in mushrooms and saute until cooked. Remove pan from heat.
Place broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and the shredded chicken in the casserole pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine bone broth, eggs, coconut milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Whisk and pour it in the casserole pan.

Make sure all contents are spread evenly in the pan before cooking for 35-40 minutes.
Remove from oven when cooked. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.

The great thing about these lunch recipes is that they’re also great to be used for a keto dinner as well. Try out these recipes and you’re sure to be able to always stay on track with your ketogenic diet.