Are you looking for an easy way to start keto? What if I told you that doing a low-carb & ketogenic diet doesn’t have to be hard and that starting can be as simple as following our 5 easy tips?
That’s right, the keto lifestyle doesn’t have to be complicated or boring.
Whether you’re looking for weight loss or to regulate your blood sugar, the keto diet can be a great way to reach your goal while still enjoying delicious food!
These helpful tips should help you get through your first week of a ketogenic lifestyle and on your way to being in a state of ketosis.
Let me start off by encouraging you to print out our grocery list to use as a guide. The list is a handy way of seeing at a glance what food items are permitted on keto.
Let’s now dive into my five easy tips!
5 Easy Tips To Going Keto
1. Eat More Vegetables
Surprised? Don’t be. Eating low-carb, keto means you’re probably going to increase your vegetable intake. Most would be surprised to know that low-carbers eat a lot of vegetables.
Which ones? Not the starchy ones, like corn and potatoes, but the above-ground ones, such as broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, and all the greens.
In fact, once you remove the high-carb, starchy vegetables from your diet, you’re left with a lot of low-carb options.
By increasing your vegetable intake you will get the necessary fiber that will keep your gut happy and also keep you feeling full longer.
Not to mention, all of the essential nutrients found in vegetables are the fuel your body needs to function at its best.
2. Eat More Fat
Did you say to eat more fat? I can hear the cries of protest ringing in my ears, but hear me out. Especially those of you who are still hanging on to your beloved low-fat diets.
Yes, people who eat a diet that’s lower in carbohydrates usually eat more fats. But believe it or not, this is a good thing. Healthy fats fill us up and make it less likely that we will overeat.
It goes without saying that a diet that is high in carbs and fat is probably not a good idea.
However, there is absolutely no reason to think that adding fats to our diet is a bad thing. Become a fat-burner by reducing your carbohydrates and embracing naturally occurring fat.
You can add fats from natural sources like olive oil, nuts, avocados, fatty fish, flax seeds, butter, and coconut oil. By the way, in case you haven’t heard, the jury is out that saturated fat is not the enemy.
On a keto diet, you eat a higher level of fat because your body converts the fat into (ketones) as fuel instead of (glucose) sugar, unlike the standard American diet, which uses sugar (glucose) as the main source of energy.
Fat is an excellent fuel since it provides more long-term energy. Rather than your energy levels dipping, you’ll have access to longer-lasting energy. That’s why a high-fat diet is so beneficial.
3. Look For Hidden Sugars
Looking for hidden sugars is something that you’ll be doing more of on the keto diet. Natural sugars such as those found in fruit and lactose (in dairy) are different than the processed and refined sugar we all know and (used to) love.
Processed sugars like high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, and turbinado sugar are highly addictive substances that hinder your weight loss and overall health.
Did you know that even if it says “no added sugar” on the product label, manufacturers use different kinds of sugar in their products?
It’s not just junk food that’s full of sugar, so be sure to read the nutrition label thoroughly before chowing down!
Maybe you didn’t realize you needed to become a bit of a detective when you decided to do a low-carb, but examining every food item is exactly what you will need to do.
It’s vital that you carefully read your labels in order to know the amount of sugar you may be consuming. You may be shocked to know that there may be small amounts of many types of sugars hidden in your foods.
Sugar is hidden in what appears as “healthy” ingredients, such as honey, rice syrup, or even “organic dehydrated cane juice.”
Guess What? These all convert to (glucose) sugar in your body, and they all produce an insulin spike, which, in turn, strokes your hunger.
Don’t even get me started on fruit juice concentrates, which may sound healthy, but by the time they get “concentrated,” very little remains except for sugar.
Not to mention that (fructose) the sugar in fruit, can actually do more harm than regular table sugar because it raises your sugar levels even faster.
Do you know that sugar is even hiding in our salt? Our salt?! Are you kidding me?
That’s right; if you are using regular table salt versus sea salt, you’re getting some sugar from your salt. Want to know what it’s called? dextrose. See what I mean about becoming a bit of a sleuth?
4. Learn To Swap it Out
Start substituting lower-carb foods for their higher-carb counterparts. Use zucchini to make noodles, instead of pasta, cauliflower to make “rice”.
Instead of chips, have some nuts or make your own keto crackers. Replace high-carb flour with almond or coconut flour.
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Finding low-carb alternatives to your high-carb favorites is one of the best ways to ensure success in your weight loss journey.
This is what has ultimately helped us the most, and it’s why we began sharing our keto recipes with our readers in the first place.
Having an alternative ready is what can make all the difference in sticking to your goal!
At first, it may seem challenging to determine what foods need to be swapped out, but in time, it will become easier and second nature.
And with all the keto and low-carb recipes that are available here, you’re sure to find tons of recipes to help you along the way.
5 . Analyze Your Condiments
You may not realize this but many of your favorite condiments like ketchup and barbecue sauce are loaded with carbs because they get their sweetness from sugar.
Just one tablespoon of barbecue sauce has close to 7 grams of carbohydrates.
You’ll be surprised at how many hidden carbs are in your condiments!
So what can you do? Start by scanning your condiment labels and seeing where you need to make changes.
There are now many options at the grocery store for “no sugar added” condiments but remember that no sugar added doesn’t mean no carbs, so be sure to read your labels carefully.
You can also try your hand at new keto recipes that use low-carb condiments like mustard, lemon juice, and fresh and dried spices, or why not make your own?
Be sure to also check out our post on how to quit sugar once and for all for more helpful tips.
I hope these 5 keto tips will help you on your ketogenic journey and help you get your ketone levels up and blood sugar levels normal!
And if you’re looking for more in-depth information about how to enter ketosis quickly, or what the benefits of being in ketosis are then you should check out our post How To Experience Ketosis Quickly.
Grab Our Books
In case you didn’t know, we have authored two books for you, Essential Keto Bread and Essential Keto Desserts both inspired by your requests over the years.
It’s my prayer these keto cookbooks will help make keto a delicious breeze for you.
Join Our Jesus And Keto Movement
Looking for an online support system to help you stay the course on keto? As a family, we came to the keto diet, looking at it from a Christian perspective. As believers, we live our lives supported by God’s grace.
So when the Holy Spirit led us to combine our Christian faith and the keto diet, we did so in hopes of finding lasting transformation. When we followed the Holy Spirit’s prompting, we got on the path to real transformation.
Knowing firsthand the benefits of this decision, we have created a closed Christian group that is using the keto diet to transform their lives. We invite you to join our Private Facebook Group and see if it’s not the key you have been missing.
Be sure to request our FREE Jesus and Keto E-Book (First 7 Days). We hope it blesses you.
Fittoservegroup Keto App
Looking for a fast way to access our keto recipes? We’ve got you covered.
There’s an app for that. Yup, there’s a Fit To Serve Group App and it’s going to make your keto diet a delicious breeze! Access hundreds of recipes that are all sugar-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.
Enjoy early access to recipes before they go live on the website. Plus, bonus recipes that are exclusive to the app. Make your own personal cookbooks that you can use to organize your favorite recipes.
Search recipes by title, ingredients, keywords, and categories, and of course, every recipe shows complete nutritional facts.
Get the Fit to Serve Group App for easy-to-follow keto recipes made with easy-to-source ingredients.
The app is loaded with hundreds of yummy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even desserts!
Learn more by visiting our Fit To Serve Group App Page.
