Have you been on a keto meal plan or living a low-carb lifestyle for a while, and have found it easier than you had thought it would be? The keto flu has long been gone, and all those fats you can eat are so tasty! Hitting 75% or higher fat intake is not that difficult. At some point, it is probably a good idea to take a look at the quality of macronutrients you are taking in. Just like carbohydrates, not all fats and protein are created equal. It is therefore good to know in detail the best food to eat on a keto meal plan.
1: Eggs in the Keto Meal Plan
From a keto meal perspective, we can say that eggs have the best macronutrient ratio. So more than 60% of calories come from fat, about 35% from proteins, and about 2% from carbohydrates. But this example is just icing on the cake compared to the many health benefits of eating eggs. In addition to providing essential nutrition, eggs also contain many medicinal properties that have been shown to have therapeutic benefits.
2: Coconut in the Ketogenic Diet Plan
More than 95% of coconut oil is fat. The scraped coconut is about 34% fat and coconut milk around 24% fat. Approximately 92% of this fat is saturated fat. And, as we know, saturated fats are synonymous with atherosclerosis, ischaemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. This is where the misconceptions have arisen from.
However, the saturated fats in coconut oil differ from the saturated fats in animals. This is because more than half of the fat in coconut consists of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Unlike long-chain fatty acids, these fatty acids are well absorbed by the small intestine and do not undergo degradation processes. In this way, they can be used directly to produce energy in the body. Therefore, they can be used in sports drinks, intravenous fluids, and baby foods.
3: Avocado in Keto Diet Plan
We can say that avocado is the only fruit recommended for people who lead a carbohydrate-free and ketone-free lifestyle. It is so because, unlike a typical fruit, avocados contain very low sugar content with only around 0.4 g per fruit. What’s more, the total carbohydrate of one avocado is around 9%, of which most is fiber. Fats take up about 15%. The rest is mostly water.
One of many avocado’s qualities is that it is a farm-to-market food, which means it does not require any processing or preservatives to taste good. Moreover, its nutritional value makes it a “super fruit”, especially when it comes to heart diseases.
4: Olive Oil in the Keto Meal Plan
The main products of olive oil that we can find in the market are “virgin olive oil” and “extra virgin olive oil”. The chemical composition of both is similar. If you want more olive oil, you probably don’t want to buy a product called “olive oil.” This product contains a very small amount (5-10%) of olive oil in addition to the original olive oil. Therefore, its micronutrient content is lower than olive oil. But the content is still higher than in seeds.
So, what are the health benefits of eating foods containing olive oil? Research shows that triglycerides decrease and HDL (“good”) cholesterol increases when a carbohydrate-rich diet is changed. It also lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and improves glucose metabolism in diabetics.
The list of other health benefits is not short at all. Some of these effects are related to the high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), but others are due to the micronutrient richness of the extra virgin oil. A healthy diet in general is beneficial in improving the blood lipid profile and supporting antioxidant and immune defenses.
If olive oil were a food in itself, it would be the best food in the ketogenic diet plan!
5: Fish on the Ketogenic Diet Plan
Fish and fish oil are the best options when it comes to polyunsaturated fatty acids and trying to achieve a healthy omega-6/omega-3 ratio. Omega-3 PUFAs obtained from fish oil have more biological potency than those obtained from plants. Marine omega-3 fatty acids consist of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are not found in plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids such as flaxseed oil. Fish is not only fat but also the best source of protein and selenium.
Many studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. This makes them useful in treating inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. When people eat fish or fish oil, EPA and DHA partially replace omega-6 fatty acids. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that people can offset the high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids in a Western-style diet by adding a fish or two to their lunch. But doing so will help you stay healthy.
Now that you know the best foods to eat on the keto diet, what’s in your keto diet for tomorrow? For breakfast, I recommend an omelette with eggs and avocado in coconut oil, and for lunch, I recommend grilled wild salmon fillet marinated in extra virgin olive oil. Add some rosemary and greens. Enjoy your meal!