Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet (58 page)

Sour cream	Sunflower seeds
Walnuts

Remember, if you eat the foods on this list and are still having difficulty producing ketones or controlling your blood sugar levels, look first at your carbohydrates and then at your proteins. Make sure you are using the KETO formula (
K
eep carbs low,
E
at more fat,
T
est ketones often,
O
verdoing protein is bad) and sticking to your personal carbohydrate and protein thresholds with unlimited fats from the list above. If you do that, you can’t help but find great success on your ketogenic diet.

Keep carbs low
Eat more fat
Test ketones often
Overdoing protein is bad

Coming up in the next chapter, we’ll provide you with some delicious and nutritious keto-friendly recipes from many of my favorite Paleo and low-carb cookbook authors and bloggers. My mouth is already watering!

I think it is beneficial to include nutrient-dense foods such as organ meats, bone broths, fermented foods and sea vegetables in our diet while in ketosis.

– Bryan Barksdale

The lower the carbohydrate and higher the fat in the diet, the higher one can expect the beta-hydroxybutyrate level to be.

– Dr. Mary Newport

While I do enjoy cooking low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat meals in my own kitchen (and my wife says I do a pretty good job at it), and I will share a few of my favorite ketogenic dishes with you in the pages that follow, there are many other amazing recipe creators in the Paleo and low-carb health communities whom I am privileged to call my friends, and I’m thrilled to present their keto culinary delights in this chapter.

These recipes are all very low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and very high in dietary fat. If you are able to tolerate more carbs and protein in your diet and still get into ketosis, then feel free to add them to your meals. At the same time, if a recipe contains more carbohydrates or protein than your body can handle, then adjust the ingredients to fit your personal situation. Only you can determine what is best for you. And when in doubt, add more fat!

Jimmy Moore’s Keto Eggs

Serves
: 1 to 2
Prep time
: 5 minutes
Cook time
: 15 minutes

This is one of my absolute favorite dishes, and it helps me rock the ketones. It’s extremely easy to make and quite tasty, even if I do say so myself. Keep in mind that it’s very important to get the high-fat versions of these meats (no turkey bacon or sausage!) for maximum ketogenic effect. The brand of sausage I use, Swaggerty’s Farm from Sam’s Club, contains 13 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein per patty—a spectacularly high amount of fat (117 of the 140 total calories) compared to the protein (just 20 calories). This is something to look for when making your food choices.

Ingredients

3 thick slices bacon or 2 sausage patties

¼ to ⅓ cup grass-fed butter or coconut oil

4 to 5 pastured eggs

Sea salt

Parsley (or your favorite seasoning)

¼ cup grated full-fat cheese (optional)

3 tablespoons sour cream, to serve

½ avocado, to serve

1. In a medium skillet or sauté pan, fry the bacon or sausage patties over medium heat until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon or sausage and set aside, leaving the grease in the pan.
   
2. Add the butter, then once it’s melted, crack the eggs directly into the pan. Add the salt, parsley, and cheese. Scramble all the ingredients together with a spatula until fully mixed and cooked to your liking.
   
3. Serve the eggs and meat together with the sour cream and avocado.
   

Keto Pizza Frittata
by Diane Sanfilippo (
BalancedBites.com
)

Author of the
New York Times
bestselling books
Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle
,
The 21-Day Sugar Detox
, and
The 21-Day Sugar Detox Cookbook

Serves
: 6
Prep time
: 15 minutes
Cook time
: 35 minutes

Who doesn’t like pizza, right? You might think that on a ketogenic diet, it would be off-limits. But this mouthwatering recipe from one of my favorite cookbook authors fits the bill perfectly, without the wheat-bomb crust that is typical of most pizzas. When you choose food that’s made from quality ingredients, that won’t have a negative metabolic impact on your body, and that will nourish your body well, then you have discovered the mindset that it takes to successfully manage your weight and health. Congratulations!

Ingredients

ITALIAN SAUSAGE SPICE BLEND

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon fennel seeds, ground

1 tablespoon ground sage

1 tablespoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon white pepper or 1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons dried parsley

½ pound ground pork

8 eggs

1¼ teaspoon sea salt, divided

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup tomato sauce

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter

1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced

5 white mushrooms, sliced

3 green onions (scallions), sliced

½ cup sliced olives

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine all the spice blend ingredients and set aside. Only 1 tablespoon will be used in this recipe; the rest can be stored in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
   
3. Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating up, combine the ground pork and 1 tablespoon of the spice blend in a medium mixing bowl and mix them together until the spices are evenly distributed. Add the meat to the skillet and cook until just a little pink is visible, about 10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a heat-safe spatula or wooden spoon. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside. (Do not wash the pan; you will use it again.)
   
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. In another small bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, granulated garlic, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Set both bowls aside.
   
5. Melt the coconut oil over medium heat in the same pan you used to cook the pork, then add the bell pepper and cook until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, or until they soften slightly. Put the meat back into the pan along with the majority of the green onions (reserving some for garnish) and the olives and stir to combine all the ingredients.
   
6. Pour in the egg mixture and tilt the pan back and forth until the eggs cover the entire bottom of the pan. If necessary, give the ingredients a gentle stir to distribute them evenly. Let cook for about 5 minutes, or until the edges begin to set.
   
7. Drizzle the tomato sauce mixture over the eggs, then place the pan in the oven and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the eggs are set. To check, use a knife to make a cut in the center of the frittata—if raw egg runs along the cut, cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and check again. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.