Ketogenic diet: keto diet plan for beginners (Includes menu)

To make the ketogenic diet, keto diet plan for beginners almost all carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread and rice should be eliminated, mainly increasing the consumption of high-fat foods and maintaining a balanced consumption of protein in the diet. This diet works to lose weight because the body uses its own fat as a source of energy instead of carbohydrates that come from food.

This type of diet is mainly indicated to control and prevent seizures in epilepsy crises, however, it is also being used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes and in some cases for the treatment of cancer, since cancer cells are They feed primarily on carbohydrates, which is the nutrient that is consumed in minimal amounts in the ketogenic diet.

It is important that this diet is carried out under the supervision and guidance of a nutritionist because a complete nutritional evaluation is necessary to know whether or not to perform it.

How Does it Work

The ketogenic diet, also known as Keto diet, consists of a drastic reduction of carbohydrates in the diet, consuming 20 to 50 g per day, representing 10 to 15% of total daily calories. This amount will depend on the state of health, the duration of the diet, personal goals and the weight you want to achieve.

To compensate for this reduction, the consumption of high-fat foods such as avocado, coconut, seeds, olive oil, almonds, nuts, and almonds must be increased. In addition to this, the amount of protein should also be increased to constitute 20% of the diet, being necessary to eat meat, chicken or fish at lunch and dinner, and include eggs and cheeses in snacks.

When this diet is started, the body goes through a period of adaptation that can last for days or weeks, where the body adapts to produce energy from fats and not from carbohydrates. So it is possible that some symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, and headache arise, a situation that happens once the body adapts.

Another diet that resembles the ketogenic diet is the low carb diet, the main difference being that in the ketogenic diet more fat is consumed to compensate for the lack of carbohydrates.

Allowed and Prohibited Foods

The table below shows what foods are allowed and prohibited in the ketogenic diet:

Allowed: Meats, fatty fish preferably like salmon, trout and sardines and eggs.
Forbidden: Rice, pasta, corn, cereals, oats, cornstarch.

Allowed: Sausages such as ham, sausage, and bacon.
Forbidden: Beans, soybeans, chickpeas, peas, lentils.

Allowed: Olive oil, oils, and butter.
Forbidden: Wheat flour.

Allowed: Milk cream, natural and sugar-free yogurts, coconut milk, almond milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, brie cheese, Parmesan, feta cheese, cheddar, Swiss cheese, mozzarella, and blue cheese.
Forbidden: Bread, toast.

Allowed: Peanuts or peanuts, nuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter.
Forbidden: Potato, sweet potato, banana.

Allowed: Fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, avocado, coconut.
Forbidden: Cakes, sweets, cookies, chocolate, candies, cakes, syrup.

Allowed: Vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli, onion, cucumber, zucchini, cauliflower, asparagus, red chicory, Brussel cabbage, pak choi, kale, kohlrabi, celery, paprika.
Forbidden: Sugar, brown sugar, ice cream, smoothies, and sweeteners.

Allowed: Seeds such as flaxseed, chia, sesame, and sunflower.
Forbidden: Chocolate powder, dietary and processed products.

Allowed: Sauces such as mayonnaise and mustard.
Forbidden: Pizza, lasagna, cow's milk.

Allowed: Stevia and olives.
Forbidden: Alcoholic drinks.


Whenever any food is to be consumed, it is important to read the nutritional labeling to verify if it contains carbohydrates and in what quantity, so that the stipulated amount of carbohydrates per day is not exceeded. 

Sample Menu of the Ketogenic Diet

The table below shows a 3-day example menu of the ketogenic diet:

Food: Breakfast
Day 1: Fried eggs in butter + Mozzarella cheese
Day 2: Omelet with vegetables + 1 glass of strawberry juice blended with flaxseeds
Day 3: Smoothie avocado smoothie with natural yogurt and chia seeds


Food: Morning Snack
Day 1: Almonds + Avocado Slices
Day 2: Mulberry smoothie with coconut milk + nuts
Day 3: Raspberries + 1 tbsp peanut butter


Food: Lunch Dinner
Day 1: Salmon accompanied by asparagus + avocado + olive oil
Day 2: Lettuce and onion salad with chicken + almonds + olive oil + parmesan and sesame seeds
Day 3: Meatballs with zucchini pasta and Parmesan cheese


Food: Afternoon Snack
Day 1: Olives
Day 2: Egg fried in butter with cheddar cheese
Day 3: Cheese rolls with sausage


It is important to remember that the ketogenic diet should be carried out under the guidance of a nutritionist since, in addition to calculating how many grams of carbohydrates you should consume, it will teach you how to verify the amount of carbohydrates that foods contain to avoid exceeding the allowed amount per day.
Also, being a diet with restrictions the nutritionist usually indicates the supplementation of vitamins and minerals such as calcium. See another menu to lose weight with the ketogenic diet.

Cyclic Ketogenic Diet

The cyclic ketogenic diet consists of following the diet for 5 consecutive days, followed by 2 days in which food with carbohydrates, such as bread, rice, and pasta is allowed. This variation allows you to maintain the diet for a longer time and promotes weight loss, also helping to provide energy for the practice of physical activity.
Although carbohydrate intake is allowed during those two days, you should not eat foods such as candy, ice cream, cakes, and other sugar-rich products.

Contraindications

The ketogenic diet is contraindicated in people over 65, children and adolescents, pregnant or breastfeeding women. In addition to this, people at risk of ketoacidosis, type 1 diabetics, uncontrolled type 2 diabetics, history of ketoacidosis, people with cachexia, people with liver or kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, people with gallbladder stones or who do not have Gallbladder and patients under treatment with cortisone-based medications.