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. Approximately 34% of scraped coconut is fat and coconut milk is approximately 24% fat. Approximately 92% of this fat is saturated fat. And as we all know, saturated fatty acids are associated with atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases. This is where negative thoughts arise.
However, the saturated fat in coconut oil is not the same as that found 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. Therefore, unlike other fruits, avocados contain very little sugar; It contains only about 0.4 grams of sugar per fruit. Moreover, the total carbohydrate content of avocado is about 9%, the majority of which is fiber. Fat content is up to 15%. Most of the rest is water.
One of the many advantages of avocado is that it is farm food, meaning it does not require labor or cooking 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. All in all, the consumption favors a better lipid profile and promotes antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
If olive oil was a stand-alone food, it would definitely be the best food to eat on a keto meal plan!
5: Fish on a Keto Meal Plan
When it comes to PUFA and trying to take in a healthier omega-6/omega-3 ratio, fish and fish oil are to go for. Among the omega-3 PUFA, those from fish oil are more biologically potent than those from plants. The marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids are composed of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that are not present in plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. flaxseed oil). To not only talk about fat, fish is also an excellent source of protein and selenium.
Many studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. This makes them potentially useful in the management of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. When humans digest fish or fish oil, the EPA and DHA partly replace the omega-6 fatty acids. This, unfortunately, does not mean that one can balance out the high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids in the Western-style meal plan by just adding a fish or two to their lunch. But doing so might help to remain 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!
