The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that is well-known for weight loss and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
This diet favors low carbs, moderate protein, and high fat. It switches the body from being a carbohydrates burner to a fat burner for energy and places the body in a state of ketosis.
What Is Fat?
Fat such as is consumed in a keto diet is found in both animals and plants. The fatty acids found in these sources are classified by the number of bonds they contain between the carbons in their chains, as well as the length of their chains. Examples of fatty acids are:
- Saturated Fats: These are fats that are modified with hydrogen and remain solid at room temperature. They are a healthy type of fatty acid you can consume and benefit the body a lot.
- Monounsaturated Fats: is a healthy type of fat that is unsaturated and has one double bond between carbons in their chains.
- Polyunsaturated Fats: is fat-loving unsaturated fat that has more than one double bond between carbons in their chains. It is linked with low blood cholesterol.
What Are The Roles Of Fat In The Body
Although the main function of fat in a ketogenic diet is to provide your body with energy, it also plays several other important roles, some of which are:
- Helping you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K
- Regulating inflammation and immunity
- Maintaining the health of your cells, including skin and hair cells
- Adding richness to food, which helps you feel full and satisfied
What Types Of Fat Should I Eat?
It is recommended that eating fats that occur naturally in food and have been minimally processed as much as you can as this is the best form of oil you can get.
Below are several other healthy sources of each type of fat.
- Saturated fats
- Butter and ghee
- whipping cream
- Coconut cream
- Coconut oil
- Cheese
- Monounsaturated fats
- Olives and olive oil
- Avocados and avocado oil
- Macadamias and macadamia oil
- Almonds
- Peanuts and other nuts
- Polyunsaturated fats
- Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies
- Grass-fed animals
- Dairy from grass-fed animals
- Eggs from pastured chickens
- Algae
- Chia seeds
- Flaxseeds
- Hemp seeds
- Walnuts
Fat And Keto Salad
There is no way you would prepare any recipe if salad without using one or two sources of fat. Keto, being a fat loving diet, calls for maximum usage of healthy fat in its meal. Below are some recipes with adequate use of fat sources:
Grilled Chicken Salad:
this is a rich source of polyunsaturated fat and is also high in protein as it employs the use of olives, cheese, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and chicken
Ingredients:
- 225 grams of chicken thigh (grilled and sliced)
- 200 grams of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 60 grams of cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 of a medium cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 of a medium avocado, sliced
- 28 grams of cheese, crumbled
- 28 grams of olives, pitted, sliced
- 30 ml of red wine vinegar
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- You coat the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the chicken. Cook until brown. Once cooked thoroughly, remove the chicken from heat.
- In a large bowl, you will arrange the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and olives as desired. Add the cooked chicken to the arrangement.
- Drizzle the bowl’s content with red wine vinegar and additional olive oil if you want.
Pesto-baked Salmon Salad:
Salmon as stated above is one of the best sources of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. These fatty acids are essential because your body cannot create them, thus, they must come from your diet.
Ingredients
- 225 grams of salmon or salmon fillets
- 220 grams of baby spinach, raw
- 60 grams of green pesto
- 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 10 ml of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400℉ (200℃), then grease a baking dish with 15 ml of oil.
- Place the salmon skin-down on the baking dish and spread the pesto evenly on top. Squeeze the lemon juice over the pesto and season with salt and pepper to your desire.
- Then bake the salmon for 15–20 minutes, or until it flakes easily.
- While the salmon is baking, sauté the spinach in a pan with 15 ml of olive oil for 2 minutes, or until the leaves have wilted.
- Once cooked, remove the salmon and serve it over the spinach.
Avocado-Shrimp Salad:
this has avocado, which is a major source of fat, as its primary ingredients. It’s delicious and nutritious.
Ingredients:
- 225 grams of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 medium avocado, diced
- 1/2 of a red onion, diced
- 100 grams of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 60 grams of cherry tomatoes
- 30 grams of butter, melted
- 15 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml of lemon or lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- You are to heat the pan over medium-high heat, then add the butter and shrimp. Cook thoroughly and set shrimp aside on a plate.
- Add the lettuce, avocado, and cherry tomatoes to a large mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil and lemon or lime juice, then toss.
- Garnish with shrimp and serve. Season with salt and pepper if you wish.
Egg-And-Mayo Salad:
This is a creamy keto salad made with egg, mayo, and avocado which makes it a great option for picnics and on-the-go meals. It’s also very nutritious as the eggs are high in protein and fat. It’s very filling, and rich in micronutrients like choline and zeaxanthin too.
Ingredients:
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced into small pieces
- 66 grams of mayonnaise
- 5 grams of Dijon mustard
- 1/2 of a medium avocado, mashed
- 6 grams of chopped chives
- 5 ml of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the eggs, mashed avocado, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the egg salad as is, or scoop the mixture onto a bed of lettuce.
Bacon, Egg, And Spinach Salad:
this spinach salad with bacon and eggs will be a great meal any time of day. It’s high in nutrients essential for eye health, such as vitamin A, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Vitamin A helps maintain your eyes’ light-sensing cells, while lutein and zeaxanthin act as natural sunblocks to protect against blue light.
Ingredients:
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, sliced
- 100 grams of cooked bacon, sliced or crumbled
- 170 grams of baby spinach, raw
- 2.5 ml of Dijon mustard
- 45 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 22.5 grams of red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Boil the eggs in a saucepan until the whites and yolks solidify. In the meantime, cook the bacon on the stovetop in 15 ml of olive oil until crispy.
- Once cooked, set the eggs and bacon aside. In a small bowl, whisk the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.
- Place the bacon, eggs, and spinach in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing, toss, and serve.
Vegan Kale Salad:
this is a keto salad that requires no products from animals. It is plant-based and can be eaten by both vegan and non-vegan as it is abundant in nutrients. A single serving of this salad boasts of over 300% of your daily needs for vitamin K, which is important for blood clotting, strong bones, and heart health.
Ingredients:
- 170 grams of baby kale, chopped
- 1 mediums avocado, sliced or cubed
- 30 grams of extra virgin olive oil
- 28 grams of pine nuts
- 8 ml of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the kale and olive oil. Massage the oil gently into the kale for 1–2 minutes, or until the leaves have softened.
- Add the pine nuts, lemon juice, and avocado, then toss. Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve immediately.
Taco Salad:
this salad boasts that it provides 31% of your daily needs for calcium through several calcium-rich ingredients, such as sour cream and cheese, and can be prepared in half an hour. Calcium plays a key role in heart health, nerve signaling, and muscle function.
Ingredients :
- 225 grams of ground beef
- 100 grams of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 of a medium avocado, sliced
- 60 grams of cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 28 grams of cheddar cheese, grated
- 60 grams of sour cream
- 7 grams of diced red onions
- 15 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown.
- Add cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Let the beef cool slightly.
- Mix the lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and onion, and serve on two plates.
- Top the salad with beef, then garnish with cheese and sour cream.
keto diet restricts carb intake to a minimum to promote weight loss by placing your body in a state of ketosis. Although this limits lots of food recipes that you love, it also opens you up to several recipes that are bound to get you addicted to its deliciousness.
The fact that a meal has fewer carbs does not make it less healthy or sensational to the taste buds. In making various fatty salads, you can add more fat to it by creating awesome dressings to go with the salad. They are meals that you can prepare at any time of the day and for any occasion.
Note: if at any point in time you desire to increase the fat content of your salad, you can simply drizzle your salad with extra olive oil or avocado oil. You can also add healthy, high-fat toppings like avocado or cheese to add farther to it while making it deliciously healthy.
Conclusion
As explained, the keto diet restricts carb intake to a minimum to promote weight loss by placing your body in a state of ketosis. Although this limits lots of food recipes that you love, it also opens you up to several recipes that are bound to get you addicted to its deliciousness. The fact that a meal has fewer carbs does not make it less healthy or sensational to the taste buds.
In making various fatty salads, you can add more fat to it by creating awesome dressings to go with the salad. They are meals that you can prepare at any time of the day and for any occasion.
