Do I Eat Keto Every Day?

 

Do I eat Keto every day?  Usually, yes.  But occasionally I do indulge myself and enjoy a little bit of rice or sometimes fish & chips.  Sometimes I want a bowl of regular ice cream.  It is okay to indulge occasionally.  They key here however is occasionally.

 

I eat Keto because I feel better when I do.  When I don't I feel sluggish and not as sharp.  I know it is a healthier way of eating and I do enjoy it.  I do believe the occasional indulgence is what helps me make this lifestyle more sustainable.  No one wants to feel deprived and I think that constantly denying ourselves a simple thing like a certain food we truly enjoy isn't being kind to ourselves.

 

Some people like to have a "cheat day".  I think Dwayne Johnson's day to cheat is Sunday and he eats whatever he wants to indulge in on that day.  I just pick a meal every once in awhile and have whatever it is I've been wanting and then the next meal I'm back to Keto.  Whether it is a day of the week or just a meal is strictly up to you.  This lifestyle isn't about deprivation, it's about health and wellness.

 

If you are doing this for weight loss enjoy your indulgence once you have made your goal and celebrate your accomplishment.  Then get back to it.  If you, like me, are doing this to maintain your health then enjoy the occasional non Keto food you want and afterward return to those plants and animals that keep us going.  This is a sustainable lifestyle we can all benefit from.

 

Chopped Salads

 

Chopped salad kits are convenient and delicious, however they are expensive and surprisingly most of them are not the healthiest.  They can be high in carbohydrates due to the amount of sugar in the dressings as well as some of the toppings.  By the time I filter out all of the sugar laden goodies there isn't much left so I decided it is better for me to just make my own salads.

 

My base for these salads is pretty much the same as the pre-packaged ones.  I chop up green cabbage, purple cabbage, kale and add some grated carrot.  Then I just add my own toppings like black and green olives, nuts and seeds, red or green bell pepper, sliced green onions, diced avocado and then my own dressing.  Cooked chicken, sliced steak or some bacon is also nice for a hardier meal.

 

Chopped salads are easy to make and not very expensive either.  I like to make up a large bowl of the cabbage, kale and carrot to keep in the refrigerator as it holds up quite well and doesn't easily wilt.  I serve it up and add my dressing and toppings at that time to keep it lasting even longer rather than mixing everything together.  What is your favorite chopped salad?

 

 

Canning Sausages

 

Happy Fall Y'all!  Our Kroger store Fred Meyer recently had a sale on their store brand brats.  My personal favorite are the Hot Italian Sausages.  I stocked up the last time they had this same sale and I ended up with several extra packages in my freezer taking up quite a bit of space so I decided to slice them up and can them with some peppers and onions.

 

When the pandemic first began back in 2020 one of the items I could not get at the grocery store for quite some time was 15 oz. cans of canned tomatoes.  What the store did have was the big #10 cans for a really good price of $2.97 so I did buy a few.  These are great to use when you want to do some canning so I grabbed one for this project.  I chopped up a nice big onion and three bell peppers I originally had planned to stuff, but changed my mind.

 

I did two batches of tomatoes by placing half of the tomatoes, half of the veggies in my largest mixing bowl.  I added a 3 Tbs. of minced garlic, 2 Tbs. dried basil and a teaspoon of dried oregano and mixed it all together.  My tomatoes didn't have a lot of moisture so I poured in a 12 oz. can of V-8 juice in as well.

 

In a saucepan I heated up a quart of chicken stock.  I sliced up the sausages and layered in the tomato mixture and the sausages and then topped up each pint jar with a little bit of broth leaving a 1 inch headspace in my jars.  Each package of sausage was enough to do three jars.  Three packages of sausage and a bowl of the tomato mixture filled nine pint jars which just happens to be the exact amount my pressure holds.  I then repeated the whole process all over again.

 

Six packages of sausages, the veggies and the #10 can of tomatoes plus two cans of V-8 juice was the perfect amount to fill 18 pint jars.  Each jar holds two servings which works perfectly for me.  Of course you could also do this in quart jars if you want.  It is nice to take advantage of meat sales and preserve them for future use and makes it much more affordable to maintain my Keto lifestyle.  I added some of these jars to my pantry and the rest to my long-term food storage for a lot of quick and healthy meals to enjoy in the future.

 

Other things I've canned recently include ground beef, taco meat, pot roast in seasoned beef broth and cubed chicken breast.  I'll let you know what I end up canning next.

 

Plants & Animals Baby!

 

People will often ask me "What do you eat?" and I tell them "Basically, plants and animals."  It doesn't get much easier or more fundamental than that.  If it is a plant or an animal I'll pretty much eat it, within reason.  I do limit my intake of fruit, but as far as vegetables and lean meat options as well as most nuts, I'm all in.

 

A very simple spinach salad

When you look at your way of eating on the most basic and fundamental level it makes it really easy and far less overwhelming, in my opinion.  Cheetos, although delicious, are not a plant nor an animal, therefore I probably shouldn't eat that.  Milky Way or Snickers, same thing.  Salad, serve it up!  Roasted almonds, yes please!  Salmon fillet, grilled to perfection?  Come to mama!

 

Bite sized pieces of pork combined with frozen vegetables baked on a tray

I look for foods that are in the form that is closest to nature.  Fresh or frozen vegetables, lean meats, nuts, butter, cream, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut and coconut oil.  When I think of condiments I look for those that have the least amount of ingredients, preferably recognizable or I make them myself so I know exactly what is in there.

 

These peanut butter cookies contain no sugar and no flour but you would never know it

When it comes to sweets, yes I have a sweet tooth, I eat those in moderation and make it or again purchase something that is limited with a recognizable ingredient list.  My sweeteners of choice are stevia or monk fruit.  I try to stay away from regular white sugar which can be difficult because they sneak it into everything so you really need to be a label reader when you are shopping.  Which is why I try to stay as close to nature as possible when selecting my groceries.  It just makes it easier.

 

Hot Italian sausage with tomatoes, onions & peppers

Plants and animals baby!  I'm telling you that's where it's at.

 

Move It!

 

Along with healthy eating I feel it is just as important to me that I stay active.  Low carb eating has the benefit of giving me the energy I need to tackle pretty much any activity I want to.  I feel good and I want to do things like ride my bike, take a walk, go hiking, work in the yard or on my house.  I don't want to be a couch potato.

 

I'm not one that enjoys working out, never have.  You won't likely see me in a gym, jogging or running on a treadmill, it just isn't my thing.  But, I do see the importance in regular exercise and I make sure I stay active and fit.  Put a pair of trail shoes on my and I'm gone!  I love to walk and I'm passionate about hiking.  Being outdoors in nature feeds my soul.

 

Exercise and fitness goals are different for each of us.  Whatever our situation in life I do feel it is important to move.  So I encourage you, if you don't already have an exercise routine that you start today and get going, even if you just a walk down to the end of the block and back.  And if you already do have a routine going then great!  Kudos to you.  Our bodies were designed to move and go and do.  It is vital to our health and physical wellbeing, our emotional wellbeing too.  Keep going!

 

Is Eating Keto Still Economical?

 

My first inkling was to consider not eating Keto anymore, however after tinkering with different food options I abandoned that idea and went back.  Why?  Simply because I feel better and my body does better.  For me, carbs are not my friend so it was really important to me to find ways to continue with my Keto lifestyle without breaking the bank as the price of meat and eggs seem to have skyrocketed.

 

To begin with, on any given day I typically eat just two meals per day.  My first meal is around noon or 1:00 and then supper once I'm hungry again.  I always begin my morning with a hot cup of black coffee and then a second one about an hour later.  By 10:00 in the morning I'm ready to break my fast and will make a large Keto coffee and that keeps my quite happy and satisfied until my first meal.

 

Roasted veggies

I only eat meat during one meal, usually lunch and then will make a vegetable based meal for my last meal of the day.  Salads are a great way to do that with added proteins like sliced egg, cheeses, nuts and extra healthy fats, primarily oils.  This has been working remarkably well for me.  Roasted vegetables seasoned and tossed in olive or avocado oil is my other go to.

 

My birthday dinner - salmon fillet, part of a rib eye steak & sauteed green beans

I eat less meat now and only purchase what is on sale or deeply discounted so I check the weekly store ads regularly and stock up on those bargains.  My largest meal of the day is the one I eat at noon and I will typically have meat and bulk it up with vegetables and again I add in healthy fats with it.  Stir fries, casseroles, soups and stews are a great way to do this.

 

Meal planning is very helpful for me to use up what I have on hand so nothing goes to waste and I challenge myself to use up what is left in the vegetable bin before I head out to buy more.  I also challenge myself to stretch eat package of meat its fullest potential to see how many meals I can make from it.  I don't eat steak nearly as often as I used to and I've cut down the portion size when I do have it, but I do still have it.  Right now I just look for other less expensive options in order to stay on budget.

 

Buy & eat more vegetables

It definitely can still be done, in fact I still feel this way of eating is more economical than not, especially right now.  I'm actually able to eat better for less money because of it.  Carbohydrates are expensive too.  Have you seen how much prices of pasta and beans have risen?  Shop those sales, stock up on what you can and eat more vegetables, fresh or frozen.  Cook from scratch and keep things simple.  Stay true and stay healthy.