The ketogenic diet, or keto for short, is a very high fat, moderate protein and very low carb diet. The keto diet has become a popular way for people to lose fat somewhat quickly. Before choosing this diet, it's important to be aware that this quite a significant change from regular eating habits so it can be difficult to stick to. No carbs means no bread, pasta, starchy veg and no fruit. Instead you're diet will consist of lots of avocado, olive oil, salmon, eggs, nuts and seeds. This will mean that your grocery bill is likely to increase too, something to bare in mind if you're meal prepping on a budget.

The science behind it is that by when deprived of carbs the body will start to burn fat. It takes a bit of time following a strict keto diet before the body will make the switch to using fats as it's primary fuel. Then you will be in ketosis and you will begin to feel the benefits. This transition period varies from person to person, it can take a couple of days or a week. If you want to know for certain if you are in ketosis, we recommend buying keto strips to confirm this. You can buy these easily online.

All of our keto meal prep recipes contain less than 5% net carbs, and over 70% fat with protein making up the rest.

Sources and research

If you're interested in reading more about a ketogenic diet, we recommend the following research.

What are the side effects of the keto diet? How do I avoid the keto flu?

The keto flu is thought to be caused by an electrolyte and salt imbalance. You may feel lethargic, tired, have headaches and other symptoms. Some people may feel like this after a couple of days, others a week and some people will feel great and avoid any symptoms of keto flu. The trick is to make sure to drink plenty of water. Add some bone broth to your grocery list and enjoy this as a way to help balance electrolytes. Some people make the mistake of removing all vegetables on keto but this means you’re missing out on essential vitamins and minerals. Dark leafy greens are great sources of potassium and magnesium so make sure to include these, particularly in the early stages of moving to a keto diet.