Does Cutting Carbs Mean Living Off of Bacon and Cheese?

When I first heard of the keto diet which revolved around cutting carbs and eating more fat I was thinking, “There is no way that a healthy and sustainable diet includes practically living off of bacon and cheese.” I mean it’s good news for bacon and cheese lovers. Bacon for breakfast. Cheese for lunch. Cheesy bacon for dinner?!

If you were with me in my thinking, you are right. While living off of cheese and bacon sounds like a dream come true, it is not the healthiest way to do the keto diet.

If you’ve been neglecting to try keto because you’re lactose intolerant or you just hate bacon (WHAT?!?!), there is a solution for you! Here is where you should be getting most of your fat and carbs from when you are cutting carbs.

The Fat You Should Be Eating

First I want to say, that I’m not telling you that you can’t eat bacon and cheese. I am not some sort of bacon hater! I am just saying that getting all fats from bacon and cheese is not what you should be doing.

Sure, have a bit of bacon for breakfast, and that slice of cheese to make your dinner with, but understand that most of your fats should be coming from food that offers plenty of fiber as well as vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients like these foods do:

Avocado

Go for the avocado! Not only is the avocado packed with heart healthy monosaturated fats (which is why they’re a part of the Mediterranean Diet), but it has B-vitamins, vitamin K, potassium, copper, vitamin E and vitamin C.

In one cup it has 21-g of fat and only two net carbs because of all the fiber! Avocado is easy to have with other foods, but you can also just eat it alone with a bit of salt and pepper.

Nuts and Nut Butter

Nuts have a ton of nutrients including antioxidants, and they’re a good source of fat, fiber, and protein. They make for an easy snack or a great spread! Be cautious when choosing a nut butter from the store because many have added sugar.

Olive Oil and Avocado Oil

These oils are an excellent source of heart healthy monosaturated fats, and they both have strong anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to be packed with antioxidants, these oils have been shown to even lower blood pressure! Use them to sauté veggies, drizzle on cooked meats, or as a great salad dressing!

Grass-Fed Ghee

Grass-fed ghee is comprised of full spectrum short, medium, and long chain fatty acids, both unsaturated and saturated. It contains vitamins A, D, E, K2 and is a great source of the antioxidant CLA. It’s so good that we wrote a whole article about it! Click Here

A Plant-Based Diet

While your eyes may be on the prized fats, don’t forget about the carbs you still need to eat! A diet like keto should still be primarily plant-based. Low in calories and carbs, but high in fiber and other nutrients, low carb veggies should be packed into your diet.

You should be incorporating vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, and leafy greens into every meal. They could also be used as a substitute for carbs (hello cauliflower crust!).

The bottom line here is that cutting carbs does not mean eating only bacon and cheese. If you want to keep the diet healthy and sustainable, you have to make it healthy and sustainable!