The keto diet or any other high-protein diet is not a one-size-fits-all diet. That’s why you have to find what works best for you. The amount of protein your body needs depends on many factors such as gender, age, and activity level. Your overall health goals also matter. As we grow older, we tend to process protein less efficiently, and it becomes easier to lose muscle mass. This is applicable to both men and women. But women during menopause tend to lose more body mass even faster. Consuming higher fat and lower protein can fuel this loss.
What About the Low-Carb Diets?
Low carbs, on the other hand, are used for promoting weight loss and stabilizing blood sugar levels. Most low-carb diets often limit the intake of foods that are loaded with carbs or added sugar. A low-carb diet restricts the intake of carbohydrates coming from pasta, sugary foods, and bread. It must be high in protein, vegetables, and fat. You can find many types of low-carb diets. According to studies, such diets can give you weight loss and also improve your health.
A low-carb diet must include a variety of minimally processed low-carb food items which include non-starchy vegetables, protein sources, and high-fat dairy products. Examples of foods that can be consumed in a low-carb diet: are nuts and seeds, meat, fish, lower-carb fruits, fats and oils, high-fat dairy, and eggs. For beverages, those that have low-carb content are coffee, tea, water, and any sugar-free carbonated beverage such as sparkling water.
For a low-carb snack, you may choose from the following: Greek yogurt, baby carrots, some cheese and meat, one or two pieces of hard-boiled eggs, a piece of fruit, and leftovers from the previous night.
Coming Up with a High-Protein Low-Carb Meal
You can gain a lot of health benefits when you follow a high-protein low-carb diet. This type of diet is meant to create muscle mass and reduce body weight and fat. You can find a lot of evidence that shows low-carb and high-protein diets can cause faster weight loss compared to the usual diets.
Some people may benefit a lot from a low-carb intake, but they may have some trouble controlling their blood sugar. This is why a keto-style low-carb diet can be dangerous to health. A diet that is predominantly high in protein and fat is more likely to have less amount of fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. These are known to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses. Aside from this, your gut bacteria live on fiber. This means that a low-fiber intake will make your gut bacteria unhealthy. You also need carbohydrates for fuel. What you can do is reduce your carb intake without going full on your keto diet by doing the following steps:
Balance your macros.
You can have a high-protein and low-carb diet by following these percentages: 30% fat, 35% carbohydrates, and 35% protein. For a 2,000-calorie diet, it’s like having 67 grams of fat, 175 grams of carbohydrates, and 175 grams of protein every day.
No need to overload the protein.
Only 25 to 30 grams of protein can be used every meal to ensure muscle growth and repair. This means that any extra gram is just extra calories.
Always focus on your fiber intake.
Look for meals that are at least half of their total carb grams from fiber. Focus on fiber and not on reducing carbs. When you consume carbohydrate-based food that is high in fiber, you’ll stay full longer and you will have to consume fewer calories in general, which may lead to weight loss.
Meal Prepping for a Low-Carb High-Protein Diet
There are various ways to do meal prepping, and it all depends on what works for you.
Cook for the week to come.
Cook a huge meal and segregate it into small portions in individual containers. By doing this, you now have ready-to-eat lunches and dinners that you can easily reheat.
Prepare the ingredients ahead.
Chop and measure the ingredients the night before and keep the fresh ingredients in the fridge until they are needed. Then you may serve this as a full-sized family meal as soon as it’s cooked.
Mix and match.
You can create a chicken and vegetable meal for dinner and keep the leftovers in small portions for future meals.
Some Low-Carb High-Protein Meals
Here are some low-carb and high-protein meals that you can easily make at home. You can try mixing any of them as well.
Shrimp, Avocado, and Egg Chopped Salad
Shrimp is a great high-protein and low-calorie food that can take the place of pork, chicken, or beef. You can top it off with fiber-rich greens. Add avocado and eggs for more flavor, healthy fat, and proteins. Now you have a large filling salad.
Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Kale
With this meal, you can have dinner on the table using only a few ingredients. Instead of the breast part, you can use chicken legs which increase the overall fat. It brings a lot of flavor to the meal. You can use any of your favorite veggies if you don’t like kale. You can heat it in the oven quickly before you serve it.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
This is your instantaneous comfort food. Instead of using standard macaroni, this mac and cheese meal uses cauliflower. It’s a low-carb meal that you can make in just 15 minutes. Use the mustard-spiked cheese sauce to make it the best version of it.
Salmon Salad With Avocado and Sweet Grape Tomatoes
Salmon is high in protein, but it is also loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that fight off inflammation and boost heart health. If you want it to be crunchy, add almonds. You may also add avocado to give you healthy fat. You can use tomatoes for a healthy dose of vitamins. Greens may also be added to the mix to increase the fiber while you enjoy this quick and greatly satisfying meal.
You can find many more meal recipes here that will suit your low-carb and high-protein diet.