There is a lot to be said about the health benefits of the ketogenic diet! Along with burning fat, ketosis — a “natural metabolic process that happens when your body is starved of glucose” and switches to burning fat — has also been shown to lower blood sugar and insulin levels, lead to healthy weight management, reduce acne, and even reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and cancer.
What’s involved in a ketogenic way of eating? The basics involve cutting your carbohydrate intake drastically, increase your healthy fat intake drastically, and then moderate your protein intake based upon the other two factors. When you follow this diet, your body creates “ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.”
The beauty of the keto diet is its versatility! Most recipes are easily transformed into a keto-friendly meal with a few tweaks. Make sure to focus on reducing carbs — such as starches, fruits, and bread — and increase healthy fat intake, — such as avocado, nuts, and seeds.
Here are a few recipes with a great keto-friendly base!
We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help you get healthy! And, don’t forget to check out our Whole Foods Archives!
1. Kale, Beet, and Pecan Salad With Ginger Dressing
Kale, Beet, and Pecan Salad With Ginger Dressing/One Green Planet
When it comes to keto-friendly veggie fare, you can’t really do much better than kale. It’s loaded with nutrients, yet low in carbs. This Kale, Beet, and Pecan Salad With Ginger Dressing recipe by Jesse Lane Lee combines that nutrient-kale with naturally sweet beets and a dose of healthy pecan-sourced fat.
2. Curried Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
Curried Cauliflower Rice Pilaf/One Green Planet
Cauliflower is hardy, filling, and incredibly versatile in the kitchen — from mashed cauliflower to soup to rice! This Curried Cauliflower Rice Pilaf recipe by Lisa Lotts is a simple, flavor-filled recipe featuring low-carb, keto-friendly cauliflower in the place of high-carb rice mixed with savory onion, turmeric, and olive oil.
3. Summer Daikon Rolls With Avocado and Micro Greens
Summer Daikon Rolls With Avocado and Micro Greens/One Green Planet
Looking for that perfect mid-day snack? How about a great ket-friendly appetizer for a dinner party? This Summer Daikon Rolls With Avocado and Micro Greens recipe by Vegan: The Cookbook sources multiple low-carb, keto-friendly ingredients including avocado, microgreens, cucumber, peas, and radish sprouts. These little summer rolls are bursting with flavor and nutrients!
4. Swiss Chard Enchiladas With Avocado Cream
Swiss Chard Enchiladas With Avocado Cream/One Green Planet
When it comes to keto-friendly veggies, you can’t go wrong with dark leafy greens. Yet, instead of going straight for spinach or kale, how about giving swiss chard a try? This Swiss Chard Enchiladas With Avocado Cream recipe by Meghna Purandare uses hardy and incredibly nutrient-dense swiss chard, along with keto-friendly avocado. Swap out the sweet potato for carrots or cauliflower to really make this super low carb!
5. Asparagus and Pea Soup
Asparagus and Pea Soup/One Green Planet
Zucchini not quite your thing? How about trying this low-carb asparagus and pea soup? This Asparagus and Pea Soup recipe by Harriet Emily sources two keto-veggie classics — asparagus and peas — yet bulks up the creaminess value with vegetable stock and celery.
6. Walnut Taco Meat
Walnut Taco Meat/One Green Planet
While lentils and beans are generally off the table with the ketogenic diet, this Walnut Taco Meat recipe by Christa Clark will help you cure those carb-starved hunger pangs! Made with healthy fat-filled walnuts and extra-virgin olive oil and flavored with spices instead of sugar, you’ll get all the nutrient-dense nourishment without the unwanted extras. Instead of using a tortilla, make this meal keto-friendly with cabbage leaves!
7. Extra Sharp Raw Cheddar Cheese Balls
Extra Sharp Raw Cheddar Cheese Balls/One Green Planet
Worried about a vegan-safe, keto-diet? Add this Extra Sharp Raw Cheddar Cheese Balls recipe by Somer McCowan to your daily mix. Based around two healthy fat-filled ingredients — cashews and unrefined coconut oil — these cheese balls pack a punch of flavor with tamari sauce (gluten-free!), sun-dried tomatoes, dry sherry, apple cider vinegar, ground mustard, turmeric, and cayenne.
8. Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Red Pepper and Garlic
Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Red Pepper and Garlic/One Green Planet
Keep it super simple and keto-friendly with this Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Red Pepper and Garlic recipe by Rebecca Blackwell. Brussels sprouts are a low carb veggie, yet are still super filling and with the added extra-virgin olive oil for that wonderful fat, this is a keto-dream of a meal!
9. Scrambled “Eggs”
Scrambled “Eggs”/One Green Planet
Spinach is one of the lowest carb veggies on the spectrum — serving “less than 1 gram for 1 cup of raw spinach — which makes this leafy green a staple in your keto kitchen. With that said, those raw spinach salads can get boring fast, so instead, try out this Scrambled “Eggs” recipe by Amarilis Moldes. These mock eggs are created with low-carb, protein-rich tofu and a hefty helping of mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and spinach, as well as healthy fat-filled extra-virgin olive oil.
10. No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites
No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites/One Green Planet
Just because you’re on a keto diet doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a bit of dessert! The key is to make sure you’re not consuming high amounts of sugar, which means choosing a recipe that is naturally sweetened or uses a sweetener that doesn’t affect your blood sugar drastically such as allulose or monk fruit. This No-Bake Cookie Dough Bites recipe by Melanie Sorrentino is super simple — only 4 ingredients — and gives you the opportunity to choose non-sugar options — chocolate chips and sweetener!
11. Roasted Charred Broccoli With Peanuts
Roasted Charred Broccoli With Peanuts/One Green Planet
A great rule of thumb for creating a keto-friendly yet filling meal is adding a dash of protein and a dash of fat. This Roasted Charred Broccoli With Peanuts recipe by Raymund Macaalay follows these guidelines to a tee. Based on low-carb broccoli, this recipe calls for high fat-peanuts and flavorful onions. To make this 100 percent keto-friendly, go without the teaspoon of sugar!
12. Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Chocolate Avocado Pudding/One Green Planet
Avocados are a keto dieter’s dream! They are filled with all of the healthy fat you could want — monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids, and small amounts of saturated — as well as a helping of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Most of the carbs in avocados are sourced from the fiber, therefore making this a low carb delight! Looking for a keto-friendly treat? Try this Chocolate Avocado Pudding recipe by Kristina Jug and Mitja Bezensek. To make it more keto-friendly, use 80 percent or higher dark chocolate, nix the maple syrup, and go easy on the strawberries.
13. Green Keto Salad
Green Keto Salad/One Green Planet
Going green is an easy way to naturally cut down your carbs! Leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, and asparagus are all low-carb veggies, plus avocado and seeds are all wonderful sources of healthy fat. This Green Keto Salad recipe by Lena Novak is outright a keto-friendly meal that’ll fill you up without sacrificing your keto diet.
14. Seeds and Greens Kaniwa Salad
Incredibly simple and easy to prep for a healthy and low-carb work lunch, this Seeds and Greens Kaniwa Salad recipe by Viktoria Radichkova uses keto-friendly avocado, asparagus, peas, arugula, zucchini, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Filled with healthy fat and nutrients, this is a great mid-day meal.
15. Raw Zucchini Tomato Lasagna With Cashew Herb Cheese
Raw Zucchini Tomato Lasagna With Cashew Herb Cheese/One Green Planet
If you’re practicing the keto diet, you may be craving some of those carb-filled classics, such as lasagna. This Raw Zucchini Tomato Lasagna With Cashew Herb Cheese recipe by Emily von Euw may help fill that craving void using keto-friendly zucchini and healthy fat-filled cashew-based cheese to recreate this classic dinner staple!
Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home!
Avocado Nori Snacks/One Green Planet
Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.
For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.
Here are some great resources to get you started:
- Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
- Plant-Based Health Resources
- Plant-Based Food & Recipes
- Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
- The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
- Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
- High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
- Plant-Based Meal Prep
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