Standard Keto Diet Macros
Generally you’ll want to keep your keto diet macros at a 75%/20%/5% ratio for fat, protein and carbohydrates. Depending on your individual goals, you may eat slightly more protein and carbs, or less. You’ll have to experiment with carb and protein intake to see what works for you.
The goal of maintaining this macro ratio is to get your body into a state of ketosis and start burning fat for fuel.
Carbs & Keto
Carbohydrate restriction is key when following any low carb diet. Achieve a state of ketosis you’ll want carbohydrates to make up no more than 5% of your total caloric intake. Generally, you can assume you should be eating 20 net carbs or less when starting a ketogenic diet.
Wait, what is a net carb?
A net carb is calculated by subtracting fiber from total carbs. You can subtract fiber from total carb count because dietary fiber has been shown to have little impact on your metabolic state
Example: a package of spinach has 10 grams carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber. You subtract 6 grams of fiber from 10 grams carbohydrates to get 4 net carbs. 10-6=4 net carbs
How do I add fats to my diet?
Eating healthy fats is a big part of this diet, and with 70% of your caloric intake coming from fats, selecting high-quality fats is important. High quality fat sources include: grass-fed beef, grass-fed butter, eggs, coconut oil, olive oil & avocado oil.
Here are a few ways to incorporate more fats into your diet:
#1 Fattier Meats
Buy fattier cuts of meat to boost your fat intake. Bacon is perfect for upping your fat intake – but be mindful of hidden carbs in sugar cured bacon. Go for juicy chicken thighs instead of lean chicken breasts. Avoid lean beef and stick to the 80/20 (generally I won’t go lower than 15% fat content).
#2 Fatten Up Your Vegetables
Add your favorite cheese, oils or butter to vegetables. You’d be surprised how much a little butter and cheese can change the taste of any vegetable.
#3 Fatten Up Your Coffee
I start every day off with a butter and MCT oil-infused coffee. This helps me get some fats in early in the day while getting an energy boost from MCT oil. Be aware that this is a calorie-packed drink and should absolutely be tracked in MyFitnessPal.
#4 Fat Bombs
These are a great way to up your fat. I’ve tried fat bombs and just can’t get into them (adding butter & MCT oil to coffee is basically a fat bomb).
What about protein?
You’ll learn quickly that too much protein is bad for ketosis, and can stall your weight loss progress. Perfect Keto has a great blog post about overdoing protein on a ketogenic diet.
A common protein rule in the keto community is 0.7 and 0.9 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. If you’re a more physically active individual, consume closer to 1 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.
Keto Diet 101
