If you are taking on the keto diet, then you have a good understanding of the importance of each meal and how it helps your body reach and stay in ketosis. Your goal with the keto diet is to push your body into this process called ketosis. This is achievable by cutting down carb intake exponentially while also increasing your fat intake. This will push your body into ketosis, or where your prominently burning fat for energy instead of the traditional carbohydrates your body uses. Keeping your body fueled with the correct macros and foods is vital to get your body into this fat-burning state of ketosis to help you hit your goals! 

Lunch is an extremely important meal for everyone, regardless if you are taking on the keto diet or not. It provides energy and nutrients to keep the body and brain working efficiently through the afternoon. Eating in the middle of the day, several hours after breakfast, is vital for re-energizing your body and raising blood sugar levels when focus and concentration are lagging behind. If you're feeling sluggish, eating even a small lunch can renew your energy and help you feel refreshed and ready to take on the next several hours. In addition, eating lunch keeps your metabolism active by burning calories to provide energy, keeping you ready to tackle the rest of your day. 

When adapting to the keto lifestyle, many people find difficulty in mixing up their lunch routine.  A lot of people are just used to buying something really quick around the corner for lunch and not thinking much of it, let alone how many carbs are in it. Getting accustomed to the macro-counting ways of a keto will take some time and practice, but it’s important to plan out your meals ahead of time. This will help you avoid eating anything sporadically that can possibly knock you out of ketosis, and potentially hindering your weight loss goals. It’s equally important to research and learn plenty of different recipes to keep things interesting and new for your lunches. Many people bow out of the keto diet early on due to being bored of eating the same heavy meals over and over again. Make sure to switch things up with some of my favorite lunch recipes! 

Here are some of my favorite keto-friendly lunch ideas: 

Probably my favorite keto meal of all time! Even when I wasn't on the keto diet, me and my family would still regularly make these delicious alternatives to your traditional burger. So easy to make and makes for a perfect pack-and-go lunch for any time! Here’s the instructions for my favorite recipe:

1. In a bowl, combine your 1lb of grassed 80/20 ground beef, 1 tbsp. Of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp of pink Himalayan salt, and 1 tsp of fresh ground pepper.

2. Form beef into 6 separate burger patties.

3. In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp. Of avocado oil over medium heat. Add Portobello mushroom caps and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from heat.

4. In the same pan, cook your freshly formed burger patties for 4 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other side, or until desired doneness is achieved. Add your favorite cheese to top of burgers and cover for about a minute with a lid and allow cheese to melt.

5. Layer one Portobello mushroom cap, then cheeseburger, desired garnishes, and top with remaining Portobello mushroom cap.

6. I personally love garnishing my burgers with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions! If you’re going to add sauces ensure they are sugar-free if possible (to keep carb intake as low as possible).

There’s almost nothing more satisfying to me than a nice big bowl of chili. Most bowls of chili are loaded with carbs (beans) and unhealthy fats, but not this chili. This isn’t just any chili, it’s a keto-friendly, low-carb chili. This means it has all the same taste and satisfaction of traditional versions while still being low in net carbs and loaded with healthy fats. Here’s how to make it!

1. In a large pot, heat ½ tbsp. of avocado oil over medium heat. Add 2 ribs of chopped celery and sauté until softened (about 3-4 minutes). Transfer celery to a separate bowl and set aside.

2. In the same pot, add your 2lbs of 85/15 ground beef (Turkey/Chicken make for great substitutes) and your collection of spices (1 tsp of ground chipotle powder, 1 tbsp. of chili powder, 2 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tbsp. of cumin, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of ground black pepper). Brown until cooked throughout.

3. Lower heat to medium-low, add your unsalted 15 oz. can of tomato sauce and 16 oz. of beef bone broth to cooked beef, and simmer covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add celery back to the pot and stir until incorporated well.

5. Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese and enjoy your homemade keto-friendly chili. (I also like to add sliced jalapeno, and chopped cilantro for maximum taste!)

These are some of my absolute favorite keto lunches I've found through my countless hours of research for new recipes. It’s important to reiterate how important it is to diversify your meals when you take on keto. You don't want to get bored of eating cheese, meat and butter all the time. As keto becomes more and more popular, there are hundreds of new recipes coming out daily for you to use to spice up your lunch time, while also keeping you well within your macros. What better way to diversify your macro-friendly meals than with freshly baked keto goodies delivered right to your doorstep? Here at PBH we’ve made it possible for you to enjoy all your favorite best-tasting desserts that you thought you’d have to give up! You don’t have to search endlessly for a dessert substitute when PBH can deliver keto-friendly cookies, donuts, brownies, and other keto-friendly goodies right to your door!