Top 10 Best Keto Low Carb Recipes

I love carbs…..like really LOVE them. I want a house made of breadsticks (think Olive Garden, not the crunchy ones), and my furniture to be carved from Hostess cakes. I want my car to have Oreo wheels and my steering wheel to be a donut that never gets smaller, because I don’t want to lose control of my vehicle, but I do want to enjoy a treat while I’m driving. I want to eat pasta on the daily and wash it all down with a big glass of milk.

But I don’t want diabetes, dementia, heart disease, to have to size up in my pants again, or the need to purchase a 2nd seat when I fly. I come from a family of good eaters. Not good eaters, like healthy eaters. I am referring to how you clap your hands and praise your toddler for cleaning their plate. (Of course with a toddler, they usually are eating healthy, but the praise is because they ATE IT ALL.)

A lot of it has to do with the Southern Culture. We love to cook and bake. There is a difference between cooking and baking, and Southern women will delineate which they prefer. You bake a pie or a casserole. You cook collard greens and bacon. Anytime you are invited to someone’s house, you immediately ask what you can bring, and this is always in reference to what food item you can bring. Ain’t nobody inquiring if they should bring a bottle of Chardonnay or the Cribbage board. We want to bring food, so we can contribute to the evening’s main event. The meal.

All family gatherings and most every social gathering in the South center around food. Even if it really shouldn’t have anything to do with food, we still throw out that we will bring finger foods or pack a picnic.

And have mercy, the SWEET TEA! Everyone is trying to be healthy these days, but lets not even pretend like the best sweet tea you have ever had didn’t have 2 cups of white sugar perfectly dissolved in there.

Now, I am not blaming my Southern roots for my overindulgence in the glorious goodness that is the Southern cuisine. Nope, that falls on me. And I certainly don’t want everyone making unnecessary healthy substitutions to the detriment of the flavor. Don’t mess with my banana pudding or my mama’s fried chicken.

But having not been blessed with a fast metabolism or a love for exercise, this mama was in need of a change. I have done every diet out there and they all work if you just do them. The problem is I lack motivation and discipline. But this year, I have really been trying to work on my discipline. Not just in my diet but all aspects. I feel like for most women, much of our dieting ambitions is because we want to look better. But as we get older and start feeling the adverse effects of being overweight, that goal shifts from wanting to look better to wanting to feel better.

And that is where I have been for the past few months. I am very active in the summer and hike a lot. I am also very strong which helps with climbing and sometimes packing in a kid. But I started this hiking season up about 20 lbs, and I felt every single one. Usually, the hikes get easier as the summer progresses even though they are longer with more elevation gain because I build up my endurance as I get in better shape. But this year my stamina never improved. I fought for every mile and it was incredibly frustrating.

At the end of the season, I promised myself that my 2019 season would not be a repeat of 2018. That I would lose the 20lbs, focus on strength training and some cardio, and be ready to tackle the tougher hikes and longer treks at the beginning of the season. So here I am. Mid-January and back on a diet that probably won’t be a “lifestyle” for me, but is definitely working and sustainable for the time being.

I usually avoid trends because I get annoyed when people are overzealous about silly things. This is why I never wore Uggs or glasses with no prescription. It is why I don’t use the word minimalism when describing the fact that clutter stresses me out. And why for so long I refused to buy organic because I was tired of people not being able to share what they bought or ate without stipulating it’s fancy non-pesticide state. And currently, it is the reason I am not Marie Kondo-ing my home.

So why then, am I doing the ever so trendy Ketogenic diet? Well, for one I need to lose weight. But also, the more I researched it the more it made sense to me. And aside from the occasional annoying substitute that my body is not fooled by, the food is still delicious. Oh, and in the past 15 days, I am down 12 lbs. So it works without leaving you hungry. Now, I am not suggesting Keto is for everyone, but right now it is working for me. And with a family history of diabetes and 2 insulin dependent pregnancies with gestational diabetes, cutting my carbs is certainly a wise decision.

Whether you are on the Keto train, eating low carb, or just want to try some new recipes, you have come to the right place. Below are my favorite Keto/low carb recipes….. so far.

Don’t forget to pick up ketone test strips to check your Ketosis status. If you are really serious about the keto diet, I definitely recommend investing in a blood ketone meter. They are not cheap but the blood monitors are more accurate, and a great way to make sure you are in an optimal nutritional Ketosis range.