Bacon & Cheese Meatballs

These are ZERO CARB.

What?!

Yes, that's correct. Zero Carb and delicious!  I'm sure if you eat all of them, it will add up to 1-2 carbs due to trace carbs in the cheese, egg and spices, but it's pretty darn zero, especially if eating just a couple.

Let me warn you though, this does not look pretty when coming out of the oven, with all the grease coming out, the pan just looks like a giant mess.  However, bear through it, pick the meatballs out and you will not be disappointed!

These are perfect on their own, or you could add them to some noodles (or zoodles!) and make a pasta dish.

You can add whatever cheese you want.  I, personally, used white cheddar and they turned out great! But mozzarella, swiss or any other kind of cheese would work just as good and probably be just as delicious!

I must admit, since this recipe only uses egg as a binder and no flours or anything, forming the balls can be a bit difficult, as they don't like to keep their shape very well.  I recommend sticking the meat mixture into the fridge for 10 minutes or so to help firm it up.  This is especially useful when making the little wells for the cheese and bacon.

By the way, I also decided that I would try to actual film and make a video of one of my recipes.  So, watch the video below and bear with the horrible editing.  Just try to remember, this was my first video and my first time editing.  I promise it will get better!  If you like the videos and think I should make more in the future, let me know!  Like and subscribing would be awesome! And if you don't like it, let me know that as well! Leave hate comments and thumbs down! I want to know if it's worth it or just a waste of my time...

RECIPE 

Ingredients:
400g ground beef
1 large egg
60g cheese, cut into chunks
3.5 tbsp bacon bits
1-2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp onion powder



Directions:
1. Mix together ground beef, egg and spices

2. Separate and roll into 11 balls and place on a lined baking pan

3. Form little wells, or holes, into each ball

4. In each well, place approximately 5g of cheese and top with approximately 1 tsp of bacon bits.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
6. Let sit and cool for 5 minutes before taking meatballs off pan
7. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:
per one meatball 

Raspberry Fat Bombs

 Fat Bomb?! What's that?!

If you are new to keto, then fat bombs will quickly become your best friend.  If you've been keto for awhile. I'm sure you already know how great fat bombs can be!

To be honest, the first time I heard the term 'fat bomb', I wasn't too sure what to think.  The name
sounds like it's something that will give you a heart attack.  Luckily, that is not what it is.  It is, though, a bite sized treat that is mainly just a source of fat and usually has little to no carbs or protein in it.  They are a great way to get your fat intake up when it's falling a bit short for that day.  This is great for when your starting keto and are trying to get into ketosis; as this is when a higher fat intake is most important.

I made 18 bite sized fat bombs with this recipe, each fat bomb contains 86 calories, 9g of fat and only .2g of carbs!  That means you can definitely treat yourself to 2 or 3 of these; not to give you any ideas or anything..

Now I know, the title of this recipe is Raspberry Fat Bombs, but you can definitely change up the flavouring easily.  You can use any no sugar added Jello mix that you can find at your local grocery store and try different flavours.  This one is personally my favourite.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 package no sugar added raspberry Jello



Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl

2. Beat using an electric beater for 1 minute, until you have a smooth and fluffy mixture

3. Spoon onto some parchment paper into bite size sections.

4. Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm (you can freeze if you want them sooner!)

5. Enjoy!

Nutrition:

Coconut Almond Balls

If you like coconut and almonds, you should really like this recipe.

Not only is this a super quick and easy recipe, it is no bake! That's right, all you have to do is mix the ingredients together and refrigerate.  It's great if you are short on time or don't like baking all that much.  Kids could even make this themselves.

These coconut almond balls are low carb, vegan and gluten free!  How awesome is that?!

I like to keep a few of these in the fridge for when I need a quick pick-me-up or a sweet treat.  They are small, so you just just enough to curb your cravings while keeping calories and carbs low.  It means you can also have a second, if needed!  But be careful, if you don't pay attention, these can go quick!

This recipe contains almonds and coconut (duh!), both of which have so many great health benefits.

Almonds are filled with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.  They are a great source of vitamin E, manganese and magnesium.  Also, because almonds are high in both fiber and protein, they tend to fill you up quicker and keep you full longer!  Sounds great to me!

Coconuts are also filled with healthy fats and fiber, meaning they too will help you stay satisfied for longer! They also have potassium and magnesium, and we all know how important those electrolytes are.  

I ended up making 19 bite sized balls out of this recipe, each ball totaling 1.6 net carbs and 134 calories.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tbsp coconut butter
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup almond butter
20 drops stevia
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp no sugar chocolate chips (I used Lily's)


Directions:
1. Mix all items together in a bowl

2. Roll into bite sized balls.  You may have to refrigerate mixture for about ten minutes prior to this to firm mixture up.  If it's a warm day, this mixture will liquefy pretty fast!

3. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.  These should also be stored in the fridge or freezer.  As mentioned, mixture will start to melt pretty quickly if warm.

4. Enjoy!

Low Carb Creamy Chicken Casserole

I'm going to start this post by apologizing for the pictures.  I know they are not the prettiest pictures and by no means do they give this dish justice, but I'm still figuring out this whole food photography thing and casseroles are hard to get good pictures of!  It just kinda all fall apart as soon as you take it out of the dish.

Lately, I have been stuck in the same routine for dinner.  It's always some kind of meat: chicken, pork, steak, with a side of either vegetables or salad.  I don't know about you, but after awhile of eating the same things every night, I tend to get a bit bored.  And when your on a diet, the last thing you want to do is get bored with your food; that's when cheating tends to happen.

Would you rather have the same meat and vegetables you had last night, or would you rather order some pizza or a burger?  Of course the last things could be altered to make it keto friendly, however those calories will still sneak up on you!

So that's where this recipe comes into play.  The other night, I had some extra time to prepare dinner so I thought I would try something new.  Casseroles are a great dish, because you can just add a bunch of ingredients together and bake it, and usually it comes out tasting pretty good.

Okay, the best part of this dish is the secret ingredient: Cauliflower!  And I can guarantee to you, no one will know there is cauliflower in this.  It's a great option to sneak those vegetables in for picky husbands and kids.

The cauliflower mash becomes this creamy sauce which is a great match with the chicken and cheese.  I must admit, my husband looked at it and wondered what kind of mush I was trying to feed him, but once he took a bite, he realized how good it actually was!

I made this casserole into 2 servings and had it on its own as a main dish.  However, you could definitely get away with separating this into 3-4 servings and having it as a side dish.  As a main, this casserole comes to 499 calories and 10 net carbs.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower, half a head, (approx 400g)
1 large chicken breast, (approx 200g uncooked)
1 tbsp butter
30ml (2 tbsp) heavy cream
60g (1/4 cup) cream cheese
60ml (1/4 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup shredded cheese
Garlic powder, to taste
Onion powder, to taste




Directions:
1. Cook chicken and shred into bite sized pieces.  I cooked my in the pressure cooker, on high for 10 minutes.

2. Cook cauliflower until tender.  It should fall apart when stabbed with a fork.  I cooked mine in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes (while I was shredding the chicken)

3. Place cauliflower, butter, cream, cream cheese, garlic powder and onion powder in blender and puree into a smooth mixture.

4. In a mixing bowl, add cauliflower puree, chicken and sour cream.  Mix well.

5. Pour mixture into a lined 8x8 casserole pan and cover with cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!

Nutrition:
Per half casserole:
Calories = 499
Protein = 38g
Fat = 35g
Carbohydrates = 15g
Fiber = 5g
Net Carbs = 10g

My Essential Keto Grocery List

WHAT DO YOU BUY FOR A KETO DIET?!

I get so many questions about what foods you should buy to support the keto diet, so I figured I would put together this quick list.  These are the foods that I keep stocked up in my home as my keto staples. 

Also, yes, I did put some Amazon affiliation links in this post.  This is just to show you what I buy, please do not think you have to click the links, nor buy any of these products from Amazon. These products can all be found at your local grocery store.

Please note, these are just what I buy and by no means, is keto restricted to this list.  You'll notice that there are some foods that are staples in most keto diets, such as avocados, that do not appear on my list.  This is simply because I do not like them.  Don't think I am leaving them out because they are not good for you, or are carb heavy; I just choose not to eat them.

I'm also leaving treats out of this one.  I will make another post soon with all my favourite keto treats and snacks!  This post is just the basics and essentials of what you should have to begin your journey into ketosis.

Meats

Meats are a basic necessity of most keto diets.  I know there are some vegan keto dieters out there, and props to them; I'm not sure I would be able to meet my macros without meat.  Or dairy for that matter.

I usually buy the big family packs of meat and separate into baggies.  This is important, not only to save money, but really helps with portion control.

My meat go to's:

• Ground meat (beef, pork, chicken) - this often rotates based on what is on sale.
• Chicken thighs
• Chicken breasts
• Pork chops
• Breakfast Sausage - Check ingredients for added sugar! Try to get the ones with none added.
• Bacon - See above note - so many brands have sugar added and carbs can really add up quick!
• Bacon Bits - great topping for salads & veggies!
• Fish
• Burgers
• Meatballs - great for quick meals!
• Steak (I like the beef chunks, which are often cheaper with a bit more fat)
• Smokies/Hot Dogs - I eat these for lunches often

Dairy

As mentioned above, dairy is a huge part of my diet - it's where a lot of my fat sources come from.  And if you follow me closely, you'll know I eat cheese daily!

My must have's:

• Shredded Cheese - I know this has a tiny it of carbs in it, but I think it's worth it in order to avoid shredding my own cheese.
• Cheese Sticks/ Babybel cheese - for easy convenient snacks
• Heavy Whipping Cream - for my coffees
• Cream Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Butter (not margarine!)
• Eggs (is this considered dairy?! - probably not) - This one is important for most keto-ers, however I actually don't like eggs and only used them in baking.  I know, I'm weird.  I'm probably the only one on a keto diet who doesn't eat eggs daily!

Vegetables

You have to be careful with vegetables, there are many high carb veggies out there that you cannot eat on the keto diet.  You have to keep it to green leafy vegetables, and high fiber ones.

With the exception of lettuce, I buy frozen vegetables - mainly for convenience and for the fact that they last longer. That's a lie, actually.  I do buy fresh cauliflower rice and cabbage, but I end up sticking those in the freezer; so they are pretty much considered frozen veggies to me.

I get these:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Riced Cauliflower
• Cabbage (I shred, portion and freeze)
• Brussel Sprouts
• Lettuce

Baking

 

Of course, I always have low carb baking ingredients in my home.  You never know when you'll want to whip up some cookies!

You'll see these in most of my recipes:

• Coconut Flour
• Almond Flour
• Truvia
• Stevia
• Baker's Chocolate
• Cacao Powder
• Natural Nut Butters (ingredients should only include nuts!)
• Shredded Coconut (unsweetened!)

Pantry

The dry ingredients. 

• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Hemp Seeds
• Chia Seeds
• Coffee
• Herbs/Spices (look for no added sugars)
• Nuts (low carb options - macadamia, walnuts, almonds)
• Bone Broth
• Salad Dressing (full fat, low carb!) I buy ranch and ceasar

And that's it!  This is a pretty basic list of the ingredients that I always have stocked in my home.  Most of my meals are based around these.  I may have forgot some things, but if you are new to Keto, this will definitely help you to get started.  Like I said previously, all of these products can be found at your local grocery store and none of them are too expensive (with the exception of maybe the meat).

I hope you find this to be helpful!  I will be uploading my favorite keto treats and snacks soon, as well as the supplements I take daily. So, keep posted!

April 2018 Update

April 1

Weight: 159.6lbs

April Goals

-Start Exercising!

-Calories - 1,200

-Net Carbs - 20g

- Fat - 75% (100g)

- 155lbs

As April comes to an end, it's time to evaluate the last month and see how I did.  Did I meet my goals? If not, how can I improve?

I hope reading this will also inspire some of you out there.  It's important to make note of your goals and evaluate how you are doing.  This will help you stay on track and keep you accountable.

I tried something new this month.  I decided that for the whole month of April I was not going to weigh myself.  Previously, I tracked my weight on a weekly basis.  So this was a bit weird for me; not actually knowing how much I weighed.  To be honest, I'm not a big fan of it.  There was so many times this month that I would look at myself in the mirror and just think to myself: I'm gaining weight, I'm huge! Honestly, I found it kind of discouraging, as I had nothing to compare to.  I couldn't track what I was doing and see if it was working or not.

Exercise

The main reason I wanted to try this new method out was the fact that I wanted to start to exercise this month.  I did not want to look at the scale after a week of exercising and seeing that I didn't drop as much weight as I hoped and have it discouraged me from going to the gym.

And now, I have to be honest with you all.  I did go to the gym, but only 9 times in the entire month... I started out really motivated; I went to the gym 4 times the first week and the 5 times the second week.  I was just start out this exercising thing, so I only spent 30 minutes on the elliptical, but hey, it's still better than nothing!

The 3rd week I fell off the wagon.  I would get home from work late and make excuses - I didn't have time, I needed to make dinner, etc.  Which is lame, I know.  Thirty minutes is nothing, I really had no excuse.  And once I went a few days without going, I just lost more motivation.


Birthday

Okay, so the gym was a disappointment this month - but you know what wasn't?  My Birthday.  My birthday was a huge success.

When I committed to Keto back in February, I was only committed up until my birthday - April 18.  I had planned that on my birthday, I was going to have a major cheat day and eat all the things that I was missing.  I was going to have potato chips, french fries, donuts, milkshakes, pizza, and of course, birthday cake!

However, in the days leading up to my birthday, I decided that I had worked so hard to make it to where I was and I didn't want to have that set back.  Was it worth me losing all the hard work I had done for a few minutes of a delicious taste in my mouth?  Probably not.

We did end up going out for dinner, but instead of getting a carb loaded meal, like I had originally planned, I ordered a steak with a side of brussel sprouts and caeser salad (no croutons, of course!).  And I must admit, it was delicious.  And I was proud of myself.  Proud of being strong and not giving into temptation.

For dessert, there was no birthday cake.  But I did treat myself to a 1/4 cup serving of Halo Top Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream!  It was only 3.5 net carbs, so I couldn't really go wrong there.  I may have also treated myself to 2 of my Keto Peanut Butter Cookies... But hey, I  still did pretty well on my macros for the day and I am definitely proud that I was able to avoid all of the birthday temptations that were coming my way!


Macros

I don't know why, but even though I track my macros every day, I thought I did not too well with them.  However looking back and doing some quick math, my averages were as follows:

Calories: 1,257
Net Carbs:  14.6g
Fat: 96g

These numbers were pretty lined up with my goals for the month.  The fat could have been a bit higher but calories and net carbs were pretty perfect.  Nothing to complain about there!

May 1 Weight
 
This morning, so nervously, I stepped on the scale for the first time in 1 month.  I was so worried that I gained weight or that I had hit a stall and my weight would be unchanged.  But to my surprise, I hit my goal: 155.1 pounds.  I should have been happy with this, but honestly, I had wanted to be just a bit lower, I was secretly aiming for 153lbs.  Nevertheless, I lost almost 5 pounds in one month and that is a great success! Also, that brings my total weight loss to 40lbs!


May Goals

In May, I want to try exercising again!  You know the saying, if at first you do not succeed, try and try again!  I hope this month I can be a bit more motivated!  I will be going back to weighing myself on a weekly basis, as I hope it will help me stay more on track.


My macros were good this last month, so I'm going to stick to the same goals in May - maybe I will try to cut the carbs down a bit. Or at least increase my fiber content, I think this will be helpful.

And as for weight, I want to get into the 140's by June 1st. June 1st will mark the 1 year anniversary of my weight loss journey, not to be confused with my keto journey; this was the date I decided I was going to change my life and I started changing my eating habits.  I think a 50 pound lost in one year would be amazing.

Let's hope I can do it!