Maintaining your Keto isn’t like charging your phone. Unlike plug and play batteries, when your fat levels get too low it’s not just a matter of eating a stick of butter and settling back in. Until your body becomes strongly Keto-adapted, switching back into glycolysis can be immediate and hard to rebound from. Keep those fats up with these on-the-go hacks and safe-to-order items from any menu in America.
#1: FAT FLASK (OR WATER BOTTLE)
Filling a flask or water bottle with MCT Oil and some low-calorie sweetener is the baller way of swigging to ketosis… you can use olive oil if you’re playing it safe. Assuming you don’t mind getting caught in the act and looking like a boozer, this is pure-fat at your fingertips. Should your friends ask for a sip, the MCT Oil will certainly put a bit of hair on their chests.
#2: POUCH OF POWDER
Both MCT Oil Powder and Coconut Oil Powder are now available in powdered form, each more palatable (and cleaner) forms of the pure oils. Dump some scoops into a small zip-lock bag and keep them in your gym bag or glovebox for whatever food the day throws at you! A little bit of fat-dusting will certainly bring out the flavor of whatever you’re eating.
#3: HEAVY CREAM w/ ESPRESSO
Some people like a little bit of cream in their morning coffee. Flip the balance and get an espresso shot in your cup of heavy cream! Your server might look at you funny, but they’ll bring a cup of heavy cream out and your caffeinated Keto wake-up call is served.
#4: COCONUT OIL TEA
If the caffeine in coffee beans runs a little high for you, try some coconut oil in your tea instead of your coffee. We got this tip from Tim Ferriss on an episode of Inside Quest. Don’t worry, even though it comes out of the jar as a lardy mound, coconut oil liquidizes at 75 degrees. So this won’t work in iced tea, but you can always use Coconut Oil Powder for that.
#5: ADD EXTRA OLIVE OIL
This is the quickest, easiest and most enjoyable way to Keto up meals on the go. Even if your dish is already above the 1.5:1 threshold (risking glycolysis at anything lower), you should take every opportunity possible to increase your ketones. When in doubt, ask for oil.
#6: SIDE OF BUTTER
Side salads aren’t going to hurt your Keto, but they’re not going to help it either. A side stick of butter goes great on streamed veggies or any of your fiber favorites. And it adds a nice boost of fatty flavor.
#7: BUTYRATE PILLS
For the weeks when you can’t shove down another stick of butter, but you still need that butyrate, stock up on pills to help pick up the slack. Beware of the smell… but it’s nowhere near as bad as ketone esters (ask your chemist friend about those).
#8: POCKET FULL OF MACADAMIAS
We’ve mentioned it in earlier entries of the “Going Keto” series, but this one is so good it bears repeating. Check the macros for proof: in 1 cup you’ll get a whopping 102g of fat! 7g net carbs and 11g protein pale in comparison to these epic fat bombs. If you need a reason to start rocking the cargo shorts again, it’s for double fisting macadamia nuts.
#9: STARVE IT OUT
When in doubt, fast your way through the pain. By this stage you’ve hopefully become keto-adapted enough so that the hunger is like a fly on the wall. You can see it, and could surely squash it if need be with some extra effort, but your ketogenic discipline (and densely caloric previous meal) has trained you well to resist that primal urge a little bit longer.
Stuck looking at a menu without macros? Here’s a couple safe bets for anytime, any place:
CHEESE OMELETTE
You can find these at any diner in America. Expect 30-40g protein and around 40-50g fat. Just make sure you opt for full fat cheese and whole eggs so that you're getting plenty of fat. You could even flip their expectations and ask for extra yolks instead of egg whites!
COBB SALAD
This is a great go-to if you're looking for more veggies. Avocados? ✓ Chicken ✓ Bacon ✓ Cheese ✓ Watch out for croutons, too many tomatoes, or balsamic vinegar. Liven it up with olive oil, lemon juice, and your favorite seasonings.
SASHIMI
Okay, maybe this isn’t for any restaurant, but if you’re looking to diversify your Keto experience then fine Japanese delicacy is definitely an option. Make sure you hold off on the sushi rolls, though – most are filled with rice or deep-fried and laden with carbohydrates. Depending on the type of fish you choose, expect 50-60g protein, but only 20-30g of fat. Be sure to balance your macros with butter or sesame oil.
Now that you understand the finer points of mastering the ketogenic diet – after reading the first six posts in this series – you are well on your way to experiencing unbelievable results. Our final installment next month will cover transitioning out of Keto (should you ever want to), long-term ways to sustain the diet, and more tricks to maintaining weight if you’re concerned about losing muscle mass.
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