Keto-Friendly Italian Ground Beef Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What cheese is good for keto? ›

Some cheeses suit the keto diet better than others. This mainly comes down to their carb and fat content and level of processing. The best keto cheeses include cheddar, Gouda, goat cheese, and blue cheese, while the worst are cottage cheese and low fat and processed varieties.

Got cheese has the lowest carb content out of all varieties. It contains zero carbs while supplying you with 8 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein per 1-ounce serving.

Grass-fed beef is an ideal meat for keto eaters. It's a little bit leaner than conventionally-farmed beef, and has a brighter, cleaner taste. There are also so many different cuts to choose from. Ground beef is great for quick, weeknight meals, while roasts can be slow-cooked, braised, or smoked on the weekends.

Steaks are also a great source of protein for keto, and the fattier the cut the better, so ribeye and sirloin steaks are ideal. Beef – ribs, ground beef, steaks and more! Pork – pork chops, ground pork, it's all good. Ham (avoid glazed ham!)

Similar to my corn dog recipe, these keto mozzarella sticks feels like you are cheating but you're not! Each fried cheese stick is only 0.2 grams of carbs – practically zero carbs. Ready in under 12 minutes, get your ranch and marinara sauce ready for this restaurant favorite appetizer.

If you are looking to manage your sodium intake, proponents point to unsalted butter as the better option for your keto diet requirements.

Cheese can be a staple on a ketogenic diet due to its high fat and low-carb content. However, moderation is key. While it's a good source of fats and proteins, excessive consumption may hinder your overall nutritional balance. Adjust your cheese intake based on your daily macronutrient goals.

Regular, full fat sour cream is made from cream and contains far more fat than carbs. Therefore, it's considered keto-friendly. However, low fat or nonfat sour cream is not. Full fat sour cream can provide some variety in a keto diet when used as a dip base or incorporated into recipes to boost the fat content.

Overdoing it on meat and cheese has its own health risks and may lead to weight gain, as these foods contain a lot of calories (primarily from fat). Going low-carb isn't a license to eat as much of these foods as you want.

Cured meats such as sausages, deli meat, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami and bacon are usually acceptable, but check their ingredients first.

Is ham good for keto? ›

Ham in its natural state is perfectly fine on a keto diet. In fact, it's fairly ideal. It's a meat, so it has no carbs, and it is high in fat. Ham is perfect for driving your body into ketosis.

While egg noodles can be OK in moderation on special occasions, they should not be a staple in your keto diet. So, what should you do if you're hankering for pasta? If you're hungry and feel like noodles, opt for low-carb pasta such as spaghetti squash, zoodles, or homemade low-carb egg noodles.

Lean meats include skinless chicken breast, the white meat part of the turkey, and lean cuts of beef. Leafy greens, green tea, and bright vegetables can help reduce swelling and turn off fat-storage genes. Bright, colorful vegetables also add color and crunch to the meal plan.

Though everyone is different, the standard ratio of macronutrients for a ketogenic diet is 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein, and five percent carbohydrate. This means that the majority of each meal — in fact, a WIDE majority — should be non-meat sources of fat. Only about one-fifth of your meal should be protein.

All types of cheese are allowed on the keto diet, as cheese is relatively low in carbohydrate, which complies with the key principle of the keto diet. The Ketogenic diet or “keto” diet is a low carbohydrate and high fat eating plan.

For example, cheddar cheese has less than 1g carbs, 9g fat, and 7g protein while gouda cheese has less than 1g carbs, 8g fat, and 7g protein per serving. That means it's okay to have up to three servings of gouda or cheddar and still say within your daily keto carb limit of 20-50 grams[*].

Regular, full fat sour cream is made from cream and contains far more fat than carbs. Therefore, it's considered keto-friendly. However, low fat or nonfat sour cream is not. Full fat sour cream can provide some variety in a keto diet when used as a dip base or incorporated into recipes to boost the fat content.