As most of us are aware, the esteemed low-fat diets glorified in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s have officially been nixed. Fat is back, y’all! Quality fat has proven to be healthy and is a macronutrient need for the human body to thrive. Humming hormones? Fat. Brainpower? Fat. Staying full from breakfast to lunch? Fat. You get the picture.
You might be wondering how much fat you should be eating? It’s a valid question and the answer depends on your current state, what your goals are, and what makes you feel your best. For some, a few servings of fat at each meal may be enough, and for others, committing to a fat-filled ketogenic diet may serve them well. Snap Kitchen has options for all types of eaters so wherever you fall on this spectrum, we’ve got you covered.
If you don’t know what a ketogenic diet is, you aren’t alone. Many are curious about this high-fat diet. Remember when everyone started putting butter in their coffee a few years ago? That’s around the same time that the “keto” diet gained popularity in the modern health world. However, since the 1920’s the ketogenic diet has been used therapeutically for neurological diseases like epilepsy and cancer. Now, athletes, biohackers, autoimmune patients, and average Joes have adopted versions of ketogenic diets for a variety of benefits.
How keto works in the body
So how does a keto diet work? Good question. First, the back story. When we eat carbohydrates the body produces glucose and insulin. Glucose is the sugar we use as energy and insulin is a hormone that takes glucose around the body to help it enter our cells. Glucose is easy for the body to process and convert to energy, so it will always be the body’s first energy choice. Thus, fat isn’t needed as energy and is stored. This is how most of us operate.
The goal of a keto diet is to bring the body to a ketogenic state by decreasing carbohydrates/glucose intake. When the body doesn’t have access to glucose, it turns to fat stores for fuel. Fat stores are brought to the liver where they are turned into fatty acids and ketones, which are used as energy. When the body uses ketones as its dominant fuel source, the body is in ketosis! Fortunately, Snap has allll the low carb and keto options!
The interesting thing about the keto diet is that it looks different for everyone. It’s the ultimate “you do you” diet because the macro ratios to reach and stay in ketosis are different for each individual. Generally, keto macronutrient ratios are around 70-90% fat, 15-30% protein, and 5-15% carbs. Standard keto, cyclical keto, targeted keto, and high protein keto are all versions of the ketogenic diet. Many people will measure their blood ketone levels on ketone meters, but some rely just on how they feel to know if their body is in ketosis. The proven benefits of the keto diet are lengthy: increase in insulin sensitivity, reduction of body fat, decrease in triglycerides, improved sleep, reduction of metabolic disorders, improved cognitive function, and more.
Thinking about giving keto a go? Here are a few things to keep in mind for success.
Quality food still matters on a keto diet.
Avoiding processed, chemical-laden food and unhealthy fats (like low-quality vegetable oils) is an important part of every diet. Snap offers a variety of whole food, keto-friendly options. Some of our favorites are the naked beef, naked chicken, bruschetta chicken, cajun salmon, cod piccata and romesco chicken. Find them all here.
Drink filtered water and make sure you consume plenty of electrolytes and minerals.
The body excretes more water in ketosis so drinking 8 glasses of water a day and taking in sufficient whole food sources of sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium are important! We like LMNT electrolytes.
Learn how many carbs you can tolerate while remaining in ketosis.
We find that our keto customers are able to think less about the nitty-gritty of the diet (and more about living an awesome life!) when they approach keto from the perspective that ketosis doesn’t only happen from eating as much fat as possible, it happens from a lack of carbs consumed (when glucose levels are low). Learning how many carbs you can tolerate while remaining in ketosis is a good way to give yourself some dietary flexibility and support a healthy gut microbiome. We label all our meals clearly so you can easily figure out which dishes will support your body best.
Always listen to your body.
Keto works well for many people, but it’s not for everyone. Keep your doctor or nutritionist in the loop for extra support. We are always here to help with meal prep, quick meals on the go, and a community of healthy forward thinkers!
Interested in learning more about our keto-specific meal plan? Check out all the details here and get started on your keto diet today!
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8 Comments
It would be great if you guys introduced a Keto meal plan at snap. That’s the reason why I’ve stopped ordering meals there.
Hi there, thanks for reaching out and sharing your feedback! We’ll be sure to share your keto meal plan recommendation with the team, and in the meantime, we hope you’ll try out some of our keto-friendly options such as Naked Salmon, Picnik Butter Coffee, Naked Beef, Almond Crusted Chicken Nuggets, and Devily Eggs.
I would also like a keto meal
Plan. The low carb options aren’t low enough. I need lower than 30% per each meal.
Hi Sherry, While a keto meal plan is currently unavailable, the demand is heard loud and clear. Our team is working hard to expand our current menu offerings to support a stand-alone weekly meal subscription. So stay tuned!
In the meantime, some of our favorite low carb meals are naked salmon (4g), chimichurri chicken (13g), almond crusted chicken nuggets with ranch (6g), house smoked salmon (5g), and the breakfast platter (8g).
Feel free to use our customizable feature and build your own keto meal subscription. Please note repetition of meals may occur as we work to expand our keto offerings.
Thank you for a great article! I am/was 90% sold on the Keto diet until I read a lot about the Mediterranean Diet and it’s outstanding help for us Type 2 diabetics!! Is there an equally good article on Snap Kitchen and the Med.Diet as the one you wrote about Keto and Snap Kitchen??? If not, would you give me some tips??? I have eaten 16 Snap meals and really enjoyed them, by the way!
Hi Randall! We do not currently have an article on the Mediterranean diet, but we may add one on it in the future! A low carb or keto diet can be great for managing blood sugar. As far as the Mediterranean diet, it is filled with veggies, seafood, lean meats, extra virgin olive oil and other healthy fats like avocados and nuts. It will also normally include whole grains, but if blood sugar is a concern it’s best to limit higher carb meals. We recommend you ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for specific help before changing your diet. We’re so glad you’ve enjoyed your Snap meals!
I was a Snap Kitchen subscriber but discontinued my plan when two of the five Keto-friendly options were removed with no replacements. As of March 2021, only three options remain, two of which are plain Naked meals (beef or chicken). I hope you plan to expand your available Keto options again in the near future. Thank you.
Hi CJ! Thanks for your feedback. We know that our keto selection has narrowed quite a bit, but the good news is that we have a new keto-friendly option coming at the very beginning of April and then 2-3 more coming in May. Stay tuned!