Summer is an ideal season for maintaining health and vigor. Communities spend additional time outside as their children break from school and the weather becomes favorable. It is also perfect for healthy dieting. Summer heat fosters light eating, with the warmer weather perfect for fresh meals like salads, fresh salmon, and more. As you gravitate toward cutting carbs and increasing protein for those rigorous gym exercises, we have collected several amazing keto dinner ideas for summer.
Benefits of Keto Dinners for the Entire Family
Like many, you have likely heard of the keto diet or read about it. While celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian and LeBron James are reputedly on it, you undoubtedly want to learn more about how to incorporate it into your lifestyle before basing family meals around it.
What is a keto diet?
When you choose a keto diet, you limit your intake of carbohydrates. Unlike the Atkins plan, keto meals replace the missing carbs with fat rather than protein. According to proponents, your body becomes efficient at burning fat. Furthermore, blood sugar levels remain low.
Many individuals use keto diets to lose weight, but there are other possible benefits, such as lower insulin levels. Finding appealing meals within the bounds of a restrictive diet can be challenging. Fortunately, the list of ingredients you can include in keto dishes is vast. This quality allows you to enjoy iconic classics without sacrificing taste.
What are the pros and cons of keto dinners?
Keto dinners have a long list of potential benefits. Their high fat levels make them naturally tasty, an important consideration for kids. Other ways these dinners can improve your health include:
- Improved satisfaction - decreases chance of overeating
- Some studies suggest anti-cancer effects
- May help the nervous system - e.g., seizure disorders
- Diabetes 2 patients often have improved blood glucose control
A couple of cons of keto dinner ideas are the difficulty of ensuring they are nutritionally balanced and mixed opinions about whether they are appropriate for children or adolescents. Consulting with a physician can ease concerns.
Keto Dinner Recipes for the Weekend and Weekdays
When you are ready to start cooking, how do you come up with an easy keto dinner? The recipes below will inspire you.
Keto Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Basic Instructions:
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You will use the first four ingredients to make the lasagna sheets. Mix, heat to soften the cream cheese, and bake.
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Brown the ground beef and sauté the onion and garlic. Mix in the cheeses and sauce, assemble your lasagna, and bake for 30 minutes.
The dish has two grams of carbohydrates.
Keto Chicken Salad Recipe
You can fix a keto chicken salad in 10 minutes. Whip together shredded chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and a touch of lemon juice. Add green onions, salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic powder to taste. You will be left with a dinner with only 1.5 grams of carbs.
Keto Salmon Recipe
Keto salmon is a quick and easy dinner recipe. Pat the fish dry and cook it in oil in a skillet. Near the end of your cooking process, after you flip the salmon, add lemon juice, butter, parsley, and garlic. After drizzling the salmon with pan juices, you will be left with a delicious meal of only two carbohydrates.
Keto Pizza Crust Recipe
The key to a keto pizza is to avoid loading it with a lot of carbs. Make the dough from scratch with mozzarella and cream cheeses, butter, eggs, and almond flour. Shape the dough, pre-bake it, and add your toppings. Bake for another 12 minutes.
