Anyone who knows me well knows that I love fat. For years I ate a LCHF (low carb high fat) diet – aka the ketogenic diet – and had a lot of success with fat loss and energy levels on it.The main reason I started eating lots of fat and drastically reduced carbs is because I learned how important they are as fuel for our brains and bodies – I won’t go into the science here, but feel free to look it up on your own – and then once I started I felt and looked so, so, SO much better! However, deep in my heart I knew that eating salami and bacon and cheese day in and day out might help me shed some pounds in the short run but couldn’t possibly be healthy in the long run. Don’t get me wrong, I ate lots of veggies still, but I just felt like I wasn’t on the path to health so much as weight loss.
It is definitely possible to do a healthier version of LCHF/keto than the typical diet, but information on how to do it is hard to find. Searches for “high fat plant based diet” or “high fat whole foods diet” don’t yield actual tips so much as lists of some foods that fit those macros and bogus medical advice from the likes of Dr. Oz.
So, I have taken it upon myself to experiment with a healthy, largely plant-based version of LCHF. It’s not because I’m ethically against eating meat (I love meat and honestly I feel like the animal is going to die whether or not I personally eat its meat, as long as it’s raised and killed humanely I could care less), but I just want to do it for health purposes — to feel like I’m consuming more fresh and raw produce versus heavy meats and processed food.
So, here are my goals for the next 30 days:
- Drink 70oz of water per day (this is a toughie for me…I never get thirsty but am perpetually dehydrated!)
- 30+ minutes of moderate to strenuous physical activity 5x/week
- 90% whole foods selected from the grocery list below, which is pretty dang healthy but not too strict that I am overwhelmed. Baby steps!
- Keep macros around 25% carbs, 25% protein, 50% fat. Tracked via MyFitnesspal.
I’ve brown down my grocery list into categories that work for me to maintain balance. Lots of the ingredients could be listed under multiple categories, but I chose whichever I thought I would mostly use it as.
PROTEINS
Eggs
Chickpeas
Black beans
Salmon
Vegan Protein Powder
FATS
Avocado
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Almonds
Natural Peanut Butter
Coconut Milk
Mozzarella
Goat Cheese
Kerrygold Butter
VEGGIES
Arugula
Spinach
Green and red bell peppers
Yellow onions
Brussel sprouts
Green beans
Artichokes
Carrots
Cucumbers
Garlic
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Garlic
FRUITS
Strawberries
Kiwis
Mangos
Bananas
Frozen fruits for smoothies
Pineapple
Plums
Watermelon
GRAINS
Brown rice
Whole grain toast
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes (not a fan personally, but lots of people are!)
Additional spices and flavorings like basil, cilantro, garlic powder, etc. can be added as desired. I plan to stick to this the majority of the time, but allow myself some wiggle room for a cheat meal and a few cocktails.
On this blog I will be sharing photos of food, recipes, updates on my weight and pant size, photos, etc. Please follow along here and on my instagram @thebiggersthebetter! WHO IS WITH ME?!
xx
