Cheesy Broccoli & Bacon Casserole

It's the night before the weekly grocery trip, and you're down to the last few staples. Some frozen broccoli, some bacon, and you're pretty sure there's a stray box of cream cheese hidden in the back. It's dinner time, and it's going to be tasty!


Ingredients:
3 - 4 c. fresh or frozen broccoli (thawed, and cut into smaller pieces)
3 bacon strips
2oz cream cheese
1/3 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Optional, but recommended: 
garlic powder
salt
pepper
basil
oregano
chilli pepper or paprika

Tools:
frying pan
small square baking pan
large mixing bowl
spatula
cutting board
sharp knife
cheese grater (if cheese isn't pre-shredded)
oven & microwave


Prep:
Pre-heat oven to 350°F

In frying pan, set bacon to cook on a medium high heat. 
Put the cream cheese into the large mixing bowl, and put in the microwave for 10 sec. intervals until easier to mush around. Take it out of the microwave, and add sour cream. As soon as the bacon is nice and crispy on both sides, chop it into small pieces and mix the pieces into the cream cheese mix. Feeling the need for more fat? Toss the leftover bacon grease into the mix. 


If you're starting with fresh broccoli, chop it into bite sized pieces, but not completed diced. Personally, I find some amount of chewing to add to the satisfaction of the meal.
If you're using frozen broccoli, you can either microwave the broccoli in a small bowl until thawed or rinse with warm water. Be sure to drain well; added water makes the casserole a bit soupy.

Add the broccoli to the cream cheese mix. Stir until it's well mixed, and the broccoli is completed coated. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking pan. Sprinkle spices on top. If you like a bit of spice in your dinner, add a dash of paprika or chilli pepper. Don't worry- during baking, this will all move into the rest of the dish and mix together nicely. Finally, add the shredded cheddar on top and put in the oven for 30 min or until lovely and golden on the top.



 

Makes four servings.  Net 5g carbs per serving.
Calories based on MyFitnessPal breakdown
 

                        Calories  Carbs  Fat   Protein   Sodium    Fiber

Traveling (airport edition)

The season is upon us: Time to pack up and head to the airport.

As if visiting family and strange cities weren't hard enough on a specialized diet (and explaining to your waiter at your old favorite sushi restaurant that you can't have rice or tempura), airports come into the mix. Prepackaged sandwiches, overly available sugary lattes and pastries, and the odd vending machine can all be passed by. Here's how!

Scenario one:

Your flight is already boarding, and you know it'll be 5 hours til touchdown. If you're lucky, your flight will serve something you can eat, but that's a long shot. What can you grab from that magazine vendor by the gate?

1) Mixed nuts
2) Beef jerky, or beef sticks
3) Sugar free gum
4) Cheese packets (If you're lucky!)
5) Bottle of water - you'll want more water than they serve in those tiny cups

Avoiding the pretzels on the flight may seem obvious, but you may want to check the peanuts, too. Most of them are honey roasted.

Scenario two:

You've arrived at the airport early, or have a long layover. Maybe an hour to burn before boarding.

If it's breakfast time, you're in luck! Most of the restaurant kiosks will serve some combination of eggs and bacon. If it's after 11am, it may be time to get creative.

Subway:
Salads are perfect. Philly cheese melt as a salad is pretty darn good, and can be an easy meal.

Fastfood burger shop:
Order a double cheese burger, no bun.

Japanese/"asian" shop:
-Miso soup, or soup with no noodles + extra meat or egg
-In a pinch, beef and broccoli a la carte. Keep the sauce to a minimum, the soy sauce and corn starch are both hidden carbs.

Prepackaged grab-n-go spots:
Many of these places will have a chef salad that works just fine. Be wary of croutons, or sugary dressings. Sometimes these same spots will eve have hard boiled eggs at the counter.

If you've got plenty of time to spare, find something akin to a Chilli's.
Last weekend, I found myself with an hour+ layover in Oakland, CA, a little after lunch time. Hungry and frustrated with the options, I found a Chilli's in terminal 1, and ordered the bacon cheeseburger. They happily removed the bun, and subbed the fries for broccoli. I was in heaven!

Just want coffee? 
If you're used to BulletProof coffee in the morning, like I am, don't be afraid to ask the barista for a packet or two of butter. Some places also have heavy cream if you prefer.

For those of you tracking everything, eating out on the go can be especially tough. It's hard to put everything down on paper when you're rushing to your gate. And remembering what you ate, exactly how much, etc can be nearly impossible and very inaccurate. My suggestion is to take a quick photo of your meal before you dig in. If you don't finish everything, take another photo at the end for a visual reminder. You don't have to instagram it, but if you do, be sure to tag #keepingketo !

Getting started

After a year and a half of research, and essentially dipping my toes in the water, I dived into a ketogenic lifestyle right around Halloween this year. I dumped my bowl of peanut butter eyeballs into the trash, and went shopping for what have come to be my essentials.

Initial shopping list:

-Coconut oil
-Olive oil
-Unsalted butter
-Truvia or splenda packets
-Bacon
-Eggs
-Chicken breasts & thighs
-High fat% ground beef
-Salami (lowest carb you can find)
-Fish
-Cheddar cheese
-Cheese sticks
-Cucumber
-Cream cheese
-Fresh ground peanut butter or almond butter (or any non-sweetened nut butter)
-Avocado (expensive, but well worth it!)
-Broccoli
-Kale and/or spinach
-Cauliflower
-Bell peppers
-Bouillon or cans of broth
-Unsweetened shredded coconut
-Ranch dressing (lowest carb you can find)
-Good multi-vitamin


Second step was to join MyFitnessPal.com, and customize my setting into a keto friendly arrangement.
Once you log in, go to "Goals" and hit "change goals."
Use the customize feature set your macros to around 5% carbs, 25% protein, 70% fat.

In general, I try to stay under 20 net carbs a day. Net carbs are your total carbohydrates after you subtract the fiber. Fiber is incredibly important for your digestion, which is why keeping veggies on your menu is a must! While out shopping, I like to reference the best vegetables for keto list from ketogenic diet resource. They have a great breakdown of net carbs per serving size.

Water.

Drink it, love it, and then drink some more. On non workout days, I generally drink 4 -5 large sports bottles full, plus tea when I need something warm. I generally add 2 more bottle fulls while working out.
The general idea is to drink enough water that your pee is a very light shade of yellow, but not clear. Clear pee generally means that you're over-hydrated, and your kidneys are likely shedding electrolytes too quickly. That said, it's important to note..

Sodium.

You're probably not getting enough of it right away. Lowered electrolytes can have dizzying effects, and often lead to what has come to be called Keto Flu. The easy cure for this is to drink a cup of broth a day, like you would a cup of tea. It's incredibly satisfying, and a bit of a comfort food.
Want to know more about sodium? Read this.

Water weight.

Getting started, your body will start to shed 'water weight' fairly quickly. Women will shed the weight slower than men, thanks to our biology. Ladies, be glad - quick weight loss can have huge repercussions on our hormones levels. Slow and steady keeps us sane. My first two weeks, I lost 4.5lbs. Others have lost a reported 15-20lbs, depending on where they started and gender.

Keep in mind, this comes right back on when you stop getting enough water.

Scales and measurements.

Be wary of jumping on the scale after every bathroom break. Most folks will vary up a pound or three throughout the day, or week. The recommended schedule for weighing yourself is once a week at most, at a set time of day. I generally go with first thing in the morning on a monday (keeps me honest over the weekend, and makes my monday a bit more chipper when the scale dips) before my coffee. Measurements are every 2 to 3 weeks, since they're often a bit slower to change.


Good luck, and congrats on getting started.