Keto Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is ground beef good for ketosis? ›

Is ground beef keto friendly? Ground beef contains plenty of protein, some fat, and has no carbs, making it an ideal ingredient for keto recipes. It's also a nutritional powerhouse, and has a wide array of vital nutrients such as iron, B vitamins, magnesium and potassium.

What fat percentage should ground beef have on keto? It's generally recommended that people who follow a high-fat diet choose ground beef with a fat percentage between 20 to 25 percent and avoid leaner options such as 10 to 15 percent fat content.

Hu points out that the exact amounts for safely consuming red meat are open to debate. "The evidence shows that people with a relatively low intake have lower health risks," he says. "A general recommendation is that people should stick to no more than two to three servings per week."

Nearly all minimally processed meats are good sources of keto-friendly protein, including beef, chicken, fish, shellfish, pork, turkey, bison, and lamb. A 100-gram serving of these meats typically contains 17-21 grams of protein. Fattier cuts, like bacon and sausage, are lower in protein than leaner cuts.

Can you eat tomatoes on the keto diet? "Tomatoes are keto," says Abby Langer, R.D., author of Good Food, Bad Diet. "They're low in carbs, so they fit perfectly into keto." One whole medium tomato contains roughly 5 grams of carbohydrates, of which 1.5 grams are fiber and 3 grams are sugar.

Typical burger meals from fast-food restaurants are high in carbs due to their buns. For a keto-approved version of a fast-food burger meal, simply skip the bun and any toppings that could be high in carbs. Popular high-carb toppings include honey mustard sauce, ketchup, teriyaki sauce and breaded onions.

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.

Can You Eat Bacon On a Keto Diet? While you may not think of bacon as diet food, most types of bacon fit perfectly into a keto diet plan since they're low in carbs yet high in protein and fat. That means bacon is perfect for snacking on in the afternoon or mixing into your chicken dinner dish for some extra flavoring.

Potatoes. Starchy vegetables, like potatoes, are a definite "no" for the keto diet — they simply have too many carbs. You should be avoiding potatoes completely if you're on the keto diet. Other starchy vegetables to steer clear of include corn, yams, and sweet potatoes.

Meat and poultry

Meat and poultry are popular with people on the keto diet because they're high in fat and very low in carbs. However, scientists have found links between eating too much meat on a regular basis and health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and excess weight.

Can too much meat kick you out of ketosis? ›

“Protein will not kick you out of ketosis if you have a lot of it, but it will definitely lower the amount of ketones in your blood.” Since slightly more protein shouldn't affect your body's ability to stay in ketosis, this version of the diet delivers the same weight loss benefits as standard keto, Spritzler says.

Processed meats

Eating a lot of processed meats over time may contribute to weight gain and increase your risk of chronic diseases. These foods are OK to have once in a while, but try to limit how often you eat them, particularly hot dogs, burgers, and sausages. Processed meats also contain nitrites and nitrates.

Because the carnivore diet is zero-carb, it is by definition a type of keto diet. If you just eat meat, you'll almost certainly end up in ketosis. So while you can say that carnivore is keto, you can't say that keto is carnivore. Simply put, carnivore is a more extreme keto diet.

Ground beef is high in protein, so it's a particularly filling meat option. It's also low in net carbs, meaning it fits right into a keto or paleo diet. To be fair, though, there is some saturated fat and monounsaturated fat in even lean ground beef, whether you're cooking with 80/20, 85/15, or even a lean 90/10.

All types of ground beef can be enjoyed on a keto diet, so which you choose will depend on what flavor you're looking for. I recommend lean ground beef (“ground round” or “ground sirloin”) for stir-fries and casseroles, whereas fattier cuts (“ground beef” or “ground chuck”) are best for sauces and burgers.

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