In a time when more people than ever take a conscious look at the foods they eat and how they affect their bodies, the ketogenic diet emerged as a popular choice for people around the world.
Notable for its strict tracking of macronutrients, avoidance of carbs, and reliance on healthy fats, a “keto” diet can at first seem limiting for those with a passion for diverse, flavorful foods. Fortunately, fans of sauerkraut have nothing to fear -- delicious, crunchy krauts are probiotic-packed, nutrient-filled, and keto-friendly!
You may already love the delicious flavor and health benefits of sauerkraut, but if you want to know more about the influential role it can play in a sustainable keto lifestyle, read on for Cleveland Kitchen’s Guide to Sauerkraut and The Keto Diet:
What Is A Keto Diet?
A ketogenic diet relies on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat meal plan that encourages your body to depend on healthy fats for energy rather than carbs.
While there are multiple types of keto diets (Standard, Cyclical, Targeted, High-Protein), they’re all inspired by the same principles: dramatically cut your carb intake, consume plentiful healthy fats, and push your body into a metabolic state of “ketosis.”
Entering ketosis is the ultimate goal of all who adopt the keto diet. In this metabolic state, your body can become a master of using fat, rather than carbs, as your body and brain’s primary energy source.
Other potential health benefits of ketosis include lower blood sugar and pressure levels, increased insulin sensitivity, a better balance of beneficial cholesterols, and targeted fat loss from your abdomen.
How To Maintain Keto
As the ketogenic diet grows in popularity, more people need advice and guidance on maintaining this meal plan without sacrificing other areas of their health.
While we at Cleveland Kitchen don’t claim to be medical experts, we are well-versed on the in’s and out’s of a successful keto lifestyle, so let’s dive into some tips and tricks for keeping it keto:
What To Focus On
As you now know, the backbone of the keto lifestyle is a focus on fats over carbs. However, this is often easier said than done:
So, how many carbs can you have on keto? Less than 50 grams per day -- according to research from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Though this low target number can be intimidating, frustrating, or just a bummer, there’s a bright side to this significant reduction in carbs: You can enjoy (healthy) fats like never before! Start your day with whole milk plain yogurt, power up with stuffed avocados for lunch, and try keto cheesecake for an after-dinner dessert.
From low-carb veggies to keto-friendly proteins, there’s an increasingly wide range of delicious, natural, and easy-to-make snacks and meals for everyone on keto.
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Some of our favorite, delicious keto options (besides sauerkraut) include:
Fish: high in protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy fats
Meat and Poultry: reliable sources of protein without all the carbs
Eggs: low-carb and rich in Vitamin A and antioxidants
Cheese: low-carb, high-fat, and yummy
Bonus Tip: When buying meats or poultry, always make sure your food is unprocessed and uncured to avoid excess sugars or nitrates that increase your carb count.
What To Avoid
Here are a few of the most popular ingredients, foods, and drinks to skip on a keto diet due to their high carb-count:
Sugar
Grains and Starches
Beans and Legumes
Any “Low-Fat” Products
Alcohol
This list might seem restrictive because, well, it is. The purpose of a ketogenic lifestyle is to retrain the way your body fuels itself -- which means saying goodbye to its favorite energy source: carbs.
While the transition from carbs to fats isn’t easy, we can recommend the most delicious and healthy ways to find flavorful joy among strict keto diet rules.
Enter, sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut and Keto: A Perfect Match
While sauerkraut may not get as much attention (in America at least) as other keto-friendly foods like fish, low-carb veggies, or chicken, it’s one of the most delicious ways for someone on keto to add a little extra flavor to their meals.
What is Sauerkraut?
Sauerkraut is fresh-cut cabbage that is carefully fermented in its own juices to infuse the crunchy tangy side dish and condiment with delicious flavors, beneficial nutrients, essential vitamins, and gut-boosting bacteria.
This mix of benefits makes sauerkraut an ideal addition to any diet. However, in particular, keto adopters have much to benefit from this superfood -- especially if they’re still looking for a healthy balance in their low-carb diet.
How Can Sauerkraut Benefit Your Health?
As is well-documented by resources like the National Institute of Health (NIH), sauerkraut can positively influence the body in numerous ways:
Boosts Immune System
Eases Inflammation
Improves Digestion
Eases Allergies
Why Are Krauts a Keto Super Food?
If you’re on keto or looking to start soon, there are few foods your fridge needs more than sauerkraut.
In addition to the incredible health benefits listed above, krauts are a delicious, low-carb food that serves as the perfect antidote to any ill side effects of the high-fat ketogenic lifestyle.
Perfect as a garnish to a meal or a snack unto itself, sauerkraut provides your microbiome a plentiful supply of the essential bacteria it needs to function at its best. In incorporating kraut as a routine part of your keto diet, you give your body an excellent and tasty defense against many of the digestive and immune difficulties that can arise on a keto diet.
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As if these pivotal positives weren’t enough, sauerkraut (and other fermented foods like kimchi) also help your body successfully make the transition into ketosis -- making it easy to maintain a healthy weight.
By introducing probiotics that balance your gut, krauts can provide balance in the gut to help break down the fats and absorb nutrients
Lastly, even though you might not be able to have your favorite condiments on a keto diet (we’re looking at you ketchup), you don't have to sacrifice flavor. Cleveland Kitchen's six delicious varieties of Kraut (like Whiskey Dill and Curry Kraut) will brighten up any meal.
Bonus Tip: Sauerkraut combines well with several other delicious keto foods, including meat, poultry, fish, and cheese. Check out Cleveland Kitchen’s Recipes for advice and how-to’s on creating delicious keto kraut combinations.
Cleveland Kitchen’s Keto-Friendly Krauts
Here at Cleveland Kitchen, we take great pride in creating and fermenting a delicious, keto-friendly array of sauerkrauts to please any kind of food lover.
Packed with gut-healthy probiotics and mouth-watering flavor, our krauts taste great straight out of the pouch or as the perfect addition to any number of snacks and meals.
Whether you want to add a tangy cabbage kick to your burger, a satisfying crunch to your salad, or check out any one of our flavorful keto-friendly recipes, Cleveland Kitchen is your one-stop-shop for the best krauts out there.
Feel free to check out any of our seven spectacular flavors listed below -- or a Variety Pack if you can’t decide!
Keto Means
Photo: KoolShooters
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