The keto diet has been trending in recent times. It is seen as one of the best ways to lose weight and body fat percentage. However, many people struggle with the selection of food. For the simple reason, keto friendly food is hard to come by. Especially, if you live in Malaysia. I mean, have you seen the variety of food we have? Nasi Lemak, Char Kuey Teow, Roti Canai. These are all delicious food items that make up a staple Malaysian diet. Today’s topic will discuss what’s best for a Ketogenic Diet and the Keto Diet Food List Malaysia you can buy in the Supermarket.
What are these keto diet food can find in Malaysia?
We are here to make life easy for you. The list will show you 7 food items that you can find in your daily grocery store. These foods are easy to cook, cheap to buy and are perfect for a keto diet. Aside from that, we will also tell you what kinds of food to avoid. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Yes, simple and easy to find anywhere. The avocado is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats and is great to kickstart you day. Theya re rich is potassium and minerals. These can help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your body.
For one medium sized avocado, it only counts for 18 grams of carbs. However, 14 grams of these are made from fibres. Thus, only bringing the total carb count to 4 grams. Avocados are an extremely versatile ingredient that can be used. Here are a few keto-friendly meals you can make with avocados;
Avocado Egg Salad
This is an easy quick breakfast or lunch meal. It can be easily prepared at home before starting your day. Adding that majority of us are working from home now, we can easily whip this up during lunch time for a quick, easy and keto friendly meal.
It only takes 10 minutes to prepare this meal. Best part is that no cooking involved in this entire process.
Bacon wrapped Avocado Fries
This is another easy meal to satisfy your cravings. The process is simple, wrap cut avocado with bacon. Place in the air-fryer for 6 minutes, flipping every 3 minutes. Done. A simple and delicious snack. Plus, who doesn’t love bacon?
Olives, a unique cooking ingredient. This food in its solid form may not be for everyone. It has a tangy and sour-ish taste to it. However, in its liquid form, which typically comes in olive oil is greatly received by everyone. There is no difference in health benefits regardless of its form.
Oleuropein is the main antioxidant that is found in olives. It possesses anti-inflammatory properties to protect your cells from damage. The challenge with olives come with their sizes, it is difficult to gauge to carb content but generally ten olives work out to only 1 gram of carb content. We highly recommend to switch out your current household cooking oil with olive oil. Here are some meals you can make from olives. Here are some meals you can make with olives
Stuffed Fried Olives
A great snack and contrary to its name, super easy to make. Three prime ingredients; bacon, cheese and olives. However, the main question here is aren’t bread crumbs extremely high in carbs? If you have this question, then you are on the right track. Fear not though, an easy substitute can be with pork grinds. In fact, we think its actually more flavoursome.
The process is just cut the bacon and cheese into small pieces. Then, insert them into the cavities of the olives. Once this is done, cover in keto flour, egg wash and your pork grind. Proceed, to fry till golden brown.
Aglio Olio
Olive oil can be used with anything. When we say anything, we really mean anything. Our personal favourite would be Aglio Olio. Loosely translated, this means cook with olive oil and garlic. It is so easy and accessible that it should be ever-ready in your pantry. Add some bacon or steak strips to spice it up, if needs be.
You must be thinking from the above, to practice a keto diet, I have to be vegetarian. Absolutely not, the above are just the more versatile ingredients. Let’s crack into the proteins. Fish & Shellfish are very keto-friendly. They are rich in B Vitamins and other minerals. The best part is that they are practically carb-free.
For fish, we would highly recommend products such as Salmon. This fish is high in omega-3 fats. The main benefit is it is able to lower blood sugar levels and increase insulin sensitivity. All in all, it helps your body reach a stage of ketosis faster. Although, for the everyday man like us, salmon can be expensive at times. Cheaper alternatives include sardines, tuna and mackerel.
To add some variety to your diet, you can substitute fish for shellfish. These include shrimps, mussels and squid. These shellfish contain little to no carb content. The one with the highest carb content is mussels, 4 grams/100 grams. Heere are some ways to prepare them
Grilled Lemon Basil Salmon
You start by marinating your salmon. Mix lemon juice, dried basil and olive oil in a bowl. Then, properly coat your salmon in the marinade and leave to rest. Preferably at least 1 hour. After this, simply slap your salmon on to the grilled or pan. Cook for 4 minutes each side and voila, a delicious keto friendly dish. You can also add your fav salad choice as a side dish, just make sure its keto friendly.
Steak & Shrimp, Surf & Turf
It’s time to impress! If you have a date coming over and you still want to keep to your diet. We got you covered with our Surf & Turf. To prepare the steak, we recommend the “Rolls Royce” of steak. Fillet mignon. Season your steak well then pan fry it, with some rosemary and butter. 5 minutes/side. For your shrimp, marinade in chilli flakes, garlic and olive oil. Once done, pair with your avocado egg salad. Boom! A dinner that’s perfect for your diet and impressive to your partner.
Ahh, yes eggs. It is a staple ingredient in everyone’s pantry. If you look around your home now, we’re sure eggs are somewhere to be found. They are a high source of protein but aside from that, they only contain less than 1 gram of carbs. However, some myths you hear are, “Don’t eat the yolk”. “The carbs are in the yolk”. We actually recommend for you to eat the whole egg including the yolk. Reason being, the yolk is where the nutrients are housed.
To prepare eggs, no brainer, right? Well, we are here to show you some ways to spice up the average egg.
Keto Frittata
The traditional Italian dish may sound complicated but actually simple in execution. First step, pre-heating your oven 180C/355F. Then, sauté bacon, mushrooms and spinach in a pan. Once done, crack 7-8 eggs into a bowl and whisk, then pour over your pan. Next step, put it into your over for 20 minutes. Ta-da! A traditional Italian breakfast.
Spanish baked eggs
Yup, there are more than one way to make a simple egg dish interesting. As in all diets, it’s important to incorporate variety. For the simple reason, most of us get bored easily and that is the first step to losing interest in a diet. With our recipes, you are sure to stay on it every day. Now start by pre-heating your oven to 200C/390F. Then cook your chorizo, tomatoes and spinach. Spread the mixture into an oven safe bowl, then crack an egg into the middle of the mixture. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes, then boom. A breakfast from the other side of the world.
As we have mentioned, a keto diet largely consists of protein and fat. What better way to get both, then from pure meat? Now there are a lot of choices but we recommend red meats. These would be your beef and lamb. This is even more prominent if you are currently trying to gain muscle mass. As these food items, help with muscle mass maintenance during a low carb diet.
On top of which, for women out there. Research has shown that if you consume a diet that is high in fatty meat, it would actually lead to a higher healthy cholesterol level. Also, always try to aim grass fed animals. They product more omega-3 fats and are higher in antioxidants compared to their grain-fed counterparts. Here are some easy 10-minute ways to make a meal out of your meat.
Beef and Broccoli
A staple Asian cuisine that can be found in any Chinese restaurant. The trick to fix up this dish quick is in the prep. Let’s get cracking. For this recipe, you will need broccoli, flank steak, and onions. These are the main three ingredients. Start with slicing your onion and steak. The flank steak is a cheap and inexpensive steak so you can save on your wallet too. Then lightly fry your steak on high heat and leave aside. Then sauté your onions in a pan till brown then add your broccoli. Finally, throw your steak back into the pan, add some olive oil, seasoning and soy sauce.
Air-fry beef steak
Now for those of us we lack time. Here is an easy trick to save time and have a delicious meal. Pre-heat your air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes. Then marinate your steak with garlic power and olive oil. Last step, place your steak in and flip every 15 minutes for a medium rare steak. Done! That’s it!
Not all food has to be savoury or a full meal, sometimes it can be a snack. That is what we will be dwelling into. A 100 gram of Cheese is practically made out of fats making this a great addition to any ketogenic diet. It contains low amounts of carb as well, with only 5 grams. While as their have rich protein count of 18 grams. We highly recommend cottage cheese if you were to be consuming cheese.
On the flip side, yoghurt is an excellent choice if you want to consume something a hot day. Yes, dessert is almost completely off the table when coming to any diet. However, with the keto diet, yoghurt is absolutely welcomed because it is low in carbs with only 4 grams and 9 grams of protein.
Here’s how you can prepare a cheese or yoghurt dish.
Halloumi Fries
Yes, you heard that right. We said fries, but not just any fries. Halloumi fries. These are basically sliced cheese fried. It’s as easy as it sounds. First, you heard to your local grocery shop. Get some cheese and your favourite low carb dipping sauce. Come home, cut the cheese into the shape of a fry. Pan fry the cheese, 2 minutes each side. Then, you got your ready to eat snack that is keto friendly.
Coconut Yoghurt Berry Parfait
Oh no! A completely recipe. How do I make this? Actually, it’s as simple as throwing everything into a bowl. Let us guide you through. Have a tall bowl at home ready. Layer the bottom of the bowl with your favourite yoghurt. Then layer with coconut shavings or berry of your choice. Repeat the process once more and done. Your parfait is ready! If you want it to be easily accessible or packed, repeat the steps above in a small jar and you’ll be on your way.
Wait what? Ok, this keto diet food list article is wrong already. You can’t have noodles in a keto diet. Well, here is where we tell you. You can! These noodles are made of glucomannan, which in layman terms mean, it is basically water. The only difference is that it can come in the form of noodles, rice or even spaghetti. They contain less than a gram of carbs and are only 15 calories.
The benefit that this ingredient brings to you is that it slows down your digestive movement. Meaning that you won’t feel as hungry and have a constant stream of energy to get you through your day. SHOPEE & LAZADA is the best place or iHerb is a very good marketplace, to source for your noodles and other ketogenic needs.
Chow Mien (Shirataki Noodle) with baby broccoli and eggs
You have probably made this a lot in your life. In fact, if you really don’t know how. Gordon Ramsay actually made this on his YouTube channel. You can see here. Just change substitute the protein with a flank steak and the noodles with Shirataki noodles. Then, you will have a Gordon Ramsay Keto-Friendly noodle.
Spaghetti (Shirataki Noodle) Bolognese with ground beef
This is a simple Bolognese that you can make just like how you make any spaghetti. So, pan fry your ground beef on high heat. Then cook off your keto-friendly Bolognese along with the ground beef. Cook your shirataki noodle till Al dente. Then serve.
Shirataki noodle are an extremely versatile ingredient that should be something that you have ever-ready in your pantry because it can be made into anything for anyone of your meals.
What are the foods to avoid at all cost?
Now that we have touched on food you should eat. Likewise, we want you to be aware of the foods that you shouldn’t eat. Here are some foods that you should avoid.
Sugary food
Anything that has sugar present in its ingredients list. It will serve you well to avoid. This includes things like donuts, cookies and breakfast cereals. Let us also highlight this, ALWAYS read the label of ingredients. Items that are labelled may actually be very good for your diet. The best example, Vitamin water.
Yes, you heard that right. Before your bombard us and say it’s healthy, it says vitamin on its label. Just flip the bottle around and have a look at the sugar content. It’s important to note all ingredients in your food prior to your meal.
Keto-friendly/Low Carb products
Ketogenic friendly products do not necessarily mean it fits into your keto diet seamlessly. In fact, you should avoid these products whenever possible. For the simple reason, it is highly processed or refined. They may ever cause carb cravings. Example: When you go on a sugar-less diet, there comes a time, where you crave sugary products. The same applies in this situation. So, try to avoid these products as much as possible.
Fruits
Parents and doctors alike are going to hate us for telling you this harsh truth. Although, some fruits that we have listed above such as olives and avocado are greatly encouraged. Fruits such as bananas, raisins, peaches and apples are to be avoided at all cost.
Yes, apples are to be avoided. That old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, that doesn’t apply here. So, you can forget it for now until you’re off your keto diet phase.
Basic keto meal plan for everyone
Finally, we came to the end of the extensive list. We have covered “What to eat” and “What not to eat”. To top it all off, here are some healthy meal prep options that we have planned out for you to cover at least the first week of your keto diet.
Monday
- Breakfast: Keto Frittata
- Lunch: Shirataki Bolognese with ground beef
- Snack: Berry parfait
- Dinner: Air-fried steak
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Omelette with onions
- Lunch: Steak & Shrimp
- Snack: Halloumi Fries
- Dinner: Chow mien with baby broccoli and eggs
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Avocado egg salad
- Lunch: Grilled Lemon & Basil Salmon
- Snack: Coconut parfait
- Dinner: Shrimp and steak kebab
Thursday
- Breakfast: Broccoli salad with onions and nuts
- Lunch: Keto Bolognese meatballs
- Snack: Bacon wrapped Avocado fries
- Dinner: Grilled Mahi Tuna with asparagus, lemon and chili flakes (optional)
Friday
- Breakfast: Spanish baked eggs
- Lunch: Cheese and steak stuffed peppers
- Snack: Stuffed olives with bacon and cheese
- Dinner: Jerk Chicken
Saturday
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spring onions
- Lunch: Beef and Broccoli
- Snack: Berry Parfait
- Dinner: Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Sunday
- Breakfast: Keto Frittata
- Lunch: Grilled Cajun chicken
- Snack: Pork Grind breaded shrimp
- Dinner: Baked Salmon with lemon herb
The above meal plan will be sure to get you on track with your keto diet and you into the physical prowess that you desire.
Common myths debunked
Now, you may have probably heard from a few friends that this diet is not sustainable. It will get you short-term results but not long-term gain. Well, as a wiseman once said. “It’s all in its execution.” You will see below 3 common myths debunked and scientifically proven
Keto diet will harm your liver
This is absolutely false. In fact, your liver function will actually improve due to reduction in alcoholic beverages and sugary food.
Keto will cause you loss in muscle mass
This is false as a study has shown that the average weight loss by its participants is from fat mass. Muscle mass will be maintained through the intake of protein that is incorporated into the keto diet.
Calories don’t matter
As much as we wish this is true. It’s not. Calories still matter, especially for women. Here is a good calculator to get you going on the right track.
Conclusion: It’s a diet not a miracle tool
In summary, this is a diet plan which requires discipline and determination to keep up. It is not a tool that once you go on this diet, you will look like Mr or Mrs Olympia. The foods that you ingest will help you to maintain your daily lifestyle needs but trigger your body to reach a stage of ketosis where your fat cells are being converted to energy.
This is one of the most common and trending diets that are recommended for the layman. So, try it out for yourself and see the impact. Remember there is not one right solution when it comes to fitness.
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