An increasing amount of research into the low carb and Ketogenic approach to eating is published. As the evidence of benefits grows, more people find out that this is the lifestyle that could help them regain or optimize their health. What does this mean for most of them? A complete overhaul of their diet!

This can be daunting and overwhelming at the beginning. Some people aren’t used to eating whole foods (like fresh vegetables, unprocessed meat, nuts or seeds) and don’t even know what they look like, let alone what to do with them.

And there are those macronutrients (fat, protein and carbohydrates) that are clearly important to keep an eye on, especially on a low carb or Ketogenic diet. Some patients with a chronic illness, for instance, get a meal plan from a nutrition professional that tells them to eat a certain amount of fat, protein and carbohydrate with each meal. Without going into much detail what this actually means. But most of us have no clue how much chicken, for instance, we can eat to consume 20g of protein (no, it’s not 20g!). Or whether butternut squash or pumpkin is lower in carbohydrates. Or how many tablespoons of olive oil have to be added to a salad dressing to include those 30g of fat.

And this is where this picture guide comes in – regardless of what stage of a low carb or ketogenic diet you are!

Whether you

• Are a total novice: You have no idea when somebody talks or writes about certain foods. You only have very basic cooking skills and you have trouble following complicated recipe instructions or meal plans. In short- you like to keep things simple! The pictures will show you exactly what foods to focus on, what they look like and how much you ideally include in your meals.
• Have started making changes but you are overwhelmed: you might have started to weigh every single food you eat but find this too hard to do in the longer term. You are keen to take this work but you lack the necessary knowledge in food. And you have no intention to take your weighing scales to a restaurant or party!
• Have been following a low carb or keto lifestyle for a while and it really suits you. Maybe you’re even successfully managing an illness with this approach and you’re keen to keep going. But you need more food inspiration, variety and fine tuning of your protocols. Maybe you’ve also been weighing your food so far but you want to have the confidence to move on, relax a bit, and make it easier without “falling off the wagon”. You like the idea of using pictures to work out your macronutrients (i.e. how much protein, fat and carbohydrate you eat with each meal).
• Are a supporter or carer of somebody following a low carb or ketogenic lifestyle and want to know how you can prepare simple meals that don’t take much time and effort. The pictures can also be a great help for a shopping trip and give you a rough idea of quantities needed.
• Are a medical professional who likes talk about food with your patients and how it can benefit their health. It’s a great way to kick start food knowledge, encourage patients to increase their vegetable intake and focus more on whole foods rather than packaged products.