Bob

So I can see how this is Keto inspired, as a lot of the items listed is actually quite accurate for a Low Carb or somewhat clean Keto plan. But the pyramid is unfortunately not. You can tell that the person(s) who put this together is pro-plants and ant-fat. To explain....

It mentions lean roast beef, lean hamburger, canadian bacon (which is lean ham), and poultry without the skin, which is lean. But a keto diet is keeping your carbohydrate intake under 20g per day to get your body to enter a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy due to the lack of carbs. So the keto dieter actually wants fatty red meat, regular bacon, and chicken with the skin (which is where the fat is). Similarly, it mentions low fat cheese. You actually want full fat cheese. Anything labeled low fat, skim, etc, is a keto dieters enemy.

Also, fruit is out, at least until you reach your goal weight. But apples, grapes, oranges, etc are full of fructose (sugar) and will kick you out of ketosis. A few berries, like rapseberries, strawberries, or blueberries, is okay as they have much less sugar and carbs. They also say to eliminate nuts, but some nuts (not all) are okay for keto dieters. Again, the person(s) who put this together have been misled to believe that fat is the enemy instead of carbs.

On the plus side, it does promote a more whole foods approach than the standard american junk diet. They don't want you eating processed or ultra-processed foods, which is always a good thing.

@cwise - if you like Mexican food, give this a try. Even my kids loved it and they are not very fond of cauliflower as a rice substitute.

The first part of this recipe is basically a Spanish rice recipe. You will need the following...

Cauliflower rice
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Tomato paste
Chili powder
Cumin
Salt

How to make Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice...

1. Place a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter, garlic powder, and onion flakes and gently sauté for 3 minutes.
2. Add the cauliflower rice, salt, and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes, until the cauliflower is beginning to soften.
3. Add the tomato puree and stir well. Continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked through.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir through the cilantro.

That's all there is to the rice. You might want to make the meat first and put it on simmer and then make this. If you make this first and have it simmer it may dry out.

The second part of this recipe is cooking either your beef or chicken with the appropriate mexican seasonings.

The third part of this is chopping up and gathering your toppings, such as sour cream, diced tomatoes or salsa, avacado or guacamole, shredded cheese, and whatever else you like in a taco salad or taco bowl.

Finally, add it all together, with the rice on the bottom, the meat in the middle, and the cold items on top. You can put sauces like sour cream or salsa inbetween layers or just one top, which ever you prefer.

Again, my family found this to be a stellar substitute for going out for Mexican food, and even the kids were satisfied.

Here is a picture (although not the greatest) of the last time I made it...

I had some pretty creative recipes when I was doing True Keto. I will try and find some and post them here. Some of them even the kids would say was fantastic.

The combination of summertime and my focus on carnivore has made me lazy in that I usually fire up the grill and cook up some meat.

14 minutes ago, cwise said:

I'm really happy about this forum. I'm sure it will help me and my husband(I'm sharing experiences with him) maybe he will join. 

That would be great. He would be considered one of the founding fathers

4 hours ago, cwise said:

Now we're both trying to get back to where we were.

You did it before. You can do it again!

Admittedly, whenever I have fallen off this lifestyle and WOE it has been a struggle to get back on. It takes me weeks to get into that diet mindset again, and I usually start with low carb, lazy/dirty keto through the week, then screw up on the weekend, and repeat, lol. But with each week I get more disciplined and my resolve to eat right gets stronger.

5 hours ago, cwise said:

Your right @Dismal_Bliss about things being tainted. Mathematical trickery is the only thing I see at the store.  So it requires me to be vigilant and busier in planning and preparing.

Back when I read New Diet Revolution, I don't think there was such a thing as "Net Carbs". The book may have talked about fiber not counting, but I honestly can't remember. But then when low carb and keto became trendy, then suddenly there was all these ingredients, all carbs, that magically didn't count. I kinda bought into it and that may have been part of the reason weight loss wasn't as successful in susequent diet attempts.

So when I went clean Keto, I vowed no sugar, no grain, and not net carb nonsense ever again. I basically have to cook everything now, but it's always fresh, whole, one-ingredient foods found in nature, and I am finding success again.

But I was a plant-based keto dieter, namely, the Salad King! lol. As I learned about carnivore and implemented it, the results were amazing - and backed by blood work and other measurements - something regular low carb and dirty keto couldn't accomplish in me. So now I am like 97% carnivore, which some people say I should call "ketovore". In summary, I am animal-based keto instead of plant based keto now.

Now I just have to stick to the vow and do this for life

I became a big boy once I hit drinking age in the mid-late 90's, and it was around that time that my next door neighbor gave me a book to read, called Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. I read it from cover to cover in almost no time at all, because it was both easy to understand, and it the science made sense. I applied what I learned and lost weight with ease. If I recall correctly, I went from the low 200's down to just under 165, and for the first time in my life truly felt "skinny".  I was a believer in low carb ever since. Unfortunately, I didn't stay on the fourth phase, "Atkins For Life", but instead became a yo-yo dieter in the years and decades since. I have been routinely swinging back and forth between 180 and 230 like a pendulum. Then as I've gotten older, I'd make it down to 190, then 195, then 200, the 205, and started to think my metabolism was slowing down with age.

Now I am in my upper 40's and over the years have developed some chronic conditions that have forced me to give more serious thought to my weight and what I put in my mouth. During the pandemic, I actually lost a lot of weight and could make the connection that it was because I was cooking good food at home because for a time we couldn't go to restaurants and being in crowds was discouraged. My blood labs were improving too. But in 2022 I backslid again and gained it all back, and the blood labs reflected that this was not good. So, I started low carb again in March. But today's "low carb" diets have been tainted by manufacturers who make all these processed "keto" foods, and make up low "net carb" counts using mathematical trickery. I wasn't having much success. Then in late March and ealy April I started learning about True Keto, and decided to go from the "dirty keto" I had been doing to REAL whole food Keto and vowed to never eat sugarcane or grains again. After 6 weeks of just meat and vegetables I was losing weight and feeling fantastic.

In the middle of May I broke my ankle, and knew I was going to be sedentary for the next couple months. Prior to this, I had been learning about Carnivore and intermittent fasting, so on that day I decided to go fully zero carb, carnivore and practice intermittent fasting 16-8. I would eat and noon and again no later than 8pm. During those 2 months where I could not bear any weight on my leg, I lost 10 more pounds.

My blood work is showing improvement too. I've reversed a few conditions, such as high blood pressure and ulcerative colitis, and am working on a couple others. Most of all, I feel fantastic. I'm truly believe I am a committed 97% carnivore, occasional ketovore. I'm trying hard to make sure the only thing that goes in my mouth now comes from the Creator above, from farm to fork, from the field to the table, with very few exceptions. My only regret is that I had learned a lot about this with that book in the 90's but didn't stick with it.

I read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution in the mid 90s and it was enlightening. I put it into practice and it worked very well. I've been a believer in low carb, keto, and now ketovore and carnivore ever since. 

Honestly, I grill just about everything in the warmer months. In the winter months I will turn to the stovetop or oven methods. The bitter cold makes it difficult to get the grill to warm up, plus standing out in it and freezing is no fun, lol.

I occasionally deep fry wings. I know a lot of people use an air fryer but I've never tried to cook meat in one yet.

1 hour ago, Qapla said:

What have you found works for you if/when you marinate or rub before cooking?

I usually use either my favorite seasoning blend or simply Pink Himalayan Salt.