Holidays are over and I’m trying to zip my pants! Oh well, I guess I better stick to leggings and a large sweater. Goodbye for now jeans! I better start my Keto diet again. I’m so craving for cheese so I found this Keto Mac and Cheese recipe online that is worth trying.
In a previous blog post, I shared with you how the Keto diet helped me lose weight. I’m going to try it again and pair it with the 16/8 intermittent fasting to lose fat faster. A word of caution though, if you have medical conditions, please ask your doctors first before trying these diets. My doctor gave me the go signal but advised me to take it easy and not go on a crash diet.
A Word About Diets
A Keto diet consists of a low carb and high fat diet. For better results, you must eat food with very low carbs, moderate amount of proteins, and high in dietary fat. Dietary fats are healthy fats such as unsaturated fats and Omega-3 fatty acids. Examples are healthy oils such as olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, and sunflower oil. Food rich in Omega-3s are found in fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout. You can also get healthy fats from walnuts, butternuts and chia seeds.
The Keto diet is beneficial in:
- weight loss
- reducing blood pressure
- slowing down the ageing process
- increasing energy and efficiency
- improving sleep and mood
On the other hand, the intermittent fasting method is more of a lifestyle than a diet plan. Intermittent fasting is not concerned about the food you eat but when you should eat and fast. In fact, some religions practice fasting along with meditation. When you past, your cells initiate its repair processes at a faster rate. Also, fasting improves insulin sensitivity and the insulin levels drop. Plus, fasting increases the release of norepinephrine which is a fat burning hormone.
There are different methods of intermittent fasting which are:
- The 16/8 method or the Leangains protocol. This requires skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours. For example, you can eat anything starting from 8 in the morning and your last meal of the day is at 4 in the afternoon. You should not consume any solids within the 16 hour fasting period. Make sure to keep your body hydrated and drink lots of water. You can also drink black coffee or tea.
- Eat-Stop-Eat means that you fast for 24 hours, once or twice a week. For example, you eat dinner at 8 PM today then your next meal would be at 8 PM the next day. It is okay to take in liquids mentioned above.
- The 5:2 diet requires that you consume only 500–600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week. For example, you eat low calorie meals on Mondays and Thursdays then eat normally the rest of the week.
Why You Should Try this Keto Mac and Cheese Recipe
You know what I love about this recipe? It does not contain pasta! Cool, right? The “pasta” in this recipe is substituted by cauliflower which tastes just as delicious. If you have picky eaters in your family, this is the best way to get them to eat veggies. Plus, everything tastes better with cheese, right?
Don’t forget to share this sumptuous Keto Mac and Cheese recipe with your friends. Leave us a comment, too, once you’ve tried it and let us know how it goes. Feel free to share your healthy recipes, too!
Keto Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- butter
- 2 pcs medium cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
- 4 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups mozarella cheese shredded
- 1 tbsp hot sauce optional
- freshly ground black pepper
For the toppings:
- 4 oz pork rinds crushed
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with butter.
- In a large bowl, place cauliflower florets, season with 2 tbsp oil and salt. Toss well to combine.
- Get your half sheet size baking pan and arrange the cauliflower florets on it. Bake for 40 minutes until lightly golden.
- As the cauliflower roasts, get a saucepan and heat the heavy cream over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer then decrease heat to low. Add the cheeses and stir until melted.
- Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper as desired. Add some hot sauce if preferred. Add the roasted cauliflower and fold.
- Pour the cauliflower mixture into a baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine the toppings: pork rinds, parmesan, and oil. Sprinkle evenly over cauliflower.
- Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Sprinkle with parsley and more toppings before serving.
1 thought on “The Best Keto Mac and Cheese Recipe to Help You Lose Weight”
I made this for dinner the other night, and this is going to be our new favorite. Love love love the cauli!!