Here’s a little secret of mine. If I take the time to post a photo of food on Instagram, you better believe it passed my three-part test.

1. it looks good (duh, it’s Instagram!)
2. it’s healthy, but tastes good
3. my husband eats it

Before I share a recent yummy recipe we tried, I need to explain why I only post healthy recipes. Don’t let it deter you from reading on, as pay back, remember there is a yummy recipe at the end plus you might learn something.

I have always eaten healthy (except for moments of weakness in college – hello Pokey Sticks!) But, last spring, John and I took it up a notch. We did a three-day bone broth cleanse. You might be wondering, why would we intentionally elect to drink only clear liquids for three full days. Well, when we had started researching the ketogenic lifestyle and learned that a great impetus to experience the full benefits of keto would be to start with a fresh slate (or gut)… we cleansed.

Now, more than six months of eating keto, we love how easy it has been, how great the food is, and the added health benefits, without having to subscribe to a “diet.”

As I dove in to all things “keto,” I learned that eating high fat, moderate protein, and low carb puts your body in a metabolic state called ketosis, where you burn fat instead of carbohydrates as the primary fuel source. This is why I intentionally use the word “lifestyle” over “diet.”

However, the word “Diet” does have two definitions.

1. the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.
2. a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons

Technically, by definition #1 Keto is a “Diet.”

Obviously, I am not a dietician, but strictly going off definition #2, it just doesn’t fit. Nothing is restricted in keto, and there is no need to count calories or your food intake. It retrains your body on how to be more efficient at burning fat for energy. Some of the benefits include stabilized blood sugar and insulin levels, increased energy levels, and feeling fuller without the carbs. You eat and crave less. There are loads more benefits here: https://ketoschool.com/the-43-health-benefits-of-ketogenic-dieting-in-addition-to-weight-loss-1e4ee4743f1f

Our goal has been to keep our body in ketosis (we measure our level through test strips), which means we shoot to eat less than 50 grams of total carbs or 30 grams of net carbs per day. That hasn’t really been hard for us. Let me explain how to figure out total versus net carbs.

For example – a slice of bread has approximately 11.6 grams of carbohydrates. It also contains about 2 grams of fiber. So, to figure out your net carbs, you’ll subtract the fiber from the carbs and get about 9.6 net carbs per slice. If you’re making a sandwich, just double it for two slices. 

So, you can eat items you typically do, even bread unlike other low-carb diets that peg bread as a major “bad guy.” Things like meat, cheese, nuts, vegetables all are very low in carb and we eat freely.

After saying all of that (thanks for your patience), here is a recipe we are eating to stick to the keto lifestyle that is still delicious, quick, filling, and healthy.

I have so many favorite recipes that I will share over the next few months, but this new one is cheesy (score), kid friendly, can be a snack, or with more toppings, a full meal!

Cheesy Cauliflower Grainfree Breadsticks

Ingredients

• 2 bags ride cauliflower (about 8 cups) – can also do fresh cauliflower softened and use food processor to finely ground.
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Marinara sauce, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Microwave cauliflower, covered, in a microwave-safe bowl on high until tender. When cauliflower is cool enough to handle, pour onto towel and dry. Return to bowl.
3. Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix three cheeses together.
4. Stir half of cheese mixture into dried cauliflower, reserving remainder.
5. Combine eggs, basil, parsley, garlic, and pepper into cauliflower.
6. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and shape cauliflower mixture into a rectangle.
7. Bake until edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
8. Top with reserved cheese and continue to bake until melted and bubbly, 10-12 minutes. Cut into 12 breadsticks.
9. Serve with marinara sauce.