Fast Keto Lunch! Meat and Olive Plate

September 3, 2019 By Leanne Vogel May 22, 2019

A quick and easy lunch plate that I enjoy at least 2 times a week. Drizzle your favorite meats and little bites with olive oil, and it’s perfectly keto and amazing.

I’m all about a good, quick, and easy lunch that doesn’t cost a bunch of money or take me oodles of time to prep. Whether packing it in a lunch kit or enjoying at home when I’m lucky enough to be home for lunch, it travels well, keeps well, and ticks all the boxes for keto meal planning.

I’ve been setting the intention of sharing more simple meals lately. Recipes are fun, but concepts that you can put together in a pinch are way, way better.

Like these fried egg and bacon bowls, a recipe I shared a couple of months ago.

There’s really nothing fancy to this keto recipe, the concept is easy! Meats, low-carb veggies, and a drizzle of olive oil. For plates like this when ingredients aren’t heated, a good quality olive oil is quite a treat.

If you don’t do olive oil, avocado oil or a keto dressing for dipping would be delicious, too!

One thing you may be asking yourself: is having all this processed meat okay? Let’s unpack that one so you can make the best choices for yourself!

The Role of Processed Meat on Keto

Deli meats, hot dogs, and cured bacon are a staple in many keto households, and I enjoy my fair share now and again. However, I always opt for nitrate-free options and am mindful of my overall intake. Nitrates themselves are not bad, but they turn into nitrites in the body, and that can be a problem.

Nitrites are formed when nitrates interact with the iron present in the meat to create free radicals. In the body, nitrites can cause damage to cells and increase your risk of hypothyroidism. They also may be linked to diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

Now, before you go to the internet machine and type in “nitrate-rich food” and swear off anything with a nitrate, it’s worth mentioning that while plants such as beets, celery, lettuce, spinach, and radishes do in fact have nitrates, because of the vegetables’ antioxidants, the nitrates transform into nitric oxide, a molecule that’s responsible for many healthful body functions, including increasing circulation throughout the body.

So what does all this mean? Eat conventionally raised processed meats sparingly. But before you start thinking bacon is off the table, uncured bacon is good, and pork belly is a must on the ketogenic diet.

If no nitrates are used in the makin’ of your bacon, you’re safe!

If you treat bacon and other processed meats you can probably splurge and get the expensive pasture-raised stuff. Just don’t go all-out on processed meats, day in and day out.

Excerpt above is from my book, Keto for Women (page 93)

View Nutrition Information (once on page, scroll down) What’s your favorite way to throw together a lunch in a jiffy? I’d love to see your ideas and concepts over on Instagram! Tag @healthfulpursuit and share them with me!

This entry was tagged: dairy-free lunch, grass-fed meat, keto lunch, paleo lunch