Salmon is a unique and wonderfully flavorful fish that matches perfectly with a Keto diet. High in good fats, low in carbs and high in protein, Salmon can be a core ingredient in your keto lifestyle.
Nutritional Properties of Salmon
Salmon and the ketogenic diet are a great match. First, salmon contains high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids and thus very high in good fat content. The high fats are essential to fueling your body throughout the day while also promoting long term health, as these fats are great for your brain, skin and heart.
Salmon also contains potassium and magnesium. Potassium and magnesium promote overall well being that is extremely important for keto. As many report feeling the “keto flu” especially when getting first started on a ketogenic regiment, potassium and magnesium prevent feeling cramped and achy.
Don’t forget to include plenty of sodium on your salmon meals to help retain fluids. Salt brings out the flavor of salmon so add plenty of sea salt to your dish. When starting a new eating regimen we can become dehydrated, so drink a lot of water too.
Last, salmon contains B-complex Vitamins. B-complex Vitamins are an essential to keeping our energy levels high. As our body transitions from running on glucose and sugar, B-complex Vitamins allow our body to use the food we eat to create the fuel we need to run on for our Keto lifestyle.
Choosing Salmon
Fresh Salmon Filets are always a great choice when preparing salmon for your meals. But then of course there are many different types of salmon; King, Coho or Sockeye Salmon…Atlantic…Alaskan or Pacific…Farmed or Wild?
While there is no “best” Salmon, there are a few options to consider.
Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic Salmon is typically a farm raised salmon in the Atlantic ocean. Because the salmon is farm raised and fed a very specific diet it often has higher fat content, which is great for Keto. However, an important consideration is that because it is farm raised, the salmon is much more likely to have antibiotics and pesticides in its system. While farmed salmon is not necessarily “bad” it has made great strides especially as demand for salmon has increased dramatically.
Alaska and Pacific Salmon
Most Pacific Salmon are caught wild in Alaska and feature many of the different varieties of fish that we associate with salmon such as King, Coho, Sockeye, etc. While slightly lower in fat content than Atlantic Salmon, it still has plenty of fat to meet our keto fat requirements.
Preparing Salmon
Besides being a great keto staple, salmon is simple and easy to prepare for any and all meals of the day.
We made a list of a few different meals to consider.
Breakfast
If you are going to eat breakfast consider Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs.
For your Smoked Salmon you can always prepare it yourself or consider buying it at the local fish market. However be sure to select a Keto friendly smoked salmon. Look for smoked salmon that does not have any sugar in the ingredients.
Prep your pan by heating a tablespoon of avocado oil over medium heat. Crack and whisk 3 eggs in a bowl. Once the avocado oil has heated up for about 2 minutes add the whisked eggs to the pan.
Turn the eggs in the pan and as the eggs solidify add your Smoked Salmon. Cook your eggs to your desired finish.
Lastly, chop up some avocado or tomato to finish off your dish. Avocado and tomato pairs well with salmon and eggs. It not only tastes delicious but is also low in carbs.
Lunch & Dinner
For Lunch and dinner try a Simple Salmon Salad with your favorite proteins and fats.
Start by frying some bacon. Once your bacon is cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and add your salmon filet. Cooking the salmon in the bacon grease is a great way to cook salmon. Cook the salmon on each side for 4-5 minutes.
Add some of your favorite keto friendly greens to a bowl, like arugula. Add your salmon and crumble the bacon. Last add in some keto powered toppings: hard boil eggs, almonds, feta cheese, avocado and cucumber. Lastly drizzle some olive oil and vinegar.
Snack
While most people think of Fresh Salmon Filets or Steaks as a salmon staple consider adding canned salmon to your diet. Canned salmon is usually stored in olive oil making it a power snack.
Add your canned salmon to a bowl with olive oil based mayonnaise and a little yellow mustard. Stir until well blended.
Slice some tomatoes and cucumbers. Dollop your salmon spread on the sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. If you are feeling adventurous add a slice of jalapeno to your low carb, keto friendly snack.
Conclusion
A solid staple of the ketogenic diet, salmon can improve your health and well being. Easy preparation and variety make it always ready for any meal of the day. And last, salmon is a great way to keep your keto lifestyle tasty and delicious.
Thanks to Beyond Yard for writing this article. Beyond Yard is a site all about grilling and backyard fun.