The ketogenic diet, also known as keto, is a low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet. Unlike other popular diets such as the Atkins Diet or Paleo Diet, keto focuses on getting your body into ketosis for weight loss instead of focusing on counting calories. This article will give you all the information you need to know about keto in Hong Kong including what it is, the benefits of following this plan, how to start keto, what foods are good for keto eaters, and which ones to avoid while on this lifestyle program.
What is the Keto diet?
The ketogenic diet, also known as keto for short, is a low-carbohydrate and high-fat dietary plan. Its main purpose is to get your body into ketosis so you can lose weight. Ketosis occurs when there isn’t enough glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream for the energy needs of cells within organs like muscles and the brain so ketones are used instead.
When you follow a ketogenic diet, your body becomes extremely efficient at burning fat for fuel. This is because there aren’t enough carbohydrates to put into the pathway of breaking down fats in the liver and creating glucose from them to produce the energy needed by cells around your body. With no carbs or sugars to burn, the keto diet focuses on using fat as fuel instead.
Benefits of a ketogenic diet
There are many benefits to following a ketogenic diet and not just for weight loss which is why this plan has become so popular in recent years. By getting your body into ketosis with low-carbohydrate and high-fat foods, you can improve your:
- mental clarity and focus
- energy levels
- blood sugar control
- cholesterol levels
- inflammation throughout the body
How to start keto in Hong Kong?
If you’re looking to start a ketogenic diet in Hong Kong, there are a few things you need to know. The keto diet isn’t as popular here as it is in other parts of the world so you might have a hard time finding keto-friendly foods at your local grocery store. However, there are quality health stores selling keto products, plenty of ketogenic meal delivery services, and restaurants that cater to this dietary plan so you won’t have to cook every single meal yourself.
In order to start keto, you’ll need to make some changes to your current eating habits. First, you’ll want to remove all processed foods and sugars from your diet. This means no candy, cookies, cake, or other sweet treats. You’ll also need to cut back on grains and starches such as bread, pasta, and rice. Instead, keto dieters should focus on eating a lot of healthy fats in the form of cheese, nuts, and oils.
When it comes to protein consumption while following keto, you’ll want to make sure all your meat is grass-fed or cage-free. Avoid processed meats like bacon which can be high in sugar. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese are all good sources of protein on keto.
What foods to avoid while on keto?
There are a few foods that you’ll want to avoid while following keto. These include:
- Processed foods
- Sugars such as candy, cookies, and cake
- Grains and starches such as bread, pasta, and rice
- Fried foods
- High sugar fruits like bananas and pineapple
What keto foods to eat?
The ketogenic diet is rich in healthy fats so ketoers can eat plenty of these throughout the day. These include:
- Cheese
- Butter and cream cheese
- Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, MCT oils (sources of healthy fats that ketoers can add to their morning coffee or tea)
- Pastured eggs
- Nuts & seeds like almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts
- Seeds like chia seeds and pumpkin seeds
- High-fat dairy products such as heavy whipping cream, butter, yogurt, cottage cheese.
When it comes to keto protein options while following a ketogenic diet in Hong Kong, be sure to stick with fish and seafood that is either wild-caught or sustainably farmed. Stay away from processed meats like bacon and sausage which can be high in sugar.
Meat & seafood keto options:
- Beef (grass-fed is best)
- Chicken (free-range organic or Omega-approved poultry only)
- Duck (pastured, not injected with any hormones or antibiotics )
- Pork (pastured, no growth hormones)
- Lamb (grass-fed preferred)
- Venison
- Wild salmon (caught in the wild, not farm-raised)
- Shrimp
- Crabmeat
Keto meal delivery services in Hong Kong
If you’d like to order pre-made keto meals, try:Â
Keto-friendly restaurants in Hong Kong
These are some great restaurants to check out:
- Mr. Korea BBQ (delicious, juicy Korean BBQ beef)
- Maison Libanaise (order pan-fried halloumi, pan-fried chicken liver, or beef, chicken, or lamb from the grill)
- Oolaa (large menu offering keto, vegan and gluten-free options)Â
Tips for eating out at restaurants while following a ketogenic diet in Hong Kong:
It can be challenging to find keto-friendly menu items when eating out at restaurants, but it’s possible. Most ketogenic dieters will have no problem finding keto meals on the menus of Indian or Asian fusion restaurants that serve dishes like curries made with coconut milk and curry paste, ginger stir-fried vegetables, and steamed fish or seafood. Just be sure to ask your server if any of the dishes can be made keto-friendly by leaving out the rice, noodles, or potatoes that are often served with them.
Mexican restaurants are also a great option for ketogenic dieters as they typically serve dishes like grilled chicken or steak fajitas, keto-friendly burritos, taco salads made with meat or seafood, and ketogenic breakfast tacos that are stuffed with eggs, cheese & salsa.
Keto recipes for Hong Kong ketogenic dieters to try at home:
There are plenty of keto recipes available online to help you prepare keto meals in the comfort of your own home.Â
Keto Cookbook For Beginners: 1000 Recipes is one of Amazon’s best-selling keto recipe books.
These magnetic keto cheat sheets are super useful too. You can buy the Keto Cheat Sheets here.Â
YouTube has a tonne of videos available too.Â
Tips for following a Keto diet in Hong Kong:
Here are a few tips to help you follow a ketogenic diet while living in Hong Kong.
– Make sure you’re getting enough fat. Most keto dieters find that they need to eat about 60-70% of their daily caloric intake from healthy fats in order to stay in ketosis. Good sources of keto fat include avocadoes, coconut oil & milk, butter & ghee, fatty fish like salmon and tuna, grass-fed meat, ketogenic mayonnaise to spread on keto bread, or ketogenic wraps made with eggs.
– Drink lots of water throughout the day because ketosis can cause dehydration. Also try adding lemon juice or keto-friendly drinks like unsweetened tea, coffee, or sparkling water with lemon or lime to your diet.
– Make sure you’re getting enough protein. Most ketogenic dieters need about 50-75 grams of protein per day. Good sources of keto protein include grass-fed meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cheese, and Greek yogurt.
– Avoid eating too many carbs. The keto diet is a low carb, high-fat diet so you should aim to eat no more than 20 grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) per day.
– Use keto tracking apps like MyFitnessPal or Carb Manager to help you keep track of your keto diet food intake.
– Try ketogenic supplements like keto powder or MCT oil to help you get into ketosis faster and promote fat burning in the body.
Where to buy keto foods in Hong Kong
Store HK Keto Foods Range
The Store HK is the one-stop destination for all your ketogenic diet needs. We love The Store HK because they:
- have a wide range of high-quality products
- have low prices
- move their products via ship and not air (which is much better for the environment)
- deliver daily
Where to buy keto staples in Hong KongÂ
Keto flour
The Store HK sells both Coconut flour and almond flour. Almond flour is a little bit pricier than coconut flour, but the flavor is more neutral, so it depends on what you’re making, whether that’s an issue.Â
Keto cheese
The best keto cheeses include:
- Blue cheese
- Goat cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Cream cheese
- Cheddar cheeseÂ
Avoid the processed and over-packaged supermarket stuff; the carb intake is usually a lot higher.
Keto chocolate
You can buy Evolved Nut Butter keto chocolate from The Store HK.Â
Keto bread
Some stores that stock Keto bread is Foodie Yard (Causeway Bay & Admiralty) and Foodcraft (Kennedy Town).
You can also order keto bread from Sne Epstein under her brand Keto Aviatrix. You can buy sweet and savory keto and gluten-free products like bread, donuts, cakes, quiches, pies, and buns from Aviatrix. Click here to read an entire article dedicated to keto bread in Hong Kong.
FAQs about the Keto diet
Is a keto diet gluten-free?
Although the two diet plans look very similar, done properly, you will eat some carbs in the keto diet. In a keto diet, the ideal mix of 75 percent fats, 20 percent protein, and 5 percent carbs means there’s room for some foods that contain gluten in there.
Is a ketogenic diet good for weight loss?
Yes, there have been quite a few scientific studies that herald the keto diet’s effectiveness for weight loss. The diet is a challenge, and you’ll need to think about your food in a lot more detail, but the chances of you shedding fat and kilos are high.
Is the keto diet safe for people with high blood pressure?
It seems that keto can actually be beneficial for lowering blood pressure. If you’re taking medication for high blood pressure, before starting the keto diet, seek advice from your doctor, it’s always best to be safe when it comes to your health. Â
Can you lose belly fat on keto?
Yes. Losing belly fat is one of the many benefits of a well-formulated keto diet. Although, keep in mind that we store fat and where we lost fat will be dependent on genetics.
Finally
Remember that keto is not a one size fits all diet and you may have to tweak it slightly to find what works best for you. Everyone’s body is different and some people may need more or less carbs, protein, or fat than others in order to stay in ketosis. Don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the right balance for you.
Happy keto-ing!
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