ketogenic) is a high-fat, moderate-protein, extremely-low-carb diet. Once someone has been on a ketogenic diet for about 5 days, the body begins to burn stored fats for fuel instead of carbohydrates, and the person enters a state called ketosis. Originally developed to treat patients with epilepsy, the diet has become more widely popular in recent years. Keto advocates believe the diet helps with weight loss and can also increase good cholesterol, lower blood sugar, curb appetite, and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. There are similarities between the keto diet, the paleo diet, and the Whole 30 diet (they’re all carb-restricting meal plans), but they’re not the same thing.

If you’re interested in trying a keto diet, here’s a quick cheat sheet of some of the things you can and can’t eat while on it:

DO EAT: Meat, seafood, full-fat dairy, many fats and oils, nuts, eggs, herbs and spices, coffee and tea, some vegetables, limited fruits (mostly berries, in small amounts) DON’T EAT: Grains (and any products made from grains, like bread or pasta) and starches, legumes, sugars or other sweeteners, most fruit, fruit juice, root vegetables, low-fat dairy, alcohol

Some people follow what they call a “lazy keto” diet, where they don’t strictly avoid the foods on the banned list, but rather try and keep their total daily net carbs to under 20 grams.

Here are some tips for easy keto eating:

• Plan ahead. If you sketch out most of your meals a week in advance, you’ll be able to have the right ingredients on hand at all times.
• Find keto snacks that you like, whether it be cheese, nuts, avocado, “fat bombs” (see below for more on those), or something else. Having a keto-friendly bite to grab when you feel hungry is key to staying on plan.
• Remove non-keto ingredients from your kitchen. If you live with non-keto eaters, it may be impossible to banish sugars and other high-carb ingredients completely, but at the very least, move them to a dark corner of your kitchen so they’re less accessible and therefore less tempting.

5-Ingredient Keto Recipes

Eating keto will be easier to stick with if the meals are simple to prepare. We’ve got tons of recipes with 5 or fewer ingredients.

Since the keto diet shuns carbs, many people assume that bread is off the menu. However, 90 Second Keto Bread manages to make delicious bread with just 5 ingredients: almond flour, egg, baking powder, salt, and butter. Make a quick and easy keto breakfast sandwich by toasting the keto bread and topping it with bacon, a fried egg, and a slice of cheese. For an easy lunch, spread the keto bread with peanut butter or use it to make a grilled cheese sandwich.

Even if you’re the only one in your household eating keto, it doesn’t mean you have to make separate meals. Many keto-friendly substitutions will also please non-keto eaters. For example, whip up 3-ingredient, 15-minute Low Carb Keto Cheese Taco Shells, then fill them with seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, and sour cream for a Mexican keto dinner your whole family will enjoy.

“Fat bombs” are high-fat, low-carb, often bite-sized keto confections that are good for snacks to sustain energy throughout the day or as a dessert treat to satisfy a sweet craving. Many of them are very easy to prepare, with few ingredients. Try 5-ingredient Keto Chocolate Fat Bombs (with almond butter, cocoa powder, coconut oil, stevia, and salt) or 4-ingredient Raspberry Lemon Fat Bombs (with raspberries, lemon juice, coconut milk, and stevia).

Old Favorites Gone Keto

Just because you’re eating keto doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some of your favorite foods—it just might mean you have to make a few adjustments. Keto Egg Rolls (in a Bowl) contains all the mouthwatering taste of the inside of an egg roll, but it’s served in a bowl instead of a high-carb wrapper. Keto Jalapeno Popper Meatloaf is a fun take on this classic comfort food. Instead of a sugar-laden tomato sauce topping, this meatloaf is wrapped in delicious savory bacon. And it’s chock-full of flavor, due to a filling of cream cheese, shredded cheese, and spicy pickled jalapeno peppers. And any pizza can be a keto dinner if you use a cauliflower crust (search “Cauliflower Pizza Crust” on Yummly). If you’re in a hurry, many grocery stores stock cauliflower pizza crust.

Part of the trick of eating keto is getting enough fat in your diet each day, so don’t be afraid to indulge. If you’re a chicken lover, an easy keto chicken recipe is sheet-pan baked chicken breasts, but serve them drizzled with olive oil or a creamy keto-friendly sauce for extra fat. Or try garlicky, lemony, 30-minute Crispy Chicken Thighs—this simple one-skillet meal is made with dark meat, which has a higher fat content than chicken breasts. Don’t skip the crispy skin—it’s the best part! Finally, Keto Chicken Parmesan Casserole comes with all the great flavor of a classic Italian-style chicken Parmesan (plus bacon!), but with almost none of the carbs.

And don’t forget the side dishes—dress up your keto-friendly vegetables with as much cheese, butter, and bacon as your heart desires. Search Yummly for Zucchini and Tomato Gratin, Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon and Garlic, or Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms—these are just a few of the countless keto veggie sides that will round out any keto dinner.

Yummly can make it easy to stick to your keto diet—search our thousands of keto recipes to find your new favorites!