Atkins and Ketosis: Protein, Carbs, and Fat Ratios

When you’ve decided to lead a low-carb lifestyle, you’re determined to make healthy choices that will have a positive impact on your life. As you venture through your low-carb transformation, you’ll feel motivated and focused on living life to the fullest.

We’ve already talked about the process of ketosis and how ‘keto’ principles can be found throughout the Atkins lifestyle, but what does that mean for the types of food you should eat? Read on as we explain more about how your food can be ratioed to ensure that you get a healthy balance of your protein, good carbs, and natural fats.

What’s on Your Plate?

There are four main phases to the Atkins lifestyle and, naturally, it all begins with Phase 1.

During Phase 1, your main focus will be on limiting the amount of carbs you eat. By doing this, your body will learn to switch its main fuel source from carbs to fat – this is a completely natural way of losing weight.

Within this first phase, you should try to aim for your daily macros to amount to 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% good carbs. Find out more about the different types of food you can eat here.

To help you get started on Phase 1, we’ve looked at three popular meals that you could have throughout the day, and how they contribute to your daily macros.

Breakfast

You can still enjoy a traditional English breakfast on a low carb diet! We’ve suggested a plate of grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, fried eggs, and bacon to get your day off to a great start.

Eggs are a great source of fat, and you don’t just have to have them fried – have them however you like, whether it’s scrambled, poached, fried, or boiled. Bacon, meanwhile, is a good source of protein. As a trusty rule of thumb, you should aim for around 115-175g of protein-rich foods in every meal, which (if it’s meat) will work out at around 1-1.5 palm-sized portions.

Lunch

For lunch, we’ve come up with a delicious meal consisting of baked salmon with avocado and a refreshing mixed salad.

In this dish, the salmon will provide a good source of protein, whilst the mixed salad will give you your good carbs – so stock up on those tomatoes and cucumbers! Avocados are high in oleic acid, potassium, and healthy fats, so they’re perfect for keeping you going throughout a busy day.

Dinner

Our dinner recipe is a healthy take on the traditional Sunday roast dinner. With succulent roasted chicken and plenty of buttered vegetables, it’s a real crowd-pleaser.

Chicken is a classic source of protein, and is also stacked full of vitamins and minerals. Fill up your plate with plenty of vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, and peas – accounting for up to 15g of your daily 20g intake of carbs.

Get Some Inspiration

Take a look through our expansive recipe collection if you’re after some culinary inspiration and nutritionally balanced meals.