5 Easy Keto Hacks That Save Time & Boost Results

The keto diet makes losing weight easy, improves your metabolic health, lowers the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes, and boosts energy and mental clarity.

It can take some time to adjust to a low-carb diet, and some people struggle to keep on track with the keto lifestyle. However, with some planning, and a few keto hacks keto can be a sustainable diet that saves you time and money while reaping its health benefits.

Let’s look at five easy keto tips and tricks you can implement today.

Top 5 keto hacks

Staying in ketosis is essential for keto success. Consistently limiting carb intake can make the keto diet challenging at times, no matter if you are new to a low-carb lifestyle or a seasoned veteran.

However, these simple keto tricks can help make keto easy and sustainable, especially if you are on a busy schedule. 

Here are five keto hacks that save time and boost results!

1. Combine keto with intermittent fasting 

Intermittent fasting is a mealtime schedule with set fasting periods followed by an eating window. 

The 16:8 intermittent fast—16 hours of fasting followed by an eight-hour eating window—is one of the most popular types of fast. During fasting, your liver relies on stored fatty acids instead of dietary fats or sugars as a fuel source, which amplifies keto's fat-burning effects.  

Most people typically eat two meals on a 16:8 fast or one larger meal on a 20:4 fast, which is a great way to reduce calorie consumption and boost weight loss. 

Reducing the number of meals eaten per week also lowers the time it takes to plan, shop for, and prepare your meals. 

Adding intermittent fasting to your keto regimen can increase fat burning and take your health to the next level. It’s particularly helpful for getting past a weight-loss plateau.

2. Keep it simple  

Keeping it simple helps to stay on track and can be the key to keto success. 

Unless you have the time and passion for elaborate recipes, focus on simple and nutritious low-carb foods like grass-fed meats, fish, eggs, dairy, leafy green vegetables, veggie sticks, and healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, and nuts.

Stocking up on keto-approved foods and throwing out high-carb foods and processed foods is a simple but effective keto hack to stay in ketosis even if you experience cravings.

Have keto-friendly condiments at hand, and swap high-carb flours with low-carb options such as almond flour, arrowroot flour, and coconut flour.

Get familiar with cauliflower rice and find keto alternatives for pasta, such as egg, shitake, and zucchini noodles, to create quick and easy low-carb meals. 

Finding a keto-sweetener is equally important if you have a sweet tooth. Stevia and monk fruit are excellent sugar alternatives that work great in keto dessert recipes and help curb sugar cravings for sugary snacks quickly.

While nuts and keto fat bombs are often hailed as simple and easy keto snacks, be careful not to eat too many as they’re high in calories and can lead to weight gain. 

Watch the video below to learn about simple and effective keto hacks for busy people.

3. Plan one week ahead

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” said Benjamin Franklin—and he was right.

Meal planning lets you make healthier choices by allowing you to plan meals that are low-carb and nutrient-dense. Not only will this help you to stay in ketosis, but it also supercharges weight loss and promotes a healthy body.

Planning ahead and preparing meals saves you time by reducing the amount of time you spend cooking and shopping. Preparing multiple meals in advance avoids last-minute decisions, which are often less healthy than planned meals.

And, what’s more, being organized pays off. Meal planning saves money as you can buy groceries in bulk and plan meals around ingredients that are on sale. This can also help avoid eating out or buying convenience foods, which are often highly processed and more expensive than fresh, nutritious produce.

If you like to eat out, have a list of local restaurants offering keto-friendly options, and don’t forget to consider any upcoming events in your meal plans.

Social gatherings can be challenging, especially if your friends and family aren’t doing keto and serve high-carb foods at parties and events. Call the host and offer to bring a dish so you know there will be a keto-friendly option available for you.  

If you are stuck in a rut and eat the same meals repeatedly, check out these 250+ healthy keto recipes to make your meal planning a breeze.

4. Double up on keto recipes   

Batch cooking is a lifesaver on a busy schedule. 

Scale up the ingredients of your favorite keto recipes and prep two or even three meals at once. Keto-friendly casseroles, stews, soups, and roasted meats are perfect for batch cooking and can easily be portioned and kept in the fridge or freezer.

Batch cooking is the perfect addition to meal planning and meal prepping. Buying in bulk saves money, and preparing several portions of your favorite dishes means you always have a keto-friendly home-cooked meal at hand. 

5. Start the day with bulletproof coffee 

Starting your day with a bulletproof coffee containing MCT oil gives you a boost of energy and helps to prolong your fast.

Bulletproof coffee combines black coffee, unsalted butter, and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Because it’s carb-free, it has no impact on blood sugar and insulin levels, which makes it a perfect keto-breakfast alternative.

Not only is making bulletproof coffee quick and easy, but it’s also a rich source of health-promoting fats, which help to sustain your energy levels, support ketone levels, and promote keto-adaptation.

What is keto?

Keto is a low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet that primes your metabolism to burn fat instead of sugar for energy. 

Going keto is an excellent choice to support a healthy weight, and research published in Food and Nutrition Science summarizes that the ketogenic diet is linked to many other health benefits, including weight loss, increased energy, improved cognition, and better memory.

Limiting carbs and fasting pushes your liver to break down fat to generate energy. This creates large quantities of ketones, a very efficient fuel source. As ketones enter your circulation to fuel your body—your metabolism shifts into a state known as ketosis.  

Your heart, brain, and muscles prefer ketones as a source of energy compared to relying on sugars and carbohydrates, which explains why keto improves cognitive function and boosts energy.

Limit net carbs to no more than 20 to 50 grams daily to achieve and maintain ketosis. More carbs will raise your blood sugar and trigger the release of insulin.

Insulin is a critical hormone that controls how your metabolism produces energy. If insulin is high, it blocks your metabolism from converting fats to energy, which pushes you out of ketosis. 

Is keto sustainable for busy people?

Yes, keto is sustainable for busy people, and with some planning and prepping, you can successfully incorporate keto into a busy lifestyle. 

In fact, keto done right can be much more sustainable than most other dietary patterns, particularly if you combine the keto diet with intermittent fasting. Fewer meals mean less shopping, cooking, and cleaning. 

However, to have long-term keto success, adjusting your keto and intermittent fasting regimen to your schedule and individual needs is crucial. Take some time to plan and identify potential pitfalls before they happen. 

There are plenty of resources available that help you avoid the biggest keto mistakes and provide guidance on how to make keto sustainable in the long run.  

It’s also important to remember that keto has many health benefits, including strengthening your immune system and boosting your energy levels. This means you spend less time feeling worn out and more energetic to tackle your busy schedule.   

How to avoid the keto flu

Keto flu is common, especially during the early phases of keto-adaptation. 

While keto-flu symptoms can vary, a study published in Frontiers of Nutrition found that headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and brain fog are the most common side effects. 

Suffering from keto flu doesn’t mean keto isn’t right for you. In fact, it indicates that you are doing keto right and your body is adapting to the profound changes of ketosis. 

Keto flu typically disappears once your cells adapt to using ketones as the primary fuel source, and there are plenty of steps you can take in the meantime to reduce symptoms.

Stay hydrated and replenish electrolytes

As your body adjusts to fat-burning, it’s normal to experience increased urination and water loss. This explains why starting keto can deplete essential electrolytes like potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium. Electrolyte imbalances are often the reason for headaches, lack of energy, and muscle cramps. 

Staying hydrated and replenishing electrolytes is crucial to prevent keto flu. Increase your intake of electrolyte-rich foods like vegetables and salad, and aim for seven to ten cups of salad and veggies daily to get optimal amounts of potassium.  

Alternatively, find a keto-friendly electrolyte supplement without added sugars or dextrose.   

Take nutritional yeast 

Ketosis requires different metabolic pathways than burning sugar, and your body requires adequate levels of B vitamins to break down fat and generate ketones.  

Starting keto can temporarily deplete B vitamins and lead to typical keto flu symptoms such as low energy, sugar cravings, and body aches.

Nutritional yeast is a rich source of natural B vitamins, and regularly adding it to your favorite dishes can help to speed up keto-adaptation. 

Follow Healthy Keto®

A balanced ketogenic diet such as Healthy Keto® focuses on nutrient-dense foods that support your body’s nutritional needs and lower the risk of keto flu.  

Healthy Keto replenishes essential vitamins and minerals and provides plenty of healthy fats by incorporating organic vegetables, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and game, full-fat dairy, seeds, and nuts. 

Key takeaways

With some planning, keto can be one of the most sustainable health-promoting diets, especially if combined with intermittent fasting. 

Fasting cuts down the number of meals, drastically reducing the time spent shopping, cooking, and cleaning and even saving you money.

Meal planning and prepping are valuable tools for keto success, and following Healthy Keto ensures that you get all the nutrients your body needs while staying in ketosis.

FAQ

1. What is the fastest way to lose weight on keto?

Adding intermittent fasting to your keto regimen amplifies the fat-burning effects of the keto diet. During fasting periods, your metabolism breaks down stored body fat instead of dietary fat to generate energy which can result in rapid weight loss.   

2. What is the fastest way to get into ketosis?

The fastest way to get into ketosis is to limit net carbs to 20 to 50 grams daily and practice intermittent fasting. Carb restriction and prolonged periods of fasting push your body to deplete stored glycogen and start producing ketones as an energy source. 

3. Is it possible to get into ketosis in 24 hours?

It’s possible to get into ketosis in 24 hours if you limit net carbs to no more than 20 to 50 grams and consume plenty of healthy fats such as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that promote ketone body production and help you enter ketosis.  

Doing intermittent fasting also shortens the time it takes to get into ketosis, as prolonged fasting depletes glycogen stores and pushes your metabolism to break down stored body fat to produce energy.  

4. How can I save time on keto?

Meal planning and meal prepping are valuable tools that can help save time on keto. 

Plan your meals one week in advance and scale the ingredients of your favorite keto recipes. Batch cooking significantly cuts prep time and ensures that you always have a home-cooked, keto-friendly meal available. 

5. Is the ketogenic diet sustainable if you’re busy?

Yes, with some planning, keto can be one of the most sustainable diets, especially when combined with intermittent fasting. Cutting the number of meals you consume per week means less shopping, cooking, and cleaning. 

6. What’s a fast keto breakfast alternative?

Bulletproof coffee is an excellent keto breakfast alternative. This high-fat beverage keeps you energized during the morning and helps to prolong your overnight fasting period. 

7. What’s a quick and easy keto lunch?

There are many quick and easy keto lunches. Keto bowls are versatile and quick to prepare, and you can combine whatever veggies and proteins you have leftover in your fridge.  

Keto soups and casseroles are great lunch options that you can prepare in batches and freeze in convenient lunch portions. 

8. Can I drink bulletproof coffee while doing intermittent fasting?

Yes, you can drink bulletproof coffee during intermittent fasting. It’s carb-free and won’t raise your blood sugar or insulin levels, which maintains ketosis and keeps your metabolism in a fasting state. 

9. How can I make a keto meal plan?

It’s best to create a keto meal plan one week in advance and include every meal you will eat during the next seven days. Keep it simple by repeating protein and fat sources, and opt for various salads and veggies. 

Look for simple keto recipes that you can scale and prepare in batches, and don’t forget to plan for any upcoming events and social gatherings.