It’s summer and that can be a more challenging season for people on keto. We cook a lot, make our own fat bomb desserts and meals so we stay on track. And that can be difficult when it’s hot. I came across a search on Pinterest for no-cook meals. That got me thinking of keto meals we can make without working over a hot stove. We have a few options in our recipe book, and I thought this would be a good series to do to share our ideas. We start out with ideas for no-cook keto meals.
Salads are No-Cook Keto Meals
Sure, you can have a salad as a meal, but garden salads are just kind of…well, meh. You can add nuts and berries to them, which make them better, but you don’t rush home from work looking forward to a big old garden salad.
We have a few salads that are truly filling and tasty, as well as being a bit unusual. Instead of using lettuce as a base, we do a cucumber feta salad that’s a take on the Greek salad but uses cucumber as its base. My favourite salad is the broccoli salad with a bit of bacon in it. It’s dressing is a combination of mayonnaise and sour cream, and it is spiced with some garlic and paprika. This salad can easily be a full meal.
You can dress up the typical lettuce-based salads too. We have a Greek walnut salad that is delicious and just different enough that you look forward to it. You can always have a Caesar salad with no croutons, and add some pre-cooked chicken for a great meal that requires no cooking.
Sandwiches and Wraps
If you thought sandwiches and wraps were a thing of the past when you started keto, you are very much mistaken. You have a variety of options to hold everything together, such as cheesy biscuits, keto flatbread, boston lettuce, Carbonaut bread, or Mr. Tortilla. Fill them up with deli meats, tuns, or chicken salad and you will never miss bread. I saw a suggestion the other day of using leftover Caesar salad in your wraps that I’m definitely going to try!
Dips as Keto Meals
I love having a good dip with some cut up pre-cooked pork or chicken and some raw veggies. Our buffalo dip is amazing and doesn’t need any cooking. It’s spicy but so flavourful, and we love that you don’t need to cook it. We also do a mayonnaise-based curry dip that tastes great. It’s refreshing with a little bite to it. Dips are quick, easy, and tasty!
Thinking Outside the Box for Non-Cook Keto Meals
Keto Millennial has some good ideas in their article on no-cook keto meals that are outside the box. One of those ideas is to put together a bunch of keto-friendly foods together. Luckily, a lot of these foods can be no-cook options. Do a charcuterie board or meal box with a variety of meats, cheeses, veggies, berries, and nuts. Have a mish-mash of everything and pick away. It’s a great option when its hot.
You can also make a sandwich bowl. We like making burrito bowls by using lettuce as a base and then adding the pre-cooked meat of your choice. Put in sour cream, guacamole, and a little bit of salsa. It’s so good, very filling, and best of all, no cooking!
Our go-to meal when we don’t want to cook is to pick up a cooked chicken or ham at the local grocery store and a Caesar salad. We love that it gives us leftovers for the next day’s lunch. Keep it as-is, or put the chicken or ham in a wrap.
Wendy
