A quick update for the old gang: I’ve been away because, well, I had nothing to write about. On April 2nd, however, I went full-bore into a strict ketogenic diet. I’ve written a whole lot about that, but it’s not ready for publishing yet – but how about a recipe?
I’ve been deep into ketosis and have been very strict for the past 2 weeks. I use the weekends to cook and wanted to have a goto meal for the week so I thought: why not chili?
In the past I have not watched my carbs as closely as I am now, and it has paid off: a 10 lb. loss in 2 weeks, a 20-40 point drop in blood glucose levels, and ketones as measured by a blood testing meter averaging between 2-3 mmol/ml.
So unlike in the past where I might have gone apeshit with onions and other higher carb vegetables, this chili measures nutrients down to every damn spice.
So here’s the ingredients and the numbers:
| Ingredient | Calories | Fat | Net Carbs | Protein |
| 2 lbs. 80/20 ground beef | 2272 | 179 | 0 | 152 |
| 5 Tbsp bacon fat | 570 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 slices bacon | 308 | 25 | 1 | 20 |
| 1 medium onion | 46 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 1 can Trader Joes Chiles | 40 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1 14.5 oz can Trader Joes Fire roasted organic tomatoes with green chiles | 87 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| 1 large green bell pepper | 48 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 2 tbsp chili powder | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 tsp ground cumin | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 tsp garlic powder | 18 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pepper | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total for the entire pot | 3461 | 267 | 43 | 184 |
| Total Per Portion (1/10) | 346 | 27 | 4 | 18 |
It was a pain in the ass to pull these numbers together – especially as different sources give different nutrient counts for the same thing, but I think this is about as accurate as I’m going to be able to get it.
The instructions are simple:
- Melt the bacon fat in the bottom of a pot
- Set the burner to high and add ground beef, black pepper, and some salt (add to taste later)
- Let it cook on high while you deal with cutting the vegetables and bacon, stirring occasionally
- Dice the bacon and toss in the pot
- Cut the onion and toss in the and give it a stir
- Do the same for the pepper
- Toss in the can of chilis and tomatoes
- Add the remaining spices
Now set it to a low simmer and let cook for 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
The verdict: pretty darn good. I’ll be eating this all week. I found it very flavorful by itself, but I’m sure with a little shredded cheese on the top – and maybe a dollop of sour cream – I’d be in some serious flavor territory.
Low Carb Confidential 