My husband started doing a Keto diet again in January and this time he seems committed to sticking to it long term. I’m incredibly proud of him for sticking with it. So last month I decided to stop stalling and give Keto a try also and then in my typical slacker style I settled into a compromise that is not Keto so much as Keto inspired. Because for me Keto long term feels too restricting and I want to do this long term, not for a month.

While my husband shoots for somewhere around 30-40 grams of carbs a day, I’m shooting for 100, which is still at least half of the amount I was consuming before. The big things for me are: no soda, no latte beverages, no desserts – 95% of the time anyway. I’m also avoiding starchy sides like bread, pasta, rice and everything joyful in the world. And when I totally fail, I forgive myself and start over at the next meal.

The biggest factor in making sure that my husband sticks with his goal and that I do my best to adhere to mine is dinner time. We can all make whatever choices we make throughout the day, but dinner has to follow the rules. This meant completely overhauling my recipe collection because like 75% of the recipes I was cooking rely heavily on things like pasta, potatoes and rice. Whomp whomp.

Over the last two months I’ve tried a lot of new recipes. Here are the 5 that have been the most successful in our home.

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup at Gal on a Mission – This is like going to the Olive Garden and makes your house smell amazing. Cauliflower replaces potatoes as the star of the show. Incredibly satisfying.

Cheesy Taco Casserole at Kalyn’s Kitchen (great keto friendly blog) – You’re going to make friends with cauliflower rice with this dish. Tastes great, though we would add more taco seasoning than her recipe calls for. My husband is a Flavor Guy.

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole at Ruled Me (another keto blog) – All my husband had to hear was cream cheese, bacon and jalapeno peppers and he was like, “I’m there.” This recipe uses all the corner stones of not making Keto feel like you are being deprived. All the cheese, all the bacon. I used a whole package of chicken thighs when I made it instead of just two though.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala – This recipe isn’t labeled as low carb because normal people eat it with rice and naan – but served this stuff is so good that you won’t care you are having cauliflower rice with it. Lick the bowl good happening here.

Taco Salad for the Win – This doesn’t need a recipe but it gets made almost every week in our home so it has to be mentioned. Brown your meat, add taco seasoning. Top with cheese. Buy an awesome salad kit and pile the meat and cheese on top. Add an avocado because you love yourself. Sprinkle tortilla chips on your kids’ salads or let them make tacos and have salad on the side. This recipe is easy. This recipe is quick. This recipe always tastes good. Sometimes I use a taco salad kit. Sometimes I get a bacon ranch salad.

Alright Low Carb Peeps:

Share your favorite recipes in the comments section!