The Ketogenic Diet and Nutrients
One of the questions I get asked very often is “Will I get enough nutrients when eating the keto way?”
This is one of my favorite subjects! Hey, I am not called the “Nourished” Caveman for nothing!
If you are about to embark into a ketogenic or LCHF diet I am sure yo are asking yourself these questions:
- If I am not eating “healthy” whole grains anymore, where will I get nutrients from?
- Where will I get my vitamins if I am not eating fruit?
There is a very simple answer to these questions: Organ meats, herbs and cruciferous vegetables.
So do you want to eat a well-formulated, well-balanced LCHF / ketogenic diet or do you want to just eat whatever
Organ meats, nutrients and the Keto lifestyle
In this older Heart recipe post I go into all detail about the benefits of eating organ meats and the nutrients contained in heart meat specifically.
Now let’s see what are some of the essential nutrients we need on a keto diet and how to get them through a healing food like pastured beef heart.
- Essential amino acids: There are 9 amino-acids that can not be synthetized in our body. These need to be supplied by the foods we eat. A deficiency in any of these amino acids will result in a much elevated risk of infections, edema, nervousness, exhaustion, dizziness. Heart meat supplies ALL the essential amino acids, making it an excellent source of healthy protein!
- Omega 3 fatty acids: Pastured meats, unlike factory farm meats supply a larger ratio of omega 3s then omega 6s. Omega 3s are essential fatty acids, so we do need to get those through the food we eat! A deficiency in Omega 3s will result in fatigue, mood swings, depression, heart problems and poor memory. Pastured beef heart is an good source of Omega 3s!
- Minerals: Especially when on a keto diet when our body is in a state of keto adaptation, minerals become more important than ever! Beef heart is high in Selenium (VERY important for sugar handling), phosphorus, iron and copper. The best way to get your minerals is through mineral-rich foods, NOT through chemical isolates!
 Get over your organ meat stigma!
Do you want to hear something funny?
I did a small experiment: I served the Bacon Heart Rolls at a dinner party at my house. All the guests LOVED THEM. I did not mention heart meat at all.
After dinner I confessed them that they had eaten heart meat. They were shocked! 90% percent of the guests expected a nasty taste….but guess what: there was none! Just bacony, crispy, meaty deliciousness!
That’s what you are in for! Just pure YUM.
And the YUM is good for you!
What more can you ask for.
PS If you wonder where the heck to get some high quality Pastured Heart Meat, and you have no local farms around you, I recommend US Wellness Meats. You can buy heart online form them!!
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- Serves: 6 pieces
- Serving size: 6 portions
- Calories: 124
- Fat: 7 gr
- Saturated fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 0
- Sugar: 0
- Protein: 14 gr

- 12 oz Pastured Beef Heart meat, trimmed and sliced into 1" thick pieces
- 12 Organic Uncured Bacon Slices
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
- Mix all seasonings and salt together.
- Sprinkle seasonings on the pieces of heart.
- Wrap each piece of heart meat into a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick that you have soaked in water for 1 hour (so it won't burn)
- Place rolls on a broiler pan and set under the broiler on high until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.
- I do like to leave my heart medium rare, so it stays tender and juicy.
- Serve immediately with a dab of homemade mayonnaise mixed with hot sauce of your choice.
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Comments 8
Looks amazing. Pinning!!!
Thank you Kate!!
LOVE IT!! I’ve never tried broiling heart but it sounds amazing! I will have to try this….I came home with a ton of beef heart from Polyface farm 🙂
OH I am SO JEALOUS!!! You got to meet Joel Salatin AND buy beef heart there!! You should also try this recipe: https://thenourishedcaveman.com/moroccan-heart-stew
It’s my favorite one!! 🙂
PS heart on the bbq, cooked med rare = YUM!
This looks and sounds amazing and I’m going to make it this week, thank you for sharing! I believe there’s a mistake in the nutrition info though. If this recipe makes 12 rolls, and serves 6, then a serving size is 2 portions, not 6 portions. I thought 124 calories for 6 pieces sounded a bit low.
Hi Lara! Thank you for the compliments, finally somebody who appreciates heart meat! 🙂
BTW recipe yields 6 pieces and makes 6 servings. I put the macros for 1 piece, so it easy to multiply for how many you are eating…hope this is more clear…
First time ever making or eating beef heart. These are absolutely delicious! Your recipe is so good that we were scratching our heads wondering why anyone would ever be intimidated by eating heart. I’m amazed that a cut of beef that’s this cheap and delicious isn’t wildly popular.
Anyway, great recipe. Thank you! I guarantee we’ll be making it for years to come.
So glad to hear… Heart is delicious and CHEAP 😉