Day five of our exclusive five-day keto diet plan: gut-friendly recipes for family classics

Day five of our exclusive five-day keto meal plan brings creativity to the table with a probiotic-packed kefir bowl, a hearty Cobb salad and a delicious cauliflower-crust pizza topped with kale and guanciale. By Hannah Twiggs

The perfect balance of health and indulgence (Julia Stotz)

Day five of our exclusive keto meal plan celebrates creative twists on classic favourites.

Begin your day with a creamy kefir bowl topped with crunchy coconut flax granola, offering a perfect balance of probiotics and texture. Lunch elevates the humble salad with a hearty Cobb salad loaded with bacon, chicken and a rich blue cheese dressing.

Dinner is the pièce de résistance: a pizza with a crispy cauliflower crust, topped with kale, guanciale, and a hint of spice. These dishes prove that indulgence and keto can go hand in hand.

Day five

Top your pre-made cauliflower crust with kale, cheese and guanciale for today’s delicious dinner, and you won’t even miss carb-heavy pizza.

Breakfast

Kefir bowl with granola

Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

120ml (4fl oz) full-fat kefir

1 tbsp MCT oil

24g (1oz) protein powder

30g (1oz) coconut flax granola

Method:

1. Mix kefir, MCT oil and protein powder together in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Top with granola.

Nutrition per serving: 438 calories / 34.5g fat / 13.4g carbs / 3g fibre / 10.4g net carbs / 25g protein

Coconut flax granola

Makes: 675g (1½lb)

Servings: 24

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

135g (5oz) macadamia nuts, chopped

135g (5oz) hazelnuts, chopped

110g (4oz) pecans, chopped

40g (1½oz) pumpkin seeds, chopped

50g (1 ¾oz) ground golden linseeds (flax seeds)

40g (⅔ cup) shredded coconut

70g (2½oz) erythritol

1 egg white

60g (2oz) butter, melted

Salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150C (300F). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir. Spread in an even layer on a baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool. Add salt to taste. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Nutrition per serving: 155 calories / 15g fat / 6.8g carbs / 2.5g fibre / 4.3g net carbs / 3g protein

Lunch

Cobb salad

Serves: 1

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

85g (3oz) butter lettuce

170g (6oz) cherry tomatoes, halved

75g (2¾oz) shredded chicken from roast chicken with vegetables from day one (recipe here)

¼ red onion, sliced

100g (3½oz) bacon strips, cooked

85g (3oz) stilton, crumbled

1 large boiled egg, halved

60ml (¼ cup) blue cheese dressing (see below)

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Place lettuce in a bowl or container and top with remaining ingredients. Drizzle with dressing. Season and serve.

Nutrition per serving: 1023 calories / 80g fat / 17.5g carbs / 10.4g fibre / 7.1g net carbs / 61.5g protein

Blue cheese dressing

Makes: 300ml (10fl oz)

Serving size: 40ml

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

60ml (¼ cup) buttermilk

60ml (¼ cup) sour cream

2 tbsp Avocado Oil Mayo (see below)

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 tsp white wine vinegar

115g (4oz) blue cheese, crumbled

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp finely chopped shallot

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Place buttermilk, sour cream, mayo, oil, vinegar and blue cheese in a bowl and whisk together until combined well. Fold in remaining ingredients. Season to taste. Store in fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition per serving: 117 calories / 12g fat / 2g carbs / 0g fibre / 2g net carbs / 1g protein

Avocado oil mayo

Makes: 200ml (7fl oz)

Serving size: 1 tbsp

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 large egg yolks (at room temperature)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

240ml (8fl oz) avocado oil

1½ tsp apple cider vinegar

Method:

1. Blend yolks, mustard and salt in a high-powered blender until thick and creamy. While blending, add 60ml (¼ cup) of oil, drop by drop, until the mixture begins to thicken, then add vinegar in a slow, steady stream, followed by the remaining oil. Blend until thick. Add more salt, to taste. Chill for a week.

Nutrition per serving: 136 calories / 14g fat / 3g carbs / 0g fibre / 3g net carbs / 0g protein

Dinner

Pizza with guanciale and kale

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients:

30g (1oz) kale, stalks removed and leaves roughly chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 cauliflower pizza crust (see below)

115g (4oz) mozzarella, grated

50g (1¾oz) pecorino, grated, plus extra for top

115g (4oz) guanciale, very thinly sliced

1-2 tbsp chopped Calabrian chilli or chilli flakes

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Massage kale, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil together. Season. Top crust with half the cheese, the guanciale, chilli, garlic, remaining oil and kale, then top with the rest of the cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Cut into eight slices and serve. Store any remaining slices in the fridge for another day.

Nutrition per serving: 328 calories / 29.1g fat / 5.4g carbs / 0.9g fibre / 4.5g net carbs / 13.6g protein

Cauliflower pizza crust

Cauliflower pizza crust is a delicious keto-friendly alternative to standard, flour-based pizza dough.

Makes: 8 slices

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

900g (2lb) cauli-rice (see below)

3 eggs

1½ tsp Italian seasoning

50g (½ cup) grated parmesan

55g (⅓ cup) grated mozzarella

1 tbsp MCT oil

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Place cauli-rice in a nut bag or in a piece of muslin (cheesecloth) and squeeze dry to remove excess water. Place in a large bowl along with the remaining ingredients and mix together. Spread mixture onto a lined baking tray into the shape of pizza crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, until dry and golden. Flip and bake for another 10 minutes. Add toppings and bake for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

Nutrition per untopped slice: 113 cals / 9g fat / 3.1g carbs / 0.7g fibre / 2.4g net carbs / 6.8 g protein

Cauli-rice

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 whole cauliflower (about 900g-1.4kg/2-3lb 1oz)

Method:

1. Chop florets off cauliflower, place in a food processor and pulse until florets are the size of rice grains. Alternatively, chop florets until they are the size of rice grains.

Recipes from ‘28 Days Keto: A Complete guide to living the keto lifestyle easily’ by Lisa Butterworth and Caroline Hwang (Smith Street Books, £15).