“Almuerzo” is Spanish for brunch – a meal somewhere between breakfast and lunch
The term “brunch” was not used in written form in the United States until about 120 years ago, a significant amount of time before anyone stood in line to enjoy a meal consisting of eggs benedict and French toast. Which is not at all a keto meal. Keto exponents say that the advent of such a carby starchy meal led directly to an increase in everything from floating kidneys to diabetes to morbid obesity.
In 1896, a column in an old newspaper published in Pennsylvania titled “The New Oxford” noted that the “current craze” was to send out invites for a meal called “brunch,” which was “a repast at 11 o’clock in the morning.” Brunch was initially planned as an event for the wealthy that would take a long time and involve a lot of elaborate preparation, but it quickly made its way into the masses like a runny egg.
By 1939, The New York Times had established that Sunday should be a day with two meals.
By the 1960s, the rising popularity of brunch led to the publication of specialized cookbooks, and by the 1990s, people in the United States began having brunch on Saturdays as well.
These days, brunch is more popular than it has ever been before. And it’s finally getting a little more keto. The history of brunch reflects shifting trends in how people in the United States eat, live, and engage with one another. However, brunch has not yet become the norm over the entirety of the United States. If you go into the facts, you’ll notice that brunch is significantly more popular in certain parts of this country. Also among certain demographics than it is in other places and among other groups. Everybody does brunch in California and in New York. Florida, Colorado, Georgia, and New Mexico – these are states that now glorify brunch (mainly because it pushes back the hour you can start imbibing cocktails to 11:00 a.m. instead of noon.)
A keto ‘almuerzo,’ obviously, should contain lots of cuts of cooked meats. The fattier, the better.
Cooking methods can range from grilling to raw. This is a meaty subject (pardon the pun), so let’s look into it a bit deeper.
There’s no beef with beef
Since the beginning of the nosh, people have enjoyed feasting on meat. The Middle East was the region that was home to the first domesticated cattle over 10,000 years ago before migration eventually transported them to Africa.
The trek from the open plains to the dining room table was a long and arduous one. It’s likely that beef doesn’t look anything like it did in the early days of farming when we see it now. Food historians tell us that just a hundred years ago, a piece of beef needed to be nearly raw and oozing with blood to be considered fit to eat. Despite this, beef remains an excellent source of various nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Beef has a lot of iron in it, more than any other food. Because beef has iron in it, it helps the body make more hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein that helps move oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body through the blood. If you don’t get enough iron from your food, you could get iron deficiency anemia, which means your body isn’t getting enough oxygen. You might feel tired, drowsy, weak, and like you can’t think straight.
Immunity and getting healthy again
Beef has a fairly high amount of zinc, which the body needs to repair damaged tissue and keep the immune system healthy. Zinc is also important for healthy growth and development in children and teens.
How the muscles work
Protein is important for healthy muscles. It rebuilds muscle tissue that has been broken down by normal wear and tear. Also, protein helps your body build more muscle, which is especially helpful when you’re doing strength training.
A single serving of beef gives you the amount of protein you need for the whole day. This keeps you from losing muscle mass. When you lose muscle mass, you may feel weaker and find it harder to keep your balance. This is especially true if you are 55 or older.
Raw beef?
If you have an absolutely sterile stainless steel tabletop, you can prepare steak tartare, also known as cig kofte, sashimi, kibbeh nayyeh, or yukhoe. This is a patty of raw ground beef that is mixed with salt, herbs and spices, onions, and garlic, doused with rice vinegar, and topped with a raw egg yolk. Medical experts say it’s safe to eat as long as it is served immediately. Don’t put it in the fridge or leave it on the counter.
Bon appetit!
