Four Keto Staples I Suggested in 2018: Whey Protein, Psyllium, Potassium Salt and Calcium-Magnesium
In this recording
A 13-minute vertical Facebook Live from June 2018 walking through four things I'd listed for the group. I named specific brands in the video. I said I made no money from the links and that nobody paid me. This post leaves the brands out, because the categories are what matter.
- [0:00] A whey isolate protein powder. Two scoops gave about 50 g of protein, zero sugar and two net carbs, with a vitamin blend added.
- [0:53] It dissolves thin in 12 oz of water. For someone set at 80 to 100 g of protein, one drink covers half or more.
- [1:30] About 220 calories for 50 g of protein, the leanest protein you can get, and whey has a complete amino-acid balance.
- [2:47] "Doesn't whey spike insulin?" All protein raises insulin. Protein is required, and the difference is negligible.
- [2:47] Psyllium husk capsules. Capsule size only changes how many you swallow. Take two or three around meals, especially in the GI-rough introduction phase.
- [3:55] A potassium-chloride salt substitute. It's cheap, works in water or on food, and lasts for hundreds of doses.
- [5:00] When a sodium or potassium problem is the cause, I said the right drink fixes it in 10 to 15 minutes.
- [5:00] A calcium, magnesium and vitamin D supplement. Even on a vegetable-heavy plan, I still needed one.
- [8:24] Avocados now and then, pickle juice or zero-sugar sports drinks are not enough potassium.
- [8:55] Psyllium before a no-fibre meal, like a steak with bacon, to keep the bathroom calm.
- [10:07] Protein shakes as a planning tool: short on protein, tired of lean meat, out of calories for the day, or travelling.
- [11:22] The vitamin blend in the protein, and a caution about vitamin K. Don't double up with a multivitamin on shake days.
Watching this in 2026
This is a shopping list, and I'd frame it more carefully now. None of these four things is required for keto. What I was solving for in 2018 is still real, though. I said not nearly enough people in the group got their fibre, that avocados and pickle juice weren't enough potassium, and that plenty of people struggled to hit protein without extra fat (live UVAK9618).
The protein-shake argument holds up best. The goal wasn't the shake. It was making the protein target hit without dragging extra fat along (live UVAK9618). Leaner protein balances out fattier meals.
Drill-down: what the evidence pages say about each one
Protein. The sports-nutrition position stand on the protein page suggests 20 to 40 g per dose for most exercising people (ISSN, 2017). A two-scoop shake is at the top of that range. One scoop is in the middle. If you have kidney disease, check your protein target with your doctor before raising it. See protein and kidneys.
Psyllium. Psyllium is a viscous, soluble fibre. Across 67 controlled trials, 2 to 10 g a day of soluble fibre gave small, significant drops in total and LDL cholesterol (Brown et al., 1999). In trials comparing fibres, more viscous ones reduced appetite in 59% of comparisons, against 14% for less viscous ones (Wanders et al., 2011). In the Live I also said psyllium controls bacterial overgrowth (live UVAK9618). Nothing on the fibre page tests that, so treat it as my claim, not a finding.
Potassium salt. The National Academies' adequate intake is 2,600 mg a day for women and 3,400 mg for men (NASEM 2019). WHO suggests potassium-containing salt substitutes in place of regular salt, except for people at risk of high potassium (WHO). That exception covers kidney disease and some blood-pressure medicines. If either applies to you, ask your doctor before using a potassium salt. My "fixed in 10 to 15 minutes" was my claim, not a measured result.
Calcium, magnesium, D. I said calcium citrate is easier on the kidneys than calcium carbonate (live UVAK9618). None of the evidence pages covers calcium forms, so that's another one to check with your doctor, especially with a kidney history. For magnesium, the NIH sets an upper limit of 350 mg a day from supplements only, with no limit on magnesium from food (NIH ODS).
The vitamin overlap. My advice not to double up a fortified shake and a multivitamin on the same day fits the NIH's multivitamin fact sheet. It notes that multivitamins plus extra single-nutrient products can push some intakes past upper limits (NIH ODS). On whether multivitamins prevent disease, the US Preventive Services Task Force found the evidence insufficient (USPSTF, 2022). The vitamin K warning was aimed at people who've been told to watch their vitamin K. If that's you, a fortified shake is something to clear with your doctor.
Key points
- None of these is required. They're cheap shortcuts for four common gaps: protein, fibre, potassium, minerals.
- A lean protein shake helps you hit protein without extra fat. One scoop is about 25 g, two about 50 g.
- Psyllium is a soluble, viscous fibre. In trials, soluble fibre modestly lowered LDL cholesterol.
- Potassium salt substitutes are not for everyone. Kidney disease or blood-pressure medication means asking your doctor first.
- Watch for overlap between fortified foods, shakes and a multivitamin.
- Brands don't matter. Read the label for protein per scoop, sugar, and the mineral form.
Related
- Guide: potassium and magnesium · do you need a multivitamin · fiber on keto · how much protein · who should talk to a doctor
- Blog: hitting your protein goal · soluble vs insoluble fiber · keto constipation · light salt · magnesium on keto · do multivitamins work
- Videos: tired on keto: the bouillon routine · electrolytes made simple · spend your carbs on vegetables · a greens-and-protein meal powder