A Lifelong Vegetarian Tries Keto in Bangalore — and Doesn't Look Back

I am so excited to share this journey with you, because when you start a passion project — which is exactly what The Larder is for both Augustine and me — I believe you need to be fully immersed in the experience to truly connect with your community and customers.

I have been a lifelong vegetarian, born into it and conditioned over four decades. I did eat eggs as a child but stopped around the age of eight. Like many vegetarians and vegans, I carried a strong mental block around foods containing eggs or meat.

I have also been an entrepreneur since 2019, working specifically in the field of health and childbirth as a midwife. The Larder, with its focus on rejuvenation and transformation through ketosis and a carnivore lifestyle, felt like a natural and passionate next step.

On April 6th, 2026, I turned a real corner. With the official launch of The Larder just a month away, I decided to start eating eggs. My motivation was straightforward: I wanted to feel better in my body, experience a midlife regeneration — because that is entirely possible — address the joint pain in my legs, and break free from my sugar addiction.

My bestie and business partner Augustine has been her usual generous self, helping me ease into this carnivore journey. I had serious aversions at the start. But watching her own personal journey of experimentation and healing, which began in October 2024, has been a quiet and steady inspiration. It is now mid-June and I have stayed true to my path. I feel younger, less inflamed, and my taste profile has completely changed!

I thought this was going to be a long, arduous journey filled with food I could not relate to or enjoy. I was determined to push through anyway, staying true to my commitment to experimentation, self-improvement, and our entrepreneurial ideals. 😅

Just in the second week of ketosis, what surprised me most was how much I genuinely enjoyed eggs and the various meats I tried — most of which I had barely or never tasted before in my life. I do not have cravings for the foods I have eaten my whole life. I do not feel like I am missing anything at all. In fact, I am enjoying everything on my plate. My body is making my food choices for me; there is no food chatter or noise. And every single time I feel sated, happy, and look forward to the next creation from Augustine!

I have become The Larder's first customer and its first test case. This is just the beginning, and I invite you all to join me on this journey 🍗. Come follow along as I post updates in our WhatsApp community and join our first public 30-day keto challenge starting on 1 July 2026!

Starting keto in Bangalore? Here's what helped Chetana ease in.

If you're considering this journey — especially if you're coming from a vegetarian background — these are the products Chetana started with:

For the hesitant beginner
Chicken Bone Broth — Coconut & Clove — warm, familiar flavours, deeply nourishing. A gentle way to introduce animal protein.

For snacking without thinking
Scandinavian Snacking Butter and Peruvian Snacking Butter  — both on the sweeter side, which helps when you're breaking a sugar habit.

When you're ready to cook
Beef Tallow — 100% Grass-Fed — swap this in wherever you'd use oil. No flavour change, no adjustment needed.

For the days you don't want to cook at all
Carnivore Pizza or any of the Heat & Eat range — real food, no prep, no compromise.