Keto Holiday Guide
Family, friends, and food! The holidays are a time of celebration. But you may be stressed about how to stick to your keto diet during this busy time.
Temptation abounds with pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, latkes, stuffing, gravy, rich desserts, and sugary cocktails. This smorgasbord of ketosis killers can be hard to navigate.
Don’t worry – I’ve got you covered! Here is my guide to eating keto during the holidays.
Plan Ahead
Mark your calendar.
Whether it’s online or a traditional daytimer, noting where and when you’ll be faced with making keto decisions is the first step to staying keto happy during the holidays.
Are you hosting? Will you be dining out at a restaurant? How about visiting friends or family? Maybe all of the above. With simple strategies, you can stay on track and avoid the dreaded holiday weight gain.
If you’re doing all the cooking try emeals to help plan your Keto Holiday Meal.
Hosting During the Holidays
When you’re at home, you have total control over what and when you eat. However, it’s a little different during the holidays. You also need to cater to your guests, many of whom won’t be concerned with low carbs.
The chances are you’ll be cooking a traditional turkey or prime rib dinner with all of the fixings.
But where does that leave you?
Your Menu – Appetizers, Mains, Desserts
Appetizers
Begin the festivities and the Keto Holiday Guide with a charcuterie board, some delicious Guacamole, crunchy Keto Crackers, and Spinach Feta Stromboli. Take the edge off everyone’s appetite while they await your next creation.
Salads
Kale Avocado Salad, Broccoli Salad, or a Caesar complete with Keto Croutons are awesome choices to segue to the main course. Need some ideas for low-carb dressing? Try my Spicy Ranch or Caesar Dressing.
Mains
Turkey, roast beef, ham – they’re all keto-friendly so you and your guests will be on the same page here. With basically zero carb per serving, animal protein in the Keto Holiday Guide takes center stage on my holiday dinner plate.
Sides and Sauce
Instead of mashed potatoes, whip up this delicious Keto Cauliflower Mash for yourself and add extra – I guarantee your guests will love it!
Roasted brussel sprouts are a great keto-friendly vegetable on the Keto Holiday Guide. A sprinkle of parmesan and melted butter makes them crowd-pleasers. Just remember there are 4.7 net carbs in one cup.
Stuffing you say? Try my Keto Stuffing Chaffles with only 3g net carb per serving compared to store-bought with 20-23g in 1/2 a cup.
My cranberry sauce recipe is low on sugar and a great substitute for the canned stuff which packs a 30g carb count in a 1/4 cup!
Gravy
No need to thicken your gravy with high carb flours or gums. Try glucomannen as a thickener for a low carb version of a traditional favorite. Here’s my Keto Gravy recipe for the Keto Holiday Guide.
Desserts
While you may have pumpkin pie and plum pudding standing by, I have plenty of keto dessert alternatives that won’t add to your waistline.
Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Cups are absolutely to die for and prep time is only 10 minutes! Yes, you can satisfy your sweet tooth with a dessert containing only 3g of net carbs. Save time and save your keto diet.
Restaurant Dining
You’ve just been invited to a dinner party at a restaurant! Initial excitement can turn to panic when you worry that a high-carb menu will knock you off ketosis.
Don’t fret! With some simple strategies, you can overcome keto jeopardy and enjoy your time to the max.
Do some reconnaissance.
Check the restaurant menu online to see what dishes have keto-friendly foods.
If you’re concerned, contact the restaurant directly and inquire about options.
Don’t be afraid to inquire about what’s in a dish. Servers are more sensitive to allergies and other dietary restrictions these days, therefore they should be able to warn you if anything is off-limits.
- Request substitutions
- Choose salad over potatoes or rice
- Lose the bread basket
Increase fat content with more butter and extra virgin olive oil.
Dining at Friends or Family
The charming prospect of getting together at someone else’s home is another situation fraught with potential ketosis catastrophe. They eat high-carb and you don’t. What do you do? You don’t want to be labeled picky or insulting.
Don’t worry, a few simple solutions mean you can still have a wonderful time.
If possible, chat with the host about their menu for the evening and explain that you’re eating low-carb. If you discover there are some dishes that simply won’t work for you, offer to bring a couple of your own keto-safe options that can be shared with the other guests.
You’ll be doing the host a favor by reducing the prep time or meal planning ….and, of course, you’ll stay keto.
If a conversation about what the host is serving isn’t an option, then eat some keto foods at home before you arrive so you’ll be less tempted to make bad food choices.
In the event of an emergency, have a few keto granola bars in your pocket to fend off unnecessary grazing.
Moderate Alcohol
Here’s the best news: There’s no reason why you can’t join your friends in a glass of wine or spirits. It just comes down to following a few simple rules in the Keto Holiday Guide.
Avoid sugary cocktails and regular beer. Educate yourself about the best keto wines. If you prefer hard alcohol, choose rum, whiskey, gin, or vodka. Highballs can be made with low-carb mixers like diet sodas.
When you’re in ketosis, alcohol has a quicker, higher impact so take it slow. Alternate sipping water with wine and keep each glass to a 5oz serving.
The last thing you want is a keto hangover!!
Happy Keto Holidays
Navigating the keto holiday minefield is simple as long as you stick to some proven strategies. Remember, eating keto doesn’t have to be all about deprivation during the holiday season. Look to this Keto Holiday Guide….You can still enjoy your favorite dishes and drinks with friends without sabotaging your healthy progress!
If you find yourself stuck and you need some keto menu recommendations, don’t hesitate to reach out to eat@thekelliekitchen.com for suggestions.
Happy Keto Holidays from The Kellie Kitchen.
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MEDICAL AND NUTRITION DISCLAIMER…Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nutritional break downs are done using a commercial nutrition calculator. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctorbefore starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers, this should never be construed as medical advice.