Christmas is a magical holiday! Time with friends and family, parties, gifts … and food. Lots and lots of food and treats.
As wonderful as it is, it can also be challenging if you’re trying to stick to your Keto or Carnivore diet.
That’s why we’ve put together this Keto Christmas Survival Guide, full of tips to help you navigate the holiday and still be happy with yourself when it’s all over.
What are my best food options?
If you’re the one doing the cooking, you have a lot more control.
You can prepare the normal foods and treats for your family and friends, but also fix up some Keto options, as well.
- Meats – Most Christmas dinners have at least one meat as a main part of the meal. Turkey, ham, roast, duck and lamb are all good choices to fill your plate with
- Low Carb Veggies – You can make the potatoes for your loved ones, but have something like green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower so that you have some nice Keto choices
- Deviled eggs! Everybody loves deviled eggs and they are super Keto friendly!
- Desserts are trickier, but there are some great Keto alternatives. Cheesecake is a good one, as well as pumpkin puree, and fat bombs. All of these can be made Keto approved. In fact, we’re going to drop a recipe at the end of this article, be sure to look for it!
- Drinks – Keep a bottle or glass of water nearby. You can have coffee or tea, minus the sugar. If others are going to be having alcoholic beverages, pour yourself some sparkling water in a wine glass!
But what if I’m not the cook?
Sometimes it’s more out of your hands. Family get-togethers and office parties may require a little more planning, but it’s totally doable.
Here’s some tips:
- Offer to bring something to the party or dinner! You can make your favorite Keto treat and they’ll never even know it’s Keto!
- Look for the food options mentioned above: Fill your plate with mostly meats and/or low carb veggies
- Always reach for the best option of whatever is available – sometimes you won’t be able to avoid the carbs, but you can choose the foods that are lowest in carbs
What do I say to friends and loved ones when they pressure me to eat something non-Keto?
Keep in mind that they are not really trying to sabotage you.
Usually, it’s one of two reasons:
They want you to have a good time, and they equate all that yummy food with fun and happiness.
Or for some people watching you eat healthy makes them feel bad about their own choices.
A few things to try:
- Don’t tell them! Fill your plate with meats and low carb veggies and they won’t notice that you’re not having the rolls or the stuffing
- Say, “No, thank you,” and be firm about it
- If it really comes down to it and someone just won’t take no for an answer, put it on your plate, take one bite, say how wonderful it is, and then leave it alone, they won’t notice you’re not actually eating it
What if I want to just take the holiday off from Keto?
That’s perfectly fine, if that’s what you want to do. The key here is to do it with intention.
If you decide that you’re going to have all the carbs, make it your choice and own up to it.
This will make you less likely to go on a full blown binge that lasts for weeks and weeks after Christmas is over.
Any Other Tips I Can Use?
Here’s some of our best bonus tips:
- Fill up on some healthy fats before the dinner or party – Being hungry will make it much harder to say no to the high carb foods
- Mingle with friends and family, laugh and talk more than you eat, stay away from the food area
- Don’t take home leftovers! And if the party is at your house, send the leftovers home with the guests (they’ll love you for it and you won’t have to be tempted later)
- Plan ahead – The old saying “Failing to plan is planning to fail” applies here. If you know that Aunt Betty is going to make your favorite cobbler, trust us, you need a plan!
- And for our biggest tip! Don’t beat yourself up! No matter what happens, the holidays are about so much more than food and Keto. Enjoy this special time with friends and loved ones and don’t entertain the guilt trips
You Mentioned a Recipe?
Yes, here you go.
This fat bomb recipe is super-simple and quick to make. But it has a rich, velvety smooth and deeply chocolatey taste. A highly satisfying Keto dessert that feels almost decadent!
Have a very merry Keto Christmas everyone!
Keto Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse
Total cooking time: 3 min
Ingredients:
- 240g (8.5oz) mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp (16g) unsweetened 100% cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp Truvia, or another zero-carb sweetener to taste
- 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
- optional: 1-2 tbsp heavy cream – if the mixture is too heavy
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients together thoroughly with a spoon or a mixer
- If the mixture is too heavy, add 1-2 spoons of cream
- Check the taste, adjust the amounts of cocoa and sweetener if required
- Spoon out to serving glasses or bowls
Nutritional information:
- Serving size: 1/4 of the whole recipe
- Per serving: 286 calories, 2g net carbs, 27g fat, 4g protein
- For the whole mixture: 1145 calories, 8g net carbs, 109g fat, 16g protein
Source: Carbophobic
Author: Roo Black
Roo is a fasting coach with over 5 years of experience. She leads the admin team of the Official Fasting for Weight Loss Facebook group – one of the largest fasting communities on social media with over 125,000 members. We highly recommend this group for anyone who is looking for fasting advice or coaching.
