Keto people, let’s talk!

[Spryte]

If you are keto, LCHF, or keto-inspired, do you have any favorite blogs or resources? How long have you been doing it, and do you find that you have ups and downs?

Keto-ish for 5 years now, at doc’s suggestion. Also Gluten, Nut and most Seed Free, among other things. Keto, or LCHF if not actually keto, is best for my particular body.

Looking for some new ideas, especially breakfast and snacks. Bonus if I can prepare it ahead or buy it prepped for these foods. I’m not above frozen and packaged, at this point!

I am not a good breakfast eater, but past things that have worked have been various keto bars (these are hard to find nut-free, and no longer seem to work for me), Red’s egg ‘wiches (no longer sold here, bummer!), and lately it’s just been a couple of simple fried eggs. But I deeply prefer not to eat anything warm in the mornings, so the egg options are really wearing on me. I’m an ideal world, if I could eat anything at all, a bagel and cream cheese would be my dream breakfast every day. Not happening, unfortunately.

Our snack options here are suddenly waxing old, too. We do lots of charcuterie, good cheese, olives, and veggies. 

Anyone want to swap support and ideas?

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have a big collection of keto gluten free recipes pinned on Pinterest. My biggest problem with keto recipes is that they tend to be dairy heavy and I am dairy free especially for meals that include dh (who’s allergic). 
 

It’s not keto, but I really like Nom Nom Paleo. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Would a “yogurt parfait “ - made with dairy or dairy free yogurt (there are some high protein ones) with fruit meet your cold premade breakfast needs?  There are some high protein granolas that could be sprinkled on top too. (This would still be bad for my blood sugars but other people seem to handle it just fine. ). 

[Spryte]

3 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I have a big collection of keto gluten free recipes pinned on Pinterest. My biggest problem with keto recipes is that they tend to be dairy heavy and I am dairy free especially for meals that include dh (who’s allergic). 
 

It’s not keto, but I really like Nom Nom Paleo. 

Yes, the dairy is a sticky issue here, too. I’m not dairy free, but DD is anaphylactic so family recipes must be dairy free, and any time I use dairy for myself there’s a decontamination process for the kitchen, hands, etc. 

I’ll check out Nom Nom Paleo to see what we can make work for LCHF, thanks!

[Spryte]

Just now, Jean in Newcastle said:

Would a “yogurt parfait “ - made with dairy or dairy free yogurt (there are some high protein ones) with fruit meet your cold premade breakfast needs?  There are some high protein granolas that could be sprinkled on top too. (This would still be bad for my blood sugars but other people seem to handle it just fine. ). 

I would probably love eating it — it would be a favorite food! — but my blood sugar would not appreciate it either. I’ve not found a workable nut-free high protein granola, though, so I could investigate more.

 

[Spryte]

My DH can happily eat eggs, sausage, and spinach every day for breakfast. I wish I could do the same! Savory, hot food in the morning is just not my cup of tea. Have never been a breakfast girl, unless it’s some kind of high carby goodness that I can no longer manage.

The high protein bars from Kirkland were a long term favorite, but we finally pinpointed them as a cause for frequent hives, and I’ve been struggling ever since. Tried various protein bars, but there is always some offending ingredient, unfortunately. 

[Martha in GA]

Do you have to eat breakfast? Maybe you could just IF past breakfast?

 

[sassenach]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

Yes, the dairy is a sticky issue here, too. I’m not dairy free, but DD is anaphylactic so family recipes must be dairy free, and any time I use dairy for myself there’s a decontamination process for the kitchen, hands, etc. 

I’ll check out Nom Nom Paleo to see what we can make work for LCHF, thanks!

Whole30 recipes are dairy free and tend to be keto friendly because they're no grain.

I just decided to go off grains and sugar (again). I've gained so much weight recently. 

[Spryte]

3 minutes ago, sassenach said:

Whole30 recipes are dairy free and tend to be keto friendly because they're no grain.

I just decided to go off grains and sugar (again). I've gained so much weight recently. 

Oh! Good idea! I will look for some lists and see what meets our criteria. I’d forgotten about Whole 30. 

It’s so hard to make changes, isn’t it?

I had a brief 4-6 week period off my regular keto plan, on a HCLF diet for different medical reasons, and getting back to my regular keto plan is painful. But the weight creep has begun, so here goes!

[BeachGal]

I am a member of the Diet Doctor website which is where I get a lot of my recipes and information. I’m not sure if non-members have access to their recipe filters but they allow you to select what you eat — vegan to carnivore, no dairy, no nuts, etc. — how much you want to cook (you can eat fast food and convenience food if you like). Fill out the filters, submit and voila! out come their suggestions.

I pin recipes, too, usually when I’m fasting and am entering the food porn phase, about 24 hours in. Everything looks soooo good!

[Hilltopmom]

I’ve been doing cold pumpkin pancakes for breakfast lately but my usual is cheese and a meat or almonds- boring.

I think my keto pumpkin recipe is from diet doctor 

[Spryte]

12 minutes ago, Hilltopmom said:

I’ve been doing cold pumpkin pancakes for breakfast lately but my usual is cheese and a meat or almonds- boring.

I think my keto pumpkin recipe is from diet doctor 

That sounds yummy! Do you have a link? I will check out diet doc this evening!

[BeachGal]

You might be able to find a no dairy muffin recipe here. I love the lemon muffins (plus poppyseeds) but the recipe uses sour cream. It might be possible to sub a coconut cream or non-dairy sour cream. Carolyn, the creator, makes suggestions in the comments section if people need to sub.

https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/recipe-index/

[mathnerd]

Are you avoiding flax seed as well? I make a batch of Vegan Keto flax seed muffins and they tend to last me for a week or more if I freeze them. There are a lot of recipes with eggs for the keto version as well. I use oat milk to make them and a little monk fruit sweetener.

[Spryte]

Just now, mathnerd said:

Are you avoiding flax seed as well? I make a batch of Vegan Keto flax seed muffins and they tend to last me for a week or more if I freeze them. There are a lot of recipes with eggs for the keto version as well. I use oat milk to make them and a little monk fruit sweetener.

I can do flax seed! Do you have a recipe?

Sounds yummy.

[mathnerd]

6 minutes ago, Spryte said:

I can do flax seed! Do you have a recipe?

Sounds yummy.

I use a recipe similar to this one: but I substitute maple syrup with erythritol or monk fruit sweetener depending on what I have on hand. I use the maple syrup for a regular version for my son and DH. It works with any nondairy milk.

https://www.powerhungry.com/2016/04/100-percent-flax-muffins-vegan-grain-free/

ETA: make a small batch first to see if you like the texture! It is a lot chewier than regular muffins and I am used to it. There are many recipes of keto variations with egg as well if that is your preference.

Edited January 26, 2022 by mathnerd

[Hilltopmom]

I think it’s this one, actually-

https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/pumpkin-coconut-flour-pancakes-low-carb-and-gluten-free/

Ive played with it different ways. I bake it in a 9x12 pan instead of pancakes. I use a while can of pumpkin and whole can coconut milk but double everything else.

[Spryte]

13 minutes ago, Hilltopmom said:

I think it’s this one, actually-

https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/pumpkin-coconut-flour-pancakes-low-carb-and-gluten-free/

Ive played with it different ways. I bake it in a 9x12 pan instead of pancakes. I use a while can of pumpkin and whole can coconut milk but double everything else.

Yum.

Do you use the egg white powder? I will need to locate and order that ingredient.

[AngelaGT]

The only keto sweetener that my digestive system seems to be able to tolerate is stevia. I tend to use liquid stevia gycerite and am experimenting with it in some of the keto desserts.  I IF and generally eat around noon and six.  I eat simply with lots of soups/stews and veggies and meat.  I add evoo or gee, but am also trying to keep my dairy and nuts to a minimal.  It is easy to go overboard on dairy and nuts and my gut appreciates neither.

[Spryte]

6 minutes ago, AngelaGT said:

The only keto sweetener that my digestive system seems to be able to tolerate is stevia. I tend to use liquid stevia gycerite and am experimenting with it in some of the keto desserts.  I IF and generally eat around noon and six.  I eat simply with lots of soups/stews and veggies and meat.  I add evoo or gee, but am also trying to keep my dairy and nuts to a minimal.  It is easy to go overboard on dairy and nuts and my gut appreciates neither.

Right there with you. My gut says, “Nope!” to most sugar alcohols and most keto sweeteners. I can handle Swerve in very limited amounts. No nuts or peanuts, due to allergy. Limited dairy due to in house allergies. 

[Soror]

{note: I don't eat Keto now but did for a good while and paleo for many years}

salmon patties/ sausage patties

https://www.recipetineats.com/salmon-patties/

I made these this week- I subbed almond meal for the breadcrumbs. I think they tasted better cold than hot. 

When I did paleo I also made homemade sausage quite often. I also did egg muffins in batches as well- I think they are fine cold but as you are tired of eggs probably not something you are looking for. 

 

[Hilltopmom]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

Yum.

Do you use the egg white powder? I will need to locate and order that ingredient.

Nope, I use the chocolate protein powder from premier protein but that may have ingredients you can’t use.

[arnold]

Before going keto I always (many, many years) had a bowl of oatmeal in the morning. I failed to find a similar keto replacement so now I just drink coffee with heavy cream and make lunch my first meal of the day. 

[Spryte]

2 minutes ago, arnold said:

Before going keto I always (many, many years) had a bowl of oatmeal in the morning. I failed to find a similar keto replacement so now I just drink coffee with heavy cream and make lunch my first meal of the day. 

Well, this is kind of where I am! No replacement, so I skip breakfast at this point and just drink coffee. Which is fine, to a point. But I really would like … something. 🤣

[Roadrunner]

Costco sells egg thins. I roll cheese and Turkey into them and enjoy them with a hot cup of tea. 

[Just Kate]

All Day I Dream About Food is my favorite low-carb/keto blogger. I just checked and she has a section for dairy free foods. 
 

She really excels at sweets - I just made some muffins that were wonderful (although they do contain dairy). I took some to my parents who are trying to reduce their carbs and my dad thought they were amazing. 
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-chocolate-chip-muffins/

[mathnerd]

1 hour ago, Roadrunner said:

Costco sells egg thins. I roll cheese and Turkey into them and enjoy them with a hot cup of tea. 

The costco near me sells Cauliflower Thins though I can not find it in a few others I have checked at. You can pretty much use it like sandwich bread, burger bun, pizza base etc and it is a handy keto product to have for a quick meal.

[Roadrunner]

18 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

The costco near me sells Cauliflower Thins though I can not find it in a few others I have checked at. You can pretty much use it like sandwich bread, burger bun, pizza base etc and it is a handy keto product to have for a quick meal.

No way! I haven’t seen those. Will look closely next time.

these are the ones in our Costco

https://www.costcuisine.com/post/costco-crepini-egg-thins-egg-crepes-review

[mathnerd]

1 hour ago, Roadrunner said:

No way! I haven’t seen those. Will look closely next time.

these are the ones in our Costco

https://www.costcuisine.com/post/costco-crepini-egg-thins-egg-crepes-review

Yes, I have seen this one locally.

Our local costcos carry the Paleo Grain Free Almond flour tortillas https://www.costcontessa.com/costco/costco-siete-tortillas-paleo-gluten-free/

and the Cauliflower Sandwich Thins: https://www.delish.com/food-news/a35141797/costco-cauliflower-sandwich-thins/ (look in the Deli Section near the Tofu and pesto sauces)

in addition to the Milton's Cauliflower Crust Pizzas.

Edited January 27, 2022 by mathnerd

[BlsdMama]

8 hours ago, Spryte said:

Well, this is kind of where I am! No replacement, so I skip breakfast at this point and just drink coffee. Which is fine, to a point. But I really would like … something. 🤣

It lengthens your fast so it is ideal. However, if you want something, what about a cup of frozen berries half thawed?

[Spryte]

39 minutes ago, Zinand said:

I need to lose 15 kg, is keto a good option?

I think that depends on your body. It has been good for me.

[Spryte]

4 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

It lengthens your fast so it is ideal. However, if you want something, what about a cup of frozen berries half thawed?

I could do that, and have, with cream. My tastebuds like it. 😊 However, that’s really too heavy on carbs for me to do regularly. I do better, function better on lots of levels, with less carbs and more protein and fat.

If I’m actively trying to weight, I keep my carbs pretty low. If I’m just maintaining, I raise them up a bit. Unfortunately, I need a few months of lower carb living, after all this time unable to eat my normal diet. The weight just creeps up when I go off plan like I have been. Grrrr.

[Kanin]

Could you do cold eggs? I make a 1-egg omelet (omelette? now it sounds/looks weird!) every morning and eat it in the car on the way to work (cut into bites) so it's cold by the time I eat it. I like watching people make Japanese-style eggs 🙂

[Spryte]

So, today I fasted till noon, and then ate a Hungry Buddha Keto Bar (nut and dairy free) which is holding me over till our unconventional lunch time. We eat lunch around 2-3 pm, and a later dinner, so we may be fairly unusual in the US.

This works, for today, but I’m looking forward to trying more of the great ideas  here! 

[BlsdMama]

6 hours ago, Spryte said:

I could do that, and have, with cream. My tastebuds like it. 😊 However, that’s really too heavy on carbs for me to do regularly. I do better, function better on lots of levels, with less carbs and more protein and fat.

If I’m actively trying to weight, I keep my carbs pretty low. If I’m just maintaining, I raise them up a bit. Unfortunately, I need a few months of lower carb living, after all this time unable to eat my normal diet. The weight just creeps up when I go off plan like I have been. Grrrr.

Are you counting carbs or accounting for offset fiber? Berries are about the only fruit Wahl's allows due to the color (nutrition profile) and offset fiber to the carbs.

[Spryte]

3 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

Are you counting carbs or accounting for offset fiber? Berries are about the only fruit Wahl's allows due to the color (nutrition profile) and offset fiber to the carbs.

Yes, thanks, I do. I count the net carbs, and adjust for fiber, etc.

It’s not just the carb numbers, but how I feel physically. I just feel better with protein and fat in the morning. I *want* all the other stuff, but end up with unhappy blood sugar issues, and end up eating more shortly after. 

 

 

[BeachGal]

I made a pumpkin pie last night without the crust. It’s a new recipe so I have no idea how good it is but it did have a lot of 5-star reviews.

My husband thinks that erythritol and monk fruit give him gerd so I just use granulated sugar in recipes. Just less than the recipe calls for. Last night, I added 8 teaspoons of sugar to the mixture, one teaspoon per serving, which is about 4 grams of carbs. So far, this has worked well in all of the keto desserts I’ve made.

I’ve been reading about seed oils and as far as inflammation and insulin resistance goes, they seem especially bad. Possibly worse than simple carbs. So might want to see about reducing those. Corn, soybean, sunflower, canola, etc. Many restaurants use these oils for frying food and they are used in dressings and sauces. Packaged items often use them, too.

Edited January 28, 2022 by BeachGal

[Faith-manor]

Well, I have some similar issues, and gave up being creative. I just don't enjoy cooking or planning for food all the time, and after this many years of doing it for my family, am over it. So, I tend to eat the same thing every morning. I have a cold, boiled egg and a celery stick. I then subsist on coffee until my lunch time salad. But, I am also not strict keto because eliminating legumes and oats when I struggle with anemia and am unwilling to snarf down large amounts of beef everyday means I have to compromise. My salads tend to be topped with black beans or hummus, and I use lemon juice or some other form of vitamin C with it to help with absorption.

Boring. Boiled egg and celery, and coffee. It works, but isn't something palatable to people who really like food!

[KungFuPanda]

Is there some sort of keto crepe you can make and have with whipped coconut milk (is that a thing) and berries?  The berries would be sweet enough on their own and the egg in the crepe would provide protein.  I'm not keto, so this could be a completely clueless suggestion.  Be sure to check your cholesterol.  Some of my long-term keto friends are starting to see cholesterol issues.  These are the fill-up-on-meat-and-cheese keto people, and not the ones eating mostly plants.  That probably makes a huge difference.

[Spryte]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

Is there some sort of keto crepe you can make and have with whipped coconut milk (is that a thing) and berries?  The berries would be sweet enough on their own and the egg in the crepe would provide protein.  I'm not keto, so this could be a completely clueless suggestion.  Be sure to check your cholesterol.  Some of my long-term keto friends are starting to see cholesterol issues.  These are the fill-up-on-meat-and-cheese keto people, and not the ones eating mostly plants.  That probably makes a huge difference.

Yes, something like that might work!

Thanks for the cholesterol reminder, I’m due for blood work and will remind doc to order it.

[Spryte]

5 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Well, I have some similar issues, and gave up being creative. I just don't enjoy cooking or planning for food all the time, and after this many years of doing it for my family, am over it. So, I tend to eat the same thing every morning. I have a cold, boiled egg and a celery stick. I then subsist on coffee until my lunch time salad. But, I am also not strict keto because eliminating legumes and oats when I struggle with anemia and am unwilling to snarf down large amounts of beef everyday means I have to compromise. My salads tend to be topped with black beans or hummus, and I use lemon juice or some other form of vitamin C with it to help with absorption.

Boring. Boiled egg and celery, and coffee. It works, but isn't something palatable to people who really like food!

I’m happiest when I can eat basically the same easy thing every day, too!

[LaughingCat]

On 1/27/2022 at 4:36 AM, BlsdMama said:

It lengthens your fast so it is ideal. However, if you want something, what about a cup of frozen berries half thawed?

I have had problems with fruit alone for breakfast in the past -- but one could easily add some heavy cream or coconut cream to this as well. 

I'm in the skip breakfast category myself -- I realized some years ago (before IF got so popular) that I was only eating breakfast at all because "it is the most important meal of the day", and have never looked back.

I am pretty excited about trying some of these recipes -- but it will be for lunch 😄

[BeachGal]

For cholesterol, you don't want a lot of the small density lipoproteins because they appear to ping along the artery walls which can lead to a lot of damage. The big, fluffy lipoproteins mainly stay in the middle of the artery but if they do hit the wall, lightly bounce off.

Benjamin Bikman talks about this in his book.

Bret Scher, a cardiologist and lipidologist, has a podcast at Diet Doctor where he discusses what research shows about keto/low carb and cholesterol. You can find them at the Diet Doctor channel on YouTube. A lot of them are short, maybe 5-10" and a few are longer if he's interviewing them.

[KungFuPanda]

16 hours ago, LaughingCat said:

I have had problems with fruit alone for breakfast in the past -- but one could easily add some heavy cream or coconut cream to this as well. 

I'm in the skip breakfast category myself -- I realized some years ago (before IF got so popular) that I was only eating breakfast at all because "it is the most important meal of the day", and have never looked back.

I am pretty excited about trying some of these recipes -- but it will be for lunch 😄

There may be some merit to the argument that the first meal you eat in the day matters, but I absolutely reject the idea that you HAVE to make that meal happen in the morning.  My stomach wakes up about 3 hours after I do.  I like to have a cup of tea and wait for lunch.

[Spryte]

1 minute ago, KungFuPanda said:

There may be some merit to the argument that the first meal you eat in the day matters, but I absolutely reject the idea that you HAVE to make that meal happen in the morning.  My stomach wakes up about 3 hours after I do.  I like to have a cup of tea and wait for lunch.

Yes. I agree here. I generally wake up and have coffee, and eat my “breakfast” when everyone else has lunch. I still call it breakfast though! 🤣

[Anne]

On 1/28/2022 at 6:21 AM, BeachGal said:

I made a pumpkin pie last night without the crust. It’s a new recipe so I have no idea how good it is but it did have a lot of 5-star reviews.

My husband thinks that erythritol and monk fruit give him gerd so I just use granulated sugar in recipes. Just less than the recipe calls for. Last night, I added 8 teaspoons of sugar to the mixture, one teaspoon per serving, which is about 4 grams of carbs. So far, this has worked well in all of the keto desserts I’ve made.

I’ve been reading about seed oils and as far as inflammation and insulin resistance goes, they seem especially bad. Possibly worse than simple carbs. So might want to see about reducing those. Corn, soybean, sunflower, canola, etc. Many restaurants use these oils for frying food and they are used in dressings and sauces. Packaged items often use them, too.

How was the pie?  and do you have a link?  🙂

Anne

[BeachGal]

2 hours ago, Anne said:

How was the pie?  and do you have a link?  🙂

Anne

It was pretty good, a little bland, and seemed to need either more pumpkin pie spice or something else. Instead of stevia, i used 8 teaspoons of sugar and i baked it in a 9x9 square pan. My husband loves it but he’s not the least bit picky. He likes everything. LOL

https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/keto-crustless-pumpkin-pie/#recipe-card

[BlsdMama]

About mid morning, I have this:

Dandy Blend

and this:

Laird

and a small amount of coffee, some bitter cocoa, and a tiny bit of sugar (substitute as needed) because it is creamy and feels indulgent. Or maybe it’s just sad that it feels indulgent? 😝 Most says I skip breakfast or have an egg or uncured bacon. The egg is not allowed (Wahls) but I love them.

 

Lunch is usually a smoothie because I need a high protein intake (and Verdezymes) and a loaded salad. Also sad. 

I’m going back to Wahls but never Level 3 again. Going to follow rules of Two but add in healthy carbs to keep off the massive weight loss that happened last time. It was not a good thing for me, but if it’s an encouragement to you I saw numbers I’m pretty sure I hadn’t seen since 8th grade so great for weight loss. 
 

 

[BlsdMama]

20 hours ago, LaughingCat said:

I have had problems with fruit alone for breakfast in the past -- but one could easily add some heavy cream or coconut cream to this as well. 

 

You’ve discovered Trader Joe’s coconut cream, right? Crazy thick. It’s been OOS here and I’m missing it dreadfully.