So you’ve started a ketogenic, low-carb diet and you’re feeling a bit hungry between meals? You want to snack and are wondering what kind of low-carb snacks you can eat and stay in ketosis.
It can take up to 4 weeks for your body to make the transition to burning fat instead of glucose and become fat-adapted. The amazing thing about this is that your hunger will drop away dramatically. One day you’ll realize that you haven’t thought about food for hours and that you aren’t really hungry.
For me, this is one of the key reasons for eating low-carb. I love that I’m not a slave to my hunger and can go out for the day knowing that I can wait till late afternoon to eat.
Or I’ll eat a very small snack for lunch such as a few nuts, a piece of 85% dark chocolate and a coffee. No need to take a packed lunch. The old me who had to eat every 3 hours or feel weak and shaky could never have survived such hardship!
Having said that, it’s quite likely that you’ll feel hungry during the initial stages of a ketogenic diet. I know I did.
We’ve put together a list of the top low-carb snacks to keep you powered throughout your day.
Foods on this list are chosen because they are the healthiest, most satiating snacks that will keep you in ketosis. Keep in mind though, that as you become a fat burner, you will notice your hunger dropping off.
This is awesome but make sure you don’t continue to snack purely out of habit.
Grab & Go Low-Carb Snacks
Boiled eggs – boil up a batch and keep in the fridge, ready to go with some sea salt and a touch of mayonnaise
Nuts – Macadamia nuts are the perfect ketogenic snack due to their high-fat and low-carb content. Also brazil nuts and pecans are very low-carb. Cashews are quite high in carbs so keep to a minimum.
Olives – green olives have the highest fat content, but all are good. Try olives stuffed with feta.
Cheese – cheddar, brie, Camembert, feta, goat’s cheese, cream cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzarella
Vegetable sticks etc – think cucumber, peppers, celery and cherry tomatoes. Serve with avocado, nut butters, cream cheese, ricotta, low-carb dips, guacamole
Nut butters – natural peanut butter, almond butter
Beef jerky
Deli meats – ham, turkey, salami, pastrami, prosciutto etc.
Smoked salmon, tuna
Quest bars – my favorite is Chocolate Peanut Butter – only 5g of carbs
5 Minute Low-Carb Snacks
Avocado – sliced, with sea salt and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil
Guacamole
1 minute muffins – from Maria Emmerich’s“The 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse” book. These are great and actually do cook in one minute – try with the suggested variations for a flavor boost (butter, 1 tsp erythritol, cinnamon).
Low-carb pancakes – super easy to make with only 7 ingredients
Full fat yogurt bowl – full fat, unsweetened yogurt. Add your favorite toppings – nuts, coconut oil, chia seeds, psyllium husk, coconut flakes, cinnamon and/or berries
Berries and cream – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries with heavy whipping cream (unsweetened)
Green smoothies – great for tailoring to your macro needs
Bulletproof coffee – also known as butter coffee
Make a list of your go-to keto snacks to turn to when you are starting out. Keep it handy for those times when you are staring into the fridge looking for something to eat. As you become fat-adapted and are burning fat for fuel instead of glucose, you’ll enjoy not needing to snack.
Update to this post – we’ve now published 101 Easy Low-Carb Snacks (That Real People Eat) to provide the most comprehensive guide to keto snack you’ll ever find!
Easy Snack Recipes
Low-Carb Strawberry Cheesecake Energy Balls
Dark Chocolate & Nut Fat Bombs
15 Minute Low-Carb Blueberry Chia Pudding
15 Minute Low-Carb Chocolate Chia Protein Pudding
★ What low-carb snacks do you like to eat? Tell us in the comments below!
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