If you’ve been thinking that 2020 would never end, then the good news is that we are finally coming up to the end of what has been an unexpectedly challenging year! The remainder of the year is dominated by holidays filled with food, so read on to create a solid plan to stay on track with keto.
Are you wondering how to stay keto over the holidays this year or whether it’s okay to indulge a little? You are not the only one!
Louise Hendon from The Keto Summit and author of the Essential Keto Cookbook has some fantastic tips and ideas to share on how to enjoy the festive season when there are so many temptations around.
So, I’m really glad that Abbie has asked me to write a guest post with tips for how to stay on track with Keto during these holiday months.
From holiday parties to family gatherings, follow these 3 tips for success…
3 Tips For Staying Keto Over The Holidays
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Plan Ahead For Parties/Gatherings
So much can be avoided by simply planning ahead. You know when the events will be, so sit down one afternoon and just plan it all out:
- What will you eat before getting to the event? You don’t want to arrive hungry and then spend the next 2 hours staring at crackers, chips, and brownies. If you need to grab a quick bite to eat before heading out, then check out Abbie’s great list of 101 Easy Low-Carb Snacks here.
- What will you take to the party that you can snack or eat on? And when will you be making or buying that? Taking Keto foods to parties is one of the best ways of avoiding non-Keto snacks. So remember to take your favorites. Check out my Bacon Brussels Sprouts recipe – I take this to parties a lot and it’s always a hit. Or check out our list of Keto snacks you can buy here.Then just before you head out of the house, mentally prepare yourself to stick to Keto. You’ve been to plenty of these parties before, so you know what foods to expect and what foods to avoid. But what if you don’t want to stay 100% Keto through the holidays?
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Let Your Hair Down During the Holiday Season
Unless you need to stick to Keto for medical reasons, then you might choose to go off Keto for part of the holidays.
I often choose to stay Keto because I love how much mental energy it gives me, but I will also choose on occasions to eat non-Keto foods. In fact, those occasions are often good reminders of why I love Keto so much!
If you choose to NOT stick to Keto during the holidays, just bear a few things in mind:
- You probably have some trigger foods that make you go overboard and overeat dramatically. Try to stay clear of those.
- You probably also have some foods that make you feel way worse the next day – this might be alcohol or wheat or cheese. If you know what those foods are, then avoid them.
- Drinking too much alcohol can lead to people making bad food choices. So if you’re going to drink, just remember not to go overboard.
- Plan ahead for when and how you will restart Keto
Check out our Guide to Low-Carb Alcohol here and download the free cheat sheet
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Don’t Stress Too Much About It!
This is the season to celebrate and be merry, so don’t stress too much! If you want to stick 100% to Keto during the holidays, then just plan ahead to do so.
And if you want to let go a bit and eat some pie at Christmas, then just choose to do that and then go back to Keto the next day. Some people might experience a bit of Keto flu when re-adjusting, but if you’ve been Keto for a while then that readjustment period is often just half a day or 1 day.
In the end, not obsessing about your diet and learning how your body reacts to different foods (Keto and non-Keto) will help you to live a healthier and more fulfilled life.
Need Recipes To Stay Keto During The Holidays?
If you need more Keto recipes to help you stay Keto during this holiday season and well into next year, then please check out my Essential Keto Cookbook. This Easy Bacon Brussels Sprouts recipe is from that cookbook.
9 Tips For Eating Out Low-Carb Style
In addition to Louise’s ideas on how to stay on track with your low-carb diet over the holidays, here are our tips for staying low-carb on-the-go. Whether you’re eating out with friends at a restaurant or enjoying a festive feast with family, keep these in mind:
- Go for a protein and vegetables – avoid the pastas, risottos and rice dishes unless the rice can be served on the side
- Avoid meats with coatings like breadcrumbs or batter
- Check that no flavor enhancers have been added to meat
- Ask for a salad or seasonal vegetables as a substitute for fries or potatoes
- Request any sauces/dressings to be served on the side so you can use less of them if you need to. Sauces like pesto or chimichurri that include a lot of herbs and oil are usually a good bet. Mayonnaise is a good option if it is high fat, not the low-fat, diet version.
- Ask for some extra butter or extra virgin olive oil to have with your protein or on top of vegetables.
- Some good staples to look out for: Greek salad, sashimi, Mexican dishes without the beans and tortillas, guacamole is ideal
- Look out for cheese, olives & deli meats if at someone’s home and a cheese plate is on offer
- Don’t beat yourself up if you eat more carbs than planned.…sometimes you just can’t find a good option. Get right back on track at the next meal!
Louise Hendon is the co-host of The Keto Summit the author of the Essential Keto Cookbook. She loves creating easy, delicious, and healthy meals for busy people. And in her spare time, she loves traveling the world and reading mystery novels.
★ How do you stay on track over the holidays? Let us know in the comments below…
This post was originally published in November of 2017, but was republished with additional tips in October of 2020.
This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase some items. Ordering through my site will not change the price you pay. Small commissions like this help to support this blog and my bulletproof coffee habit…