Keto Thanksgiving & Holiday Recipes - (2024)

FAQs

How do you eat keto on Thanksgiving? ›

Protein — You've got that covered with turkey, but it's also OK to slip some bacon, ham, sausage and/or eggs into your sides. Vegetables — avocado, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, eggplant, kale, mushroom, peppers, spinach and Swiss chard, to name a few.

If you're unfamiliar with a keto diet, here's the quick explanation: It's extremely low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Meat, including turkey with skin, is fine to consume, but other Thanksgiving staples aren't. Mashed potatoes are off limits, along with bread stuffing, rolls, sugary cranberry sauce and desserts.

Sweet potatoes, being a naturally high-carb food, are unfortunately not keto-friendly. Nutritionists believe that the high carb content in sweet potatoes cannot easily fit into keto macros, the common ratio for which is 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrates.

Keto Gravy Options:

If you want to have keto-friendly gravy this Thanksgiving, you have a few main options: you can mix in a vegetable gum – we use xanthan gum, or you can use egg yolks, cream cheese, half-and-half, 'Au Jus,' or unflavored gelatin powder, whichever floats your gravy boat.

The basic rules of keto are eating few carbohydrates and emphasizing fat with a moderate intake of protein. In order to be in a state of ketosis, you will likely have to track the amount of carbohydrates you eat by weighing out your food.

1.The First 10 Days May Be The Toughest

Before starting, you should be aware that if you drop carbs cold-turkey, the first few days you will most likely experience symptoms of your body adjusting to lack of glucose. Many people starting off keto will go through this and it's often referred to as the “Keto Flu”.

Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

Regular Crust

This type of pizza crust can have up to 33g of carbs without any added sauce or cheese. If you're limiting your carbs to 20-50 grams per day, one slice of this type of crust will likely kick you out of ketosis.

Keto-friendly fruits include avocados, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, tomatoes, raspberries, peaches, cantaloupe, star fruit, and blackberries. If you're unsure whether the keto diet is right for you or how it may affect your health, consider speaking with a dietitian or your healthcare provider.

Despite the many health benefits of fruit, there is an issue with some fruits on the keto diet. Grapes and bananas, for instance, contain high quantities of carbs. 1 cup of grapes has approximately 26 grams and a medium banana, 24 grams of carbohydrate. As a rule, these fruits should be avoided.

Is Watermelon good for keto? ›

The bottom line. The ketogenic diet requires you to significantly cut back on carbs, which often means eliminating higher carb foods like fruit from your diet. Fortunately, compared with other fruits, watermelon is relatively low in carbs and can be enjoyed as part of a ketogenic diet.

While there are low-carb condiments that you can definitely consume on keto, there are certain ones that you should completely avoid. The main condiments that do not fit well into the keto diet regime because of their high sugar content are full-sugar ketchup, maple syrup, jam, tomato paste, and premade sauces.

A traditional apple sauce is high in carbs and not allowed on the Keto diet. However, this recipe is made with low-carb zucchini and some apple extract, making it an excellent replacement for your regular apple sauce recipe.

Steak is perfect for the keto diet because of its abundance of healthy fat, protein, and essential micronutrients. In fact, nutritionists consider it the best fat and protein source for keto dieters. The best part is that there are many cuts to choose from, almost all of which contain zero carbohydrates.

Foods to Eat

Here are the main foods that are high-in-fat, low-in-carbs and are great starting place for anyone wanting to dip their feet into keto diet: Meat: Steak, ham, sausage, bacon, turkey, and chicken. Cheese: Cheddar, cream cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, or blue cheese (always unprocessed).

Nearly all minimally processed meats are good sources of keto-friendly protein, including beef, chicken, fish, shellfish, pork, turkey, bison, and lamb. A 100-gram serving of these meats typically contains 17-21 grams of protein. Fattier cuts, like bacon and sausage, are lower in protein than leaner cuts.

Before starting, you should be aware that if you drop carbs cold-turkey, the first few days you will most likely experience symptoms of your body adjusting to lack of glucose. Many people starting off keto will go through this and it's often referred to as the “Keto Flu”.