The ideal keto snacks should contain natural, unprocessed ingredients that are free from artificial additives. In addition, they should also be low-carb and high-fat snacks filled with nutrients.
Begin your snacking experience right with something crunchy like roasted and unsalted pumpkin seeds (2g of carbs per serving). Or enjoy something creamy like nut butter spread on toast for an satisfying crunch!
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is made by adding an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, to skim milk. This causes its proteins to curdle while liquid whey separates out, creating cottage cheese’s characteristic texture and flavor. Next comes an addition of cream and salt mixtures which create cottage cheese’s distinctive texture and taste – available as small-curd, large-curd or creamed varieties with various levels of fat content such as nonfat (1% or 2% fat content) or whole fat varieties. Look out for varieties without added sugar or salt as these will have less sodium levels for ultimate satisfaction!
Cottage Cheese is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It provides calcium for osteoporosis prevention as well as phosphorous for bone development and strength, vitamin A for vision health and immunity support and selenium and riboflavin to aid metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in your body.
Cottage cheese makes an excellent addition to salads, dips and sauces, sandwiches and burgers, or used as a creamy spread on them. Cottage cheese also works wonderfully in pasta dishes such as lasagna and alfredo as well as stirred into scrambled eggs for an added creaminess. When selecting cottage cheese products make sure they contain high levels of casein protein with low lactose to promote feelings of fullness while helping build muscles; additionally make sure the product contains live and active probiotics!
Keto Bars
Enjoy a decadent treat that keeps your keto diet in check while satisfying chocolate cravings! This no-sugar added treat features wholesome ingredients and flavor-forward meats such as coconut flour, your preferred protein powder (such as monk fruit syrup), peanut butter and chocolate chips for the topping. Ensure to choose a chocolate that meets both requirements for this recipe to ensure you can still indulge on strict keto diets.
O’Connor suggests the best protein bars for the keto diet are those which offer a high ratio of fat to carbs and contain whole-food ingredients such as fatty fish, grass-fed meat and raw nuts and seeds. You should also look out for bars featuring MCT oils (medium chain triglyceride) as well as extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed coconut oil or avocado as these can all provide essential fatty acids needed in our diets.
Keto Collective Bars offer another great choice, featuring a blend of nuts and seeds as well as chicory root fiber – which contains low amounts of carbs but provides gut-friendly fiber – to satisfy macro requirements while making you feel full. Each bar contains only five net grams of carbohydrates and 18 grams of fat!
These bars are an invaluable asset to keto dieters thanks to their low carb count that ensures staying within ketosis. Plus, the bars are made with grass-fed whey protein and don’t contain GMOs, preservatives, artificial flavors or sweeteners – perfect for keeping ketosis active!
Keto Granola
If you are following a keto diet, granola can make for an enjoyable keto snack. While traditional granola contains oats, this version made from nuts, seeds, and low-carb sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit makes a quick and tasty option that’s ideal for enjoying alone or adding to dairy-free yogurt, milkshakes or smoothies!
One serving of this granola provides protein, fiber, essential vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc as well as heart-healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids – hearty enough to serve even people with allergies! You can customize this recipe using nuts or seeds of any variety (as long as they’re unsalted!). Plus it’s free from grain, gluten and sugar for even greater convenience!
Sliced deli meats are tasty protein-rich snacks that provide high amounts of fat and calories, perfect for pairing with cheese and dips for an indulgent and filling keto snack. Look for products made with natural ingredients and few preservatives as a tasty keto snack option such as ham, turkey or roast beef deli meats.
Low-Carb Berries
Fruits can be natural sugar bombs, making them difficult to incorporate into a ketogenic diet. On the plus side, most berries are low in net carbs and rich with antioxidants – meaning most can fit nicely into this lifestyle! It is key to know which fruit fits with a ketogenic diet while reading labels carefully to detect added sugars (including dextrose, fructose, agave nectar honey syrup syrups).
Berrys are an excellent way to help manage blood glucose levels, satisfy sweet cravings and provide essential vitamins. Try pairing fresh berries with unsweetened whipped cream, low-carb smoothies or drizzles of keto-friendly sweetener over Greek yogurt for a satisfying and decadent snack!
Other keto-friendly snacks include dill pickles (just make sure they do not contain added sugar), nuts and seeds such as Brazil nuts, walnuts, chia seeds and macadamias and hard-boiled eggs; eggs provide both protein and healthy fats to satisfy hunger quickly!
If hard-boiled eggs aren’t your cup of tea, other protein-packed options can include rolling up meat and cheese (like turkey, ham or roast beef) into convenient rolls for on-the-go meals or adding guacamole to vegetables like cucumbers, bell peppers and celery sticks for a no-cook protein boost snack.
Cage-Free Eggs
Introduce some protein-rich snacks into your keto diet diet can help keep you satisfied while following it. Eggs are an ideal protein source, but choose cage-free eggs rather than conventional. Cage-free hens have more space in which they roam inside the poultry house without living in cramped wire cages that cause physical and mental discomfort for them. This prevents intense physical and mental strain caused by living in such environments.
Sliced deli meat is another keto diet-friendly low-carb snack option that should be considered when selecting snacks to munch on. When shopping for deli meats, look for those made with natural ingredients and with few additives and preservatives.
Nut butters make an excellent keto snack, but be mindful when selecting one with no added sugars. Consider making your own instead, or read labels carefully when purchasing packaged nut butter to select a product with short ingredient lists and no hidden extras.
Other delicious and convenient keto snacks include hard-boiled eggs, avocado mash or mixed nuts without added sugars; you could even purchase individually-wrapped pre-made keto snacks; just remember to check their carb counts as these may differ and ensure you remain on track with your weight loss journey.
Pasture-Raised Beef
Meat labels can be dauntingly confusing, but it is vital that we read them closely in order to gain the information that they provide about how an animal was fed before arriving at your grocery cart.
If a label indicates grass-fed cows, that means their diet consisted solely of grass and forage after weaning. This allows their natural instinctive diet to take effect, producing healthier beef with lower fat content and increased nutrients than corn or soy-fed cattle.
Unfortunately, most cows don’t enjoy living in pastures but instead are kept indoors in small spaces. Thankfully, some farmers raise their animals more humanely by letting them roam freely on outdoor pastures and producing much healthier and nutritious products that you can enjoy as steak or chops.
Locate a high-quality brand of beef such as Force of Nature’s Regenerative Beef Ancestral Blend for an enjoyable keto snack option, made up of ground beef, liver and heart that is low in carbs and full of heart-healthy fats – plus its 100% grass-fed and grass-finished status ensures no added hormones or antibiotics! Enjoy it as part of salad, burger or taco meals to meet keto goals while maintaining healthy weight goals! When purchasing any food product remember to review nutritional facts on labels to calculate net carb consumption so as not overdoing them consuming them!