Today I’m sharing hundreds of great keto snack ideas for you and your family.
America’s Snacking Problem:
We are a nation of grazers; honestly, I’m okay with that when we eat with purpose.
The traditional idea of three square meals a day is out the window, and today we need 24/7 access to food.
I have worked in multiple doctors’ offices where the providers preach healthy eating. Guess what you can always find in the office.
You are correct if you guessed donuts, baked goods, candy, ice cream, and fast food (provided by pharmaceutical companies)!
Today we eat at our desks, in front of the TV, and late at night.
These tasty snacks are highly processed, carbohydrate-based, and loaded with sugar.
Do you see a problem with that?
If you don’t, it’s time to look closer at snacking.
Good Snack vs. Bad Snack:
Modern-day snacking has thrown our pancreas out of whack, our blood sugar is up, and we eat ourselves to death while our bodies are starving for nutrients.
Our junk food (let’s call it what it is) is high in calories and/or loaded with chemically engineered ingredients to keep the calories low.
Snack food companies are making money by killing you, and pharmaceutical companies are sitting on the sidelines waiting for you to get your annual physical (or possibly in the office).
The snack food industry grosses over 124 BILLION dollars annually in North America alone. Why are we doing this to ourselves?
Don’t be afraid if you’re starting the ketogenic diet and are a snack junkie. Significant changes are coming, but you don’t have to give up snacking altogether.
You have to change the way you view the purpose of snacking.
Of all the choices you make daily concerning your diet, your snacks are probably the biggest offenders when it comes to weight gain.
Most daily snacks contain white flour, white sugar, brown sugar, hydrogenated fats, and corn syrup.
On a low-carb diet, we use almond flour, coconut flour, stevia, and sugar alcohol.
We love fat around here, but trans-fat is unnatural, so anything with hydrogenated oils is out!
Starting today, you will renew your mind with some new ideas on snacking.
Are you ready? I know I am!
The Keto Snack Mindset:
It’s time to start snacking with a purpose.
All food, every bite, should be consumed to fuel your body. Nothing more, nothing less.
It’s not about taste (though our snacks taste good); it’s not about emotions and living your life to the fullest.
And being healthy enough to watch those you love to do the same. Heck, forget watching them; live it with them!
Let’s talk snack food education for a minute.
Go to your pantry right now and grab five different snack foods.
Now read the ingredients.
Don’t worry about carbs or sugar; read the ingredients you put into your body daily.
What did you find? I’ll guess and assume you saw many words you can’t read.
The days of eating crap are OVER! Walk over to your trash can and throw all your snack foods in the garbage.
Seriously, get it all out of your house now. Today is a new day, and you’re making changes.
Are you done?
You may want to go ahead and put that trash down by the curb or drop it at the dump. The last thing you wish to do is go dumpster diving when you get a craving.
If it’s not in your house, you can’t eat it. I know it may be hard, but you are worth it!
My Snack Method:
Even though I work from home, I still struggle with what to eat.
I always look for quick, easy snacks to make and grab while working, and I usually leave room for one to two snacks daily.
Snacks can play a critical role in your overall nutrition and help you meet your macros, where your three meals a day may miss the mark.
Meal planning is vital when living the keto lifestyle so take some time each week to make a game plan and prepare a menu plan to help reach your goals.
Everyone is different, and each of you will need different amounts of fats and protein, so I will include an exhaustive list of snacks that meet different macronutrient needs.
What To Look For In A Low-Carb Snack:
Note: When purchasing snacks from the list below, please remember to check each brand and look at the following:
- Carb Count (the lowers the better)
- Sugar (aim for 0 grams)
- Fat (good options include olive oil, coconut oil, butter, and avocado oil)
- Preservatives: When shopping, I look at the nutrition information of every single brand before making my purchase, and you should too!
Sometimes you may have to bend a little bit, but for the most part, it’s not too hard to stick to these guidelines.
Also, when it comes to foods that have nitrates limit your consumption. When at all possible, purchase nitrate-free products.
Easy Keto Snacks We Love:
I included our favorite snacks with a keto recipe sprinkled in here and there. I plan to update the printable asap so you can add even more treats to your keto snack box. Until then, you can always print and write it in by hand. I promise I will complete the list this week!
Nuts and Seeds:
Macadamia Nuts
Brazil Nuts
Hazelnuts
Walnuts
Pecans
Almonds
Pistachios
Planter’s Heart Health (my favorite mixed nuts)
Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds
Blue Diamond Bold Salt ‘n Vinegar Almonds
Nut Butters (almond butter and cashew butter are the healthiest choices)
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower Seeds
Dairy:
Mozzarella Cheese Strings
Cheddar Cheese Cubes
Babybel Cheese Wheels
Whipped Cream (Homemade) w/ heavy whipping cream and your favorite sugar substitute & fruit
Blue Cheese Dressing
Pepper Jack Cheese
Cream Cheese
Portable Produce:
Avocado Fries with hot sauce
Caprese Pest Bites (yum)
Celery (stuffed with cream cheese or all-natural peanut butter)
Black Olives (stuffed with cream cheese)
Cucumbers
Bell Peppers
Mini Peppers
Baked Tomatoes
A Crunchy Snack:
Pork Rinds
Keto Crackers
Flax Seed Crackers
Moon Cheese
Parmesan Cheese Crisps
Keto Cereal
Coconut Flakes
Keto Chips
Zucchini Chips
Convenient Meats:
Beef Jerky
Meat Sticks
Keto Pepperoni Chips
Prosciutto
Salami
Almond Flour Sausage Balls or Coconut Flour Sausage Balls
Deli Meats
Canadian Ham
Country Ham
Smoked Salmon
Sardines
Bacon
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Deviled Eggs
Drinks:
Protein Shakes (with milk listed below)
Cashew Milk
Almond Milk
Coconut Milk
Coffee (w/heavy cream)
Bullet Proof Coffee
Smoothies
Sweet Snacks:
Satisfy your sweet tooth with homemade desserts or sugar-free candy. Just be careful not to consume too much.
Chocolate Pudding
Atkins Snack Bars
Atkins Peanut Butter Cups (the most delicious snack they make, in my opinion )
Candied Pecans
Puppy Chow
Fat Bombs are a great way to incorporate healthy fats into your diet! Especially in the beginning when you struggle to meet your macros and need dark chocolate therapy.
Cookies
Protein Bars
Have A Request?
Do you have a favorite snack you want to see made into a keto-friendly version?
If so, shoot me an email. I love working in my test kitchen to see what we can develop.
Remember: No sugar, carbs, trans fats, or processed “foods” are worth missing out on this incredible life.
You are worth more than an Oreo, and you will never look back and regret taking good care of yourself.
It’s also important to remember that people are watching you. Will you be the person in your family that inspires healthy changes?
Now it’s time to go shopping. You can grab a free printable grocery list to make your life easier and fill your pantry with only the best keto snacks.
Are you seeking a complete Keto Food List and Free Printable Keto Grocery List? We have those too!
Did you know plenty of low-carb snacks are available in local grocery stores? And since keto has become such a huge success, many brands have started making products just for keto dieters!
I have listed as many store-bought snacks as possible because this lifestyle isn’t dull or routine. It’s anything but that!
Living the keto lifestyle means being free to make snack choices that help your diet, not hurt it.
When you head to the store with your printable list, read the labels on EVERYTHING.
Eventually, you will know which brands are your go-to ones, but until then, you need to be careful with the snacks you purchase.
Start With The Basics:
My top tip regarding healthy keto snacks is to start small. All-natural snacks are best and slowly add in more processed snacks to see how your body reacts.
Another awesome thing about this diet is that as you lose weight and your initial goals change, your diet will also change.
Once you get your body back in check, you can return to eating some of the natural snacks you initially limited, like fruit.
So set goals and get excited that you’ll get your body back in working order.
We will focus on meat, dairy, and nut-based snacks.
I will continue to share snack recipes, and you can keep adding new snacks to your menu plan.
Make sure you keep two types of snacks on hand at all times.
Homemade snacks using our favorite keto snack recipes and convenience snacks (like string cheese and meat sticks).
We all live busy lives, so the goal is to keep this diet fresh and fun (homemade snacks) while being realistic that sometimes you must rush to a ball game when hunger strikes and you need something more convenient.