Tips/resources for converting to a low sugar/carb, keto diet

[Anonymous]

I am looking into "low inflammation" diets to help with a series of health issues I've been having in the last couple years. Also just generally concerned about the amount of added sugar in the family diet generally. But I'm feeling super daunted by it, and especially by ensuring food is still appetizing to my spouse and kid (and me).

Does anyone have any good resources for shifting to this kind of diet? Not talking about recipes or food recommendations, I have those. More like a book or blog or other resource that talks through the challenges of switching over and how to address them, how to manage family meals when only one person is truly keto and others are eating more carbs. Also, my DC is vegetarian which isn't really incompatible with keto (we already focus a lot in making sure there are vegetarian proteins at ever meal) but could be useful to learn where the overlap is in keto and vegetarian diets and what others in that situation do.

TIA for any help.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a book, sorry. I found that making a high protein soup for dinner for myself that I could freeze in individual portions was the best way for me to keep on track with a family eating differently. I also would give myself one meal a week away from home (something social) where I didn't count carbs, otherwise I found keto to be very isolating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a book, sorry. I found that making a high protein soup for dinner for myself that I could freeze in individual portions was the best way for me to keep on track with a family eating differently. I also would give myself one meal a week away from home (something social) where I didn't count carbs, otherwise I found keto to be very isolating.

Thank you, those are good tips. I think one thing I know will be an issue is that my spouse is going to feel frustrated that I am moving to this diet and our kid is already vegetarian. So he will be the only one eating "normal." I'm hoping to make that a little easier with meals that are basically keto but feel normal to him, and then maybe I just skip the bread. DC eats bread (loves it) and DH eats meat so I'm hoping there's enough overlap that it still feels like we're sharing a meal.

[Anonymous]

The Glucose Goddess book sheds light on ways to change, say breakfast and snacks into savory and/or protein-rich foods from sugary ones

[Anonymous]

I also need to go low carb. I am good with meals but my snacks are all high carb. I like crackers and cheese or crackers and hummus or crackers and tuna. I am not sure what to replace my crackers with. I eat a lot of them!

[Anonymous]

Look at packages vs. listening to the generic nutrition and get a monitor. My husband was told things like whole grain bread but the breads had high carbs/sugar but the store brand wheat had the lowest/didn't spike him as much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also need to go low carb. I am good with meals but my snacks are all high carb. I like crackers and cheese or crackers and hummus or crackers and tuna. I am not sure what to replace my crackers with. I eat a lot of them!

Get some low carb tortillas, cut them into 8ths, brush with your favorite oil, and bake on both sides. They completely will replace crackers for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't have a book, sorry. I found that making a high protein soup for dinner for myself that I could freeze in individual portions was the best way for me to keep on track with a family eating differently. I also would give myself one meal a week away from home (something social) where I didn't count carbs, otherwise I found keto to be very isolating.

Thank you, those are good tips. I think one thing I know will be an issue is that my spouse is going to feel frustrated that I am moving to this diet and our kid is already vegetarian. So he will be the only one eating "normal." I'm hoping to make that a little easier with meals that are basically keto but feel normal to him, and then maybe I just skip the bread. DC eats bread (loves it) and DH eats meat so I'm hoping there's enough overlap that it still feels like we're sharing a meal.

Honestly, getting your kid enough nourishment will be more effort than you eating low carb. I would try to incorporate as much eggs, dairy, and cheese where you can when meal planning. Maybe have quiche once a week (and you skip the crust), cheesy potatoes and/or mac and cheese as a side to a roast for you and DH, fajitas on low carb tortillas for you (buy regular for others) and include a bean option. You can do this! Also in my house, anyone eating a restrictive diet is expected to cook for themselves some too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also need to go low carb. I am good with meals but my snacks are all high carb. I like crackers and cheese or crackers and hummus or crackers and tuna. I am not sure what to replace my crackers with. I eat a lot of them!

Get some low carb tortillas, cut them into 8ths, brush with your favorite oil, and bake on both sides. They completely will replace crackers for you!

Using Lavash bread is a great option for this too. It’s lower in sodium than tortillas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also need to go low carb. I am good with meals but my snacks are all high carb. I like crackers and cheese or crackers and hummus or crackers and tuna. I am not sure what to replace my crackers with. I eat a lot of them!

Try rye crisp bread.

[Anonymous]

Two things have been key for me.

One is the free app Carb Manager. Learning about carb content has been very educational. Although I was generally informed about 'bad carbs,' strict keto means being attentive to every little thing. Measuring (cream and oils, nuts, fruit and veggies) and logging keeps me accountable and on track. It proposes a calorie-protein-fat-carb plan based on your current stats and objectives. It's really great. I feel I'm eating enough and am losing weight at a slow but steady pace.

The second is keto substitutes. This both keeps me happy and allows me to proceed with family meals as usual. I'll use keto bread, pasta, bagels, and wraps for myself (Hero bread products and egg white spaghetti mostly) and make my family members food with the regular stuff. Sometimes I'll switch to a keto variant of our usual, which they haven't minded. This basically means alternatives to sauces that would normally contain flour or sugar. The new recipes tend to be heavier and richer than our usual, but they've liked them so far (really liked them in some cases!) and fortunately have no weight concerns themselves. Kind keto and Atkins snacks for when I'm craving an occasional 'sweet' treat.

Having enough food on hand is important. Cravings diminish pretty radically on keto, but if you need a snack, need to have keto ones on hand. I have a bin on the counter with my keto products, so I have no excuse to go for something that doesn't work with the diet.

A few other things. I started keto mainly because of pre-diabetes and before I hit even two weeks my blood glucose was much improved, so it's well worth it to me. Also, it's not my parent's keto. I do not eat tons of red meat and bacon. I have eggs with veggies, a keto bagel, or yogurt with berries for breakfast, a large salad most days for lunch and a good number of plant-based dinners, plus try to snack on healthier fat items like olives rather than always hitting the cheese.

Lastly, keto flu is real and not easy to push through for ~10 days. Taking it easier plus an electrolyte supplement and lots of water helped. By the 2 week mark, I felt normal again.

The negatives: constant meal planning and logging (though the latter gets easier over time) and pangs about missing some particular favorites. The keto substitutes are adequate so it's been much better than I expected, but I sometimes want to reward myself with Andy's pizza or a good bakery bagel, and need to resist. The keto substitutes are pricey too, but I don't think I'd manage perfect compliance without them. The health benefits do outweigh the negatives for me, especially since I did not want to do the shot for various reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also need to go low carb. I am good with meals but my snacks are all high carb. I like crackers and cheese or crackers and hummus or crackers and tuna. I am not sure what to replace my crackers with. I eat a lot of them!

Pork rinds are a good substitute if you like them.

[Anonymous]

^^Obviously doing low carb is easier than strict keto and might be a good place to start if you're not ready to go hard core. You could take some of these general ideas but ease into it. Results may not be as dramatic but slow and steady is a good thing. Whatever works for you.

[Anonymous]

I have found substitutions work. If my family is having tacos or sloppy Joe's, they have pasta, I put mine on a salad (lettuce). If they are having spaghetti, I use Trader Joe's hearts of palm pasta.

[Anonymous]

Just aim to cut out ultra-processed foods - My Danish friend once said she never eats anything with more than 3 ingredients listed on the package. Occasionally, I try that too.