By Chris and Miriam Bair
Keto Chow Co-Founders Chris and Miriam Bair here. Snacking is pretty much a part of life, right? Most of us are always up for between-meals eating. In all honesty, though, snacks really aren’t a great idea when you’re trying to improve your health or lose weight.
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Should you have snacks on keto?
The main issue with snacking is that every time you eat calories, even a handful of nuts, a piece of cheese, some cream in coffee, etc…, your body stops burning stored fat and uses what you just ate, and that effect can last for hours. So, in a perfect world, we’re trying to reduce the number of times we eat (including snacks) per day, not increase it.
However, we all know that we don’t live in a perfect world, right?
Snacking is nearly always an emotional event, not a way to get nutrients. We all go through mental and emotional hard times where eating has been our coping mechanism. If that’s the case, we’d much rather have a healthy snack on hand than break down and go buy French fries to help us through a painful moment.
But eventually, it’s best to address what’s causing the desire to snack rather than eating our emotions, especially if we’re struggling with our goals or have hit a stall.
Start small
To be honest, for some people, starting keto can be easier with snacking. It’s a pretty big change for many, and snacking can help your brain stop thinking about what you can’t have and focus on what you can have. If you’re used to snacking, it can be especially helpful to switch out old snacks for new snacks before eliminating them entirely.
With those things in mind, let’s give ourselves some grace and make realistic snacking goals. Most of us won’t change overnight—and we shouldn’t be expected to! We still find ourselves snacking once in a while (do as I say, not as I do, right?), even though we know for the best success we wouldn’t be snacking at all. We get it.
So, if you need to snack while you’re focusing on the “big rocks” (lowering carbs, not fearing fat, and getting enough protein), that’s okay.
Snacking tips
If you’re trying not to snack, we’ve found a few things that help. Miriam tries to have a drink with electrolytes before snacking, just in case she’s not hearing her body correctly. Other times, we might just need a break from what we’re doing. Getting up and walking around could be as satisfying as a handful of nuts or a meat stick.
In the end, the best thing to do is be honest with yourself. You can’t be mad at the results you are getting if you are snacking and not counting it toward your food intake. Food is food, and it all adds up, especially if carbs are involved.
It is better to eat a larger meal and get nutrient-dense foods than snack on less ideal options and discover they are hindering your progress. That is what this keto journey is about after all—learning what food does to you and for you.
Snacking Smart
If you’re going to snack, at least snack smart. Plan ahead for when the snacking urge strikes by having healthy snacks on hand. Miriam carries snacks with her when she travels, even though she doesn’t intend to eat them. That way, if she can’t find anything healthy when it’s time to eat, she is prepared. She also sometimes snacks when she’s with non-keto people.
Sometimes people feel weird when they’re eating and she’s not, so she’ll snack on her healthy option while they eat. Chris is a bacon fan. If you’re going to a birthday party, it’s better to have a small bag of bacon in your pocket than slip up and eat birthday cake, right? We call it “purse bacon” – it’s pretty awesome even if you don’t have a purse.
The Bairs’ List of Keto Snacks:
- boiled eggs
- meat sticks (but check the ingredients and make sure they don’t have sugar)
- pork rinds and cream cheese
- Keto Chow pudding
- sugar-free gelatin
- Keto bars
- Lit’l Smokies®
- boneless, skinless sardines or King Oscar®’s Kipper Snacks or Mackerel Fillets
- a tablespoon of heavy cream in diet root beer makes an amazing “root beer float” if you’re really craving something sweet
- string cheese
We also have a list of snacks that are great for diabetic keto-ers. Or check out the hundreds of keto-friendly recipes on our website!
Looking for a filling, low-carb meal rather than a snack?
Then check out Keto Chow! Keto Chow is a keto meal shake with 1/3 of your daily recommended nutrients. It only takes seconds to make, yet it keeps you satiated thanks to its high amount of protein. Choose from over 25 delicious flavors!
