How to survive parties and holidays when following a Keto diet

It’s that time of year again. You know, when people get together for the holidays and you’re so excited to see your family, but it can be so difficult to navigate these social events without feeling like your diet is being compromised. Here are some tips on how to survive parties and holidays while following a keto diet, and not feeling like an epic failure (even if you decide to treat yourself).

Take Responsibility for Yourself

There’s going to be a lot of off plan foods that you aren’t supposed to eat – you know that going into this. You’ve experienced holidays and parties before, so you know there’s going to be lots of carb laden foods, desserts, and probably even alcohol. Use those expectations to your advantage.

You need to decide before attending any holiday events or parties what is acceptable to you, and stick to your own food consumption boundaries. If you are all in on keto and you don’t want to “cheat”, then don’t! No one can make you eat things you shouldn’t.

Drink an appropriate amount of water throughout the day and keep electrolytes in check

By now you likely know all about the woes of keto flu and how not keeping track of your electrolyte needs can make you feel like poop. In addition to keeping keto flu at bay, drinking an appropriate amount of water and being mindful of your electrolytes can also prevent you from being ravenously hungry, or craving off plan foods.

LMNT Recharge packets are amazing – Bring one with you to the party and create your own little yummy drink, while staying keto friendly and getting in your electrolytes!

Let the hosts know about your dietary restrictions beforehand

You can’t expect people to plan ahead for you if they know nothing about your dietary needs. Fortunately, keto is pretty easy to plan around… even those not utilizing a ketogenic diet. A lot of people have a basic understanding of what your restrictions are, but a little help from you can go a long way.

If they are feeling unsure about what you can eat, you can send them this link to keto approved foods.

Bring a dish to share that is low carb and Keto friendly

No one knows you like you – what low carb foods you enjoy, what your specific macronutrient needs are, and what you find to be an acceptable keto alternative to some of your favorite dishes.

Do what’s best for you, and bring something to the table that you know you’ll enjoy. Here’s our favorite cookbook full of keto and low carb dishes… perfect for holidays and special occassions:

Find out what is being served and plan your meals accordingly

If you know what will be on the table, you will be able to make better decisions about your own meals for the day and even the week. Personally, I never judge anyone for having a treat day – I don’t believe in punishing myself for being fat, and I believe food is part of celebration in many cultures.

Still… it doesn’t hurt to know ahead of time what will be on the menu so you can make better, keto friendly meal choices for yourself.

Eat before the event so that you don’t go hungry just in case there are no keto-friendly options available

If you know there’s not likely to be any appropriate keto foods at a social gathering, and you don’t have time to put together a complicated recipe, I recommend grabbing something to keep hunger at bay so you can enjoy the festivities without feeling hungry.

Fill up on lower carb foods before indulging in anything else on the table

You don’t have to completely sacrifice the yummy foods if you don’t want to. Just make better choices and eat approved foods first so you’re not as hungry for the non-keto foods you’re surrounded by.

Maybe have a fork full of the stuff you’ve been craving and leave it at that.

Don’t let anyone talk bad about your diet

This includes family members who have been trying to get you off of Keto for years! You have made this decision for yourself and should be able to stick with it without any guilt or pressure, or eat things you wouldn’t normally as a special treat to yourself if that’s what you want.

It your body, your health, your choice, your life. Don’t allow anyone to badger you during the holidays about your weight, or your lifestyle choices. You aren’t hurting anybody, and it’s okay to set this boundary.

Do what feels right for you

Holiday season is a time for indulgence and celebration. It’s also the perfect opportunity to see how your keto diet will hold up in this environment. If you are following a ketogenic diet, it can be hard when all of your favorite dishes show up on the table at once. This blog post has provided some great ideas that may help make getting through these festive days easier!

What are you bringing to the table? Let me know in the comments below!