Party Food

Yummy party food is my topic this week! It’s one of the reasons we love getting together to socialize, right? The only problem is, you live a low carb or ketogenic life and you’re considering bringing a baggie of bacon in your pocket just in case there’s nothing there to eat. Leave the bacon at home my friends, here are my top tips to stay low carb at the next event you attend.

1. Eat before you go

   This reduce your urge to “cheat” and you won’t be hangry so you’ll be able to enjoy yourself

2. Stick to water,if you can

   1. If you’re feeling tempted or pressured to have a drink then ask for a diet soda with a lime wedge. If there’s a bartender and they’re serving non-alcoholic drinks in a different style of cup as the alcoholic drinks, kindly ask the bartender to put your diet soda in the same type of cup as they would an alcoholic beverage. That way no one will notice you’re not drinking alcohol, you’ll skip the carbs, and you don’t have to answer anyone’s questions about why you’d rather drink fat in your coffee than rum at a party.

3. Find the appetizers and make a meal of them…

   1. cheese, pepperoni & salami (skip the crackers)
   2. berries
   3. guacamole (find veggies to dip with it)
   4. shrimp (sans cocktail sauce) or bacon wrapped shrimp
   5. veggies like broccoli and peppers from a platter
   6. cheesy or creamy type dips are usually lower in carbs such as queso, spinach artichoke, ranch, or other veggie dip (skip the tortilla or pita chips and eat with a spoon {insert laughing emoji} or some veggies). Most won’t be completely keto-approved so only use this one as a back-up to going completely off track.

4. Sit-Down Meals (Events):

   1. choose the meat highest in fat like beef or salmon with a veggie side and ask if they can swap a starch like potatoes out for extra veggies or a side salad

5. Sit-Down Meals (a Friend’s House):

   1. depends on what they’re serving and how comfortable you are with the host. You may need to eat around the carbs like trying to not eat the pasta in lasagna, or maybe its just a matter of skipping the rolls served with the meal. Do the best you can!

6. Buffet:

   1. Load up on salad, low-carb veggies, and meat. If there’s a meat carving station that’s a really great place to stop and get your fat! They always choose a cut of meat that is higher in fat content so it slices nicely. Skip the potatoes, mac & cheese, pasta salad, or anything else that you know has carbs.

7. Skip dessert if you can, this one really depends on the type of event.

   1. You may be able to find a fruit platter that has berries and some almonds, or it could be a wedding where they’re only serving cake. The best way to not worry about this is to fill up early on with low carb options so you’re not hungry when dessert comes around.

The most important tip: HAVE FUN! You’re living a low carb or keto life now which isn’t always easy during events and parties, but maybe you’ve started losing weight or you have lots of energy now so enjoy that!

From my own personal input, this is the first time in my life I have had the power over my food instead of the other way around. I don’t fear parties or events anymore because I look and feel great and I have a plan in place to stay on track. I can go into it knowing that I won’t get drunk and I won’t binge on food that will leave me feeling guilty the next day. This is just one of the reasons I love being Keto!

Leave your favorite low carb party options in the comments below – I’d love to add them to my list!

-Simply Yummy Keto