Keto Kids On The Go!

Before I even start this blog, I want you to know that it is not my goal to make you feel guilty, or that you aren't doing right by your children. I don't want you to feel like I assume that you don't want the best for your kids. I certainly do not have it all figured out! I want you to know that my kids still eat carbs, they have their bread and convenience snacks and sometimes cereal too. I am all too aware that I will never be perfect in the nutrition that I provide for my kids. I am passionate about the Keto lifestyle and all that it has taught me, but I would be missing a huge, very important piece of the puzzle if I wasn't seriously considering what my kids are eating on a daily basis.

The purpose of this post is NOT to make anyone feel like a bad parent, it is to get you thinking about changing the lifestyle (even if it's not Keto!) for your whole family, helping your kids to make healthy food choices now and show them there is a better way than some of the options that are out there. Teaching them to take care of the body that God has given them is one of the biggest lessons we can pass along to them. We only get one physical body. So please consider the things that I am sharing with this reasoning in mind. I want what is best for my kids and I know you do too.

So in the recent months I have been increasingly convicted about the food I am feeding my children. The longer I am on the Keto diet and the more benefits I see in my health, the more sure I am that not all food choices I make for my kids are the best. I have been consistently following the Keto way of eating for 10 months now and my kids eat most food that I do. However, I am also guilty of giving them ALL THE CARBS for easy, quick snacks and meals sometimes.

Now I know there are people out there that would highly encourage and recommend a strict Keto diet for kids (and everyone else too) and I am not totally opposed to that, but I also am a big believer in making things doable at the same time. Sometimes, you just need a fast snack that you know they are going to love, that you can grab on the go. As an adult who is fat adapted (or adapted to the Keto diet), I actually fast pretty regularly (another topic for another day). So it is not out of the ordinary for me to skip breakfast then go grocery shopping and not eat anything until I get home around lunch time. I am not very hungry most of the time. But when you have kids who are growing and developing at a fast rate, they need food! My kids seem to be constantly hungry! So I need to have plenty of ideas in my back pocket to use for my kids, when I'm not necessarily going to be having a big meal.

The goal of this post is to share with you some of the most popular snacks we have around to throw in the diaper bag on the way out the door. There are a couple of recipes that I made up that both of my kids liked. They are Keto friendly or pretty low carb and all things that I would not be afraid to eat myself on the Keto diet! There are a few criteria I had while making these lists.

1. First, it has to be healthy and should foster a positive relationship towards food. "Healthy" in my book is Keto approved which is simply not filled with sugar and carbs. In other words, if we shouldn't eat it because it's filled with unhealthy crap, neither should our kids! If we don't lay a strong foundation for our kids they could struggle for their whole lives when it comes to healthy eating.

2. Second, it needs to be simple so we don’t have to overthink it. Sometimes this means we have to set some time aside earlier in the week to prepare ahead of time and sometimes we need to turn to ready made things we can grab quick from the grocery store without another thought.

3. Third, they need to think it's yummy. The longer you serve Keto food in your house the more adjusted your children's taste buds will be. If you keep slipping them small amounts of sugar and carbs (I'm totally guilty!), they will still crave it (ALL the time!). Be bold, get rid of it!

Alright, I'm going to focus on 3 different categories:

-Things to buy, but need to be portioned out and packed ahead of time.

-Things to buy that are ready to go.

-Things that you can make ahead and prep with little effort before you head out the door.

1. Things to buy, but need to be portioned out and packed:

-salami slices

-avocados (guacamole minis for extra portability)

-cream cheese on celery

-cream cheese of salami

-peanut butter on celery

-pickles

-olives

-nuts (my kids LOVE macadamias and pistachios)

-veggies and dip: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, celery etc.

*Every few days, wash, cut and portion some veggies for your kids. They will be easy and quick to grab and you will be glad you don't have to stand there and cut them every single time.

2.Things to buy that are ready to go:

-fruit: apples oranges, bananas and berries (watch the quantity they eat, for sugar totals. Even though it's natural, it's still sugar.)

-individually wrapped cheese sticks

-individually wrapped beef sticks

-pork rind minis

-Cheese whisps

-individually packed peanut butter for apples or celery (Here is a sugar free kind that only has peanuts and salt in it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E1XPY3A/ref=twister_B07HKRDY6G?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 )

3. Homemade items that you can make up ahead of time, then easily prep the day of:

-keto trail mix (nuts with dark sugar free chocolate, get Lilly's chocolate chips or Choc zero bars to cut smaller)

-chocolate chip cookies (I love this recipe: https://www.fatforweightloss.com.au/keto-chocolate-chip-cookies/?fbclid=IwAR0OeNqep5uU7KFz9_WxA8pBgeyYRaQPKTtIjCmCflgheHCGz6Xe5UX2rqk )

-homemade graham crackers (I use this recipe: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/homemade-graham-crackers-low-carb-and-gluten-free-and-environmentally-responsible-companies/?fbclid=IwAR1-UKO_dHz8LZuSiD3aoEiyXGwpByQiapHBtwGJXlxo_ZFNIahu_AKq0KU )

-cheese crisps (literally melt cheese in the microwave or oven until crunchy)

-pepperoni crisps(heat in microwave, til crunchy)

-lunch meat and cheese roll-ups (you can make these the night before)

-joseph's flatbread wraps or pitas for sandwiches (this is low carb and dirty Keto, NOT gluten free)

-Ham and cheese fathead pockets (I share the recipe below)

-peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made with waffles

-peanut butter and jelly sticks (I share this recipe as well!)

There you have it: Healthy, Simple, Yummy! This is my goal for my kids and I would challenge you to have a similar goal for yours! It doesn't have to be complicated to be healthy or delicious, and that my friends, is a major relief for this mama...

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticks

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticks

Ingredients:

-1 fathead pizza dough (I use the dough from this recipe: https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/low-carb-pepperoni-pizza/ )

-3 T unsweetened peanut butter

-3 T sugar free jelly (any flavor and you can adjust more or less jelly if your kids like things sweeter)

Instructions:

1.Mix peanut butter and jelly together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Make dough according to instructions then roll out between parchment paper and thinly as possible, while it is still pretty warm.

3. Spread peanut butter and jelly mixture evenly onto the Fathead dough then fold in half so you have a semicircle.

4. Cut into thin triangular strips, like mini pizza slices you can get about 16.

5. You can twist each strip once or leave them flat and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

6. Bake at 425 degree oven until bottoms are toasty brown (about 10 minutes), if tops aren't browned well, you can use the broiler until they are golden.

7. Cool and refrigerate or freeze.

8. These taste best warm, but are good cold as well!

Ham and Cheese Fathead Pockets

Ham and Cheese Fathead Pockets

Ingredients:

-1 batch of Fathead dough ( https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/low-carb-pepperoni-pizza/ )

-4 slices of ham

-4 slices of cheese (any variety)

Instructions:

1. Make fathead dough according to recipe instructions and split in half.

2. Roll each half out between parchment paper into same size and shapes, as thinly as possible, while dough is still pretty warm.

3. Cut each half into 8 equal size pieces and place 1/2 a slice of ham and 1/2 a slice of cheese on 8 of the pieces.

4.Put the 8 empty pieces on top of the ham and cheese, crimp the dough together with a fork, poke some holes in the top of the dough and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

5. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes. Bottoms should be golden brown, then broil to get the tops to match in color.

6. Cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

7. Microwave or eat cold on the go!

*you can adjust these pockets to fit your tastes. I am going to try cream cheese and cinnamon sweetener, with some berries, pepperoni and mozzarella or provolone cheese, maybe even turkey and bacon and cheese! Get creative with them to suit your kids' tastes. Prove that Keto can be yummy!

Let me know if you have other options that are low carb and low sugar that your kids love. If you try any of the ideas that I shared, let me know how your kids liked them!

Happy snacking!