Of course I should mention that we did cheat when we were in Nashville in April, on our overnight Sedona trip, and a couple meals (and a few drinks) while we were in Mesquite, NV a few weeks ago. We’ve agreed that to make this sustainable, occasional cheats are ok, but they have to be planned ahead of time. No last minute decisions to order a burrito instead of salad while in the Café Rio line! We want it to be a conscious decision and not just a momentary lack of willpower. I think that has made it easier to get right back at if after a cheat and not the usual “I’ll start again on Monday” excuse.
Other than that, one of the main reasons I’ve been able to stick with keto is the huge number of resources and products available to support low-carb diets. So today I wanted to share the 10 products that have helped me with my keto journey. BUT…remember, everything in moderation. Just because it’s low carb does not mean that it’s healthy and that you can eat as much as you want! It still needs to fit within your macros for the day.
*This post contains some affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no additional cost to you. However, I paid for all of these products with my own money and this post is not sponsored.
Honestly, this is probably my #1 keto-friendly product. A diet where I can still have chocolate? Yes please! Lily’s is sweetened with stevia, so it’s keto-friendly and it won’t spike your blood sugar. They’re also certified Fair Trade, contain only ingredients that are non-GMO, and are gluten free. We love the chocolate bars (no weird after taste) and we also use their chocolate chips for baking.
Where To Buy: We buy ours at Sprouts or Fry’s (Kroger). Sprouts sells the chocolate bars and baking chips, but I’ve only seen the bars at Fry’s. You can check the Store Locator here to see if they are available near you. If not, you can order them on Amazon.
2 | Swerve
OK, I lied. Swerve is probably my #1 keto-friendly product just because it’s so versatile and works in so many different recipes. Swerve is a natural sweetener with no weird after taste and it measures just like sugar. It’s an erythritol sweetner and you can read the specifics on how it’s made here. They sell a granular version and a powdered confectioners kind. I’ve found both types are handy to have on hand and I usual them pretty equally depending on the recipe.
Where To Buy: Our Sprouts only sells the granular Swerve, so I order the confectioners “sugar” on Amazon. According to the store locator, Swerve is also available at Whole Foods.
3 | Moon Cheese
Moon Cheese is a crunchy snack that’s made out of 100% cheese. They remove all of the moisture from the cheese, so what’s left is just a crunch ball of cheese goodness (no refrigeration required). We’ve only tried the Cheddar and Gouda flavors, but they also have Pepper Jack, Mozzarella, and Sriracha. Moon cheese is a great when you miss that crunch from snacking on chips/pretzels/crackers.
Where To Buy: Moon Cheese is available in select stores (check the Store Locator), but I order mine from Target. They have the best prices, but only carry two flavors. If you want to try the full variety of flavors, Amazon is probably your best bet!
4 | Enlightened Ice Cream
You know how I said above that just because it’s low carb doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want? I have to constantly remind myself of that when this is in the house. For a few weeks we had gotten into the habit of having a bowl every night after dinner. My weight loss stalled, so I had to cut back. Although I still eat it way more than I used to eat regular ice cream. I just try to do a better job with fitting it into my allowed carbs for the day.
Anyway, Enlightened Ice Cream is made with erythritol sweetner and it’s surprisingly good. You have to let it sit out for a bit to soften before you eat it though. It really does affect the flavor. A user on Reddit put together this list of all of the flavors and their net carbs. It’s a handy reference instead of having to check every carton. We try to stick with the ones that are 5 net carbs or less. We like most of the flavors we’ve tried, but Chocolate Peanut Butter, Snickerdoodle, and Birthday Cake are our usual buys.
Where To Buy: We buy ours at Sprouts because they have best selection, but I’ve also seen them at other grocery stores. You can check the Store Locator here for availability near you.
5 | People’s Choice Jerky
I love beef jerky as a snack, but pretty much all of the brands sold in stores have added sugar. After doing some searching, I found People’s Choice Jerky. It’s handcrafted in Los Angeles by a family-run business. I ordered the Old Fashioned Original jerky and I really liked it. I has more of a drier texture than jerky from companies like Jack Links, but I guess that’s from a more authentic drying process?
Where To Buy: To see all of the flavors and order individual bags, check out their website. You can also order from Amazon (that’s what I did), but they only sell packs of 3 or the big 1 lb bags.
I’ll be the first to admit that $12 for brownie mix is kinda crazy. However, they are really handy to have on hand when I’m craving something sweet. I don’t have to worry about having all of the ingredients on hand for a recipe. I can just dump the mix in a bowl and add a couple eggs. They really are a great way to satisfy a craving without cheating. I’ve only tried the brownie mix (delicious), but they also have mixes for cookies, cakes, muffins and all kinds of baked goodies.
Where To Buy: I buy mine on Amazon and they are eligible for prime shipping!
7 | Guy’s BBQ Sauce
We had ribs for Easter dinner this year and I made BBQ sauce using a keto recipe that I found online. The sauce was barely edible. So when I found Guy’s BBQ Sauce, I knew I had to try it. I ordered the Original flavor and it’s 100x better than the sauce I made. Adam is all about chicken wings right now so I’ve been making them pretty regularly. He likes medium wing sauce, but I don’t, so I use this BBQ sauce instead and I’m a big fan. I just got a bottle of AlternaSweets Sweet & Smokey BBQ sauce in my Keto Krate, so it’ll be interesting to see how they compare.
Where To Buy: I ordered mine on Amazon. They also have Hot, Smokey Bacon, Smokey Garlic, and Spicy!
8 | Lakanto Maple Syrup
I ordered this maple syrup after reading about it in the Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen cookbook by Carolyn Ketchum. She recommended it and joked that she’s Canadian so she knows good maple syrup. Occasionally we make keto-friendly pancakes on the weekends, so this really comes in handy. Until I ordered this we were eating them with just butter, but the maple flavor is a must!
Where To Buy: I ordered mine on Amazon and it’s also eligible for prime shipping!
9 | Quest Bars
OK, so this is one that you want to be careful with. I wouldn’t recommend eating them regularly, but they are perfect for an on-the-go snack or if you’re out and about and desperate for something. They sell them at most gas stations and they are available at the airport. We took a couple of them when we went hiking in Sedona and it worked out perfectly. We also like to take them when we fly because they are so easy to carry in my purse and are great when you start feeling hungry on the plane.
Make sure you check the labels on these though. Some have more net carbs than others. Some flavors have a little bit of a weird taste, but you get used to it. I like the chocolate peanut butter and cookie dough flavored bars the best. They also sell Quest Cookies, but neither of us were a fan of the taste. Yuck!
Where To Buy: I think these are the most readily available items on my list. I usually buy them at Sprouts, Fry’s (Kroger), or Hi-Health. Like I said above, we’ve also found them at gas stations and airports.
10 | Be Mixed Cocktails
I think one of the hardest parts of keto for us has been not being able to drink. We still have an occasional glass of wine, but no more craft beer or cocktails. We weren’t huge drinkers, but we did enjoy going to the local breweries for a beer on the weekends or having a margarita at dinner. When I found these Be Mixed cocktail mixers I was definitely intrigued. I’ve only tried the margarita one so far and it’s pretty good. The flavor is pretty light, so you’ll definitely need salt and quality tequila. The mix also have 5g of carbs, so you’ll still have to limit your drinks. They also have Cucumber Mint and Ginger Lime mixers! I’m going to try the Ginger Lime one next!
Where To Buy: I ordered mine from Amazon and they are eligible for prime shipping! A keto-friendly margarita is just 2 shipping days away!
So those are the 10 keto-friendly products that we’ve tried and liked. I do want to note that we do make most of our food at home and try to eat products like these as treats vs. a main part of our diet. I’ve been the most successful when I stick with simple meals and don’t try to get fancy or add in too many substitutions. Honestly, these just make us feel like we can still enjoy foods that we loved, but in a healthier way.
I hope this was helpful for those of you currently following keto or another low carb diet. A lot of these products are also gluten free and low calories, so they are good option even if you aren’t counting carbs. If you’re new to keto (or just curious), the Keto subreddit is really helpful. Some of the people on there have been doing keto for years, so there’s a lot of good information and motivation there.
Do you have any keto-friendly product recommendations? Let me know! I’m always looking for new things to try!
Great ideas! I'll have to forward them all on to my friends doing keto right now -Tara
ReplyDeleteThanks Tara!
DeleteI wish we had these many options here in Italy, everything sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteI wish everything was more readily available in stores! Hopefully someday...
DeleteThe dog at end ahahha there are so many good options to enjoy a treat while dieting
ReplyDeleteThat dog is me every time we eat out with friends! Watching other people eat pizza while you eat a salad is the worst!
DeleteI've been trying to go more into utilizing Keto products into my diet. these are some great finds, thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThanks Glenda! If you do try any of them, I'd love to hear what you think!
DeleteMany of my friends have switched to Keto diets and seen great results. Pinning to share with them!
ReplyDeleteI've been so happy with my results and I don't really feel like I'm missing out most of the time...except this morning when we had donuts and bagels in our meeting and I had to watch everyone else eat them!
DeleteI'm so happy to see a maple syrup on your list! I am diabetic and have been looking for a low carb low sugar syrup for ever! Will definitely pick this up. THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteYay! I hope you like it!
DeleteWe just bought a bag of Moon Cheese and it's a fun snack for everyone! We also like the parmesean whisp crackers from Costco, too.
ReplyDeleteI like Whisps too! I didn't know they had them at Costco! I'll have to look next time I'm there. I usually buy the small bags from Sprout's, but I'm sure they are a better deal at Costco!
DeleteI don't know the keto diet (will read about it) but as a vegan I don't think is the right diet for me.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely would be a lot harder, but I think it's still possible to do keto and be a vegan. Of course whether or not it's right for you is something you'll have to decide.
DeleteI use a similar sweetener to Swerve and really love it! I've heard so much about Moon Cheese and Enlightened Ice cream lately! Adding to my next grocery run!
ReplyDeleteI hope you like them! We had some Enlightened ice cream last night (Snickerdoodle and Chocolate Peanut Butter) and it was delicious...as usual!
DeleteThe beef jerky looks so good! I've been hearing a ton about the Keto diet but I've never really looked into it so this was informative!
ReplyDeleteIt's really good! It's definitely drier than what most people probably eat, so it takes a few pieces to get used to the different texture. But it's so much better without all of the added sugar!
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ReplyDelete