When we first started keto, it was hard to wrap our heads around the fact that we would change everything we ate. No more Chinese food, pizza from our favourite take out, junk food nights, or Dairy Queen blizzards! It was devastating at first. And, to cope, we tried replacing foods with keto options. Sometimes it worked – most times it did not.
Keto Options for Chips
Whether you’re talking potato chips or corn chips, there is something about those salty, crispy bites that you crave when you suddenly can’t have them. We have tried many different options. The first was cheese broiled in the oven. You put little piles of grated cheese on a baking sheet and broil it until it’s crispy. They are okay, but they taste a little like burned cheese. Not something you want to eat a lot of.
We also tried zucchini slices in an air fryer. You can “bread” them with grated parmesan cheese. Again, they are okay, but if you’re expecting potato chips, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. We also found they went soggy after a short period of time.
And then there are pork rinds. These are deep fried pig skin. If you don’t think about what you’re eating, they aren’t bad. They are salty, although they kind of melt in your mouth, which is a bit disturbing. You can use them as a breading for other things or just eat them out of a bag like potato chips. I did not find them appetizing, but some people swear by them.
Pizza Options
You simply can’t give up pizza forever. While many pizza places do not have keto options, you can do a low carb crust at home. Flatbread is a good option. It’s made from mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, almond flour, and an egg. You bake it for about 15 minutes and it makes a good crust. It’s more of a dough-like crust so it’s not crispy.
If you like a crispier pizza crust, you can use flakes of chicken from a can. It doesn’t sound appetizing, but it’s really good. Mix it with some egg to hold it together and bake it. This works really well for a BBQ chicken pizza. It’s an actual crust you can pick up with your hands and eat.
Keto Options for Bread
You never realize how much you eat bread until you have to go without it. There were times we ate toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and pasta with a slice of bread on the side for dinner. And then, suddenly, bread was out of our meal planning completely. We struggled, and we searched for a replacement.
The first option we came across was the same flatbread we used for pizza. It’s more of a tortilla shell texture, so it makes things more of a wrap than bread. It’s good, but it takes time and energy to make. And, let’s face it, mozzarella cheese is not cheap!
The cheapest alternative to bread is simply lettuce. It’s…fine. You can get lettuce wraps at restaurants and fast food places now, which is great. But, it’s lettuce. It’s just kind of boring. A great option, but still boring.
We also have chaffles as bread. Now, what we can chafflewiches is two chaffles with sandwich stuff in the middle. It’s good and yummy, but it has holes in it just like waffles do. The mayonnaise and filling leak out the holes and it turns into a bit of a mess, but it more substantial than lettuce.
Keto Options for Noodles
Again, we turned to our old friend zucchini to replace noodles. You can often find zucchini noodles (or zoodles) at the store already spiraled. They are okay, and make a pretty good option for noodles. We put either low carb spaghetti sauce on them or alfredo sauce. Either is a good meal.
Another option is the root of the konjac plant. These make actual noodle texture food. There is one downside to this – they stink. They smell like fish when you open the package. You have to rinse them carefully to get all the smell off them. Once you do, they act a lot like noodles and have that texture. We usually put them in a pan and heat them with butter and a little garlic. Then, put them in the sauce and serve. Don’t overcook them. But, they are good.
The Pricey Replacements
You can buy anything if you are willing to pay. There are many options out there to replace your favourite foods with keto-friendly options. The companies charge more for their products because they make them taste like what you remember. Carbonaut bread is amazing. It’s expensive, but if you are craving sliced bread, it is worth it. They also have hot dog buns and hamburger buns.
Likewise, Mr. Tortilla has nacho chips that are keto friendly and are as close to corn chips as you can get. They are a little softer, but have the same taste. They are pricey and you may want to ration your meals with them, but they are worth a splurge every now and then.
Wendy
