I’m very fortunate that my friends and family have been supportive of our keto way of eating. It helps a lot that Bill is doing it for health reasons and not simply as a “diet.” But we have had many people tell us that family is not so supportive at dinners and get-togethers, especially when food is a traditional part of that gathering. It makes keto family dinner a bit odd.
They hear things like, “Can’t you just take one day off from this?” or “One day of eating what you want won’t hurt.” And people tend to take it personally if you stick to keto rather than give in to their peer pressure.
Keto Family Dinner with Turkey
When my family gets together, it tends to be for a turkey dinner. This one is easy to navigate. We have salads to start, and I usually bring a broccoli salad that everyone enjoys. There’s also regular tossed salad. The turkey I can eat and there are some vegetables I can put with it. I skip the stuffing, potatoes and breads.
Desserts can be trickier, so I usually just bring my own. Last time, I brought a bit extra so others could try it too. Now, we are more forgiving with each other because many of us eat very different diets. We have vegetarians, vegans and diabetics plus me (keto) all in one meal setting. If we weren’t tolerant of how the others ate, we’d be in big trouble!
I’ve Not Been Deprived at Keto Family Dinner
Here’s the thing, we have had almost 2 years now of family gatherings and I have not once felt deprived because I wasn’t eating what everyone else was. I guess we don’t have a particular food that is the framework of our traditions. Some families are different. If your family is Italian or Mexican, for example, there may be cooks who are insulted if you won’t eat their food. You may feel you aren’t being true to your family rituals if you don’t eat a certain dish. Then, you need to re-evaluate.
Logan Delgado was interviewed on the Keto Answers podcast, episode 6 and he spoke about food being an important part of his family’s traditions. He said that he stuck to keto strictly over the first couple of holidays and he doesn’t remember any of the festivities, he just remembers feeling deprived. So, he doesn’t do that anymore. He knows that at family gatherings, he is going to go off-plan. For him, sticking to keto at those times just wasn’t worth it. So, after the holidays, he returns to a strict eating plan and gets back on track.
He Might be the Exception
Mind you, Logan Delgado is a fitness guru with about 5% body fat, so he’s good. But all of us can do the same thing. As long as you plan in advance, you won’t feel like you’ve failed or “cheated.” If you do keto for health issues, that’s a bit different. You need to balance your health with your longing for your family foods. If you do keto for your health, chances are your family will understand and will support you in staying on track.
Here’s what I don’t like; I don’t like when people feel pushed to do something. Keto is not for everyone, and I would never push someone to do it. Neither would I push someone to step out of their eating habits for a day by saying, “Can’t you just take a day off?”
When it Comes to Keto Family Dinner Do What’s Right For You
Do what is right for you. Don’t worry about the keto community condemning you for eating a family meal. Don’t worry about family who have no tolerance for your food choices. It is important to do keto for you and you only. Make your choices and feel good about the fact that you are consciously making a choice. Eat the meal or don’t eat the meal – but do it for YOU.
Wendy
