Why do you need keto friendly snacks on a ketogenic diet?
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Keto snacks can be beautiful things. When they are fast and easy real food snacks, that’s even better.
One of the many benefits of a ketogenic diet is it naturally reduces your appetite. Since you’re not riding a carb-induced insulin roller coaster, you have a steady stream of slow-burning energy. You don’t get “hangry.”
When in Ketosis, you don’t NEED keto snacks; but sometimes you want snacks, just of the keto variety.
We are all creatures of habit, and while you may not need to eat every two hours anymore because you just carb-crashed, you might be used to eating more often.
If you came to keto from a Standard American Diet (SAD), you’re probably used to snacking on things like potato chips and cookies. Or if you have been following Convention Wisdom that says you have to eat small meals, six times a day in order to balance your blood sugar.
Regardless, snacking was probably a big part of your daily routine before your keto way of eating.
Maybe you just miss some of the things you used to snack on. After all, we’re all socialized to the idea of eating all the time. Snacks are built into almost every social situation we find ourselves in.
Offices can be the worst, with someone bringing in a different junk food treat every day. We’re surrounded by people who snack, so being prepared with a few great keto snack options will help you maintain your ketogenic goals and your sanity at the same time!
Benefits of Keto Snacks
For myself, having great low carb snacks around is important because my intermittent fasting routine means I have to get a lot of good, real food, high fat, nutrient dense calories in during a small time window.
I also like having good options around that my kids will eat, knowing that these real food healthy snacks to support their growth and development – plus they love them because they taste great! Most of these keto snacks are great when you are on the go (even camping on a keto diet), and they fit right in with school lunches for the kids. Win!
Sometimes, we also do just need more to eat.
Maybe your lunch wasn’t as filling as you thought it was, or maybe your body is healing and needs more fuel. Perhaps your body is prioritizing some internal repair and needs more nutrients and building blocks. In each of these cases, you’ll just need more food and snacks that are acceptable on a keto diet can be the perfect solution.
A major benefit of a healthy, real food ketogenic approach is that our bodies recover from all the strain of an overly-processed diet and can actually communicate with us again! If you’re hungry, eat! Make it something fabulous from this list of keto snacks and your body will thank you.
Epic Pork Cracklings
A Keto Friendly Snack.
These Pork Cracklings are a staple Keto-Friendly Snack at our house. Our favorite flavor from the Epic Brand is the Salt & Pepper. This is an affiliate link to Amazon. When you purchase through an affiliate link, it doesn’t cost you any extra, but it does give us a small commission that helps us support this website. Thank you for your support. { Click Here to see these on Amazon. >>> }
Remember, at the most basic level, food is your body’s fuel.
What you eat matters.
And your ketogenic food should taste great and be enjoyable.
Keto snacks can help round out your nutrition, and they are a great way to incorporate more fat into your diet. That can be especially difficult when you are first starting a keto approach to eating if you’re used to thinking of fat as bad and something to be avoided. All of the snacks in this list are high in real, healthy fats and low in carbs.
If you are still having trouble hitting your Keto Fat Macro, check out the Advantage Keto Fat Booster Recipes.
A Word of Caution about Keto Snacks
While these keto acceptable snacks are low carb, they are not for mindless eating.
If you’re hungry, eat one of these great healthy snacks. If you’re bored, go for a walk. Or read a book. Or call a friend. Or whatever else floats your boat.
A keto diet is about changing your relationship with food, so make sure to treat your low carb snacks as the thing they are – real food when you actually need food.
Pay attention to how much you eat – get out a portion and put it in a bowl instead of eating out of the bag. Eating out of a bag in front of the TV just leads to mindless overeating…even on a Keto Diet. I’ve been there, so I know. (Hello, entire bag of pork rinds just last weekend!)
Pro-Tip: If you do eat the whole bag, let it go and move on. And try not to do that again.
Every keto snack on this list is easy and fast. They require minimal to no prep. They are all real food options with serious nutrient density. Snack on, my ketogenic friends.
Our 14 Favorite Keto Snacks
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#1
Macadamia Nuts – Nuts are full of fiber, fats and minerals, so they make a great snack. Macadamia nuts have the best omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, which makes them less inflammatory than some other nut options. And their buttery taste and texture are fantastic.Learn More
#2
PaleoValley Fermented Meat Sticks – I just discovered these tasty treats recently. Like beef jerky but formed into a softer stick, they are chewy not tough. And they have no preservatives or other disagreeable ingredients. They keep best in the refrigerator, but their natural fermentation will preserve them outside refrigeration for about a month, too. Lots of good, gut healthy probiotics is a huge bonus in these snacks. You can order them online!Learn More
#3
Fat Bombs – Does it get any better than fat bombs? Eating Keto is awesome. I make quite a few different fat bombs on a regular basis at our house, and they definitely get eaten every day! These Chocolate Coconut Fat Bombs are by far the ones I make the most. Check out and follow our Keto Fat Bombs! board on Pinterest.Learn More
#4
Epic Pork Cracklingsare our favorite Pork Rind Keto Snack, both for their flavor and because of the company’s commitment to using the entire animal. They are also the only antibiotic free pork rinds that we’ve found. They are a tasty, portable snack, but be careful with these. They are a nice source of protein and fat and zero carbs, but they can get really snack-y and it’s easy to overdo it. Portion out a serving and enjoy with some guacamole!Learn More
#5
Cheese – Full fat dairy has gotten a bad rap for a while now, and it’s true that some people don’t handle it well. But if you do, it’s totally on the menu as a Keto food choice. Organic and grass-fed options are best. Cheese preference is very personal, but one of our favorites is 24 month+ Aged Gouda. We’ve included an Amazon link, but it really doesn’t make sense to purchase this online since it has to be kept cold during shipping. Most local grocery stores have a decent selection.Learn More
#6
Avocado – We buy and eat avocados in a multitude of ways. Not only are they high in monounsaturated fat, they contain high levels of fiber and numerous vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins C, E, and K, just to name a few! Whole avocados by the bag are a staple on our weekly shopping list, and we eat them by the half on top of chicken and pork, as a topping in salads, and as the feature in one of our favorite desserts, our Keto Avocado Mousse. For easy dipping and snacking, we also love Wholly Guacamole Mini Cups. They come in Classic, Spicy and Simply Avocado.
#7
Nut Butter – Sometimes a spoonful or two of almond butter or peanut butter will really hit the spot. Don’t go crazy, and make sure you stick to a couple of spoonfuls, as nuts can be a slippery slope. They have higher levels of omega 6 fats, especially peanuts, so they can add to inflammation in large amounts. Coconut butter is mostly saturated fat, so it doesn’t have the inflammation hit but still satisfies.Learn More
#8
Sardines – I know, I know. What in the world am I thinking? I first found sardines when I was looking for great sources of calcium that were non-dairy. Sardines definitely fit the bill, and they contain good amounts of protein and omega 3 fats. Cover them with horseradish and avocado oil based mayonnaise and eat up.Learn More
#9
Hard boiled eggs – One of nature’s perfect Keto snacks, hard boiled eggs are easy, portable, contain protein and fat to fill you up and are great with a dollop of mayo or guacamole as a fat boost, or just by themselves with a sprinkle of salt. Bonus points if you buy them from a local farmer or at the farmer’s market, where you can often find eggs from pastured chickens who get real time in the sun chasing bugs and eating greens. Healthy chickens = healthy eggs = healthy you!
#10
Pepperoni – Salty, fatty and tasty. We like to pair these with Aged Parmesan Crisps for an almost-pizza bite-sized snack. Buy the highest quality (organic, pasture-raised animals, grass-fed) in your budget, and don’t make these processed meats a huge staple. They are great every once in a while but are not an always replacement for unprocessed animal meats. ** It is better to buy this at your local grocery store. **
#11
Summer Sausage – Ditto the thoughts from above on this tasty treat. Instead of the parmesan crisps, though, I think these are great when paired with unprocessed, raw cheese like Monterey Jack. Cut off two slices of each and be on your Keto way!Learn More
#12
Olives – Another great salty fix, olives are incredibly easy and portable. They even package them in single servings now to make it that much simpler! Black and green are both rich in vitamin E, copper and fiber, not to mention monounsaturated fat. Olives are a fantastic, poppable snack right out of the jar.Learn More
#13
Parm Chips – I can’t believe these didn’t make the original list of our go to keto snacks. I honestly don’t know how that’s possible. Perhaps we hadn’t discovered them yet when we put this list together the first time. Or perhaps my fingers were full of Parm Chips so I quit typing. Regardless, this is now a staple at our house. We eat them plan, dipped in guac, keto ranch, keto caesar, and with a dab of tomato paste and a pepperoni to make pizza bites (one of the stupid simple recipes in our No Cook Keto Meal Plan). We couldn’t live without these ketogenic snacks. Learn More
Do you snack? What are your favorite Keto snacks? Please leave a comment and let us know.
Parm crisps are one of my favorite snacks.
One of my favorites too. I like them with a pepperoni on top or with guac. Do you eat them with anything?
I have done is to for 2 weeks now and loving it. My problem is an egg allergy. So many breakfast ideas are eggs. Love the snack ideas
An egg allergy would be hard. Lots of bacon and sausage I guess. 😉
Green smoothies, chia porridge, fatty coffee, or keto granola made with nuts are a few other options. Don’t get too caught up in eating “breakfast foods”, though. You can eat anything! I eat leftovers from last night’s dinner a lot. Or something simple like canned salmon with veggies.
You might try duck eggs.
Some people with egg allergies don’t react to duck eggs.
That’s an interesting thought. Everybody’s different, so you never know!
I have yo-yo’ed for the past 15 years. I am 50 years old and I am not happy with the way I look. I know I’m not going to be tight and tone as I used to be, but I’m not happy with the way I am. I have gone back to school to change my career and I do not have the time I used to have to exercise as much as I did. I used to exercise 2 hours everyday, I did CrossFit and ended up with double hernias and one incarcerated. So, I’m just a mess.
Tana, you are dealing with a lot! First of all, don’t beat yourself up. Today is a new day, and it sounds like you are ready to start making yourself a priority. I have found that Keto is very helpful for people who have been yo-yo dieters in the past. Once you get into ketosis, you change your hormonal balance and cravings and hunger affect you differently. When you’re not controlled by cravings, it’s a lot easier to make the decisions you know you want for yourself. Please make sure you are working with your doctor, especially since you have some pre-existing conditions. You can do this!
Best,
Ang