Updated by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE
The holidays can be rough when you’re trying to stay on a ketogenic diet. From the creamy mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie of Thanksgiving to the latke parties of Hanukkah to the cookies and eggnog of Christmas to the endless seasonal parties teeming with carbohydrates and cocktails, temptation is everywhere. Indeed, this time of year in classic form is synonymous with ketosis-killing, blood-sugar-spiking comfort foods. But that doesn’t mean you have to kiss keto goodbye until next year. With a little knowledge and preparation, you can feast your way through the season and stay on track.
Whether you’re hosting gatherings, attending events, or grabbing meals on the go, here are tips and keto-friendly recipes to help you stay on track and enjoy your keto lifestyle throughout the holidays.
How to Stay Keto at the Office Party
There’s no reason to RSVP “No” to your work party because you’re intimidated by the non-keto offerings. Ketonians deserve to enjoy the fun too! Prepare for a delicious time by heeding the following tips:
- Eat ahead of time. If you fill up on keto foods before the party, it will be easier to stay away from the mouthwatering buffet. If you go hungry, you set yourself up for a challenge you can otherwise avoid.
- Confide in a friend. Whether it’s your office bestie or the guy from accounting who is rumored to be new to keto, latch on to some human support to help you through the temptations. If you’re able to invite a plus-one to the event, take advantage of that lifeline too!
- Be mindful of your alcohol intake. Make sure you watch what and how much alcohol you drink, if you decide to drink at all. Your best bet is clear liquors, which have a fairly low carb count when paired with soda water and a lemon or lime twist. Dry wines are also safe territory (sweet ones are not). Beer, which is very carb-heavy, is off limits. For more specific guidance, read our article about alcoholic drinks on keto And remember, abstinence is also a smart choice, especially since drinking to tipsiness can lower your resolve.
- Stay busy. Whether you’re letting loose on the dance floor or playing games like charades or trivia, staying engaged and focused on activities other than eating will provide healthy distractions.
- Bring a treat for yourself. If facing a spread of cookies, candies, and other holiday treats is likely to challenge your willpower, bring a low-carb snack of your own. A keto chocolate peanut butter cup, cupcake, or a shortbread cookie will go a long way in helping you enjoy the festivities.
Maintaining Ketosis as a Dinner Guest
Although there are likely to be limitations on what you can eat when you go to someone else’s house for dinner, outlined below are ways to ensure you can pull up a chair and join in on the fun and food when you’re a guest at someone’s dinner table.
- Talk with the host. If your host knows you’re keto, they are likely going to talk to you about the menu beforehand anyway. But if not, it’s a good idea to let the host know of your status, politely ask what the menu is, and discover what, if anything, you can eat. Often, roasted meats and salads are on the menu, both of which should be fine, provided there are no sugary glazes or croutons. Once you know where you stand, you can make additional decisions about how to manage your meal.
- Offer to bring some keto-friendly food. For hearty holiday meals, carb-heavy foods typically reign supreme. But you can offer to bring a side dish or two, satisfy your own dining needs, and show your friends how to crush the keto veggie game all at once! Hot side dish recipes like Maple Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Keto Green Bean Casserole, or Keto Creamy Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms will leave their bellies full and their minds blown. They won’t even know that they’re low-carb recipes!
- If all else fails, fend for yourself. If you know the menu won’t work for you and contributing to the potluck isn’t an option, make it simple for both you and the host: eat beforehand or bring your own low-carb dish. At a minimum, you should always have a keto snack stashed in your handbag, pocket, or glove box, just in case. Fortunately, being keto means it’s hard to reach hunger desperation, so if you have the will and a few snacks nearby, you’ll have a way to get through it all.
How to Keep it Keto When Hosting
Believe it or not, it’s just as easy to host a keto holiday feast as it is to host any other type of feast. The amount of work is the same and the results will be equally delicious and varied, if you have the right recipes. Plus, hosting leaves you in control of the party, so you can satisfy yourself and your guests. Follow these tips for the perfect holiday fête, loaded with holiday favorites made keto. Whether you host a feast, happy hour, brunch, or potluck, these recipes can help you keep it keto-tastic.
Great Party Appetizers:
- Herby Keto Chicken Wings with Lemon-Ranch Dip
- Keto Pesto Deviled Eggs
- Keto Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt-Herb Dip
- Keto Creamy Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
- Low-Carb Loaded “Fauxtato” Skins
- Keto Zucchini Fritters with Curry Sour Cream
- Keto Beef Sliders with Bacon and Mojo Sauce
Potluck Favorites:
- Keto “Potato Salad”
- Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
- Crispy-Good Keto Fried Chicken
- Keto Koconut Chicken Tenders with Sweet Asian Chili Sauce
- Keto Maple-Mustard Glazed Ham
- Creamy Keto Coq Au Vin
- Keto Chicken Enchiladas
- Keto Classic Lasagna
Main Courses and Sides for Elegant Keto Dinner Parties:
- Cauliflower Risotto with Sautéed Scallops and Frisée
- Keto Osso Bucco with Cauliflower Rice and Gremolata
- Keto Butter-Basted Filet Mignon with Horseradish Cream and Zucchini Ribbons
- Keto Steak with Mushroom-Red Wine Sauce and Creamed Spinach
- Keto Roasted Salmon with Spinach and Tuscan Cream Sauce
- Keto Maple-Bacon Brussels Sprouts
- Keto Grilled Artichokes with Homemade Aioli
- Keto Green Bean Casserole
- Prosciutto-Wrapped, Ricotta-Stuffed Artichoke Hearts
Killer Keto Desserts:
- Keto Pumpkin-Spice Mousse Tart with Chocolate-Almond Crust
- Keto Maple Pecan Pie
- Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake with Keto Chocolate Glaze
Brunch Best Bets:
- Keto Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise
- Keto Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Hash with Fried Egg
- Keto Chorizo Breakfast Casserole
- Killer Keto Frittata with Sausage and Kale
- Killer Keto Pancakes
- Keto Cheddar-Spinach Soufflés
Dining Out Keto
Company holiday parties, out-of-town guests, cocktail gatherings, and friends or family get-togethers are just some of the reasons you may find yourself at a restaurant or bar during the holiday season. Luckily, there’s almost always a way to eat a keto meal, if you know what to do:
Select a keto-friendly restaurant, if possible.
Hopefully, you already know of some great restaurants offering keto options or can easily find some with a Google search. But if not, a few great choices include:
- Steakhouses: Get steak and a salad without croutons, roasted broccoli, or even creamed spinach, provided flour is not added to the recipe.
- Mexican: Get a keto-friendly soup or a combination plate with meat, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and shredded lettuce.
- Anywhere that cooks from scratch: They’ll be able to whip up some meat or fish, plus vegetables easily. Add butter, and you’re golden.
- Any breakfast spot: Eggs, bacon, ham, Hollandaise sauce for eggs Benedict (specify no English muffin), and many omelets are perfect for eating keto.
If you aren’t familiar with a restaurant that others have chosen, review the menu before you go.
Most restaurants post their menus online, so you can investigate and plan what to eat. You can also call the restaurant at an off time (i.e., not in the middle of the breakfast, lunch, or dinner rush), and ask for advice on what options are safe for you.
How to Stay Keto While Traveling
One of the hardest times to stay on a keto diet is while on the road or in the air. But that doesn’t have to be the case. The secret to successful keto travel is advance planning, starting with the following tips:
- Pack keto snacks. Traveling can often lead to temptation out of desperation. Unpredictable delays or long stretches without suitable food options can make it hard to stick to your plan. To stay on track, pack satisfying keto snacks (and treats!) so you’re always prepared.
- Buy more keto rations when you arrive. The best way to ensure you don’t find yourself in a dining bind is to always have food on hand or nearby. If you’ve run out of snacks on your way to your destination, restock as soon as possible. At a minimum, you’ll need food for the trip home.
- Brush up on the easiest keto items to find in restaurants. You can even eat keto at fast food restaurants, if you know what to do. For the full scoop, review our restaurant dining guide.
- If you’re staying with friends or family, let them know you’re keto before you arrive. Few things are more uncomfortable than turning down a delicious meal made just for you because it’s high in carbs. Avoid the awkwardness by letting your hosts know you’re following a keto diet. If they’re open to it, you can share keto-friendly recipes with them. If not, let them know you’ll shop for your own food when you arrive.
How to Avoid Giving Up Keto Altogether for the Holidays
Don’t let the holidays kick you out of ketosis forever! If you cheat, it’s truly not the end of the world. Besides, the new year is around the corner, just in case you need to hit reset.
- Tap into your support system. If you need help staying away from the dessert spread, ask for help. After all, that’s what family and friends are for. If you don’t have friends and family to turn to, rely on social media. A quick search of keto groups on Facebook provides access to communities to join that are for women-only, appeal to “lazy keto” dieters (who aren’t obsessed with carb-counting), and more. There’s a group for everyone—even keto groups for those who live in weed-legal states and need support for staying on track when the munchies kick in!
- Self-support in snack form. Set yourself up for success by keeping keto snacks on hand. Single nut butter packets, sugar-free jerky, keto-friendly nuts and seeds, and cheese sticks will help you stay satiated. If you’re seduced by sweets, make some holiday recipes with allulose or other keto-friendly sweeteners.
- Review those progress pics. Take a look at how far you’ve come. Dig deep into your camera roll on your phone and work on a collage of images that displays the progress you’ve made. Remind yourself that the reason you’ve done so well all these months (or days, weeks, or even years) is because you’ve conquered willpower and kicked high-carb junk to the curb.
- Make time for self-care. Although holiday meals can be tough to get through eating-wise, uniting the family can also add stress to your life. If you tend to comfort-eat or binge during stressful situations, set aside time for self-care. Take a yoga class, book a float therapy session, get a massage, hit the gym, or go on a solo scenic hike. The time you dedicate to yourself will help you shift your focus away from emotional eating.
- If you stumble, get back on track quickly with a 24-hour fast. One of the quickest ways to get back on the keto wagon is to jump into a 24-hour fast. Experts like Drew Manning discuss how this works to your benefit. If you indulged just a bit too much at a holiday party, commit to a fast, where your body will burn up all the carbs in your system and begin producing ketones again. Employ your trusted testing method to confirm that you’re back in ketosis. When you do, measure that accomplishment as a huge success, and continue on from there. Don’t look at a cheat day during the holidays as being back at square one. If you were in ketosis for long enough before you slipped, your body will be accustomed to finding its way right back to euketonemia (a new term for nutritional ketosis).
- Try your hand at intermittent fasting. If the thought of a 24-hour (or longer) fast is excruciating, give intermittent fasting, or IF, a shot. Intermittent fasting can be achieved in different ways, based on your goals and how long you can fast. The most popular IF breakdown is 16:8. This means that you typically fast for 16 hours and then utilize an 8-hour eating window. Experts like Dr. Eric Berg recommend a 16-hour fasting period, at a minimum, for optimum results to curb hunger, lose weight, and even tighten loose skin. After an early dinner, stop eating for the night and wait until late morning to have your next meal. If you’re a caffeine fiend, there’s good news: black coffee is allowed, as are electrolytes and water. Ultimately, IF can help you set some limits, so you never find yourself stuck at the bottom of the holiday cookie jar.
Mojo On!
Now you’re set for success this holiday season. Keep up the amazing work, enjoy, and do your best to have happy holidays, completely with fat-burning keto goodness. The most important thing to remember is to be kind to yourself, because you deserve it!
