We all know the experience: you’re catching up with an old friend and they’ve suddenly adopted a new way of eating. No doubt, those who are paying attention will find out everything they need to know about the innovative program that has had such a notable impact on their lives, not much else.
Although it is exciting to be passionate about what we eat, we should not force or cause trouble for anyone else due to our diet-related decisions when interacting in a social environment.
Truly, there is a lot to consider when trying to move safely and appropriately in shared areas currently.
It’s not necessary to create a firm boundary in social circumstances to stay true to your determination to minimize the amount of carbohydrates you consume.
Try having something small to eat before heading out, bring dishes to the event that comply with a keto diet, or just pick out the foods with the least amount of carbohydrates when you serve yourself to help keep you focused on your plan.
Interacting with others can bring up anxiety, but we want to help ease it by providing advice on selecting appropriate keto food options in social settings.
There is evidence that restaurants and shops have tailored to people following a low carbohydrate, high fat diet by offering more suitable options on menus and shelves. Attending parties and food-based social gatherings can be harder to manage.
Here are some helpful tips to keep you focused on feasting on fat and avoiding sugars and carbs while connecting with others:
1. Get clear on your ‘why’
People alter their dietary habits for a particular cause, a motivating factor. Perhaps it is to drop surplus weight or aid in controlling sugar levels in the blood; regardless of the purpose, it is something of use to you.
Navigating certain social scenarios can be tricky if you’re unsure of how to answer questions concerning the ketogenic diet and the importance of your food choices while in ketosis.
Write down a quick reminder about why you started the low-carbohydrate, high-fat keto diet and why it’s essential to minimize carbs and sugars.
Having a well-considered reply to the question, “Why won’t you just eat the bread?” will help to reduce any strain that may arise from the conversation.
2. Acknowledge your triggers
It is hard to keep ourselves in check when it comes to certain meals that remain deeply close to our hearts and stomachs. Over-indulgence is likely with these kinds of dishes. Some people crave the particular flavor of certain recipes so much that searching for ingredient substitutes only satisfies the craving to a certain degree.
Boredom
Your days might tend to be busy, but there are moments of downtime when jobs can be accomplished and snacking with no purpose can occur. Eating out of boredom can result in tricky social situations, so consider going for a dance or talking to people when you are tempted to consume food without thinking.
Social anxiety
Some people use alcohol to make themselves feel less anxious in social situations and others eat extra food to make themselves feel more relaxed.
Sadly, unhelpful actions can sabotage your macro budgeting plan leading to weight gain and low energy.
Lack of sleep
Attend your social activities while properly rested and in a good state of mind, this makes it easier to determine if you’re hungry or simply tired, which can lead to carelessly consuming too many calories.
Hidden sugars
Be mindful of the added sugars in meals you purchase from restaurants as this can lead to desiring more sugary snacks and other carb-rich foods. When picking your food, be very careful with dressings, sauces, and drinks since these are usually the ones that lead to high blood sugar levels.
If you feel tempted when out with friends, try drinking some water; this can help if your appetite is really just coming from being thirsty.
Think of ringing up a friend to prevent you from making bad dietary decisions in the case that your ability to control your appetite and your level of fat-adaptation don’t work.
Alcohol
If you tend to partake in alcoholic beverages for social occasions, you can best avoid added sugar in drinks by opting for those that are permissible on a ketogenic diet.
If you’re going to a gathering at somebody’s residence, you can take your own alcoholic beverage. Drinks that contain minimal amounts of sugar such as a vodka soda with lime are fuss-free and can be enjoyed by anyone.
Give yourself a drink limit before you go. You know when you’ve had too much to drink and the repercussions it can bring, like increased blood sugar levels or you going on a late night snack run.
If you would rather not consume alcohol, you can utilize the advice that was mentioned in #1. Simply tell them you’re choosing not to drink.
Favorite recipes
You are travelling back to your parents’ house for the Thanksgiving holiday, and you know your mother is going to whip up the dish you love the most. This can present quite a dilemma. If you’ve been following the keto diet for a period of time, you may be feel comfortable taking a break from the diet and not remaining in a ketogenic state.
If you have been in a state of ketosis for some time, your body should be capable enough to return to normal speedily. Sentimental foods can feed your soul in a way that goes beyond physical nourishment. They profoundly affect you emotionally, and nothing can replace the feeling of being in the warmth and security of your own home.
However, if you are in the process of adapting to a high-fat diet, eating even one slice of pie can cause you to retrograde in your progress.
If your family is amenable, you could try adapting that traditional family dish to make it more suitable for a ketogenic lifestyle. Substituting monk fruit or stevia rather than sugar and almond or coconut flour instead of wheat flour may be the solution.
3. Plan ahead
Think about having a nutritious, low-carbohydrate meal before going out to eat somewhere with diverse dietary options, so you don’t get too hungry and make poor food choices.
4. BYOF – Bring Your Own Fare
We aren’t proposing that you order something from a restaurant, but making certain dishes to add to the social gathering or potlucks increases the selection of meals you know are safe and makes for a less tense situation.
5. Pack snacks
The main meal may not be served right away, and if you become hungry you may be tempted to sneak a snack. Bringing some snacks along with you, such as packets of pili nuts and dehydrated berries, or full-fat Babybel cheese, could be helpful in a pinch if you find yourself in need of a bite to eat.
6. Master staple substitutions
Stevia rather than sugar. Try using cauliflower instead of potatoes to follow a ketogenic diet. It’s a smart switch that will yield fruitful results.
You can use the same technique when deciding where to eat while you’re out. You don’t have to deny yourself anything; just make adjustments to your components to make it successful.
7. Sip on keto-friendly beverages
Carbonated water, like seltzer or mineral water, is a great choice for drinks during social events. Though sugary spritzers can quickly raise your blood sugar levels and make it hard to remain in ketosis, these drinks can cause even more issues down the line, such as an increased urge to eat more sugary foods and less overall self-control when it comes to food.
Meals that are suitable for events and social gatherings often contain beneficial fats instead of carbohydrates and sugars that should be avoided. Give these straightforward yet well-liked keto recipes a try. They’re sure to add extra flavor and spice to any fete:
Are you venturing out for home-based brunch with friends? Bring a basket of newly prepared Too Good to be True Keto Bagels accompanied with a choice of low-carb cream cheese spread to match the other dishes.
This type of dish, such as The Breakfast Sausage Keto Quiche, is ideal for entertaining a group of people. Have a square of it with a low-carb sparkly mimosa, if it’s something you would enjoy.
Keto Cheesecake Fat Bombs provide a smooth and sugary flavor similar to cheesecake but are in an easily transportable form and can be used to help manage serving sizes.
Keto Almond Cake Fat Bomb
Bring a bit of sweetness to any event by serving up this fluffy, airy almond cake. This baked item provides different flavors and consistencies, great for all sorts of people, ranging from those who take pleasure in mildly sugary confectioneries to people with a severe craving for sugary treats.
Chocolate and peanut butter come together wonderfully in the Konscious Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies. Plus, we’ve never met a brownie we didn’t adore.
Make some of these delicious chocolaty goodies to give away and soon everyone will be convinced of the keto diet – the snacks speak for themselves!
Keto Savory Pie with Zucchini
Creating a quiche or savory tart is the ideal dish to prepare in advance when getting ready meals and also would be a great option for a gathering.
Cooking a delectable pie is the perfect way to use up the fruit and vegetables you have available, so you can make the most of what you’ve got and keep food from going bad.
The Best Keto Vanilla Cupcakes
A visually appealing arrangement of vanilla cupcakes creates a stunning tableau, it’s too tempting to resist! Additionally, preparing the recipe is uncomplicated and enjoyable to motivate the children to get participation in a cooking activity they will relish consuming!
Make several loaves of sweet bread: This wholesome and satisfying piece of quick bread is an excellent comfort food suitable for any time of year.
Check out our recipes for Keto Pumpkin Walnut Bread and Zucchini Bread – they are both scrumptious and will make your taste buds go wild!
Cauliflower florets are amazing, especially in a Golden Keto Cauliflower Bake. The end result is a smooth, velvety puree on par with mashed potatoes, functioning as an alternative for pizza dough, and so good that it can even be compared to chicken when made into fried buffalo wings!
Cauliflower comes through again in this delicious cheesy bake that is a combination of potatoes au gratin and keto mac & cheese–YUM!
8. Be upfront yet open in your communication
Practice your elevator speech
The best form of defense is a strong offense. If you become uncomfortable when people inquire about your dietary restrictions, put together a brief, succinct explanation you can give in the time it would take an elevator to travel a few floors. That implies around 15-30 seconds of information regarding what foods you are allowed to consume and which foods you must avoid.
The objective is not to pressure somebody else into adopting a keto lifestyle, but to calmly inform them that you have committed substantial time to your decision and that you have faith in it.
Rehearse your speech, be sure of yourself when you deliver it, and this should keep most people from questioning you too intensely.
You don’t owe anyone an in-depth explanation
Remember that your dietary choices are personal
People may naturally be curious, and that’s okay. If someone keeps inquiring or begins to make you feel uneasy, you don’t have to launch into an argument to protect your decisions. It’s your body, your health, your decision.
Conversely, some people may genuinely want to know more. Thus, before you consider all others as dissenters, take a few minutes to find out where their attitude is stemming from.
You may have a chance to educate someone on the advantages of changing their diet.
Let them know you don’t need special treatment
This is important. A few individuals might be unsure of how to make sure you are properly taken care of if they don’t know what food to provide.
Frequently, individuals who host festivities or dinners do so because they desire to assemble those they appreciate and offer them something to eat or a merriment-filled evening.
If your friends or family cannot assist you in doing this, they may become frustrated or discouraged.
Make it clear to them in advance that you are there for the company, not the food. If it’s suitable, bring a food item or small snacks to share with others so you are sure to have enough to eat.
Let people know it’s about health
Inform others that you are prioritizing your wellbeing and searching for the eating plan that makes your body feel the best. So far, this eating plan is yielding positive results, so you intend to continue it.
Informing individuals this is about their own health will make it harder for them to pass judgement and meddle. No one can dispute the benefits of a diet that makes you feel great.
Don’t get dogmatic
It’s beneficial to be enthusiastic about a nutrition plan that functions appropriately for your physiology. Issues can arise if you attempt to impose your new dietary habits on all of your friends.
If you have been on a keto diet or have attempted to follow other regimens in the past, you are familiar with how frustrating and unsuccessful it is to try to get someone to change his or her opinion. Taking a superior attitude or thinking that the things that apply to you automatically apply to everyone else is an effortless way to make people resentful of you.
Explain why you are a fan of the keto diet and emphasize that it is currently providing you with beneficial results. When it is recognized that you are willing to consider varying perspectives, it is unlikely that one’s own viewpoint will be forced upon you.
Assure people that you are not judging them
If members of your circle or family send you a difficult time or inquire about your choices, it’s likely because they are now examining their own decisions.
It can be disconcerting when someone appears and does something totally novel and different. Do you still intend to maintain your friendship? Can you still relate to each other and connect? Some folks would benefit from being reassured that you have not changed.
Side notes
Receiving an invitation to your acquaintance’s birthday celebration or a neighbor’s BBQ does not necessarily mean you must abandon your diet. Essentially, these social occasions are of minimal relevance when you have familiarized yourself on how to get ready.
Your voice is the most powerful tool you possess. Most people would like you to be content and they want to hear why you have chosen to opt for a different way of eating.
From a practical perspective, have some keto-friendly meals and snacks in your back pocket that can help you when socializing.
