If you're following a keto diet, your main aim is probably to reduce carbohydrate intake. It will force your body to burn fat for energy and helps you lose weight.
But do tasty desserts fit into this restrictive diet plan? Can you enjoy desserts while keeping your weight in check? The answer to both questions is yes!
You can eat desserts during a keto diet, as long as it follows the basic rules. Any ingredient or food low on carbs but high on fats is okay. So, you can enjoy desserts with stevia instead of white sugar to cut carbohydrates.
Want to know all about these exciting desserts? This post will discuss these foods, recommended ingredients, and tips for staying healthy.
Foods to Avoid During Keto
While on keto, you must consume foods low in refined sugar and carbs. You should visit a dietician to get a proper diet chart and meal plan that would suit you. Moreover, you can talk about your preferred food choices for keto during the visit.
However, before getting into what you can eat, you must understand what you must avoid during a keto diet.
You can start by avoiding all sources of processed sugars, including cakes, pastries, ice creams, candies, and milkshakes. These are loaded with sugar and are a strict no-no for keto followers.
It's also important to stay away from sugary beverages and drinks.
These drinks can hinder ketosis and the formation of ketones in your body. So, try to avoid the following:
- Fruit beer
- Cola
- Margarita
- Lemonade
- Ice tea
- Energy drinks
- Frappuccinos
Food grains like oatmeal, rice, barley, corn, and whole wheat flour are also not recommended.
You also need to consume fruits and vegetables mindfully for keto. So, you must avoid fruits high in glucose content like apples, bananas, grapes, mangoes, and pineapples.
Keep sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, yam, and butternut squash out of your meal plan for vegetables.
Issues with Fast Food Desserts on Keto
As the main aim of keto is to reduce carbohydrate consumption, fast foods aren't recommended. That is because these foods are packed with processed sugars and carbs.
Hindering Ketosis
A single glass of scrumptious milkshake (10 fl oz) and serving weight of 283 g contains around 60.7 g of carbs. So, eating that many carbohydrates might kick you out of ketosis. As carbohydrates raise insulin and blood sugar levels, they disrupt the fat-burning process.
It can negatively affect your weight loss too.
Excessive Sugar Consumption
Most snacks you might love, like cakes and waffles, have tons of refined sugar. And more sugar means greater amounts of carbohydrates, which hampers ketosis.
If you have been following the keto diet for a while, your body might be unable to digest foods rich in carbs. It can lead to bloating and other digestive issues.
In addition, consuming desserts having refined sugar can increase your craving. As sugar craving is a psychological process, it might be difficult to stop having sugary foods once you start.
So, it's best to avoid cheat days while following keto.
What Should You Do for Sweet Cravings on Keto?
It's very normal to crave carbohydrates during the keto diet plan. When you suddenly stop consuming carbs, your blood glucose level decreases. So, to maintain the sugar levels, your body might require the usual supply of glucose.
Such a sugar withdrawal leads to craving and can also trigger hunger. You need to take some steps to control yourself during these sugar pangs.
Try Keto-Friendly Homemade Recipes
You can try out recipes that are free from carbohydrates and refined sugar. For instance, peanut butter balls containing sugar-free chocolate, salted peanuts, and peanut butter will be a great option.
Moreover, you can prepare keto brownies with erythritol and almond flour to curb your sugar cravings.
Another excellent tip is to store keto-friendly ingredients in your kitchen. So, eggs, cheese, nuts, dark chocolate, and plain Greek yogurt will be ideal ingredients.
Go For Keto-Friendly Sweets
To fight your sweet cravings, try out delicious keto-friendly sweets like keto ice cream, keto brownies, and keto chocolate. Bulletproof coffee is also an excellent option to get that caffeine kick during keto!
There are also numerous foods available online that are suitable for someone following a keto diet. Just check the ingredients and the nutritional details before buying them.
Consume Healthy Fats
If you crave sugar-rich foods, start consuming fats instead. Begin with foods containing healthy fats like avocados, coconut meat, and organic cheese.
Having these fatty foods will help you control your appetite and make you feel fuller for a long time. In addition, it will allow your body to start burning fat instead of glucose.
Consult a Nutritionist
If you can't control your craving, talk to a nutritionist immediately. The doctor might suggest a diet tailored to your nutritional needs.
During this conversation, you can also discuss food allergies or health conditions.
Sweet Ingredient Suggestions for Keto
You automatically maintain your health when you use keto-friendly ingredients in your daily diet. Let's check out some outstanding ingredients for preparing dishes suitable for keto.
Nut Butter
Nut butter, like almond butter, will be an excellent addition to your ketogenic diet. These are low on carbs and provide sufficient amounts of fat. Also, you might find products consisting of almonds, cinnamon, macadamia nuts, and pink Himalayan salt.
Not to forget, you must avoid nut butter that contains refined or processed sugars.
Stevia
Stevia is a popular natural sweetener that you can easily utilize during keto. It is low in fats, carbohydrates, food additives, and processed sugar. So, it will not affect your ketosis and keep your sugar level in check.
You can conveniently use this ingredient in keto brownies and similar desserts.
Creamed Coconut
Coconut cream contains around 4.67 g of carbohydrates per 100 g of serving. So, it has a moderate amount of carbohydrates and fats. It also contains potassium, magnesium, protein, manganese, iron, and other healthy nutrients.
On top of that, creamed coconut is a versatile ingredient that you can use in sweet or salty dishes effectively.
Best Keto Products You Can Check Out
By now, you should have wrapped your head around keto-friendly foods and ingredients. Let's check out the best keto products to tackle your cravings and help you enjoy the diet.
Miss Jones Keto Blueberry Muffin Mixture
You’ll love this gluten-free muffin mixture if you love blueberry muffins. Having no added sugars and only 4g of net carbs, it’s made of almond flour for a grain-free preparation. Plus, it has 2g of dietary fiber and 6g of protein for a healthy snack!
This sugar-free, soy-free, low glycemic muffin mix is ideal for keto, paleo, and diabetic diets.
Quest Nutrition Chocolate Chip Keto Cookies
These keto-friendly chocolate chip cookies have around 4g of carbs and are completely gluten-free. They have sufficient fiber and protein to help you manage your cravings.
These cookies have less than 1g of sugar, so you’ll be fine. Try the soft, chewy, and sweet cookies when looking for a delicious treat.
Atkins Keto Chocolate Snack Bar
Looking for a crunchy and healthy chocolate bar? Then this snack bar from Arkins will be ideal for keto followers. It consists of 2-6g of carbs and 7-13g of protein to provide appropriate nutrition. Moreover, there are no added sugars or additives.
Having 4-13g of fiber, it’s the perfect chocolate bar when your tummy seeks something sweet!
LC Foods Low Carb Vanilla Ice Cream
Ice cream lovers will cherish this vanilla ice cream from LC Foods as it’s low-carb and gluten-free. Offering a creamy, smooth, and delicious taste, it comes with no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. In addition, it has less than 1g of net carbs in every ½ cup serving.
It also packs a healthy dose of dietary fiber without any preservatives.
Keto and Co Store Keto Brownies
These low-carb and gluten-free treats will be excellent if you prefer brownies while craving sweets. These non-GMO and diabetic-friendly brownie mix has only 1.1 g of net carbs. Plus, there are no natural sweeteners and preservatives.
After preparing these keto brownies, you’ll receive 8g of dietary fiber in each serving. So, it keeps your diet and sugar cravings in check!
The Bottom Line
Consuming desserts low in sugar and carbohydrate content is the perfect way to go while on keto. If you are unable to maintain the diet, consult your dietitian immediately. It might be a good time to talk about any side effects you're experiencing due to the keto diet plan.
To sum it up, you need to be aware of the foods and ingredients you consume. While eating out, try finding keto desserts and dishes matching your diet.
