One thing that really gets my goat, are the products labelled “Keto” that loom at me from supermarket shelves and specialist grocery stores. Apart from the fact that they cost way more than comparable mainstream products, just because they have the keto label slapped on them, I’m always very skeptical as to whether they really are good for a keto diet. Okay, so something else I need to clarify is what I consider keto. I usually run into trouble with the keto community because I am on the further end of the scale as far as my carb allowance goes, namely 20g total carbs. I do not play the total carbs - fibre = net carbs game. Too many people get stuck on the keto journey because they enjoy the leniency that net carbs affords them. When you start out, it may still be an option as your metabolism transitions from sugar to fat burning but after that, I would switch over to total carbs.
When you pick up a keto product, it usually has something like “Only 1 net carb!” blazoned on it in big letters and you happily throw it into the supermarket trolley truly delighted with your latest find. That is until you get home and read the ingredients AND the portion sizes. A 90g bar of chocolate has for example, 7 servings, They advertise, 1.4g’s net carbs per serving. Well, that translates to 2 little squares of chocolate – very different to what you expect. The manufacturer relies on you not looking too closely….. As a good friend of mine says, those products are designed for shelf life but are devoid of life, they are still processed. As a consumer, you are taken advantage of because big food companies rely on the fact that you are time poor and in for too much of a rush to check the ingredients. These products are just processed rubbish with a health sticker on them.
Keto and low-carb foods consist of whole, unprocessed foods
that take a bit of time and planning to put together. They feed your body, mind and can be darn good for the soul too. Think of a thick, juicy steak with a nice layer of fat…The food satisfaction I get from eating fresh seasonal produce, prepared and cooked with attention and love, can’t be equalled by something that comes in a packet. If it walked, flew, swam and grew (mostly above the ground) - eat it. If it has a barcode on it just don’t, and if it’s got a keto label double, no triple check it – you are bound to find nasties in it that you wouldn’t feed to your worst enemy.
The only one who really benefits from these convenience foods are the big food companies. Even the artisan food producers leave me scratching my head, wondering where they got their keto diet guidelines from. Stick with the fresh stuff - nutrient dense, seasonal produce of the best quality you can afford. Keto doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, your food bill will plummet once you stop trying to substitute the foods from your old life with keto equivalents and don’t get me started on the keto baking – a blog for another time.
The bottom line is:
Real food that is in its original form, prepared with love and care nourishes and feeds your body, giving you all the amazing benefits that the keto diet has to offer, and who wouldn’t want that? Leave the processed foods where they belong, on the shelves and not in your pantry.
