It may seem impossible for one jolly'ol'man to fly around the globe on a single sleigh, delivering Christmas presents to millions of children in one night.
Well, aside from science (noradsanta.org), a little holiday magic, hundreds of elves, and eight flying reindeer, and of course Rudolph, Santa has kicked the cookies to the curb and is now sleighing his nutrition game, so he can take-on globetrotting with ease.
You, too, can sleigh this Holiday Season with these simple tips and tricks.
SNACKS
Every holiday season, the kitchen is always the epicenter of activity. I think it is all that cooking that gets people socializing in there, smelling the delicious smells, and grazing.
With all the usuals like chips, dips, crackers and cookies displayed on the counter, what's a Svelte Santa supposed to do so that he doesn't break the sleigh?
My favorite starter is shrimp with cocktail sauce. Shrimp is simply a delicious, healthy snack and an entire bag of frozen shrimp is nearly carb-free. Couple this with Heinz (sugar free) ketchup (.5 cup) mixed with horseradish (2t), Worcestershire (1t), and a dash of Tabasco for some keto-friendly cocktail sauce.
Meat Jerky, cold cuts and salami (with mustard) are also good choices.
Olives
Nuts - be aware that nuts have only 1-2 (g) carbs per ounce serving, but they are high in calories - so don't have too many.
Make some delicious cheese crisps using Parmesan cheese. Best part - they're filling and only 1 gram of carbs per serving. I mean, c'mon, who doesn't love cheese?
SPIRITS
Keep in mind, though, drinking lowers inhibitions and therefore increases a person's appetite for more crunchy or doughy carbs; and also keep in mind the different carb counts of liquor, wine and beer:
Spirits (per 1 jigger) vs. Carbs (g)
Champagne = 1-2 (g) carbs
Gin = Zero (g) carbs
Vodka = Zero (g) carbs
Tequila = Zero (g) carbs
Rum = Zero (g) carbs
Whiskey = Zero (g) carbs
Brandy = Zero (g) carbs
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pino grigio = 2-3 (g) carbs
Pinot noir, Merlot, and Cabernet sauvignon = 3-4 (g) carbs
Light Beer (per 12 oz.) = 2-5 (g) carbs
The key (as we've often heard before) is moderation. A good tip is to drink one full glass of water before each drink, not only will that slow down your drinking, it will keep you hydrated properly.
Mixing keto--conscious eating with alcohol can also be a challenge because being in ketosis can significantly reduce a person's tolerance, and this will cause your liquor to hit quicker and maybe even a terrible hangover the next morning. This is why the glass of water-in-between concept is encouraged. (Consider coconut water for the boost of electrolytes.)
SWEETS
I do my best to avoid them altogether as much as possible but I do realize this is difficult for most, so I offer the following websites and blogs to search for some delicious keto-conscious recipes for fudge, cakes, cookies and a whole lot more.
