Keto & Low Carb Thanksgiving Sides


When you are on a ketogenic (low carb, high fat) diet it is super easy to plan the protein side of your meal. Since meat doesn't have carbs we have a huge variety to choose from. The tricky part comes with the sides. Every side I used to make before starting a ketogenic diet was full of starches and sugar. It was always mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, breads and macaroni and cheese.  To get around all of the carbs you have to be creative in the kitchen and substitute all of the starches and sugars with keto-friendly ingredients.

One of the most typical side dish at a Thanksgiving meal would be a bowl of mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes can easily be substituted for my Low Carb Sour Cream and Chive Mash. Instead of potatoes I use cauliflower. Click on the link to find out the secret to my smooth and fluffy mash that tastes better than mashed potatoes!


Macaroni and cheese is another staple side at Thanksgiving. Since pasta is not allowed on a low carb diet I substituted cauliflower again. With all of the butter, cream and cheese in my Low Carb Baked "Mac" n Cheese you will never miss out on the pasta.


Years ago I saw this deliciously creamy brussels sprouts recipe on a Food Network Thanksgiving special. Full of butter, cream and pancetta I knew it would be easy to modify. I "ketofied" the recipe with my Keto / Low Carb Creamy Pancetta Brussels Sprouts.


You have to have some kind of bready side to complete the meal. One of my favorite breads comes from my favorite Keto YouTuber Cooking Keto with Kristie. It has quickly became my go-to "bread" recipe because I always have the ingredients on hand and they are super easy to make. Keto Test Recipe: Low Carb Biscuits.


What Low Carb Sides do you like to make on Thanksgiving?


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Why I Drink Lots of Water on Keto

*I received the product below free for my review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good fit for my readers. All opinions are 100% my own.

Being on a ketogenic diet it is super important to drink lots of water. This is because "one molecule of glycogen usually attracts four molecules of water and as a result of it, when your body gets rid of glycogen, it also exerts water." (KetoDietApp.com). Every time I started a new diet I made it a habit to drink 8 glasses of water. Now that the I am on the ketogenic diet I know that I have to drink even more.


Drinking tons of water can get boring really fast. I am the type of person that needs my water to be super cold in order for me continue to drink throughout the day. I was always filling up my water bottle and leaving it out. As soon as the water was warm I would lose interest in drinking my water for the day. I would put it back in the fridge and then I'd forget about it all day. I would be stuck at the end of the day without getting my daily requirement in.


The answer to my water problems came when I got the Stainless Steel Tumbler by VALRO. It holds 30 ounces of water so all I have to do is fill it up 3 times to get 90 ounces of daily water in. The double wall vacuum insulation keeps my water super icy cold all day. I add some ice in the morning to make it even colder and the ice is still there when I empty it out to pop in the dishwasher at night.


I love the that Valro comes with a stainless steel straw, straw cleaning brush, and air tight splash proof sliding lid. The materials it is made from keeps bacteria at bay and is eco-friendly. The Valro can also be used for hot drinks like coffee and will keep it hot for up to 6 hours.

You can check it out on Amazon to get your own.

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