The Best Keto Thanksgiving Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to eat keto on Thanksgiving? ›

Protein — You've got that covered with turkey, but it's also OK to slip some bacon, ham, sausage and/or eggs into your sides. Vegetables — avocado, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, eggplant, kale, mushroom, peppers, spinach and Swiss chard, to name a few.

There Are Plenty of Conscious Ways to Have a Keto Cheat Day

Or, if it's Thanksgiving, don't offer to cook green beans or turkey (which are already keto-compliant). Instead, bring a low-carb pumpkin pie or make mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes.

Here are the main foods that are high-in-fat, low-in-carbs and are great starting place for anyone wanting to dip their feet into keto diet: Meat: Steak, ham, sausage, bacon, turkey, and chicken. Cheese: Cheddar, cream cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, or blue cheese (always unprocessed).

Sweet potatoes, being a naturally high-carb food, are unfortunately not keto-friendly. Nutritionists believe that the high carb content in sweet potatoes cannot easily fit into keto macros, the common ratio for which is 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrates.

Pro tip: If possible, I recommend starting the keto diet on a Thursday, as days 3 and 4 are usually the hardest part of the transition.

Yes, even just one carb-rich meal can quickly get you out of ketosis.

Consuming too many carbs can kick your body out of ketosis — and it takes several days to 1 week to get back into it. In the meantime, your weight loss may be disrupted.

Some of the best meats for keto include beef, pork, chicken, salmon, and bison. Still, all plain, unprocessed meats are keto-friendly and low in carbs — so there are plenty of options to choose from.

That being said, KFC can still be a keto-friendly spot to hit up when ordering Kentucky grilled chicken. Add a side of green beans—the only side that aligns with a keto diet—and you've got a well-rounded, solid meal.

Choose the fattier cuts of meat if you have a choice (ribeye, pork belly), as well as organ meats like heart, kidney, liver, tongue and tripe. Cured meats such as sausages, deli meat, hot dogs, pepperoni, salami and bacon are usually acceptable, but check their ingredients first.

What fruit is keto-friendly? ›

Keto-friendly fruits include avocados, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, tomatoes, raspberries, peaches, cantaloupe, star fruit, and blackberries. If you're unsure whether the keto diet is right for you or how it may affect your health, consider speaking with a dietitian or your healthcare provider.

Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

Cucumber is another popular salad vegetable. It contains many essential nutrients, including vitamin K. Cucumber is also suitable for the keto diet, as its carb content is just 3.63 g per 100 g. To make the carb content lower, a person can peel the cucumber before eating it.

For keto dieters, a cheat day can mean indulging in actual pasta, pizza, and other high-carb meals. While many dieters think of cheat day as a well-deserved reward, nutritionists say there are downsides to it.

Nearly all minimally processed meats are good sources of keto-friendly protein, including beef, chicken, fish, shellfish, pork, turkey, bison, and lamb. A 100-gram serving of these meats typically contains 17-21 grams of protein. Fattier cuts, like bacon and sausage, are lower in protein than leaner cuts.