Many people would tell you if you aren't in a food coma with your buttons just about popping off your clothes then you aren't doing Thanksgiving right. It's generally a high carb, high calorie all out feast each year! Well, I don't feel good when I eat that much of anything let alone that many carbs in one sitting but I do LOVE food. I'm a foodie, I can't help it!
So what does someone do on Thanksgiving if they are following a low-carb or ketogenic diet? Well, there happen to be some great recipes out there and I'm going to share with you some of my favorites. Now not all of them would be classified as ketogenic, but they are all lower carbohydrate variations of the traditional dishes.
Side Dishes:
This is a fancy mashed cauliflower recipe. I have to say most of the time when I make it I just puree steamed cauliflower throw in some milk, butter and salt and call it a day. Click here for the recipe!
This is the first dish to be eaten whenever I make this! It's a huge hit at Thanksgiving!
I've never been a fan of gravy but this one looks really tasty! I'll be making strict mashed cauliflower to cut the carbs down even more. Click here for the recipe!
This looks amazing! You can always cut the maple syrup out if you need to really watch your sugar intake. Or simply enjoy it! Click here for the recipe!
Here's a delicious low-carb version of a traditional stuffing. Get the recipe here!
Our family doesn't normally make this but I know it's a traditional recipe. It looks so good I think I'll try it this year! Click here for the recipe!
These are worth trying! Click here for the recipe!
I'm planning on making these this year for Thanksgiving. Click here for the recipe!
Desserts:
Desserts get a little tricky because the main characteristic of a dessert is that it's sweet and that requires sugar. However, there are some options available!
Option 1: Use a sugar substitute. There are some "better" options out there like erythritol and stevia (although some people complain of digestive issues from the erythritol).
Option 2: Use fruit as sweetener. It will be higher carb but not as high as the typical sugar-filled dessert and you'll get some small amounts of nutrition from the fruit at least.
Option 3: Use no sweetener and only items like vanilla bean and cinnamon to give the illusion of sweetness. This works actually if you've been cutting out sugar for a while. I remember I got to the point once where plain butternut squash tasted so sweet to me.
Option 4: Enjoy a real dessert. It's Thanksgiving and if you've made healthier choices leading up to dessert just get back on track the next day. Consider maybe doing a short fast the following day and have some exogenous ketones to put you back in ketosis. Avoid this option if you are the type of person that has a hard time getting off track after a splurge.
Here are some sugar substitute desserts with either erythritol or stevia to sweeten.
