30 Keto Christmas Tips: Stay Low Carb Through the Holidays

Well, it's that time of year again, where diets get destroyed by mountains of tasty food, sweets, and sneaky glasses of Christmas Eve eggnog!

With all the tasty food and drink on offer over the festive period, Is a Keto Christmas Possible?

So, are you worrying about keeping up with the keto diet during the holiday season?

Stressing that those sweet treats and absolutely delicious recipes will be too much for you to bear at the Christmas dinner table?

Look, both Becky and I have loads of keto friends and family who face this exact challenge every December. The panic is real!

In this article, we'll give you 30 practical tips to keep you on track over the holidays without missing out on the fun...

First, you must decide whether you'll let a little bit of sweetness in your life this Christmas (and who are we to judge!) or if you'll hold fast and stay keto to the core.

Let's face it: there WILL be temptations everywhere. From that sneaky roast potato to that oh so buttery mince pie.

So, how do you stay true to your keto lifestyle during this month long feast?

Before we explore what you can eat at Christmas on a keto diet, here are the two rules that'll save you:

• Never leave yourself starving (when you're hungry like the wolf, saying no to that office mince pie becomes near impossible)
  
  
• Plan ahead (You'll never be caught short if you know what's on the menu!)

With this keto arsenal up your sleeve, you'll be able to follow your head and not your grumbling stomach.

So, let's cut to the chase… What can you eat over Christmas, and what are the alternatives?

Here are 30 tips on how to 'Ketofy' the festive period…

The good news is that with a little planning and preparation, you can enjoy a delicious and satisfying keto Christmas.

And even if things don't go to plan, there are ways to bounce back from overindulging in those lovely holiday munchies!

Plus, your keto dishes can impress even your non-keto friends. Win win!

Let's get to Tip 1!

Shop for keto-friendly ingredients like almond flour, coconut flour, and sugar substitutes. Stock up on these low-carb flours and you can bake keto treats to swap into any recipe.

Avoid sugary glazes! Opt for meats like turkey or ham without sweet glazes so you can enjoy festive flavours while staying keto. 

Focus on the protein and load up on herbs for flavour. Meat is the main event of Christmas dinner. Luckily, most meats contain 0g carbs (pigs in blankets are low carb too). A keto Christmas dinner? Absolutely doable!

Trading starchy potatoes for low-carb stand-ins lets you load up on holiday comfort food favourites without added carbs.

With some butter and seasoning, these swaps can be just as tasty and make a perfect side dish.

Whip up some almond flour bread cubes to use in place of the typical high-carb stuffing bases. Mix in sausage, veggies, herbs and broth for flavour.

It's just as nice as the real thing!

Skip the roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings. Load your plate with green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and salads instead. A serving of roast potatoes has 30g carbs.

Green beans? Just 4g. Dress them up with bacon, nuts, cheese and rich cream sauce.

Avoid high-carb condiments like cranberry sauce. Shop bought cranberry sauce contains 15g carbs per tablespoon.

Make your own mint sauce with apple cider vinegar instead. Zero carbs, loads of flavour.

Here's the good news: onion gravy is surprisingly low carb. Most shop bought onion gravies contain just 2g carbs per serving compared to 8g in beef or chicken gravy. You can't pour it on with abandon, but a decent drizzle won't wreck your macros.

And who wants to eat dry turkey on Christmas Day? Not me!

Make a keto cheesecake or chocolate truffles for dessert. Regular cheesecake has 30g carbs per slice. 

Keto version made with heavy cream and sugar substitutes? Just 4g. Want an easy base? Use our keto cookies. Crumble them up and you've got instant cheesecake crust.

Enjoy berries or citrus fruits for a low-carb sweet treat. A handful of raspberries contains just 3g carbs. 

Blackberries? 4g per handful. Pile on fresh whipped cream for extra richness without the sugar.

Ask your butcher for pure meat sausages to make keto-friendly pigs in blankets. Regular supermarket sausages contain 3 to 5g carbs each thanks to breadcrumbs and fillers. 

Pure meat versions? Zero carbs. Wrap them in bacon and you're sorted.

So many supermarket sausages are carb heavy, so check the labels!

Choose keto-friendly clear spirits like vodka or gin with soda water when having a tipple. A gin and tonic contains 15g carbs. 

Gin and soda water? Zero carbs. Rum with club soda works too. Want something warming? Add heavy whipping cream to your hot drinks for richness without the sugar.

Those mixer carbs sneak up fast! Head to our blog about Keto and Alcohol for more keto-friendly drink options.

Never leave yourself too hungry to avoid temptation. Hunger kills willpower. 

Eat keto snacks between meals so you don't crack and demolish a plate of mince pies. Keep some Keto Collective bars in your bag. When blood sugar drops, cravings spike. Stay fed, stay strong.

Meal prep some main dishes ahead of time so you have keto options ready. Cook a big batch of keto sides on Boxing Day to reheat throughout the week. Having premade meals in the fridge means you won't grab a leftover turkey sandwich when you're exhausted from the festivities. 

Make extra roast veg, cauliflower mash, and meat portions. Future you will be grateful.

Stick to recipes low in net carbs when cooking. Hunt for keto recipes using almond flour, coconut flour, and sugar substitutes. Regular Christmas pudding has 40g carbs per serving. A keto version? Around 5g. You can also tweak traditional recipes by swapping ingredients.

One warning: almond and coconut flour behave nothing like regular flour. They absorb moisture differently. Don't wing it. Follow keto baking recipes exactly or your Christmas cake will turn into a brick. Trust me on this one.

Hosting Christmas dinner? Set expectations early. Tell your friends and family upfront that you're serving a keto Christmas menu. 

Most people won't even notice the difference when you plate up roast turkey, bacon wrapped sausages, buttery Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower mash. They'll be too busy eating to care about missing the Yorkshire puddings.

Try 16:8 intermittent fasting to stay in ketosis over the holidays. Fast for 16 hours, eat within an 8 hour window. 

On Christmas morning, break your fast with a keto breakfast around 10am.

This gives you hours to enjoy Christmas dinner guilt free while keeping ketone levels stable. Your body stays fat adapted, and you still get to feast. 

Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you stop tracking your macros. Stay under 50g net carbs per day to maintain ketosis. A handful of Quality Street? That's 30g carbs gone.

One slice of Christmas cake? Another 40g. The carbs add up fast at holiday gatherings when you're picking at the buffet table. Use a tracking app like MyFitnessPal. Log everything, even that sneaky After Eight.

Avoid sugary drinks and snacks. A can of Coke contains 35g carbs.

Starbucks gingerbread latte? 50g carbs. One festive hot chocolate wipes out your entire daily carb allowance. 

One festive hot chocolate wipes out your entire daily carb allowance. Stick to water, black coffee, or tea. When someone offers you a drink at the pub, ask for diet mixers. Regular tonic water has 18g carbs per serving. Slimline tonic? Zero carbs.

Focus on high-fat, nutrient-dense whole foods. There will be plenty of keto meats and cheeses to enjoy over Christmas. 

Turkey, ham, salmon, beef, Stilton, cheddar, Brie. Load up on buttery Brussels sprouts, avocados, nuts, seeds and smoked salmon.

A plate piled with these foods keeps you full for hours. You won't miss the stuffing balls and roast potatoes when you're properly fed.

Set realistic keto goals for the season. Nobody's expecting you to be perfect through three weeks of festivities. Pick your battles.

Maybe you skip the Christmas pudding but have a small slice of Nan's homemade trifle on Christmas Day. Or you dodge the mince pies all week but share a Quality Street on Boxing Day. 

Decide what actually matters to you, plan for it, and enjoy it without beating yourself up after.

Try low carb eggnog made with sugar substitutes if you want a festive drink. Regular shop bought eggnog contains 20g carbs per glass.

Make your own keto version with double cream, eggs, vanilla extract and erythritol. Just 2g carbs per serving. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg and you've got Christmas in a glass.

Get some exercise in during the holiday period. A 30 minute weights session can increase your metabolic rate for up to 48 hours after. This means you'll burn more calories even while sitting on the sofa watching Christmas films.

Resistance training also improves insulin sensitivity, so your body handles any carb slip ups better. Think of it as insurance for that second helping of turkey.

Make a charcuterie board with keto-friendly meats, cheeses, and nuts. Pile up sliced salami, prosciutto, chorizo, Stilton, mature cheddar, macadamia nuts and olives. 

A loaded plate of charcuterie contains less than 5g carbs total. Perfect for grazing while everyone else demolishes the Pringles and breadsticks. Plus it looks impressive without any effort.

Offer to bring keto-friendly appetisers if going to a party. Prepare and provide your own snacks tailored perfectly to your keto diet so you’ll have low-carb nibbles available. Bringing appetizers also takes the pressure off, avoiding hosts’ high-carb options. 

When someone tells you "only one mince pie won't ruin your diet", here's the truth: the average mince pie contains 25g carbs. Have two? That's 50g, your entire daily allowance gone. 

And if you're in ketosis, eating 50g carbs in one sitting will knock you straight out. Your body will stop burning fat and switch back to glucose. You'll feel rubbish for days. So when Auntie Jean offers you a mince pie, politely decline. Or take it home for someone else.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and curb hunger. Aim for 2 to 3 litres per day, more if you're drinking alcohol. Thirst often disguises itself as hunger. 

That rumbling stomach at 3pm? Might just be dehydration. Drink a pint of water first before raiding the fridge. Add electrolyte powder like Lo Salt if you're getting headaches or feeling sluggish. Proper hydration keeps keto flu symptoms at bay during the festivities.

Take a break from social gatherings to reset. Three hours at a party surrounded by Quality Street and mince pies? Your willpower will start cracking. 

Pop outside for 10 minutes. Get some air, drink water, clear your head.

When you come back in, you'll feel more in control. Better than snapping at your mother-in-law because someone ate the last Brussels sprout. Nobody wants that drama on Christmas Day.

Stock up on Keto Collective keto bars and cookies for the holiday period. A Celebrations chocolate contains 10g of carbs. Our keto cookies? Just 1.5g per biscuit. 

Keep a stash in your bag, car, and kitchen drawer. When someone passes round the tin of Roses, you've got your own backup. Never face the office sweet table empty-handed. Just because you're low-carb doesn't mean missing out on treats.

Check recipes beforehand if you're not cooking. Going to your mate's house for Christmas? 

Text them the day before and ask what's on the menu. Eating out? Look up the restaurant menu online and pick your meal in advance. Roast turkey with vegetables? Safe.

Honey glazed ham with roast potatoes? 60g carbs on your plate before you've touched dessert. Knowing what's coming means you can eat beforehand if needed or bring your own keto sides.

If you indulge, get back on track the next day. Had a slice of Christmas pudding? Fine. Enjoyed a mince pie? No problem. Just don't let one treat turn into demolishing the entire tin of Quality Street by teatime. 

The day after, go straight back to keto. Bacon and eggs for breakfast. Leftover turkey for lunch. Black coffee, not a Baileys hot chocolate. One day off keto won't ruin months of progress, but three days will. Christmas happens once a year. Enjoy it, then move on.

Just prepare to get back on it ASAP!