May 16, 2022

Designing your Keto Pantry

"Keto is an eating-style that has gained a lot of popularity over the past decade -

Traditionally, it was used as a technique to treat epilepsy, but today, Keto dieting has grown into a valuable tool for achieving one's fitness and nutrition goals."

What is a Keto Diet?

The science of keto is actually quite intricate. But to keep things simple, Keto-dieting is one method to increase metabolic activity, leading to changes in body activity including brain function & weight-loss.

For the purpose of this blog, Keto can be loosely defined as:

"A low-carb diet (LCD) with a moderate amount of protein restriction to induce ketosis, without restricting fat intake"

What is the science behind Keto?

By restricting carb intake (which is responsible for the production of energy and metabolism),the body burns fat as a new energy source.

So in a state of ketosis, ketone body production is increased when there are decreased carbohydrates or increased fatty acids.

Keto has gained popularity today for it's weight loss methods, however the purpose of this blog is to highlight the nutrition associated with keto, and recipes and snacks that are often:

Sugar-Free
Gluten-Free
Peanut-Free
Lactose-Free
Preservative-Free

Stocking the Ultimate Keto Pantry

1. Almond Flour

A large part of the Keto diet focuses on reducing carbohydrate intake, so low-carb alternatives are especially important for dieters.

Nutritional Benefits

Almond Flour is a low carb flour high in dietary fiber, protein, and beneficial fats. Its soft crumbly texture makes it ideal for nourishing breakfast foods, breads, and cakes, and cookies.

Shop our Almond Flour Collection

2. Coconut Flour

Coconut is a high fat, low carb, gluten, and grain-free. It's featured in many Pinterest & recipe books, and is beneficial for parents who have children with food sensitivities.

Coconut flour is an easy way to enjoy life’s luxuries since there are many delicious recipes from breads to tortilla’s, and coconut shrimp!

What should I know when I bake with Coconut Flour?

Absorbency:

Coconut flour is highly absorptive! Recipe’s that call for coconut flour usually include a lot of eggs, or moist ingredients to balance the batter. Precise measurements with your baking recipes are important for this reason!

Not a 1:1 Flour:

Coconut flour is unique, and it’s not your standard Oat or Almond that can be easily integrated into most recipes. Unless you’re very familiar with coconut flour, or the brand that you use to bake – you might have to fall a few times before learning its quirky features.

3. Coconut Oil

What are the benefits of Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is a promising staple in the Keto cupboard. Besides it's extremely high melting point, Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids which have been shown to:

Decrease inflammation
Reduce cholesterol
Anti-bacterial properties

Aside from its nutrition benefits, the appearance of coconut has been seamlessly integrated into today's food and baking culture.

SHOP: Organic Traditions: Unrefined Coconut Oil (473ml)

4. Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT)

Medium Chain Triglycerides are a staple in the keto pantry.

What are Medium Chain Triglycerides?

MCTs are fatty acid chains ranging from 6-12 carbon units. In essence, the chemical structure allows for reactions inside the body to take place that expedite our metabolism.

What are the Benefits of MCTs?

MCTs help energy metabolize in the body, promoting ketosis.

Shop: NUTIVA: 100% Organic MCT Oil (473ml)

Ingredients with MCT's:

Coconuts
Palm Kernel Oil
Raw Coconut Meat
Desiccated Coconut
100% Organic MCT Oil

5. Monk Fruit Sweetener

Monk fruit remains one of our most requested choices as a sugar-substitute sweetener. It is used as a standalone sweetener, for baking, and flavour enhancer.

Is Monk Fruit Sweet?

Monk fruit extract is about 250x as sweet as Sucrose.
Monk Fruit does not contain any Fructose or Glucose.

Where does Monk Fruit come from?

Monk fruit in the fruit of the plant, Luo Han Guo (LHG), Siraitia grosvenorii. It is extracted using water extraction, filtration, and selective concentration of sweetening components.

The chemical responsible for the sweet taste of Monk Fruit is mogoside V

6. Erythritol / Sugar Alcohols

Erythritol is another popular sugar-substitute often used standalone, in recipes, or mixed with Monk Fruit Sweetener.

What is Erythritol?

Erythritol is a sugar-alcohol that belongs to a group of polyols. Polyols are naturally found in fruits, fermented foods, and vegetables like mushrooms and grapes.

Is Erythritol Sweet?

Erythritol contains 60-80% of the sweetness sucrose does, so it is typically less sweet.

Pro tip: Mix with Monk Fruit sweetener to enhance its flavour!

SHOP: Krisda Xylitol Sweetener, GF, Sugar-Free

SHOP: Krisda Monk Fruit Sweetener, GF, Sugar-Free

SHOP: Herbal Select Erythritol, GF, Sugar-Free

7. Bone Broth

Bone Broth is a low-carb alternative, making it a popular ingredient amongst keto dieters.

What are the benefits of Bone Broth?

Bone Broth is high in amino acids, minerals, and collagen:

Electrolytes
Protection of Joints
Prevention of Keto Flu

Bone Broth works as a fantastic flavouring agent:

Stews
Cooked meats
Vegetable & Soups
Stir frys & Noodles

At our shop we carry convenient low-sugar Keto Bone Broth sachets that can be sipped as a morning wake-me-up, or in your favourite recipes.

8. Cacao

You can find Cacao at the centerpiece of many keto baking recipes including:

Breakfast Bars
Brownies & Blondies
Protein Smoothies
Hot Chocolate

SHOP:

What is Cacao?

Cacao is the raw, unprocessed version of Cocoa. It grows from the Theobroma Cacao tree, and contains nourishing flavanols and antioxidants.

What does Cacao taste like?

Cacao alone has a slightly bitter taste, and is often naturally sweetened with other baking ingredients like Vanilla Extract, Maple Syrup, Honey or Yacon Syrup.

Cacao as an Antioxidant

Cacao contains antioxidants epicatechin and catechin.

These flavanol are associated with cardiovascular health benefits:

Reducing Blood Pressure
Lower rates of sickness and mortality caused by heart attacks
It is having been shown to improve the walls of the blood vessels

9. Nut Butters

We couldn’t make a list without Nut Butters. Simply because of their high fat content which keto dieter’s target. Today, nut butters come in a variety of creamy, crunchy, non-conventional flavours that are interchangeable between recipes, and serve as a delicious / filling snack. Here’s a list of our favourite nut butters:

Peanut Butter
Almond Butter
Cashew Butter
Pistachio Butter
Sunflower Seed Butter

If you’re interested in a creamy, coconut / peanut butter snack – we definitely recommend trying

SHOP: FATSO Peanut Butter. A mouth-watering blend of Peanuts, MCT Oil, Coconut Oil, Chia & Flaxseeds.

10. Ghee & Grass-Fed Butter

It goes without saying that Clarified / Grass-Fed butters are an essential staple in the keto pantry. But before we get started, lets clarify what clarified butter is (did you see what I did there 😉?)

What is Ghee / Clarified Butter?

GHEE is known as clarified butter, which is traditionally made from cow’s milk. It’s slightly different than Grass Fed Butter since Ghee is heated, then strained resulting in oil and milk solids.

At this point, the milk solids are removed, and the oil eventually hardens at room temperature and there you are with Ghee!

Since the milk solids are removed, Ghee is considered to contain less lactose compared to conventional butters.

Why Clarified / Grass-Fed Butter for Keto?

Keto dieter's generally focus on high fat intake in order to reach ketosis.

Which Butter is Healthier?

There isn’t a clear answer to this question, and when limited research suggests there is, the results differ between variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, and medical history.

Since Ghee originated from Asia, and is used as a key staple in Ayurvedic medicine, the answer to “which is healthier” can stem from cultural interpretations passed down through tradition and history.

11. Snacks & Premixes

The beauty to premade mixes is that we’ve grown a very long way since Bisquick & Betty Crocker.

Today, shoppers have the power to choose prepared / shelf-stable foods without the fear of preservatives, artificial colours, and modified / processed ingredients.

Keto Premixes are notorious for there are traceable, nutritional, and low-sugar options. Many being gluten & grain free, without the use of artificial ingredients.

So for many who have children, food sensitivities, or just enjoy convenience, you really just can't go wrong with an item made of organic ingredients, and eventually bakes into a traditional bread or delicious desert.

Protein Bars

Oils & Sauces

Hemp Oil
Sesame Oil
Avocado Oil
Coconut Oil
Soy-Substitute

Seeds

Flaxseeds
Chia Seeds
Hemp Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower Seeds

Baking

Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract
Peppermint Extract
Xylitol
Erythritol
Stevia
Xanthan Gum
Coconut Flakes
Shredded Coconut

Thickening Agents

Tapioca Starch
Glucomannan
Psyllium Husk Powder

Spices

Cinnamon

Take off

After listening and serving our keto customers at our shop, we felt confident building this list of ingredients that are commonly requested in-store.

Allergen-Friendly

The beauty to much of Keto baking is the variety of traceable, nutritional, and low-sugar options. Many being gluten & grain free, without the use of artificial ingredients.

Nutrition Benefits

Both savory, and sweet dishes are usually loaded with healthy fats, and carbohydrates, and proteins from rich nutritional sources like coconut and cacao. Low carb-options are typically derived from nutrient-dense sources such as Almond & Amaranth.

Final Note

Keto snacks, and from-scratch prepared meals can be a treat to even non-keto dieters! The emphasis on today's blog was not to encourage any type of diet, but to highlight the delicious recipes ingredients / snacks from this market!

***Disclaimer: This blog is not to substitute the advice of a professional and is for informational purposes only. Contact a health care practitioner before supplementing or dieting.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7480775/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493179/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5805166/#:~:text=Medium%2Dchain%20triglycerides%20(MCT),chain%20fatty%20acids%20(MCFA).
https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2014/06/Parrish-February-17.pdf
https://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2050-7445-1-9
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7008860/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5756564/