Going Keto with Kids – It can be done!

Let’s get something straight here. The Keto lifestyle is NOT bacon, cheese and hot dogs all day every day. It is NOT eating pork rinds dipped in cheese or eating blocks of butter (at least not all the time...although I’ve been known to eat a small pat of butter as I’m cooking LOL).

The Keto lifestyle IS an ultra low carb, moderate protein and high HEALTHY fat diet. It is a diet with therapeutic values and has been used as a therapy for CHILDREN with epilepsy since the 1920s (Can you tell me of another “diet” that has been/is being prescribed to people as a therapy and treatment??) It IS a diet who’s emphasis is on WHOLE, NATURAL and FRESH, NOT processed food. It IS a diet who’s main source of carbohydrate intake comes from vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and nut flours. 

So my question is, what is so wrong about that? Lately I've seen and heard other people guilting parents into thinking that "going keto" is wrong and unhealthy. I believe that keto and low carb is lifestyle that can most definitely be adopted by children as long as you, parents, use some common sense and best judgments. Here's what I mean.

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Children need nutrients to grow, yes. But what they DON’T NEED is processed and refined sugars. They don’t NEED processed carbohydrates or inflammation-causing ingredients like highly processed “vegetable oils” [canola, soybean, etc], dyes, artificial flavors, antibiotics, fillers or any other food garbage that's traditionally present in the Standard American Diet foods.

Children NEED nutrients, I whole-heartedly agree. Just let those come from good, natural, wholesome, non-gmo, all organic ingredients. This is what Keto has done for our family. We focus on these real foods and avoid anything "food-like" or in the words of Michael Pollen, "fake food."

I am actually so tired of people commenting to parents who’ve adopted this lifestyle that they are “hurting” their children. And I’m sorry, giving your children gold fish and fruit rollups with processed garbage is giving your kids the “right” nutrients for growth?? Some of these people claim to be the “experts”  yet they actually know very little about the principals of actual Keto.

So if you are a Keto mom or Keto parent looking to bring healthy foods back into your home, then YES! Ketofy your kids! It can be done.

We certainly are not the "experts", but we've done it—we're still doing it (progress over perfection, right?) If we can do it, I have no doubt you can too. Here's some things we've learned.

Here’s just a few things to keep in mind:

1. Kids need calories and nutrients for proper development and growth, including carbs. So, yes, give your kids carbohydrates in the form or veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. Carbohydrates Yes! Breads (bagels, donuts, chips, crackers) a hard NO!
   
   
2. They will ABSOLUTELY HATE what you make for them in the beginning (hahaha). That’s all, plain and simple. They will hate MOST of it. Why wouldn’t they? We’ve allowed them to eat the standard American diet up until now, so duh, that’s what they’re used to. There’s no getting around that. Just prepare yourself mentally so you can let it go and help them move on. Take the sass and the attitude and just know mama that your intentions are well-placed and you’re making the decision for their benefit (even if they can’t see it yet).
   
   
3. They will SNACK like crazy. When you take away the filler carbs and the sugars that used to keep them full, they will be in your kitchen more looking for “something” to eat. Know that most of that behaviour is (1) HABIT (The “Eat every 2-hours” recommendation we used to get from our health officials is now being show to be WRONG and a leading reason why so many people fall victim to type 2 diabetes, leaky gut and other chronic issues..NO, our bodies don’t need to be on overdrive all. the. time.) and (2) TRANSITION. Their bodies are used to how they ate, used to their old food. Give them time to adjust.
   
   
4. With that, fill your pantry and fridge with GOOD KETO snacks (Check out some of our favorites here) and food. Aim for things that are low-carb at first and transition slowly. When they come to the kitchen (because of #3), make sure all they can find is healthy, keto food. They will not like it in the beginning and may leave the kitchen when they don’t see their normal fare, but don’t fret — they will be ok, I promise! They will also soon learn to understand what food their body is truly asking for.
   
   
5. WATER!!!!!! Make them drink a lot. Make them. That’s it. Period. We all know we don’t drink enough even as adults. They certainly don’t. Going low carb naturally expels water from our bodies as we get rid of the junk and inflammation. Also ketones are naturally being produced in the absence of carbs. And ketones are great at drawing our toxins from our cells. With toxins comes water. So make sure they drink water or you’ll have a crabby, tired child on your hands.

More and more families lately are making a conscious decision to reduce or remove processed and refined carbs from their diets. I applaud you mamas (and dads). This is not something you should feel guilty for. Use your best judgement and what works for your family. I have no doubt if you incorporate the right carbs and foods, you’ll find your own success. Even family is different—so do what works for you. Keto-On!

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