Keto Life: JUNK FOOD ALTERNATIVES

Ola mi amigos!

Finallyyyyyy! I've discovered enough healthy snacks and desserts that I tasted myself to make a list of junk-free treats! Perfect for us who are doing our best to live a life free from sugar and carbs! WOOOHOOOO!

I am so excited to share and write this! I can't believe this day has come! (There aren't really a lot of options for us keto-freaks, hence the enthusiasm. LOL.)

Ever since I started living high fat and low carb, I've been constantly on the hunt for keto-friendly treats for days when I'm too lazy to make my own. There were times in the past when I won't be able to resist the urge for junk food, but I'd always end up having stomach issues and migraines. SO NOT WORTH IT.

Today, it's been 2 months of strictly living keto again and I'm feeling better than ever! WOOT! I also only eat twice a day (lunch and dinner) as I am doing intermittent fasting everyday, so I eat these snacks before or after my meal. My coach Chad of Primed For Your Life said it's best to incorporate "snacking" with your meals. Besides, if you're living a high fat and low carb lifestyle, you'll always be full so there's really no need to eat every few hours, even for a little snack.

Please note that you can't indulge on some of these treats every single day just because it's junk-free, sugar-free, or keto-friendly. The point of keto is to get rid of sweet cravings so make sure the desserts and non-vegan food items on this list are pursued for what they are: TREATS. Like I said, I only run to these alternatives on the few occasions that I feel snack-y. In my personal opinion, it is still best to make and cook your own food so you know exactly what goes in it. 😊

Okay, enough rambling. Let's get to it! Here's the list of my favorite go-to ketogenic-friendly snacks that can easily be bought from a store—or online!


Kale Chips



A little expensive, but curbs my cravings for potato chips! Didn't know I liked nutritional yeast until I tasted Take Root's kale chips smothered with it!
Favorite flavors: Vegan Cheeze and Sour Kream 
Price: P220 for a 60-gram pack
Available in: takeroot.ph


Dr. Zevia Soda


Healthiest soda that ever existed. Sweetened with pure liquid stevia with no hidden maltodextrin! Maltodextrin is an artificial sweetener usually mixed with powdered stevia. It has a higher glycemic index than table sugar! Watch out for this ingredient in "sugar-free" products!
Favorite flavors: Ginger Ale, Ginger Root Beer. (Didn't like Strawberry and Lemon at all. I have yet to try Cola and Grape!)
Price: P69 per can
Available in: Healthy Options


Cheese


Please note that you must stay away from "processed cheddar cheese flavored slices." Just because it looks like a slice of cheese doesn't mean it's the real deal! Another way the food industry deceives the masses. KALOKA! It's a general rule of thumb that hard cheeses are lower in carbs—Grana Padano, Raclette, Manchego, and Parmesan are a few examples. Soft cheeses are okay too, just make sure to include the carb count in your allowed daily limit.
Favorite Types: Havarti, Camembert, Fresh Parmesan, Manchego, and Raclette. (I usually pick European brands or get from Rustan's deli section.)
Price: Depends on quantity and type of cheese
Available in: Most supermarkets and deli stores like Sänti's and Bacchus 


Cold Cuts


Perfect when I'm PMSing because I always crave for salty food!
Favorite Types: Spicy Salami, Prosciutto, and Jamon Serrano never fail to satisfy!
Price: Depends on quantity and kind of ham
Available in: Most supermarkets and deli stores like Sänti's and Bacchus 


Salted Duck Eggs


Obviously I have a weakness for salty stuvvs. LOL. I love the organic ones with really oily yolk, as oily as a pubescent kid's face. (EW LOL)
Favorite Type: Organic (Definitely NOT the red-shelled ones)
Price: P15++ per piece depending on size and brand
Available in: All supermarkets, wet markets (palengke), and organic markets


Daboy Chicharon 


If I'm craving for something crunchy and fatty, this is what I get my hands on! I usually prefer the mahangin chicharon over this, but there are days when I just need some o' dat back fat goodness. LOL! Perfect with spicy tuba vinegar! YUMMMMZ! (This is probably fried in vegetable oil that is loaded with trans fats, so I leave it up to your discernment whether to snack on this on not. If you do, please eat on very few occasions and in small amounts!)
Price: P180 per pack
Available in: Order through Daboy dealers (LOL seriously)! Look for them on OLX or ask me!



R. Lapid's Chicharon


This. This!!! R. Lapid's cocktail chicharon has become my replacement for corn chips when I make guac or nachos. Love this so much! It's so good dipped on some sour cream too! It's the vessel for all dips! LOL. It's also free from trans-fats which makes it the better choice of pork rind snack.
Price: Around P160 for the big pack
Available in: R. Lapid's stores


Seaweed


Olives


A jar of green olives is a staple in my home. I love pairing it with cold cuts and cheese or cooking with it!
Favorite Brand: Molinera (because it's cheap. LOL)
Price: P200++ for the biggest jar (depends on which supermarket you buy)
Available in: All supermarkets (I get mine from Pioneer Center)


Raw Whole Almonds


I love nuts. I used to eat peanuts (boiled or sun dried!) all the time until Chad corrected me and said peanuts aren't nuts, they're legumes. Since then, I only consumed almonds. Other nuts are okay too, but I find it hard to control myself specially with pistachios! Almonds the best for me, but still has to be consumed in small amounts as it can easily add to my allowed net carbs per day.
Favorite Brand: Heritage (only because it's the cheapest I could find!)
Price: P400-500 (depends on which supermarket you buy) for 500 grams
Available in: All supermarkets (I get mine from Pioneer Center)


Bucheron

This just bursts with umami goodness in your mouth. If you're wondering what bucheron is, it's chicken craw. It's like a part of their esophagus if I'm not mistaken. Weird, but this stuff is wildly good and packed with protein. It tastes like meaty potato chips. I LOVE IT. (This is probably fried in vegetable oil that is loaded with trans fats, so I leave it up to your discernment whether to snack on this on not. If you do, please eat on very few occasions and in small amounts!)
Favorite Brand: Rosalie's Spicy Bucheron
Price: P150 (small) and P250-P300 (large)


Baked Goodies by Patricia Noel


Patricia makes the best keto and paleo treats ever. AND I MEAN EVER!!! I'm so glad she exists! She only uses 70% dark chocolate in all her baked goods, so it's really low in sugar which is acceptable to some keto-erts (almost sugar-free!). For her flour, she only uses homemade coconut flour or almond flour. The best part? It's really gooooood, not like those "healthy" treats that taste like cardboard. LOL.
Favorite: Everything she bakes is goooooood, it's hard to pick just one! I LOVE ALL OF THEM!
Price: P1,100 for the cake (8 inches in diameter); P70 each muffin (minimum order of 12 pieces); P60 for the chocolate chip cookie (minimum order of 10 pieces).
Available per order: Contact Patricia via mobile 0917 630 4486


Sugar-free Brazo De Mercedes


When my mom sent me a photo of this sugar-free dessert via Telegram from La Brazorria De Lasevil, I just drooled. But before I fantasized about this eggy goodness in my mouth, I had to ask what sweetener they use since some artificial sweeteners can still spike blood sugar. Apparently they use isomalt, which has a glucose index (GI) of 2, which makes it perfect for me and diabetics. As for the dairy used in the yolk, they only use butter. IT'S PERFECT. However, please note that isomalt must be consumed is little doses (as a treat) since it can have laxative effects if taken in moderate to large amounts. Besides, one slice is all you need to get high on sweetness!
Favorite Type: Brazo De Oscar (this is what they call their sugar-free Brazo De Mercedes)
Price: P500 (half roll) and P850 (full roll)
Available in: La Brazorria De Lasevil store branches in Ayala The 30th and SM Aura


No Sugar Added Ice Cream


Aaaaah. Arce Dairy LITE saves the day. It took a long time for me to find the perfect sugar-free ice cream for the same reasons that not all artificial sweeteners are the same. I was so happy when I found out that they use sugar alcohol xylitol, which has a very low GI of 2. It must be said that "no sugar added" and "sugar-free" are NOT the same thing. No sugar added means other ingredients used may have a slight sugar content in it, and for this case, Arce Dairy can't claim that their lite ice cream is sugar free since they use (Carabao) milk which has lactose in it. Sugar-free means there is 0 sugar in it, but doesn't always mean it's healthy, as the food industry has concocted non-sugar sweeteners that actually have a higher GI than sugar itself.
Favorite Flavors: Cappuccino, Mantecado, and Cheese
Price: P105 per scoop, P200++ for a pint, P600++ for half a gallon
Available in: Arce Dairy stores and most supermarkets 

Another brand that offers no sugar added ice cream is Fruits in Ice Cream (FIC). They use aspartame as their sweetener. Though there have been different opinions on aspartame as an acceptable sweeter, I think there's no harm in consuming if you only do it once in a blue moon. If you do decide to get ice cream from FIC, I suggest to get either Cafe Latte or Vanilla only, as the other flavors may have a significant amount of sugar in it from fruits or chocolate ingredients (Mangoes and Cream, Belgian Chocolate, and Choco Marble).


Low Glycemic Chocolate Bar


Fifty 50 is the best sugar-free chocolate I've ever tasted. It's very creamy, and sweetener used are isomalt and sucralose (NOT Splenda), both low glycemic sugar alcohols. 1 whole bar has 14 squares, and 7 squares equate to 1 serving. Note that 1 serving is equivalent to a total of 18 net carbs, so when I do eat this to curb chocolate cravings, I only eat 2 squares—approximately 5 net carbs already. Takes a fifth of my allowed 25 grams a day, but it's pretty worth it (specially when I'm PMSing)!
Favorite Brand: Fifty 50's Milk Chocolate Bar
Price: P245 each
Available in: Healthy Options


And there you have it! I hope this list helps you make better choices in picking snacks and desserts. Please note that chicharon and bucheron may not be exactly healthy if you're not living a high fat and low carb lifestyle. If you find keto-friendly desserts or snacks, please tell me about it! I love discovering new brands and products that make my lifestyle a more convenient for the lazy days. 😊