A LCHF Christmas : Low-Carbers Survival Guide

How to have a Fabulous LCHF Christmas

lchf christmas

Christmas is rapidly approaching, which is wonderful! I love Christmas. It’s my favourite time of year! Christmas carols, decorations, seeing family, buying presents – the food. Oh how I love the food. But whoa whoa wait back up a minute. The food. The food is a little more complicated now. 

This is the time that always gets a little out of control for me. I end up eating litres of brandy custard, piles of puddings, tonnes of Yorkshire puddings, endless amounts of chocolate, and other sweet treats… then it takes me months to wean myself off consuming that much sugar.

So this year I’m going in with a plan!

Be Prepared

With Christmas parties and celebrations you’ll probably have a lot less control over what you eat than if you’re just staying home all the time. It’s well worth knowing what you’re walking into food wise. If it’s a friend’s Christmas party offer – if not insist – on “bringing a plate”. That way you can guarantee there’s going to be something you can eat at the event and you don’t have to worry about others catering to you. If you’re going out with people to venue, check the menu ahead of time so you know if you need to eat before you go.

Otherwise try to avoid going out hungry and take a packet of nuts or something easily stashed in your car or handbag, just in case.

Food is love – So let them down gently

We might know that food is just food; it’s fuel, it’s sustenance, it’s just keeping our bodies alive – but in so many families, and so many cultures, it’s so much more than that. And if food is love, then saying no to food is a rejection of love. Rather than fighting it, be sensitive. You don’t have to eat anything just to make others happy, but be kind about it. If it fits your family dynamic consider having these conversations right now, rather than on Christmas day where everyone is a little bit more raw and emotional.

For example I’ve already told my mum that I’m still doing “that low carb thing”. I’ve explained to her I don’t do moderation well. A little bit, a taste, a treat, just this once, “But it’s Christmas” etc. That won’t work for me. So while I understand she can’t not offer, she (hopefully) understands that I won’t accept. 

Make Sure You Do Enjoy Yourself

On the other hand I think what will work for me is letting up just a little bit. I don’t mean chocolate and cakes, but have some LCHF treats on hand. I don’t normally eat a lot of “faux foods” or recipes involve substituting with non-grain flours or sugar-free sweeters. I’m more of a JERF girl (Just eat real food) BUT – it IS Christmas, and I think I will stay on the straight and narrow a little better if I do give myself a little bit of wiggle room.

Thankfully most Christmas fare is actually on the LCHF menu! Roast meats, fish, prawns, salads and vegetables! Christmas dinner itself won’t be too tricky! But here’s a few recipes to keep up your sleeve, just in case:

LCHF Recipes For Christmas

LCHF Gravy – here are a few different ways to thicken your gravy!

LCHF Mayo – for salads or dipping prawns in.

Keto Cheese Sauce – this is absolutely amazing on vegtables.

Mini Pavlovas – *Note* this recipe does have a little corn flour and you can go more traditional and use whipped cream instead of the lemon curd suggested.

Simple LCHF egg custard – add a splash of brandy to make it more festive!

LCHF Baked Blueberry Cheesecake – not necessarily a traditional Christmas treat, but is still an absolute winner whether you’re low-carbing or not.

 

And lastly if you’re thinking about enjoying a few drinks Diet Doctor has a very handy guide to alcohol. (hint: Champagne is low carb! Cheers!)

 

If you can think of any more LCHF Christmas recipes to help get through the silly season please add them below!

Rachel Stewart

Rachel is the founder of Parenting Central. She is raising two children, boy and girl, with her partner. Rachel is obsessed prams, car seats, carriers and all things baby. She has worked in the baby industry for several years, for both suppliers and also in a retail setting and has developed a passion for connecting parents with the right products to make their lives easier. When Rachel isn't playing with prams she's enjoys crocheting, drinking coffee (sometimes wine) and spending a little too much time on Facebook.

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