Thriving through the Holidays, Low Carb Style!

The holiday season is warm, wonderful and full of whimsy. But it can also be a little stressful—especially when trying to maintain your low carb commitment. Luckily, Carbonaut has a galaxy of universal ideas to help you stick to your healthy eating habits while participating in this year’s stellar holiday celebrations.

Here’s how to successfully maintain your commitment to low carb while attending events this season:

Focus on Planetary Party Snacks

Holiday snacks typically comprise of glorious baked goods, fruit and nut-filled crackers, savory potato chips, and lovely homemade breads. While undoubtedly tasty, their carb count is usually very high.

Instead of succumbing to high net carb temptation, explore fresh veggies from the vegetable platter, fruits and berries low in sugar, and nut-based cheeses when snacking at parties.

You can also consider making and bringing the following low carb snacks to share with the crew:

• Vegetables and low carb dip
• Low carb chocolate cupcakes
• Homemade tortilla chips and guacamole
• Savory cauliflower bites
• Low carb chocolate chip cookies
• Holiday sugar (free) cookies
• Homemade pinwheels made with our low carb and keto friendly tortillas

By being prepared and having an intentional and well-thought-out plan, you can party it up while sticking to your healthy habits.

Contribute to Meals

Guilty of suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out)1? If you’re fortunate enough to be making (or attending) a holiday dinner, be sure to include some low carb staples that will make you feel like you are not missing out!

The following low carb recipes will fool even the biggest carbohydrate fan—they’re galactically delicious and will appeal to everyone:

• Bread pudding
• Low carb stuffing
• French onion soup
• Low carb plant-based lasagna
• Chocolate pumpkin mouse

Whether it’s a side or an entrée, Carbonaut has your back with a plethora of festive recipes available on our website.

Curate What You Eat While Traveling

When traveling during the holidays, it’s important to set yourself up for success. Long hours in the car or in the airport can be exhausting, and unexpected delays on an empty stomach can understandably lead to poor food choices. Planning ahead can be the difference between successfully staying on track or veering completely off course!

Stow the following items in your bag for the car, plane, train, rocket ship, or whatever vessel you find yourself traveling in:

• Small bags of mixed nuts or seeds
• Pre-cut veggies
• Jars of berries, yogurt, and low carb granola
• Homemade low carb trail mix
• Nut cheese and low carb crackers
• Protein shakes
• Homemade low carb granola bars 

Check In Regularly

With yourself, that is.

Checking in with yourself regularly will lead to mindfulness, lower stress, more activity, and better sleep. This along with food preparation and planning is the basic recipe for successful low carb maintenance. In fact, studies confirm that that having an action plan most likely contributes to better and healthier outcomes².

And friends?

Your plan does not need to be complicated. No one wants a stressful itinerary or self-imposed roadblocks during an already hectic time of year. Simple ideas that include consistent and early(ish) bedtimes, high protein meals to keep you sustained throughout the day, and practicing gratefulness for 2-3 minutes each day can work wonders.

Try and remember that prioritizing rest, relaxation, and reflection are more important than ever during chaotic times of year.

There you have it! Make this holiday season your own—a wonderful time of year that is conducive to your healthy low carb lifestyle and one that will keep you on track well into the New Year and Beyond.

If you have tips to share, feel free to leave a comment below! We’re all in this together. Learn more by signing up for our monthly newsletter at the bottom of this page and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the low carb inspiration.