Convenience Keto Snacks: Top Picks and Toddler Approved

Over the past few weeks, the Keto Hope team has been tasting treats and snacks of all varieties.  So many new products have hit the market that claim to be keto friendly. But are they really? Will they fit into the criteria for a keto diet for epilepsy versus one being used for weight loss or athletic training that may be higher in protein and not quite high enough in fat?

In order to find the best snacks, we reached out to keto snack manufacturers and requested samples of their products. We wanted to evaluate the products in terms of both nutrition profile and taste. The taste panel included adults (even some neurologists), school-aged kids and toddlers. Yes, toddlers…the picky eaters themselves! Here is the conclusion from the group on the best convenience keto snacks. 

Mission Meats: A Savory Keto Friendly Treat

The Mission Meat products were the fan favorite for the adults on the taste panel. If you are looking for a savory snack, this is the product. In addition they give 10% of their proceeds to charities…good products and a great company! Be sure that you choose the pork and beef options which contain the highest fat amounts.  While the turkey products are equally delicious, they are much lower in fat. If you are following a modified ketogenic diet, you can probably work the beef and pork products in by themselves. On average they contain 7 grams of fat, 1 gram of carbohydrate and 8 grams of protein for about a 1:1 ketogenic ratio. For people on a higher ketogenic ratio, try adding more fat by dipping the meat sticks into guacamole.  

ChocZero: Truly Sinfully Healthy

The ChocZero milk chocolates are described on their package as “sinfully healthy” and our taste panel could not agree more. The toddler taste panel group loved these treats. One toddler couldn’t stop coming back for more and it’s possible she ended up eating about six pieces. The chocolates are sugar-free and do not contain any artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols (a unicorn in the keto snack area). They are sweetened with monk fruit extract which is unique and delicious! Each chocolate has 1 gram of net carbohydrates but caution…it will be hard to eat just one. The carbs could add up quickly. With some self-control, one decadent chocolate a day would work into even the most restrictive keto diet.

FatSnax: Get In My Belly Cookies

Kudos to FatSnax for making not just low carb cookies (which lots of companies make) but also cookies high in fat.  Not only do these cookies fit into a keto lifestyle but they are also delicious. This was the top snack for our school-aged kiddos who nick-named them the “Get In My Belly Cookie”. With only 3-5 grams of net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) and 8-9 grams of fat these are close to a 2:1 ketogenic ratio. We do have to point out that they do contain stevia and sugar alcohols – both erythritol and a smaller amount of xylitol. Check with your keto team to determine if sugar alcohols are approved  for your personal keto journey. We would suggest counting at least half the sugar alcohol quantity in your carb count since xylitol can impact ketosis – erythritol less so. The cookies come in chocolate chip, peanut butter, lemony lemon and double chocolate chip flavors but the favorite from our group was the chocolate chip. 

Looking for more information about these companies and their products?  No worries…we dive deeper into their products and nutrition profiles in future blogs.