Why Keto?
Hannah Sutter, founder of vegan keto bar brand, Fattbar, talks us through why she follows a keto lifestyle and gives us an insight into a day of keto eating.
Every day in the Fatt bar office in deepest Leith we are constantly being asked, “Why would anyone decide to do a keto diet?” What on earth makes the outliers go to all that trouble to avoid the very foods that everyone else is eating in abundance? What crazy person would decide to avoid pasta, rice, potatoes bread and all other sugars?
Most people think the reason you put yourself through this regime is just to lose weight and often the keto diet is treated as a nasty fad diet. But actually, for most keto advocates, the benefits of being keto are so much more than losing a few inches. The hidden benefits of abundant energy; clear thinking; nutrient-rich diet; good gut; great hair and skin are just the tip of the iceberg. With world class cyclists using keto to fuel their success and top neurologists using it to manage epilepsy you begin to understand just how amazing the keto diet is.
So, is keto really just about counting carbs and eating lots of fat? All over the internet there are claims that you need to be on 20g of carbs per day to be keto or that you need 75% of your calories to be from fat or that even a smidgen of sugar will stop you being in ketosis. All these statements are not really the full picture of keto. Indeed, there are several different medical keto diets which are designed to deal with different medical and wellness issues.
At Fattbar we are focused on the lifestyle keto enthusiasts who are looking for the very best from keto rather than as simply a means to drop a stone. For us it is about delicious nutrient dense eating to feed your gut and using fat for energy. For me, the challenge was to create an amazing range of delicious chewy Fattbars with just pure and nutrient dense ingredients free from cheap artificial ingredients and fillers. Inspired by the best mix of flavours from Caramel and Sea Salt to Raspberry and Almond, Coconut and Macadamia Nut, and Apple and Cinnamon, I wanted to deliver the ultimate snack which would be vegan, gluten free, high in prebiotic fibre, rich in good fats and still have space for some protein. Even better no sweeteners, no polyols and no cheap fillers.
In just one of our perfectly formed and delicious Fattbars you will be getting essential fats as well as half your daily requirement of fibre and all the prebiotic you need for the day, thus keeping your gut happy. Rich in Vitamin E, B6 Niacin and folate and not forgetting the magnesium zinc and iron and much more. This is perfect for the average day on the keto diet.
To give you an idea of a day of keto eating, I’ve written a sample menu of what I might eat in a day.
Breakfast
I always kick off the day with a black coffee or, on a Sunday, add a double cream kicker. To eat, I’ll have a couple of eggs, or if I’m rushing, a Coconut and Macadamia Fattbar.
Lunch
Lunch is normally a rich Keto soup, particularly in the winter. I love broccoli and blue cheese soup, or for a plant-based option a simple wild mushroom soup with parsley and a small shot of truffle olive oil is delicious.
Snack
Mid-afternoon, I always indulge in a Caramel and Sea salt Fattbar.
Dinner
My favourite dinner is either organic salmon with creamy leeks, spiced up with coriander, chilli, garlic and lemon, or a grass-fed organic steak, with Bearnaise sauce and salad. A great plant-based keto option is a Sri Lankan inspired jackfruit curry with cauliflower rice to soak up the delicious sauce.
FattBar Caramel & Sea Salt Bar 30g
FattBar Coconut & Macadamia Bar 30g
