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Chocolate and ice cream- Elisabeth loves it
Do I have to give up sweets on a ketogenic diet?
I already asked myself this question at the beginning of Elisabeth's dietary change. Even today, I often hear from other parents who are starting the diet that these little treats can often cause a lot of worry. Especially with young children, I often feel that this is a big issue: Seemingly on every corner, I see different sweet snacks - gummy bears, chocolate or bars of all kinds - in numerous colorful packages.
Il profilo di Elisabeth
Name: Elisabeth
Country: Germany
Diagnosis: Epilepsy
Sweets simply taste delicious
The topic becomes particularly interesting during celebrations and other festivities like children's birthdays. Precise communication and advance planning are required and crucial here! Fortunately, since Elisabeth was very young when starting the diet, I was able to manage this aspect very effectively right from the beginning. I am even grateful to the ketogenic diet in this regard: it has allowed me to control the consumption of these things extremely well up to this day – and this without Elisabeth feeling like she has to give up something. Elisabeth's ketogenic diet has made me very creative in my cooking skills, probably much more so than I would have been otherwise.
As mentioned earlier, sweets were hardly a concern for young Elisabeth at the beginning. However, her interest in them has come to the forefront, especially since she started attending kindergarten. So, especially on hot, beautiful summer days, there is often a delicious ice cream for the little ones at daycare. And sweets are often a big topic at celebrations or children's birthdays. As a keto mom, I don't want to be unprepared for that! Elisabeth has now become a big fan of ice cream and chocolate. She prefers both in various variations.
Of course, a keto diet also means that Elisabeth can't just eat all the sweets she sees.
Sweets and the Ketogenic Diet
Since Elisabeth is not supposed to eat conventional sweets, I have to get active in the kitchen to make sure that my sweets not only taste good but also look appealing, just like regular ice cream and candies! Fortunately, I can prepare both for Elisabeth in advance and always have a quick snack on hand for her. I often think back to my own childhood when doing this. I can still remember it well. I had my favorites too, which, by the way, still taste very good to me from time to time. For example, a chocolate bar with filling. Absolutely delicious. Of course, I want to be able to offer such treats to my child as well. As a mother, it somehow hurts when I have to deny her certain things. This can often be a problem, especially for Elisabeth's grandparents.
Today, as time goes on, I reach for conventional chocolate or enjoy ice cream less and less. Elisabeth finds it difficult to understand why she can't have the same sweets when I do indulge, even though it happens less frequently. After all, she wants to be able to taste what others are eating.
Cooking tips with MCT fats
The most important information summarized briefly:
- Half a teaspoon of MCT oil is approximately 1 g/ml.
- One teaspoon of MCT oil is approximately 3 g/ml.
- One tablespoon of MCT oil is approximately 6 g/ml.
- MCT margarine is ideal for spreading on bread as well as for sautéing and baking.
- MCT oil can be used for salad preparation and for gentle frying at low temperatures (approximately 150°C).
- Do not keep MCT fats warm for too long, heat them too hot, or reheat them (in the microwave) as this could result in a bitter taste.