Keto Snack Watch, How Pumpkin Seeds Support the Keto Diet
What you’ll find inside this bag: Pumpkin seeds are a great keto snack option! Here’s exactly how this healthy fat food assists with weight loss when you’re on the keto diet.
This post was written by Chanelle from Nourished by Chanelle, Holistic Nutrition student and keto expert.
Skuta recently published an article that outlines whether or not pumpkin seeds are keto, and the verdict was a resounding yes, they absolutely have a place as a keto snack!
When done properly, the ketogenic diet can be very helpful in anyone’s weight loss journey. And despite it being a diet, adopting a ketogenic lifestyle doesn’t have to be restrictive or boring and it can easily be incorporated into your life with delicious and nutritious food options.
There are a number of different whole foods that ensure that you get all of the right nutrients to nourish your body, and Skuta’s dry roasted pumpkin seeds will always fit the bill.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EATING KETO SNACKS?
As a holistic nutritionist, I often get asked about what snack foods I recommend for my keto clients. Although in my personal life I tend to avoid snacking and adopt more of a fasting state between meals, I still believe we can certainly make healthy, satisfying choices by consuming snacks that are high in good quality fats, protein, and fibre.
If you are currently following a low-carb diet or eating high fat, keto snacks are a great way to help you meet your daily fat macros.
Snacks that are loaded with good quality fats will keep you satisfied until your next meal and help increase your energy levels, allowing you to be more productive throughout the day, which is something we all crave isn’t it?
The important thing here is to make sure that we choose the right snacks that won’t cause a crash 30 minutes later and keep us wanting more and more food (as quick carbs tend to do).
Of course, there are certain foods that you should limit or avoid, especially if you are trying to manage your weight. Definitely sugar, starchy carbohydrates, trans fats, and processed foods, and if your goal is to lose weight, choose things like pumpkin seeds that are lower in carbohydrates and provoke less insulin production.
But at the end of the day, if you’re hungry in between meals, by all means, eat! When in doubt, always listen to your body.
MANAGING YOUR BLOOD SUGARS WITH KETO SNACKS
Many people follow a low carbohydrate diet to manage their blood sugar levels and in turn end up losing weight.
Eating high fat, low carb foods (like keto snacks and pumpkin seeds) allows your body to get into that state of ketosis, or fat burn.
Think about it this way:
How many times a day do you crave snacks? Do you eat in between meals? Do you have a sugar or sweet tooth or gravitate towards carbs or starchy foods?
Between blood sugar imbalances and burning sugar for fuel, your body ends up feeling the need to reach for sugary or carb-heavy foods. If you’re eating a lot of carbohydrates, chances are you eat every 2-3 hours and you get ‘’hangry’’ quite often.
The keto diet and keto snacking aim to curb this. Your daily energy improves as it ends up coming from fat instead of sugar and you end up with fewer cravings for bread, cookies, crackers and all of the other snacks filled with carbs to function properly. You reach for keto snacks but not as a means to fill a void, as a means for fuel and fun, and in return end up losing weight.
After being on the ketogenic diet for a while, you become fat (or keto) adapted, which is what most people on the diet strive for. Being fat adapted means that your body will utilize its own fat stores for energy and no longer relies on glucose.
When you are fat adapted, blood sugar and insulin levels drop and levels of good cholesterol increases. Insulin also becomes stable. Since the fuel we need (fat) is actually right on our bodies, appetite is naturally reduced.
If you are trying out the Keto diet, be prepared to jump off the blood sugar rollercoaster you’ve known your whole life! As an added bonus, those on the keto diet typically notice the following side effects:
- Increase in hormone efficiency
- Energy boost
- Improvements in endurance
- Copious amounts of brain function
- No more insomnia
- And so much more!
PUMPKIN SEEDS AND THE KETO DIET
Pumpkin seeds are one of my favourite keto snacks to recommend for those on a low-carb diet. Not only are they low in carbs, but they are nutritional powerhouses. Pumpkin seeds provide 1 g of fibre and 7 g of protein per ounce.
Having foods high in fibre is beneficial, as it slows down digestion and helps keep the body regular. Though my approach is more plant-based, vegetable-heavy, the keto diet can often be high in dairy products and low in fiber, resulting in toilet troubles. Pumpkin seeds are convenient, will have a minimal impact on blood glucose, and keep your gut feeling great.
Pumpkin seeds also offer B vitamins, zinc, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus. Other nutrients found in pumpkin seeds include folate, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, sodium and potassium. Together, these nutrients are amazing for energy, sleep, immunity as well as for cardiovascular health.
Why rely on things like cheese, bacon, and pepperettes for your snacks when you’ve got nutritional powerhouses like pumpkin seeds?
Whether you are just starting out the keto diet or are already keto-adapted, pumpkin seeds are a great option. Make sure to tell all of your keto friends!
There are so many ways you can take Skuta’s pumpkin seeds on-the-go with you. We’d love to see your favourite way to Skuta and don’t forget to tag us @skutapumpkin and use #snackskuta for a chance to be featured.
