The classic ketogenic diet of a 3:1 ratio means that for every 3 grams of fat you eat, you can eat 1 gram of carbohydrate plus protein. So 3:1 means that for every 4g you eat, 3g of that are fat and the remaining 1g is carbs + protein. That works out to eating over 75% fat. Wow, that is a lot of fat … and math! So where does all that fat come from? What do keto kids actually eat? Sticks of butter, slices of bacon, glasses of heavy cream? Well, yes and no.
There are three main types of fats in foods: saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Eating foods that are high in these fats (yes, even saturated fat) is the goal of the ketogenic diet. Eating enough fat in the right combination (or ratios) with carbohydrates and proteins, is how you get into ketosis. Eating low-carb foods is equally key, and sometimes one can get fixated on the question “how many grams of carbs are allowed for this meal???” But simply eating low carbohydrate foods is not enough to get into ketosis. This is why parents of keto kids need to be very specific about the foods their kids eat, and precise about calculating the macro nutrients. Continue reading “What Do Keto Kids Eat?”