The ketogenic diet can be very restrictive making it hard to stay on track, especially when adding the extra limitations of a plant-based diet.

However, knowing quick and easy snacks that'll curb your cravings can help you stick to your keto journey.

What is the ketogenic diet?

The Ketogenic (keto) diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat and moderate protein diet.

This drastic reduction in carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat, puts the body in a metabolic state called ketosis.

This then makes your body more efficient at burning fat for energy plus, in the liver fat is converted into ketones which can supply energy for the brain.

All of this then causes weight loss and a reduction in blood sugar and insulin levels, which reduces the risk of diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.

However, these benefits come from a 'clean' version of the diet and even then people have reported having flu like symptoms (aka keto flu) a few weeks into the diet.

Due to the nature of the diet, the added restrictions of a plant-based lifestyle can make it difficult to increase fat in the diet as a lot of high fat ingredients are animal based. However, there are still many great snacks that people on a plant-based ketogenic diet can enjoy.

Snacks

1. Oven-baked Courgette Crisps

Sadly, following a keto diet means that high starchy carbohydrate foods are a no.

Therefore, this low carb alternative is super easy for anyone with a craving for crisps! All you need to create this delicious snack is:

2 medium sized courgettes - sliced into super thin rounds
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Toss the courgette rounds in the olive oil and salt and spread on a baking tray. Bake for about 2 hours at 200°C until slightly golden and crispy.

2. Guacamole

You've got your crisps, so how about something to dip them in.

This guacamole recipe is loaded with flavour but only uses 8 ingredients and it's super easy to make!

Not only does this snack taste amazing but the high mono saturated fat content of avocados makes it a healthy fat source, great for the keto diet. You will need:

3 Avocados - ripe
1/2 small onion - finally diced
2 Tomatoes - diced
3 tbs of fresh cilantro - chopped
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 lime - juiced
1/2 tsp of salt

Mash up the avocado with a fork, combine all your chopped ingredients and add the lime juice and salt to flavour.

3. Chocolate espresso fat bombs

These taste so good you wouldn't believe they are vegan and keto-friendly.

If you've been following the keto diet for a while you have probably seen that fat bombs are a very popular keto snack.

These chocolate espresso fat bombs are next level and great for any coffee lovers craving a sweet treat. All you need is:

1 shot of our Nespresso compatible keto coffee pods
3 Tbs of unsweetened nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew)
3 Tbs spoons of coconut oil
2-3 Tbs of cocoa powder - depending how dark you like it!
1 Tbs of coconut milk

Simply place all the ingredients in the microwave and heat until melted.

Whisk smooth, taste and adjust if needed. Then pour into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid before storing in the fridge.

For extra flavour add vanilla drops or a small amount of stevia.

Drinks

4. Red Berry keto smoothie

This keto smoothie is a great recipe to provide your body with some very important vitamins and minerals, plus it tastes amazing!

No matter what red berries you choose to use they will be rich in antioxidants, fibre and vitamin C. All you will need is:

Mixed frozen berries
Unsweetened almond milk - or another dairy-free alternative
Unsweetened nut butter (almond or peanut)
A sprinkle of cinnamon

In a blender combine all the ingredients and adjust to taste.

The frozen berries and nut butter will give the smoothie a thick, creamy texture.

5. Keto coconut coffee smoothie

This keto coffee smoothie is great for coffee lovers on a summers day and alternative to a bulletproof coffee or iced latte. Simply blend all the ingredients till smooth: