Cheese boards, fruit trays, charcuterie, sweet and salty snacks– oh my! To many of us, a smorgasbord of holiday party snacks is an invitation to over indulge . . . ‘tis the season, fa, la, la! To others, especially those trying to be mindful of a low-carb lifestyle or weight-loss diet (like keto, paleo, etc.), just the sight of a high-carb, high-calorie food fest turns the mood from happy to high stress. 
But fear not, you can still treat yourself to a night of delicious nibbling and drink by following these diet-friendly and low-carb tips that are much less naughty and way more nice. Read on for my low carb and keto holiday snack tips!
First off, aren’t these charcuterie and meat and cheese board photos beautiful?! I originally food style several of these shots for post on How-to Build a charcuterie board for Beef Loving Texans.
A keto and low carb dieter’s best friend at a holiday party is the meat and cheese tray, or charcuterie and cheese board if you are talking all fancy! Here the focus is on proteins and fats that fill you up and keep you satiated through the night, reducing the temptation to scarf down all the sweet things later.
You may see other offerings than just meat and cheese on a charcuterie or cheese board, so don’t freak out. These popular appetizer trays often are expanded with every finger food, dip and spread imaginable. Here are some tips on navigating all the meat, cheese and other finger-food options:
Meats & Cheese: This is the good stuff and that special time of year when people like to put out the delicious cured meats and aged cheese. Meats and cheese are the first picks I place on my cocktail party plate and then I build the rest of my snack platter around it! The good thing about meats and cheese served this time of year is that they are usually sliced very thin, so that you are not really eating as much as you think. A few slices of salami, bresaola, prosciutto or weights just a mere ounce or two – same with the cheeses.
Fruits & Veggies: Everyone knows fruits are high carb, but HEY, it’s the holidays . . . and it’s not like you’ll be eating straight up puffs of sugar. I always opt for the lower carb, keto and paleo friendly fruits (pretty much any berry) in limited portions – try raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and such. Also, above-ground veggies make a lower carb way to balance your plate like green beans, celery, cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus. Stay away from vegetables that grow underground like carrots, potatoes and beets.
Nuts & Seeds: Eat them . . . but be aware that you are doing so! Put your portion on a plate rather than popping into your mouth endlessly while standing at the bowl.
Brined Foods: Enjoy pickles, olives, marinated peppers in moderation – they are low carb, but salty!
Breads & Crackers: Bypass the breads, crackers, chips and croutons, honestly you won’t miss them with all the other goodies on a charcuterie, cheese board and fruit & veggie platter. Instead of bread-stuffs, try alternative dippers like frico (baked cheese crisps, get my crazy easy recipe for Jalapeno Four-Cheese Frico) or even use a slice of salami for scooping up hummus, dips and such.
If you don’t have time to bake your own frico, Just the Cheese bars or minis are an easy way to skip the making/baking/cooling process and still have a quality “cheese crisp” substitute for the crackers on your charcuterie or meat platter. It’s simply natural Wisconsin cheese that has been baked crunchy, that’s it – no weird stuff. Just the Cheese is great for anyone looking for gluten-free snacks, higher protein snacks, low carb snacks and keto friendly snacks! Less than 1 carb per serving.
Drinks: There are a lot of reasons to say “no” to alcoholic beverages –not only do they impair your judgement, compromise your safety, and are dehydrating — but are also full of calories and carbs! Instead, I prefer simple sugar-free sparkling waters dressed up with a few berries!
Or, I also love the flavored Better Stevia (liquid drops) from Now Foods to put into my coffee, sugar-free hot cocoa, and even to use with the Soda Stream! All the different flavors are ahhhh-mazing, all natural, zero-carb and no bitter aftertaste!
And, check out my personal example of how you can “build” an under 400 calorie very low-carb meal from a selection of popular items you might find on a charcuterie tray or cheese board. Remember to actually PLATE your food instead of picking and nibbling here and there. By putting all your food on a small plate, you can keep control over your holiday cravings.
This is an example of how I incorporated my Keto and Low Carb Survival Guide for Holiday Parties — check out the charcuterie and cheese board choices I ate a recent party – it all adds up to 390 calories with 10g carb, 24g fat and 22g protein
- 1 thick slice roast beef (0.5 oz)
- 2 thin slices bresaola (0.25 oz)
- ½ oz. beef jerky
- 1 tbsp. blue cheese
- ½ oz. Asiago cheese
- ½ fresh fig
- 5 blackberries
- 6 carrot & celery sticks
- 6 grape tomatoes
- 10 roasted almonds
- 5 assorted olives
- 1 tbsp. hummus
- 2 baked cheese crisps (frico),
- Sparkling water with 5 raspberries
Do you have any low carb strategies or keto tips for holiday snacking? If you could only pick one thing off a meat, cheese, fruit, veggie, etc. tray . . .what would it be?! Please share in the comments – xoxo, Jennifer
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