Where's My Crunch?!

One of the first things people begin to whine about after starting Keto is that they miss that CRUNCH that often comes from carby snacks and flour/corn based crackers and chips.  For me, this was a serious deficit until I figured out a couple of things. With just a few changes in my menu, I have found some new ways to add the satisfaction of a good solid crunch back into my food.

First of all, I love cheese dip.  I love it in restaurants, grocery store packages, jars, and even homemade.  I love cheese dip.  BUT, who wants cheese dip with no chips?  Such a quandary.  I tried several recipes for "chips" that left me sad and disappointed.  Until I hit on the easiest thing in the world!  Flatbread!
 
One of the staples of my diet is Joseph's Flatbread.  I use both the Lavash and the Pita forms.  Both breads are low in carbs.  To me, the pita makes the best chips simply because it is thinner and therefore easier to "crisp", but the flatbread makes a heartier chip, able to scoop up denser dips, so both are good.  For the chips, I simply cut the flatbread into 1/2" wide strips, then cut the strips to about 2 inches long.  I salt them lightly with pink Himalayan salt, and toast them at 350F until crisp (anywhere from 4-8 minutes, depending on your oven). Allow them to cool, then toss them in a zip lock bag until you're ready to eat them.  If I'm using a pita, I open it up to two rounds, then cut each side into 8 "pizza" pieces.  These make nice, really thin, traditional looking "tortilla" chips.  And the crunch is so satisfactory!

Another simple way to get a crunch in your diet is almond crackers.  You can buy these sometimes (ok, I've seen them once and they were $6 a box, so no thanks...), but I've found it super simple to make my own.  Simply mix 1-1/2 cups of almond flour with 1 large egg and salt/pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp each works for me).  Roll it out as thin as you possibly can on a parchment paper covered baking pan.  Score into cracker shapes with a knife or pizza cutter.  Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes or until the edges are browned.  Cool and bag up.  Voila! Crackers!  You can experiment with different flavors (hint:  Stevia and Cinnamon makes graham crackers!)

And finally, the big secret... Pork Rinds.  Pork rinds (pork skins, chicharrones) can be used in a wide variety of ways.  They have a bit of a distinct flavor of their own, but can easily take on other flavors, whether sweet or savory.  We eat them for breakfast in place of cereal.  Break the pieces into bite-size in a cereal bowl, sprinkle with stevia and cinnamon and pour unsweetened vanilla almond milk over it.  Voila! Crunchy breakfast cereal.  Crushed pork rinds can also take the place of bread crumbs, panko, or corn flakes in your fried food recipes.  Yes, you CAN have fried chicken!

So don't let the lack of crunch plague your diet any longer.  It's amazing how satisfying that little crunch can be and can go a long way toward helping you enjoy your favorite dishes while staying in Ketosis!

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Have a blessed day!