As many of you know, I started Keto Delivered, a subscription box, a few months back. I launched this service because I wanted to showcase how people can make keto fun. I know when most people think of the ketogenic diet, they don’t get very excited – no carbs means no enjoyment out of food, or so people think. Keto Delivered aims to put the spotlight on small companies around the USA that are bringing out high quality keto friendly products that make keto cooking fun again!
The first box has started arriving at people’s houses, and I’m super happy to hear everyone’s responses. Yes, we had some delays in the first month, we had a number of roadblocks – but I’m truly thrilled that everyone is enjoying what I chose for this month!
I really wanted to stress the importance of wholesome, proper nutrition on keto and why I chose the types of products I did. Snacks in themselves aren’t really the best when it comes to weight loss. Your glucose levels spiking and lowering throughout the day due to snacking will cause stalls in weight loss – and I don’t want that for anyone. Though I include a few “emergency” snacks for people to keep around the house, in their office drawer, or tucked away in their car – I want to stress the impact snacking can have on weight loss.
The items that I chose were mainly foods that encourage the ketogenic way of life. Healthy meals that can be easily made with some delicious ingredients. So, the box itself, you ask? Let’s get into it: here is the first month of Keto Delivered, unboxed for you!
Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters: Spicy Thai Peanut Butter
Eliot’s Adult Nut Butters is a small batch, savory nut butter company, based out of the Eliot neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Each and every one of their jars strives to deliver the most flavorful, high quality nut butters you have ever had. Their “grown-up” line of products will help take your nut butter experiences to bold new places.
The flavors are really well thought out in this one. I was expecting a really hot and spicy peanut butter, but was pleasantly surprised the first time I tried it. It’s primarily made from kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and a bit of cayenne pepper. These flavors blend perfectly and very easily make any type of high fat Asian dish in little to no time at all. Just check out this 30 minute Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken (recipe here) that I added as the featured recipe of the box.
Not too interested in savory dishes? I decided to take those amazing flavors and smack them in a Thai Peanut Cookie (recipe here) that would surely turn heads. While the idea might sound a bit strange – the flavor talks for itself. There’s a fantastic hint of spice that goes so well with the sweetness. Think of cayenne infused chocolate.
If you want to ramp up your next peanut inspired meal, make sure you also check out their Garam Masala at https://eliotsadultnutbutters.com/
Oaktown Spice Shop: Better Than Everything Bagel Spice
Oaktown Spice Shop offers the freshest, most delicious, high-quality spices and hand-mixed spice blends in the Bay Area. They focus on the craft of great food, increasing people’s enjoyment of home cooking.
Did you ever have an everything bagel as a kid? I fondly remember the first time I had one when I first visited America – it was so good. This stuff is the same – addicting, hands down. I’ve added it to just about everything – and made it the star of some amazing Bagel Sticks (recipe here)! Chicken, eggs, pork – it tastes fantastic no matter what you put it on.
I thought including a seasoning was a great idea to promote home cooking and make sure that you’re getting some fantastic flavor in each meal. So many people e-mail me asking me what the ketogenic diet is. Many believe it’s plain chicken breast and broccoli – while it’s completely the opposite. Having a stocked spice rack with quality spices for your cooking arsenal can completely change someone’s outlook on food. This one is a must have!
If your spice rack is looking a bit on the empty side, stock up at https://oaktownspiceshop.com/
Righteous Felon Jerky: Che-potle Guevara
Righteous Felon Jerky Cartel specializes in producing and trafficking high-potency beef jerky made with illegal combinations of unique, all-natural ingredients. RF jerky is handmade and produced in small batches to ensure freshness, quality, and consistency before being hand cut into large, tender pieces to ensure the ultimate tasting experience. All RF products are high in protein, low in sugar, and undeniably delicious.
If you’re a jerky fan, then this one is a must try. It’s now been featured in a ton of food magazines, jerky enthusiast websites, and random food blogs across the web. They make all of their food in small batches, which ensures the quality in each bag. That’s a win for me.
The flavors are plain fantastic. A classic style jerky with a subtle, smoky heat that slowly grows as you eat it. Don’t worry though, it’s not the type of heat that has you clawing for a water glass. It has a great bold, slightly sweet finish that makes you want to go back for another bite. At only 2g net carbs – this is some awesome jerky! Stick it in your car, backpack, or purse for some on-the-go keto eating if you’re in some trouble and can’t find a place to eat.
If you’re more of a heat seeker, also check out their Habanero Escobar flavor at https://www.righteousfelon.com/
Seven Coffee Roasters: Brazil Carmo de Minas
Seven Coffee Roasters is a small coffee roaster in Seattle, Washington with one retail cafe and over 100 wholesale customers. Their focus is to constantly maintain a small business mentality – that is they seek to maintain strong relationships in their community of both customers and vendors, and do their part in the community to ensure that they all rise together.
Some people asked me why I decided to include coffee in my first box. Well, it’s something that I love – and 83% of Americans would agree with that. When I went to Seattle last February, I got the honor of trying Seven’s coffee and it was friends at first sip. The moment I was starting this box, I knew who I had to call.
It’s also a great pick me up in the morning, and there’s so many things you can do with it. From cold brew (recipe here) to Ketoproof Coffee, it tastes great and it aids in weight loss. After all, most of us are doing keto for the weight loss. In fact, caffeine has been shown in multiple studies to increase fat oxidation and increase physical performance. Who doesn’t want that?
If you’re a fan of fantastically roasted, fair-trade coffee make sure you check out their beans at https://www.sevencoffeeroasters.com/
KetoSoy
KetoSoy, short for Ketogenic Soylent, is a meal replacement shake and a keto-friendly ingredient for your kitchen. Despite the name, it has no soy protein. Every ingredient in KetoSoy was rigorously selected to be extremely nutritious and as ketogenic as possible – from the milk protein which causes the least gluconeogenesis of any of the proteins they evaluated to the high fat cocoa powder which has the most flavor per carb of all the cocoa powders they tried.
I know some of you don’t like meal replacement shakes all that much based on traditional dieting flops. However this one was a winner as a very low fuss ketogenic meal that – not only to me, but to my picky girlfriend. The convenience factor of having a ready-to-go meal really appeals to me and because of that, I wanted to make something a little out of the box. KetoSoy Muffins (recipe here) are a great way to meet in the middle of convenience and perfect macros.
Though, with that said, this stuff makes a mean milkshake if you ever need a quick lunch or even a dessert to cool you off during the hot months. I whipped up an awesome KetoSoy Milkshake (recipe here) in minutes, and was really pleased at how great it tasted.
I do have some suggestions for KetoSoy. Do not use the Splenda packets that were sent in the package. They are a bit high on the GI side and can spike blood sugars a bit. Rather, use stevia or erythritol to make your shake/muffins. Also, try a half-serving size first. As there is a very large amount of concentrated fats in this, your stomach needs to slightly adjust.
Suggestions from KetoSoy: The best texture from this comes when you leave it in the fridge overnight. If you want an easy grab-n-go morning shake, make sure you make it the night before!
If you’re interested in ordering more, you can do so over at https://www.ketosoy.com/
The Gilded Nut: Mediterranean Herb
The Gilded Nut Snack Co. offers seasoned pistachios crafted in small batches with only the purest ingredients. Their jumbo California pistachios are gently tumbled, not brined, in extra virgin olive oil and whole herbs and spices. They do not use any preservatives, added sugar, or funny ingredients whatsoever. Plus, they’re gluten free, vegan, soy free, and non-GMO.
I wanted to finish off the box with a nice mellow herb blend that would contrast some of the heat in the box. Many ketoers may not have had the pleasure of trying a pistachio before either – typically my recipes lean towards almonds, walnuts, and pecans. However when I want a real treat of a nut, I love pistachios! We chose to take these nuts with us when we went camping earlier this summer – and they were great to eat while we hiked.
If you’d like to take a look at their other flavors, head over to https://www.gildednut.com/
Keto Delivered, Delivered!
I hope you all enjoyed taking a peek into the first month of Keto Delivered. I loved hunting for and selecting the right items for the box. I’m just putting the finishing touches on the September boxes – so they’ll be ready soon! You can expect more small-batch products like these and more exclusive recipes featuring artisan goodies for keto foodies!
If you haven’t signed up yet, make sure you get on the list for the September box before the 20th. You can head over to Keto Delivered and sign up now!
