What To Eat Instead Of Bread On Keto

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What could possibly replace a loaf of Warburtons or M&S sourdough?

If you're a typical Brit starting keto, you're probably panicked about giving up the abundance of beloved bread you grew up on, and not just for the next few weeks or months while you shift those surplus pounds and get your blood sugars down, but potentially for the rest of your life...

Afterall, food is emotional, habitual, cultural... and removal of a firm staple in one's diet can be a terrifying prospect.

Perhaps you've tried a few keto breads from the health food shop and decided that paying close to a tenner for a tiny loaf that's barely palatable isn't worth it...

Or maybe you've attempted a recipe that took all afternoon, contained sketchy ingredients you had to order off Amazon (WTH is psyllium husk anyway??), and tasted suspiciously like omelette or a car tyre...

...and you're close to chucking in the tea towel.

Well, keep hold of the tea towel as you'll need it to wipe your tears of joy because...

I've got terrific news for you!

Thankfully, neither you nor I are the first to face the what-no-bread? horror story, because some culinary keto connoisseur who came before us figured it out...

With what? I hear you cry. Just tell me!

Chaffles, my dear friend and fellow keto-enthusiast.

What on your nelly is a chaffle when it's at home?

Put simply, a chaffle is a keto-friendly waffle. The "ch" comes from cheese, in case you're wondering.

And all you need to make one is any standard waffle-maker, something like this (single plate) or this (dual plate) is absolutely spot-on, and a few bog-standard kitchen ingredients.

I've played around with several recipes and here's the one that had me shouting, "Oh my word, it's bloody BRILLIANT!" from my caravan kitchen to my startled dog.

The following recipe will make you 1 standard waffle which is enough for one person when topped with some bacon or eggs or sausages or whatever you like for breakfast. But play around with quantities to suit your own requirements:

Fool-Proof Chaffle Recipe

Ingredients

100g cheddar or mozzarella, grated
8 whole almonds ground in the blender (or a heaped tablespoon of almond flour or ground almonds)
1 tablespoon of soft cheese (like Philadelphia or similar)
1 egg yolk
third teaspoon of garlic granules or powder
quarter teaspoon of baking powder
pinch of sea salt
butter to grease the waffle pan

(measurements are "near enough" as I tend to just throw things in - I took my best guess)

Method

1. Plug your waffle pan in to heat up and run butter over the plates, top and bottom - mind your fingers.

2. Mix together the almond flour, garlic granules, baking powder, and sea salt.

3. Stir in your grated cheese, soft cheese, and egg yolk until you get a semi-solid mixture. If it's very loose add a bit more almond flour.

4. Spread it evenly across the bottom plate of your waffle pan.

5. Close the lid, and leave it until the steam stops.

6. Check on it after a few minutes - when it's golden brown, remove it and place it on a wire rack to crisp up.

Serve it in place of bread or toast. You can butter it, top it with avocado, smoked salmon, sardines, scrambled eggs, or use two to make a delicious bacon buttie... the possibilities are endless...

A Warning About Chaffles

The problem, though, with chaffles is that they're so good they can be addictive! And that addiction to salty, crunchy, bready kinda things is what got us here in the first place, isn't it.

But if chaffles are keto-friendly and we're making them with whole foods, then what's wrong with being addicted to them? Can't we just have them every day? Well, not really. It's the almonds, you see...

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer after such brilliant news but the reality is that almonds - like many foods (such as spinach and dark chocolate) that we're promised are "healthy" and can be eaten in abundance - are very high in a plant defence chemical called oxalate...

Enjoy Chaffles In Moderation

Does this then mean you have to give up all foods containing oxalates, including almonds - and therefore chaffles? Depending on your health, maybe, but not necessarily. For most people, I personally believe a low amount of oxalate can be tolerated without issue. But high oxalates in almonds is why I do not recommend eating the above chaffle recipe more than once or twice a week at the very most, to be on the safe side.

Other Chaffle Ideas

One of the recipes that goes down an absolute storm in my group Keto Beginners UK is chaffles with corned beef and onion - so you can try that for a bit of a change. Or add dried Italian herbs to the mixture. Or try a different cheese... Don't overthink it, just throw something in the mix and see if it works - it's all part of the fun. Come over to the group and tell us what you've decided to try!

What Next?

If you're just getting started and would like some free advice for beginners, pop your email address below, and I'll send you my 7 Days of Keto Tips email series - one small tip a day for a week - detailing the most common mistakes I see by keto newbies so you can avoid them. I'll also send you my future blog posts as I write them so you don't miss out.

What Are Oxalates?

Oxalates are like really tiny shards of glass or crystal that, over time, can build up in our joints and cause inflammation leading to arthritis. Now although I've studied a little bit about oxalates, I'm far from an expert on the matter but I do know the wonderful lady who is the leading authority. Her name is Sally Norton and if you want to understand more about how oxalates could be secretly wrecking your health, she's 100% your woman. I strongly recommend reading Sally's book Toxic Superfoods to learn what's what and how to safely undo any damage.