The Awkward Social Event, What's Your Strat?

conversationstarters
keto
food
carnivore
(Niko Neko) #1

What is your ultimate, battle-tested strategy for attending a non-carnivore dinner party or work event? Do you eat a pound of ribeye in the parking lot beforehand, bring your own butter, or just politely nurse a glass of sparkling water while dodging questions?

(Niko Neko) #2

real talk - nobody is going to invite me to a dinner party. :laughing: At a pot luck …hmm, last time I did grab some meat and cheese and walk around talking to people.

I’m one of those annoying people, “ask me about the Carnivore diet!” My family is totally over it.

I did help cook for an event last week and it was neither KETO or Carnivore - but it was old recipes from my grandmother and it was a huge hit which was nice. I really enjoyed the young people trying some old fashioned foods. Feeding people makes me stupidly happy, so I think their reaction to the food can keep me going for a year or more, it was Christmas having them like the food. My son helped and tasted everything - I didn’t have a bite, but it was fun none the less and he learned some cooking.

#3

I only have the small family Christmas dinner at this point and I may have multiple strategies…

  1. December is doomed anyway (not every day, even I am not so bad but there are some carbs I just can’t avoid for reasons) so what is another moderate carb meal…? Christmas is big on meat anyway, at least in my SO’s family (but my last blood relative was the same). Well I usually don’t consider this attitude strict enough. I will mess it up anyway, I should at least try to behave!

  2. I bring my own food and keto dessert and we will see. I still eat the meat (at least some of them aren’t breaded) and theoretically it can be a very lovely meal but sticking to keto hardly will happen. I have my limits. When I had true carnivore times, it was the same, I only could do it at home. I just went back to carnivore on the 25th of December (it’s a great day for that). But if I had carnivore days right before, I tolerate carbs way better.

I obviously only eat what I want to so if it gets carby, it’s on me. But I always bring some of my own food, if nothing else, low-carb dessert for the hostess who has diabetes but still bakes with sugar (a moderate amount, not the common inedible one). That’s my main Christmas gift, actually and I don’t eat that but may bring something else for the others. It’s not the same every year.
I used to bring my own bread replacing sponge cake buns, they are useful, my SO’s Mom cooks great but sometimes a tad salty so some unsalted side dish (or “bread” for the meat soup) may come handy. My old sponge cake buns are carnivore (100% eggs). Now they are keto but properly firm and higher-protein that way, I need that now.

For some other occasions I don’t have anymore, simply not eating is an option too. I can’t imagine many situations where it’s important to eat. If I don’t want, I just don’t do it, it’s very normal to me. If someone just want to meet and talk, it needn’t to involve food. When there is the Christmas family dinner, 2 of us may not eat anything, they don’t come for food.

(Bob M) #4

I had Italian (a lot of pasta) on my dad’s side and Polish (pierogi) on my mom’s side. Not great. Stuffed peppers or stuffed cabbage (Polish) were okay, just some rice. Pirogi fried in butter are great, but far from low carb.

A lot of the Italian family lived to be quite old, like 99. I think part of that is the family aspect, as they all lived together.

I try to ensure there’s something I can eat at a social event, if I’m allowed to bring something. Otherwise, it’s tough.

(Edith) #5

I just try to eat what I can that is as close to keto as possible and stay away from chips and sweets. I have a dairy and gluten intolerance, so that is always a good reason to use for not eating most of the food at the event. Just like Bob said, for a potluck, I will make something I can eat.

(Bean) #6

I generally don’t eat and just have sparkling water or tea for work things. I also don’t talk about it. Special diets, religion, and politics are not for polite company, lol.

I generally do all the cooking for family things. We have complex, multiple dietary restrictions, and I’m the one who can handle it. I don’t mind. I’m a “retired” (career-changed) chef, so cooking food for others that I don’t eat would be typical. I do borrow hubby to help with tasting and adjusting seasoning.