How To Start Low-Carb Kids (even if they're picky eaters)

Every parent wants the best and healthiest future for their children but it can be hard to ditch the junk food and sugar from their daily diet.

And what if you have picky eaters who won't eat their veggies? Where do you even start?

1: Why raise low-carb kids?

Images showing the low-carb kids guide and various lunchbox ideas

It has been reported that children eat as much sugar by the time they are just 8 years old than adults only 100 years ago, consumed in their entire lifetime.

All children benefit from ditching junk food and lowering their sugar, ultra-processed carbs, and wheat intake.

My children are low-carb kids, not NO-carb kids. I emphasise their meals to be from whole food sources that are naturally lower in carbs from nutrient-dense sources. When you base your children’s meals on whole real food, they almost become low-carb by default.

You don’t need to be so strict with children’s dietary carb intake, if they are in a healthy weight range, as they are generally more insulin sensitive than adults are, so their body can deal with sugars and nutrient-dense carbs more efficiently.

Overweight children should be controlled quite tightly. Studies have shown that children eating a ”low carb high fat’ diet, lose more weight and keep it off far better than those on a ‘calorie-restricted low-fat diet’.

Read more here - Ultimate Guide To Low-Carb Kids

2: Top myths about low-carb kids

Infographic showing the top low carb kids myths

I am sure you have been told (or thought) that kids need carbs to bulk up their meals, need carbs to help them think and need carbs for energy. Well just take a look at the myth-busting chart and article that will bust every myth you have ever heard.

If you are new here, every parent needs to read the Top 10 Low-Carb Kids Myths.

3: How to start low-carb kids (stepwise method)

Hero boy in red tights and red superman cape

As discussed in the podcast, I like to use my stepwise method to reduce sugar and processed carbs from kids.

You want your home to be a happy one, so do it gradually and be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace and allow it to happen slowly.

Start by cutting out the worst offending items and the highest sources of sugar (number 1), then when you are ready, move on to number 2 and so on.

All sugar-sweetened beverages – fizzy drinks, fruit juice, flavored milk, and energy drinks. For most people, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is the number one source of sugar in their diet. Begin by diluting juice, more and more each time, until you eventually stop buying and serving juice or sugary drink at all.
Sweets, confectionary, sugary treats – don’t be fooled but the ones that market themselves as being made with real fruit juice and with cutesy cartoon characters. They are still little cubes of sugar but packed into an attractive sweet.
Baking, cakes, biscuits, pastries – all baking is an unhealthy combination of processed high-carb, high-sugar, and high unhealthy fats. Learn to banish the beige.
Cereal and granola – These are nothing more than processed grains, high in sugar and fortified. It will make you have a sugar crash later in the morning, no wonder kids crash at 10 am at school. Breakfast cereals are more akin to desserts these days rather than a hearty way to start the day.
Sugar and flour – People may say it is restrictive and you are giving up entire food groups, but what you are giving up is food products. It is only because flour and sugar are made into so many products that it appears to be restrictive. Even just 10 years ago, these products weren’t available. Supermarkets looked very different from how they do now.

Read more about the stepwise approach.

4: How to encourage picky kids to eat vegetables

Read my 10-point plan to help your kids eat real food. Help set some guidelines at the dinner table ... that actually work!

5: Favourite lc recipes (for kids)

bacon wrapped chicken nuggets on a white plate with a red cloth

keto hamburger filled with a meat pattie and salad

There is absolutely NO deprivation when feeding low-carb kids. You can begin by making their favorite recipes, just healthy low-carb versions.

Bacon-wrapped low-carb chicken nuggets (gluten and grain-free, the easy way)
The best keto hamburger buns (that don't fall apart)
Keto pizza pockets (keto hot pockets)
Low-carb berry smoothies (you can add protein powder for a high-protein shake)
3-ingredients keto peanut butter fudge (sugar-free fudge)
Flourless chocolate fudge cake

6: How to pack healthy lunch boxes

You'll need help and inspiration for making healthy lunch boxes every day. Take a look at my Low-Carb Lunchbox eBook

mockups of devices showing low-carb lunches cookbook and a buy now button

Are you confused about what to make for school lunches? Do you dread the morning lunch-box routine? Would you like simple ideas to pack healthy lunch-box and snack ideas?

This isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing things DIFFERENTLY!!

“Low-Carb Lunches” is perfect for those who just want to cut back on junk. We focus on low-carb foods from nutrient-dense sources such as vegetables, nuts, seeds, and low-sugar fruit.

All my recipes have no added sugars, are grain-free, gluten-free, and low-carb. I use basic ingredients and the recipes are perfect for beginners.

See more low-carb lunches.

7: How To Start Low-Carb Kids - the lunch boxes I pack every day

Come and see what I pack. Join my FREE – Low-Carb Lunch Club and my closed group – Low-Carb Lunch Box hacks. Come and join in the fun. I’ll see you there.

Low-carb kids resources

Infographics and printables to help planning lunch boxes easier.

Low Carb Kids 1 – tips and tricks
Low Carb Kids 2 – a printable guide to get your kids involved. How to plan you lunchbox each day.
Low Carb Kids 3 – 2 weeks of school lunches and how to plan them.
Low Carb Kids 4 – how to make a low carb lunchbox, and more Low Carb lunchbox ideas
Low Carb Kids 5 – healthy sugar-free snacks for after school
FREE printable PDF Healthy Sugar-Free after-school snacks
Low Carb Kids 6 – an entire MONTH of low-carb lunch boxes
Low Carb Kids 7 – My guest post on Diet Dr, “How To Raise Children On Real Low Carb Food”.
Low Carb Kids 8 – How to help your child eat real food – with an action plan.
Top 10 Myths Of Low-Carb Kids