It might be surprising, but even though I eat a keto vegetarian diet, I actually have to be mindful about eating my veggies. It’s easy for me to feel full and energetic eating eggs, cheese, nuts and smoothies, but those things alone don’t deliver a healthy, well-rounded blend of vitamins and nutrients.
I try to make sure I eat a salad or some vegetable curry at least once a day, but salad can get a little boring sometimes. Behold the magic of tapas! Tapas can be pretty much anything at all, but mine are basically an assortment of things I can eat with raw vegetables. It’s like veggies and dip, but next level. And a lunch or dinner of keto veg tapas can be super fast and easy to make, thanks to my favorite store, Trader Joe's.
Lately, my keto tapas plates have involved romaine lettuce, peppers and cucumber for scooping up what I call “Lazy Baba Ganoush” (recipe below), Trader Joe’s Artichoke Antipasti straight out of the jar, feta cheese, olives and sundried tomatoes. Trader Joe’s also sells a jar of oil-packed Antipasti that includes sundried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and artichokes, and you can find it in the same section with the other Greek/Italian inspired foods. The TJ’s Antipasti mix is great for spooning on top of your chopped feta cheese, making it even faster to prep a tapas meal since all the different veggies are included in one jar.
These tapas are super speedy to put together for a delicious and filling meal. If you haven’t tried romaine lettuce for dipping yet, simply cut 2 inch sections to use as a scoop like a cracker or tortilla chip.
Lazy Baba Ganoush
I love this eggplant dip, but it’s hard to find in stores, and time consuming to make from scratch, so I literally whip up this lazy version for keto tapas. It’s so simple that it’s barely even a recipe, but I’m not one to judge. Throw the two ingredients below in your blender, and adjust the amount of tahini to your own taste. Use as much as you like for your tapas and save the rest for another fast tapas meal.
1 can Trader Joe’s Grecian Eggplant and Tomato
3 tbsp Trader Joe’s (or any) tahini (sesame paste)
And if you don't have time to whip up your own tapas, there's always the old fallback of veggies and dip. Happy eating!