Hints, Tips, Keto Recipes The Really Useful Ketogenic Diets Book, is a user-friendly guide packed with essential information. This guide, written and produced by The Daisy Garland, is specifically for families whose children are following the ketogenic diet. NB This medical-led treatment is used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy and should only be undertaken with the permission of your neurologist and close guidance and support of a specialist ketogenic dietitian. For a downloadable and printable copy please click on the purple bar below. Click here to print The information contained in this publication is not permitted to be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from The Daisy Garland charity. Before you start the ketogenic diet you will meet with your specialist ketogenic dietitian. Your dietitian is there to guide and support you every step of the way and to ensure the best possible results for your child. In this section we will pass on some excellent advice from our Daisy Garland Ketogenic Dietitians. When you first start the ketogenic diet, your keto dietitian will calculate meal and snack recipes for your child and will work with you to fine tune these in order to get the best possible results. As you get more confident you will want to create your own recipes and you may be given access to computer-based programmes i.e. Nutricia’s MyKetoPlanner. This allows you to create your own recipes based on your child’s dietary prescription. To give you an idea of what your child’s meals might look like, we have included at the end of this section, a link to Recipes from Daisy’s Keto Café which has 130+ tried and tested ketogenic recipes. Your keto dietitian will help you adjust the recipes to fit your child’s dietary prescription and before long you will be creating all sorts of wonderful meals and snacks yourself. Our Daisy Garland coffee mornings and ketogenic cookery days are hugely successful. These free events give families the opportunity to get together in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, learning new recipes under the guidance of a specialist keto chef. For more information about these events, please get in touch with [email protected]. MyKetoPlanner was very straightforward to use and it meant that I could create meals based on what the rest of the family were eating - Hilary. Our Daisy Garland Ketogenic Dietitians Instrumental in bringing the ketogenic diet to the forefront in the UK, The Daisy Garland has funded 30 ketogenic dietitians/dietetic support workers, all working within NHS hospitals countrywide (see below) treating hundreds of children who suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy. Enthusiastic, professional and inspirational our Daisy Dietitians are always on-hand to help. Hints and Tips from our Daisy Dietitians “Take things very slowly to begin with and work closely with your dietitian in order to get the best possible results. If there’s anything you’re unsure of don’t be afraid to ask. Starting the ketogenic diet is a big learning curve for all concerned!” • “Starting the ketogenic diet for your child may seem overwhelming and daunting initially which we understand. The ketogenic team will work with you and your family providing the support and guidance needed." • “Make sure you have a reliable set of electronic kitchen scales to use that weigh to the nearest gram and be sure to keep a spare set of batteries handy.” • “Preparation, perseverance and positivity are key. It can take a while to get ready for the diet and then it can take time before we see results, but when we do it can be life-changing.” • “Don’t worry if you don’t get it right on day one, keep things simple with a small rotation of meals until you feel confident. It may take some days to get ketosis.” • “Start the diet slowly and try to use mainly ingredients your child is used to.” • “Make sure you buy full-fat mayo, butter and cream and be sure to check food labels on a regular basis, they can and do change.” • “As well as improved seizure control, parents frequently report improved attention span, cognition, eye contact and sleep on the ketogenic diet." I would also recommend ketogenic cookery days as a good way to try out new recipes and to meet other families. • “If a recipe does not work first time – don’t give up! You will become an expert in the kitchen and will be giving cooking/preparation tips to your dietitian before you know it!” • “Ketones are variable and often can’t be tightly controlled. Keep to the calorie prescription you have been set and ensure you have spread out your fat and carbohydrate over the day, as stability in the diet is important.” • “Keep things very simple to start with. There are some wonderful recipes available and these can be added in over time. It’s fine to have the same meals – most of us eat the same breakfast each day. The important thing is to start.” • “Stock up your food cupboard with lots of high fat foods and be prepared for the size of the meals to be smaller.” • “Sometimes seizures can worsen before they get better and your child’s behaviour may change initially e.g. they may become tired and lethargic but this will pass. Don’t be afraid to contact your dietitian with ANY questions!” • “Patience is the key! Be prepared for lots of fine-tuning in the first few months of the diet, so avoid batch cooking in the early days.” • “Keep things simple to begin with and stick to just a few meal plans in the first couple of weeks to avoid unnecessary stress in the kitchen.” • “There’s a lot of information to take on board and the diet is a big change. Taking things slowly can make the transition easier for the child and the parent, as well as school and other carers. Keeping meals simple to begin with is really helpful. Introducing new recipes one at a time can make the diet more interesting without increasing stress levels.” Each full-time dietitian costs £62k pa to fund. For more information on how you can support us and to request a Daisy Garland fundraising pack please contact [email protected] Recipes from Daisy’s Keto Café We all enjoy tasty food that looks appealing and, most importantly, is good for us. We also enjoy treats. The ketogenic diet offers all that and more. It offers seizure control. With the above in mind, please click below to visit Recipes from Daisy’s Keto Café where you will find lots of tasty, tempting recipes including; • Pancakes • Pizzas and quiches • Veggie french fries • Brownies, biscuits and cakes • Breads, crackers and wraps • Sweets and treats • Ice-creams and desserts • Lunchbox ideas • Soups and sauces • Hot and cold drinks • Birthday cakes • Seasonal dishes and treats • Vegan, vegetarian and nut-free dishes • Soft options Enjoy! Visit Recipes from Daisy's Keto Cafe IMPORTANT... Always check with your ketogenic dietitian before adding new foods to your child’s keto dietary prescription. Manage Cookie Preferences