Num Gourmet Desserts Blog

I’m a big fan of girl’s night! After a busy day filled with family obligations and work responsibilities, nothing sounds grander than an evening in with my gal pals, watching The Bachelor or treating ourselves to a delicious array of goodies!

One of my favorite types of parties to host is a Favorite Things party. Everyone brings a few of their favorite products which are traded around or drawn in a raffle, and then everyone gets to leave with several new products to try!

Here’s how to throw a Favorite Things party:

1. Choose a theme. Around Christmas time, I think it’s fun to choose a holiday dessert theme where everyone brings their favorite holiday treat. But for Galentine’s, I love for the theme to be something like "Treat Yourself" where the products can be beauty-related, desserts, fashion accessories, or candles!
2. Decide on a price limit and item quantity. This is really what makes the party unique. You can completely customize your Favorite Things requirements to suit the group! Generally, the more people that are coming, the higher the number of items brought should be, and therefore, the lower the price limit per item. I’ve done parties where everyone brings just one or two favorite things with a $15-$25 spending limit and parties where everyone brings five of the same favorite product, but with a lower price limit like $5, which works better for larger groups.
3. When everyone arrives, display their offerings on a table. You can decide whether people will take turns choosing a gift or if you’ll have people enter a raffle for each type of product. As you mingle and hang out together, people can be eyeing the offerings on the Favorite Things table and talking about why they brought what, and why it’s their favorite.

Ideally, this type of party works best if everyone brings multiple of the same item, but if you want everyone to bring a variety of their favorite products, that works too! It just increases the variety of things people will get to take home.

Of course, no party is complete without something to attend to all five senses!

Touch — your Favorite Things activity element of the party is what constitutes the touch sense of the party.

Hear — make sure you’ve got some tunes playing throughout the evening, whether it’s top 40 hits or some epic dance party music!

Smell — light a candle or two around the party area to keep things fresh and calming!

See — don’t forget to decorate the place with whatever decor you have on hand for a party atmosphere for your gal pals.

Taste — and last but not least, the most important sense (to me and most of my friends): taste. What are you serving at your party? I like to keep things inclusive to the various catered diets of my friends with gluten-free treats. Here are some of the popular girls night treats I serve on repeat:

• A charcuterie board or spread with plenty of gluten-free crackers, nuts, cheese, fruits, and deli meats
• Fancy popcorn with fruits and nuts and drizzled with white and dark chocolate
• A yogurt bar with toppings galore to choose from to make your own parfait bowl
• Of course, I’ve got lots of tasty options from NUM like our Strawberry Cheesecake Brownie, our Red Velvet Brookies, and these delicious new Cinnabars!
• I love to top it all off with a fancy drink of some sort, like the gourmet sodas and Italian cream sodas we serve at the shop!

What are you waiting for? It’s time to get started planning your next Girls Night in, and make sure you don’t forget the tasty treats!

If you’re ready to stop the Keto diet, Num Gourmet can satisfy your sweet cravings at every step of your healthy eating journey. Whether you've reached your goal weight, stopped following the food restrictions, or you just want to try something different. Whatever your reasons for wanting to stop, Num gourmet has plenty of menu items to make your transition smoother.

Easter is just around the corner and celebrating with friends and family of course comes with treats and delicious food. We love having a traditional Sunday Best-type home-cooked meal on Easter Sunday, but considering my gluten and sugar intake preferences, in years past, we've skipped any sort of dessert. But not this year!

You don't have to skip dessert either this spring, whether you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, Easter, or even on into Memorial Day! Ditch the limiting mindset where dessert isn't allowed and instead opt for a low-carb, keto- and gluten-friendly option from our array of delicious treats!

Here are some of our favorite springtime snacks and treats to fill up your Easter baskets:

Girl Scout Samoa Cookie
Jet off to the island life with this flavorful keto-friendly cookie! Topped with chocolate glaze, coconut, and caramel, this cookie is the perfect addition to your spread of springtime desserts whether you're celebrating with a nutrition-aware crowd or enjoying time by yourself.

Flavored Lemonade
Did you know we offer curbside pick-up for a variety of delicious drinks? Try one of our flavored lemonades this spring as the weather warms up and you're looking for a refreshing form of relief from the heat! We offer three variations of lemonades to suit your fancy: raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry.

Funfetti Sprinkle Cookies
One of our most popular offerings, our Funfetti Cookies are sure to be a hit! Filled to the brim with sprinkles and fun, Funfetti Cookies are a great party contribution or celebratory Easter egg hunt prize! The cream cheese base in this cookie makes sure they're flavorful, soft, and, of course, keto-friendly.

Keto Cinnamon Granola
Our recipe for keto-friendly granola has been a hit for years. We were so glad to find a recipe that word for us because we are big-time granola snackers in my house! The cinnamon adds a flavorful touch that makes this a perfect take-along snack for a springtime picnic or appetizing party centerpiece (and the aroma adds to the ambiance, too!).

White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
I love including white chocolate chips in my cookies because they're just a touch more sophisticated than chocolate chocolate, in my opinion. The raspberry-white chocolate combo of this delicious cookie is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The best part? They're only 2 grams net carbs each!

Pina Colada Italian Cream Soda
My favorite Italian Cream Soda on our menu is the Pina Colada! Let us whip you up your own to take on the road the next time you drive by! It's the perfect springtime sip.

Snickerdoodle Cookie
Celebrating the Easter holidays with family is made all the more nostalgic when you bring the ultimate Grandma cookie in a gluten-free form — Snickerdoodles. These cookies are keto-friendly and oodles of fun! They're soft, chewy, and covered in a cinnamon mixture that includes our signature sweetener blend (and they're only 1 gram net carbs each!).

Birthday Donut
Top your springtime snacking with this fun, keto-friendly donut! Our vanilla cream cheese frosting and sugar-free sprinkles in a fun pastel color scheme make this donut totally spring-ready and eager to please. Try it today!

We can't wait for you to try all of our delectable springtime snacks! Stop by our shop to browse the selection in person, if you're local to Logan, Utah, and if you're not, don't fret! We'll ship to you! Check out our full shop here.

When was the last time you truly treated yourself?

Maybe you were out for a nice dinner with friends and decided to order the chocolate fudge brownie, drizzled with chocolate sauce, and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Or maybe you bought yourself a new top you've been eyeing, because you had a long week! Whatever example you’re thinking of, it probably made you feel pretty good, right? Have you ever wondered why it felt good? Whether you decided to treat yourself on a whim or you planned it as a reward for finally cleaning out the storage room, the answer for both cases is the same. Dopamine.

What is dopamine?

Dopamine is a neurochemical that your brain releases when you have a pleasurable experience - such as eating foods you crave or finishing a big project. It’s natural to crave chocolate or pickles (or whatever your jam is!) and you shouldn’t feel bad about it because treating yourself benefits both your mental and emotional health. 

Dopamine does more than just make you feel good. This neurochemical is a busy messenger inside your brain, responsible for things like improving your mood, your motivation, your ability to pay attention and process new information, as well as regulating your emotional responses. 

How does dopamine affect our mental health?

You’ve probably heard about the mice in a cage with two buttons. One button does nothing while the other releases a treat. The mice will repeatedly press the button with the treat because each time they eat it, their brains release dopamine, which makes them feel good. This process creates a positive feedback loop, motivating them to push the button again, and again, to keep getting the reward to maintain the good feeling. That process works the same for humans. Giving yourself a reward or a treat for accomplishing a task, not only motivates you to get the job done, but it gives your brain satisfaction.  

While rewards are useful to reinforce good behavior, they suggest you must do something to earn it, such as complete a task, or obey rules, etc. This is good if you want to boost your motivation to make a change or improvement in your life, but you should also treat yourself “just because”. Treating yourself without conditions releases dopamine without the pressure and guilt often associated with “rewards”.

The health benefits of treating yourself

Treating yourself is a key component of self-care which means taking care of both your mind and body. One pillar of self-care is prioritizing sleep. Allowing yourself to get enough rest boosts dopamine production in your brain. So go ahead, treat yourself to a sleep-in once in a while, or a reverse sleep-in (aka going to bed earlier). 

Another way to treat yourself daily is to give yourself frequent breaks from your work. Take ten minutes in between chores or customers to walk around, stretch, or just change your scenery. It will boost your mood, lower your stress, and boost your dopamine production. Breaks are also proven to increase productivity, an indirect reward to yourself or your boss. 

If treating yourself includes food cravings, avoid processed foods, sugar, and caffeine. These factors contribute to lowering your body’s natural dopamine production. Cutting those ingredients back will have the ripple effect of improving your mood, attention span, and overall well being. 

You can still treat yourself to your sweet food cravings without giving in to processed foods or high sugar levels. Try baking from scratch and substituting sugar alternatives. Or even better, order from us! We know a thing or two about baking delicious desserts packed with flavor while being low in sugar or sugar-free. 

Treat yourself - but do it right!

So now you know that there is a reason for your late night cookie cravings and that indulging those cravings actually has benefits to your mental and emotional health. The key is to balance your cravings with satisfying options that are also healthy for you. So go ahead and treat yourself - and if you need help, we’re here for you! (See our menu here)

Sticking to the Keto lifestyle requires some will power and sacrifice. The good news is that it pays off in the form of shedding some extra pounds, but it's hard to commit knowing you'll be missing out on some of your favorite treats!

If you're a treat-eater like me, it might be hard to go for long periods of time without some sort of dessert like you're used to. However, I've learned from my own Keto journey that there are plenty of desserts you can have that satisfy that craving and allow you to maintain a lifestyle closer to what you're used to without losing your body's ability to burn fat in ketosis! (In fact, that's the whole reason I started this business!)

Keep reading to learn the basics of dessert-ing on keto and what your dessert options look like when you're going no sugar, low carb for an extended period of time.

The whole point of keto is to severely limit your carb intake so your body switches to start burning fat instead of carbs for fuel or energy. That whole goal can be completely disrupted by giving into the temptation of a regular treat just once, and it would completely wreck your progress (and you probably wouldn't feel very good if your body had been adjusted to the keto lifestyle for a while!).

Alternatively, there are several forms of "dessert" you can consider to still treat yourself without compromising your efforts to stay in ketosis:

Start with the special occasion snacks

While keto is pretty strict about no fruits (too much sugar = too many carbs!), there are some that are okay on occasion because they have the lowest net carbs, like raspberries and blueberries. You can treat including these rare treats in your diet at the end of the the day as a dessert of sorts.

Whipping up some heavy cream is also completely keto-approved, and it makes a good addition to top off a keto waffle or some fruit for an added dessert appeal, even if it's not as sweet as normal whipped cream (can you believe how much sugar we intake on a day-to-day basis as part of a normal diet!?)

Don't sleep on the fat bombs

Fat bombs are a great way to keep your macros in balance and stick to the low carb, high-fat diet and still treat yourself without compromising your efforts to get into ketosis. You can find recipes for both dessert + savory fat bombs all over Pinterest, and they're pretty fancy! Some of my favorite dessert-type fat bombs are peanut butter cup, cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing, red velvet with cream cheese icing, fudge browning, and cookie dough.

While my favorite is cookie dough, they're all by far a much better way to end your day than a high-carb sugary treat, especially when you're committed to keto.

Buy ready-made keto-friendly treats

As I mentioned, my desire for treats on my keto journey is what started this whole business. I loved the idea of still getting to treasure my donuts, brownies, and cookies without it pushing me out of ketosis and compromising my efforts to eat low carb.

You can buy all kinds of keto-friendly manufactured treats at most grocery stores these days, and it's wonderful to have some things ready-to-go. If you're in the market, all our products on this site are keto-friendly, with the net carbs listed on the product listing for you to reference as you're planning your daily intake.

Some of our products, like our funfetti cookie, are even just 1 net carb! 

Keto doesn't have to mean the end of treating yourself or saying goodbye to delicious cookies, brownies, and donuts for the length of time you're committing to the keto lifestyle. Check out all our delicious keto-friendly products in our shop today!

What is the Keto Flu? 

When you start the keto diet, your body will essentially be in a state of withdrawal from carbohydrates, and many people react with a variety of symptoms, depending on the person and their rate of metabolism. 

Some possible symptoms of the Keto-flu include: nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, headache, irritability, weakness, muscle cramps, dizziness, poor concentration, stomach pain, difficulty sleeping, and sugar cravings. 

The good news is not everyone experiences these symptoms, and if they do, it’s usually a few of them - not the whole list! In any case, none of these symptoms are enjoyable, which is why we’ve prepared six tips for you to overcome these symptoms and get on to enjoying your life and everyday eating. 

Here are six tips to beat the Keto-flu:

1. Stay hydrated - When you cut carbohydrates out of your diet, your body loses a lot of water in the process. Hydration can cause muscle tension, headaches, nausea, and drowsiness. Make it easy on yourself to stay hydrated and keep a bottle or glass of water nearby throughout your day, or set a timer to remind you to drink more.
   
   
2. Add electrolytes - As your body loses water, it also loses important electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. You can regain many of these electrolytes by incorporating more of certain foods into your diet, especially at the beginning. Eating plenty of leafy, dark green vegetables, like kale and spinach will provide you with potassium, calcium and magnesium. Other good foods include hard cheese, broccoli and salmon (calcium), avocados, mushrooms and dark chocolate - did someone say salted caramel turtle brownie from Num Gourmet? - (potassium), and nuts and seeds (magnesium).
   
   
   
   An easy way to regain healthy levels of sodium is to add a bit of raw salt to your food or your water. Himalayan Pink salt works great, but with any variety you choose, just remember that the less refined it is, the better for you it will be. Balancing your electrolytes will help relieve muscle tension, dizziness, and nausea. 
   
   
3. Eat Num Gourmet desserts - No, really! Sugar cravings are a real thing, and a hard obstacle for many to overcome when starting the Keto-diet. You can combat your cravings with our sugar-free, low-carb desserts, including cookies, brownies, and donuts. Staying full and eating more of the foods that are in line with the Keto-diet can also help to combat irritability, poor concentration, and the overall sense of weakness. Keep these treats on hand to keep your diet on track + keep you fuller for longer. Check out our Keto friendly menu here. (PS - we ship across the US)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Light exercise - Moving your body can also help combat many symptoms of the Keto flu. A morning walk around your neighbourhood or light yoga and stretching are good examples of light exercise. Not only does being active physically help your body adjust, it also has a positive impact on your mental health too. 
   
   
5. Prioritize sleep - Some people have trouble sleeping when first starting the Keto diet, so making sleep your priority can both help you power through the Keto Flu stage and help your overall health in the long-run. If you have trouble sleeping, try having a bath before bedtime, and toss some Epsom salt into the water. Epsom salts help release tension in muscles, allowing your body to relax easier. You can also try a short meditation session, journaling, or listening to music that calms you, before going to bed.
   
   
6. Pace Yourself - Starting anything is hard. Especially a new diet. Start gradually, monitor how you’re feeling, and follow these tips to help make your progress smoother. And most importantly, show yourself some grace. 
   
   

You can do this!

When you’ve had a long day of work, or find yourself exhausted at the end of the day from taking care of your family, sometimes all you want to do is go out for dinner or pick up the phone and order take-out. But when you’re following the Keto-diet, that might feel like a daunting task. How do you know if a restaurant offers Keto-friendly options?

If you live in the Cache Valley area of Utah, we’ve got you covered! We’ve put together a list of six restaurants that offer Keto-friendly menu items, so whether you live in the area or have plans to travel through, check out these great spots!

Center Street Grill

The Center Street Grill is a local, family-friendly restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They offer a special Keto-friendly menu featuring breakfasts, burgers, salads, and even desserts. We think the turkey bacon avocado boat sounds delicious!

You can take a look at their menu here. 

Black Bear Diner

The Black Bear Diner is a community-oriented, family-friendly chain of restaurants with one location in the Cache Valley. Beside each dish on their menu they list the total amount of calories. You can also take a look at their Nutritional Menu, which gives you a breakdown of the nutrients in each menu item. You can choose from several Keto-friendly options, whether you are stopping by for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

You can also look over their Nutritional Menu in advance here.

Num Gourmet Desserts (obviously!)

Whether you ordered pizza or a steak dinner from the other places on the list, you should definitely follow it up with something sweet from us at Num Gourmet Desserts. We serve Keto-friendly, gluten free and sugar free desserts that are freaking delicious! Whether you want dessert or snacks for the holidays, we serve cookies, bars, donuts and more. 

Visit our page here to make your order. 

Firehouse Pizzeria

The Firehouse Pizzeria has several locations in Utah, including in the Cache Valley. You can order any pizza with a gluten-free, Keto-friendly, cauliflower crust! Add some chicken wings or salads to your order and you’ll have yourself a satisfying feast. They also offer catering services, so if you need a Keto-friendly meal at your next function, try them out!

You can see their menu items here.

Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse is another family-friendly restaurant chain with a location in the Cache Valley. While they do not have a Keto-specific menu, they do have many options that fall into that category from delicious salads to steak platters. 

You can view their entire menu with the nutritional breakdown here.

Pizza Pie Cafe

The Pizza Pie Cafe offers a gluten-free, Keto-friendly crust for their pizzas. You can pick and choose your own toppings or try one of their creations. We think the Hillbilly and the Pesto Veggie sound delightful! They also offer a take-out salad bar with over 30 items to choose from. 

You can view their menu here. 

Additional tips for eating out while on the Keto-diet:

• Browse the menus in advance
• Stick to high protein, low carb/sugar options
• Ask for substitutions. Eyeing up a burger on the menu? Ask for lettuce instead of the bun. Or ask if you can substitute cooked greens or a salad instead of potatoes or fries. 

Remember, when you’re following the Keto diet you can still enjoy a night out at a restaurant or a night-in with take-out, all it takes is a little pre-planning. Hopefully this list gives you a head start!

So you’ve chosen to start the keto diet! We’re sure you’ve already recognized that there is so much to learn about this new lifestyle. The amount of information out there can be intimidating and overwhelming when you try to digest it all at once. Trust us, we’ve been there too. We want to help you ease into this decision, so we’ve compiled a list of five tips that will help your diet go smoothly. Let’s dive in!

Make a meal plan! 

You are more likely to follow your diet when you have a plan for each meal, including snacks. Especially at first, you may feel like you have nothing to eat because your regular food options aren’t available. However, you’ll learn to adapt! Take desserts for example (we know a thing or two about those). Going on the keto diet doesn’t mean that you’ll never eat a cookie again, it just means you may need to adjust some ingredients and branch out with your recipes! You’ll learn that some things are just better when made from scratch. 

Understand the potential side effects and how to combat them. 

Depending on your previous eating habits, switching to the keto diet may be a major dietary shift. Regardless, your body will recognize the change in diet and there may be side effects that you should be aware of. For example, one potential side effect is what is known as the ‘keto flu’ which usually occurs within a week of someone starting the keto diet. Despite its name, the keto flu is not the real flu; it’s actually a combination of flu-like symptoms. The best remedies include drinking water and getting enough rest.

Inform close family members about your diet.

When making a major lifestyle change like joining the keto diet, you will want the support of close family members. While they shouldn’t be forced to follow your diet, they can still encourage you to make healthy eating decisions. Logistically, you may be purchasing different kinds of food than you were before. It may be necessary to discuss which foods in the house are available for each person to eat. However, if you’re looking for a yummy treat to share, we recommend trying out some of our dessert options! Diet or no, everyone is sure to love them.

Be aware of your calorie consumption. 

Limiting calories is not necessarily a requirement of the keto diet, but it does sometimes happen when a person starts limiting their food groups. It is important to stay within the recommended calorie range for your body. Even if you are following the keto diet to lose weight, your body needs calories to be healthy and continue functioning correctly. If you have questions about how many calories you need in a day, consider consulting a registered dietician. 

Drink lots of water.

We mentioned water before, but it’s important enough that it’s worth talking about twice. As with any change that your body goes through, it needs lots of water to function properly. Many people have experienced some level of dehydration when beginning the keto diet, which is easily preventable by drinking water. Additionally. you may also want to consider increasing your electrolyte intake, as your body will be in need of those essential nutrients as well. 

Choosing to follow any diet is a big decision, especially keto. There may be some bumps along the road, but in the long run, your body will thank you for living a healthier lifestyle. So do the best you can, and don’t be too hard on yourself. Our best advice is to take your decisions one meal at a time. You got this! Welcome to the keto community!

Here at Num Gourmet Desserts, we talk a lot about the keto diet. All of our desserts are keto-friendly, after all! If you haven’t heard about it here, you’ve probably run into the term ‘keto’ somewhere. It’s one of the most widely used diets for losing weight and increasing the overall health of your body. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about keto!

What is the Keto Diet?

The Keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. With this diet, you are essentially replacing your carb intake with healthy fats. The net carbohydrate intake varies depending on the person, but in general, it is recommended to eat under 25-35 net grams of carbs a day. The keto diet has been proven to help lose weight, among other health benefits. While many foods are restricted on the Keto diet, such as carbs, protein is encouraged in moderate amounts.

There is a really interesting science behind how the keto diet works in your body. When deprived of carbs, your body begins to burn fat for energy instead of sugar (or glucose) that comes from carbohydrates. When you do this, your body goes into a metabolic state called ketosis. While in ketosis, your body becomes much more efficient at burning fat. The keto diet is such an appealing weight loss solution because it conditions your body to break down existing fat stores.

Which foods should you eat and which should you avoid on the Keto Diet?

The keto diet follows very strict rules regarding what you can and cannot eat. Because keto works only when carbs are limited, the diet must be followed with exactness. As a beginner, these guidelines can be overwhelming or confusing, but when you understand the basics, it’s a little bit easier to tackle. 

First, let’s talk about the foods you need to stay away from. It’s difficult to only list food groups because nearly every group has an exception or two. But to give you an idea, here is a rough outline of foods you need to stay away from:

• Grains —Cereal, wheat, rice, bread, corn
• Sugary foods — candy, soda, processed foods
• Fruit — Apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, 
• Other foods — Potatoes, yams, beans, milk, carrots

Now that we’ve talked about the foods you can’t have, let’s move on to all the foods you can eat! The keto diet focuses on healthy, whole foods. There are so many amazing foods that fit into that category… including desserts! Many people who follow this diet have rich, delicious meals. Some foods that are allowed in keto are:

• Meats —poultry, fish, eggs, beef, lamb
• Low Carb Veggies — Broccoli, green beans, kale, celery, zucchini, peppers
• Dairy —Cheese, butter, heavy cream
• Some Nuts and Seeds —sunflower seeds, almonds, macadamia, walnuts
• Other healthy foods —Avocado, coconut oil, berries, artificial sweetener

A transition to the keto diet may change many things about what you currently eat. Unless you already follow a diet focused on whole foods, you may have to increase your awareness about what foods you are using to fuel your body. Without a doubt, it will require work, time, and self-control. But there are things you can still eat, like desserts! They just require slight ingredient adjustments. At Num Gourmet Desserts, we are committed to making delicious treats that are in line with the keto diet. We’re so glad you’re here to follow along!