Photo by Tom Sharrow/SoNourished.com

As consumers begin to recognize that the keto diet can help them reach their health goals, the popularity of the diet has likewise risen. As keto has become commonplace, food producers have taken notice. New keto-approved food products hit the aisles of grocery stores each month, helping consumers meet their health goals.

One more example of this happening is a brand new start-up company created by a team of University of Illinois seniors.1 This group of six students set out to meet the growing needs of consumers across the country.

College students making healthy snacks

Although you might not typically associate college students with healthy snack choices, one particular group of students bucks that stereotype. Keelin Frank, Regan Doolin, Allison Streeter, Karen Zheng, Candace Mazewski, and Charlie Stahurski created a new product together. These students all took a food product development class and, as a part of their assignments, decided to develop keto versions of some of their favorite snacks.

This decision was not the result of a few students trying to get an easy A, however. Instead, these students performed market research, recognizing the growing need for keto-approved snacks. They worked alongside another student named Patrick Swietek, who helped the team with the business side of creating a startup.

The process of creating a healthy keto snack

To settle on the particular product they wanted to make, these students each began to follow the keto diet. They noted the foods they were craving but weren’t allowed to eat. These students found that their desire for high-carb foods increased significantly. The decision was obvious: create a snack that satiated the cravings of keto dieters while still helping them stay in ketosis.

A new company is born

Since the team desired to “keto-ize” old recipes, they decided to name their company “Ketotizit!” Their first product is called “Keto Kups,” a quiche-like snack that has a crust built from hemp hearts. Their research led them to give the Keto Kups a buffalo chicken flavor—a choice that most college students can get behind. Keto Kups are frozen and can be quickly reheated, allowing keto dieters to enjoy a quick, keto-friendly snack whenever they want.

What’s next for Ketotizit?

Although the company began as a class project, it has turned into something much larger. The group ended the course by presenting their product to food industry professionals. They won funding to begin their business and continue to develop their company and products.

While they're new to the food industry, Ketotizit! represents a trend towards healthier eating. For those willing to innovate and create new, healthy options, success awaits. Both large companies and small startups recognize the growing popularity of the keto diet.

NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER

The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.

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