All kinds of keto

Salt & Vinegar Chicken with Vegetables ($5.99 Oahu, $6.79 neighbor islands)

There’s something new at 7-Eleven Hawaii stores around the state, and it’s a venture that tastes good and is good for you, too. In collaboration with Dr. Jodi Nishida of The Keto Prescription, 7-Eleven Hawaii rolled out three new keto-friendly items back on June 2.

The Salt & Vinegar Chicken with Vegetables ($5.99 Oahu, $6.79 neighbor islands) features a hearty poultry main — with a definitive flavor kick — on a bed of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and butternut squash. For smaller bites, opt for the Broccoli Salad ($2.99 Oahu, $3.09 neighbor islands) or Greek Salad ($3.69 Oahu, $3.99 neighbor islands). The former features the crunchy tree-like greens, as well as bacon, red onions, cheese tossed in sour cream and ranch dressing. The latter consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, olives and feta cheese on a bed of lettuce, along with a olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper dressing.

Those that pair the chicken entrée with either the broccoli or Greek salad can save $1 on the well-rounded meal.

Greek Salad ($3.69 Oahu, $3.99 neighbor islands)

And, it gets better. Come July, 7-Eleven Hawaii will also introduce a Cobb Salad with chicken, bacon, eggs and blue cheese (price to be determined).

“With (Dr. Nishida’s) guidance, we are very excited to be the first convenience store to offer keto-friendly dishes,” says Debbie Lee Soon, senior fresh food category manager. “7-Eleven Hawaii is always listening to our customers and trying to be responsive to their needs. My ultimate goal was to make keto-friendly items that taste really good so everyone will like it, even people who are not eating keto.”

The Keto Prescription, run by Nishida and Dr. Russell Yang of Hawaii Gastro Health, has its foundation in a ketogenic diet, which consists of consuming foods low in carbohydrates, low in sugar, moderate in protein and high in healthy fats.

“Keto switches your body’s fuel source from sugar to something called ketones,” explains Nishida. “Our body slowly dies on sugar and thrives on ketones.”

In addition to the new menu items, Nishida looked at all of 7-Eleven Hawaii’s food products — including sugar-free teas and coffees, as well as beef jerky, protein bars, cookies and more — and indicated what items can be dubbed “keto-friendly.” There will be logos on signs to assure customers that those products meet keto guidelines.

“We have a long list of keto-friendly snacks and beverages already in the store,” explains Soon. “Dr. Nishida went through all these items to make sure we could recommend them.”

The novel keto-friendly partnership was kismet, to hear Nishida tell it.

“I was rushing around one day and needed something to eat,” she recalls. “I stopped at 7-Eleven on Piikoi Street and went inside. After looking around, I realized there was almost nothing in there that I could eat and left the store frustrated. I shared this story with a close friend who happened to know Greg Hanna (president and CEO), and the rest is history. 7-Eleven has been incredible to work with, and I’m so happy they want to have a huge role in making Hawaii healthier.”

Learn more about The Keto Prescription online at theketoprescription.com or by calling 376-2100.