Farmers Market duo serves baked goodies everyone can enjoy by Wendy O. Dixon
Tasting the samples of fresh-baked goods at Keto Kreations, a vendor at the Seaside Farmers Market, you might think you’re eating traditional muffins, bagels or cakes. But Jamie and Ashley Ping have made keto their business, as they serve up naturally-sweetened baked goods that everyone can enjoy.
Keto, or a ketogenic diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that excludes gluten, sugar and processed foods and instead relies on high-fat real foods for energy, including meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and natural fats, including butter.
The diet can help with losing excess body fat while still feeling full, thanks to the high-fat content, according to Jamie Ping, co-founder and chief operating officer for Keto Kreations.
“Once you take sugar and carbs out of your body, it produces ketones, and will start eating the fat,” he says.
Jamie’s wife, Ashley, founder and keto chemist for Keto Kreations, met while Jamie was a Cracker Barrell general manager who hired Jamie as a server. After being married for a few years, they decided to start their own business based on what they loved — Ashley’s keto baked goods.
Ashley and Jamie Ping sell their freshly made keto baked goods at the Seaside Farmers Market each week. Photos courtesy Keto Kreations
“As life progressed and we had kids, we got comfortable and started putting on weight. And we were getting tired all the time,” he says. “We finally decided enough was enough. Ashley discovered the benefits of the keto diet first, and started losing weight quickly. She’s always loved baking, and started testing in our kitchen, converting her baked stuff to keto. I made fun of it at first. I thought it wasn’t even real. But now we both enjoy this healthier lifestyle.” Ashley has lost 70 pounds, and Jamie has lost 50 pounds since they began incorporating the keto diet.
Jamie’s and Ashely’s foods include approximately 50 different items, including biscuits, bagels, muffins, cheese cakes, waffles and pretzels. New popular items include jalapeno cheddar bagels, bread and biscuits.
“The good thing about it is that it caters to people with celiac disease, diabetes and other illnesses,” Jamie adds. “I’ve had a customer who said, ‘I’m 35 years old and never had a cookie in my life.’ We love to see people like that enjoying our food. That’s what keeps us going.”
Ashley and Jamie sell their Keto Kreations baked goods at the Seaside Farmers Market each Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
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