Low Carb, Low Cal, Healthy King Cake in Louisiana Is Just What the Doctor Ordered

Lafayette, LA (KPEL News) - It sounds like an oxymoron. Should the words "low carb, low cal, healthy" be used in the same sentence with king cake? In an attempt to balance the Louisiana joie de vivre with get-fit New Year resolutions, Ochsner Health has introduced a king cake that checks all the boxes.

Whether you're trying to keep your New Year's resolution or have a medical condition that restricts your diet, you can stop being depressed by having to deny yourself the pleasure of a king cake.

The healthier Mardi Gras option was created by Unrefined Bakery for Eat Fit, a non-profit initiative under the Ochsner Health umbrella. According to their website,

Eat Fit encourages nutritious choices whether an
individual is looking to lose weight, feel better or look better, as well as help to manage health issues
including diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure.

King cake enthusiasts have debated whether the traditional king cake or the donut king cake is best. Both sugary carnival treats are decorated in the traditional purple, green, and gold. You'll find a baby either set up outside the cake or, for more adventurous souls, hidden inside the cake.

The Eat Fit king cake provides another alternative, and Ochsner suggests that you wouldn't know it was nutritious just by the taste.

It is billed as:

• Gluten Free
• Grain Free
• Low Carb
• Zero Sugar
• Keto
• Dairy Free
• 3 NET CARBS
• All Natural

The nutrition label touts impressive numbers for those who need the information.

A product called Swerve provides the sweet taste. The sugar replacement was developed and is marketed out of New Orleans, and the company claims it doesn't leave an aftertaste and acts more like sugar when used in baking.

It looks like a small white bundt cake with appropriately-colored edible decoration.

You can pick one up at PJ's Coffee and Whole Foods location statewide, with additional retailers in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or Shreveport areas. You can also order it online.