Ketoinen: fuelling goodness

By Philip Denvir | Photos: Ketoinen

These days, many people are looking to change their diet, health and overall wellness. The Ketogenic diet, keto for short, has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is widely believed to be benficial for weight loss, increased metabolism, brain function, energy and diabetes-management and prevention. But if you thought keto meant baked goods were off the table, think again: this Finnish company has created a variety of delicious, grain-free bakery products to support a ketogenic diet.

Kuopio-based Ketoinen was founded to fill a gap in the market for healthy, grain-free products that also taste good. “Our products are one-of-a-kind, we are rethinking foodstuffs and there’s nothing like our products in the Nordic countries and the EU,” says Ketoinen’s chief marketing officer Niina Vänttinen. “Ketoinen’s bakery products are suitable for a plant-based diet: they can increase dietary fiber without grain and protein without meat. Our products are stomach-friendly and can help with many dietary challenges – problems caused by poor digestion, for example. They are also beneficial for people with blood sugar, gluten and yeast issues,” she explains.

The ketogenic diet

Ketoinen aims to support well-being from many different angles, and its products are already being used to support the treatment of diseases, and they participate in clinical trials. “Our products are unique in Europe, as they have a very short list of ingredients and do not contain any grain at all. Ketoinen products are a source of fibre and protein, and they are perfect for those following gluten-free, low-carbohydrate, yeast-free, soy-free, ketogenic and foodmap diets,” says Vänttinen.

Keto is a term for a low-carb diet. The idea is to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. On a ketogenic diet, it’s advised that people cut back most on carbs that are easy to digest, such as processed sugars, fizzy drinks and grains. “Ketoinen products are ideal additions for active people to enrich the diet. And crucially, they taste good! There is a gap in the market for genuinely delicious health-foods. Our company motto is ‘fuelling goodness’, and our mission is to do good in the world by making life tastier and more enjoyable,” Vänttinen continues.

Born from need

Ketoinen was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic by restauranteurs Niina-Marika Lahnavik-Hoffren and Anni Hoffren. Social restrictions meant the pair needed to pivot to delivering food to stay in business, and the lightbulb moment came in 2021, when they landed on the idea to make tasty keto-based bakery goods that could be easily distributed. Lahnavik-Hoffren had already been baking grain-free bread as part of a ketogenic diet while recovering from a serious illness, and found it delicious. In no time, grocers, universities and hospitals were interested in it. In fact, the protein-rich grain-free bread was in such high demand that it was immediately included in the nationwide selection of stores.

“Production was focused on the Ketoinen grain-free bread. There was nothing like that in stores at the time, and the versatility of the bread was unique,” says Vänttinen. Ketoinen products are sold frozen in grocery stores throughout Finland and will soon be available in the rest of the Nordic countries.

“You can find us in the gluten-free frozen food section in grocery stores all over the country. We fuel well-being – both in home kitchens and through the Finnish hotel, restaurant and catering industry. All our products are baked in Kuopio, in Ketoinen’s own grain-free production facility. We believe in naturalness, cleanliness and domesticity, for which we have earned the Key Flag label,” says Vänttinen.

“When people think about the Nordic countries, they tend to think of natural living, so we use as few ingredients as possible and work sustainably. On a global scale, we’re seeing a 20-30 per cent rise in demand for special diets, but it’s a sector that’s lacking in quality products. We hope to change that in the keto bakery realm. So, look out for Ketoinen at your local grocery store in the future.”

Ketoinen: fuelling goodness