07/22/2019 | Comment

Learn the best Taco Bell Keto options!

When you think of a keto-friendly meal, Mexican food isn’t exactly the first thing to pop into your head. Most Mexican menu items can contain many different carb-heavy items like tortillas and beans, which can make it seem impossible to eat low carb at Taco Bell–but it is possible if you are careful to avoid these items! Many of Taco Bell’s menu items can be tweaked in order to fit a keto lifestyle. Go in armed with the knowledge of what changes you can make when ordering at Taco Bell in order to stay in ketosis

Table of Contents

What Shouldn’t You Order at Taco Bell?

  • Crunchy Taco Shells
  • Soft Taco Shells
  • Burrito Wraps
  • Beans
  • Red Strips
  • Rice
  • Fritos
  • Potatoes
  • Salad Dressings
  • 16 ounce strawberry Skittles Freeze
  • 16 ounce watermelon Freeze 
  • Cinnabon Delights 
  • Cinnamon Twists 

Lunch or Dinner Options

  • Power Chicken Menu Bowl
  • Power Steak Menu Bowl
  • Power Ground Beef Menu Bowl
  • Taco
  • Taco Supreme
  • Grilled Steak Taco
  • Chicken Taco 

Breakfast Options

  • Mini Skillet Bowl
  • Naked Egg Taco
  • Grilled Breakfast Burrito

Drink Options

  • Iced Coffee
  • Premium Hot Coffee
  • Unsweetened Iced Tea
  • Diet Pepsi

Customizations & Add-Ons

  • Fire Grilled Chicken
  • Steak
  • Seasoned Ground Beef 
  • Shredded Chicken
  • Bacon 
  • Sausage Crumbles 
  • Guacamole 
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese 
  • Sour Cream 
  • Jalapenos
  • Nacho Cheese Sauce 
  • Avocado Ranch Sauce
  • Creamy Chipotle Sauce
  • Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
  • Habanero Sauce 
  • Spicy Ranch Sauce

What Shouldn’t You Order At Taco Bell?

To start, let’s talk about the items you shouldn’t order at Taco Bell if you’re following a keto diet. There are many things that you can enjoy, but always be sure to avoid the following items (https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/foods).

  • Crunchy Taco Shells – 14 grams net carbs each
  • Soft Taco Shells – 15 grams net carbs each
  • Burrito Wraps – 34 grams net carbs each
  • Beans – 20 grams net carbs per serving
  • Red Strips – 8 grams net carbs per serving
  • Rice – 19 grams net carbs per serving
  • Fritos – 14 grams net carbs per serving
  • Potatoes – 24 grams net carbs per serving
  • Some Salad Dressings – 10+ grams of carbs per serving

In addition, be sure to avoid any of their sugary dessert and specialty drink options, as they also pack a lot of carbs per serving. 

  • 16 ounce strawberry Skittles Freeze – 42 grams net carbs 
  • 16 ounce watermelon Freeze – 60 grams net carbs
  • Cinnabon Delights (2 pack) – 17 grams net carbs
  • Cinnamon Twists – 27 grams net carbs

The Best Low Carb Lunch or Dinner Options

There are three very keto-friendly lunch and dinner options at Taco Bell that low-carb dieters like to order. The first is the Power Menu Bowl, which can be ordered with either chicken, steak, or ground beef. The bowls come standard with lettuce, beans, rice, cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, avocado, and ranch sauce. By ordering the bowl with no beans or rice, it automatically becomes very low carb (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101). If you’d like to lose another net carb, ask for it without the pico de gallo as well.

  • Power Chicken Menu Bowl (without rice or beans) – 5 grams net carbs, 15 grams fat, 21 grams protein
  • Power Steak Menu Bowl (without rice or beans) – 7 grams net carbs, 16 grams fat, 21 grams protein
  • Power Ground Beef Menu Bowl (without rice or beans) – 6 grams net carbs, 21 grams fat, 15 grams protein

A La Carte Lunch and Dinner Options

If one of the Power Menu Bowls doesn’t sound appealing, there are other options on the lunch and dinner menu that you can make low-carb as well. Simply eat the fillings and skip the shells, which gives you a good amount of both fat and protein (https://www.brit.co/how-much-meat-on-keto/).

  • Taco (without shell) – 0 grams net carbs, 9 grams fat, 9 grams protein
  • Taco Supreme (without shell) – 2 grams net carbs, 10 grams fat, 10 grams protein
  • Grilled Steak Taco (without shell) – 1 gram net carb, 10 grams fat, 12 grams protein
  • Chicken Taco (without shell) – 0 grams net carbs, 8 grams fat, 10 grams protein

The Best Low Carb Breakfast Options

For breakfast, there a few popular keto-friendly options that Taco Bell has to offer. The first is the Mini Skillet Bowl. Its main ingredient is eggs, which is a solid source of protein for keto dieters (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-foods#section1). The bowl also includes potatoes, nacho cheese sauce, and pico de gallo. Order the bowl without the potatoes in order to keep it low-carb. The second best option is the Naked Egg Taco, a fairly new and unique offering at Taco Bell. Instead of using a traditional taco shell to wrap their breakfast taco ingredients, they use a fried egg! On the inside you’ll find potatoes, bacon, nacho cheese sauce, and shredded cheese, so be sure to ask for it without the potatoes. Another good option is a Grilled Breakfast Burrito without the shell, which leaves just eggs, bacon, and nacho cheese

  • Mini Skillet Bowl (without potatoes) – 5 grams net carbs, 11 grams fat, 5 grams protein (4 grams net carbs without pico de gallo)
  • Naked Egg Taco (without potatoes) – 2 grams net carbs, 11 grams fat, 7 grams protein
  • Grilled Breakfast Burrito (without shell) – 2 grams net carbs, 17 grams fat, 13 grams protein

The Best Low Carb Drink Options

As with most fast food chain restaurants, Taco Bell doesn’t have a huge variety of keto-friendly drinks. Still, there are a few low-carb options beyond a cup of water for your to choose from (https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/drinks).

  • Iced Coffee (no added sugar) – 0 grams net carbs, 0 grams fat, 2 grams protein
  • Premium Hot Coffee (no added sugar) – 0 grams net carbs, 0 grams fat, 2 grams protein
  • Unsweetened Iced Tea, any size – 0 grams net carbs, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein
  • Diet Pepsi, any size – 0 grams net carbs, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein

Customizing Items for Maximum Flavor

One of the great things about eating keto at Taco Bell is that they have quite an array of different low-carb toppings that can be added to maximize flavor, and ensure that you hit your fat and protein macros (https://bodyketosis.com/get-more-fat/). You will recognize many of these ingredients as typical keto diet ingredients!

  • Fire Grilled Chicken – 0 grams net carbs, 2 grams fat, 8 grams protein
  • Steak – 1 gram net carbs, 2 grams fat, 8 grams protein
  • Seasoned Ground Beef – 1 gram net carbs, 5 grams fat, 5 grams protein
  • Shredded Chicken – 1 gram net carbs, 3 grams fat, 6 grams protein
  • Bacon – 0 grams net carbs, 5 grams fat, 4 grams protein
  • Sausage Crumbles – 0 grams net carbs, 5 grams fat, 2 grams protein
  • Guacamole – 1 gram net carbs, 3 grams fat, 0 grams protein
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese – 0 grams net carbs, 2 grams fat, 2 grams protein
  • Sour Cream – 2 grams net carbs, 1 gram fat, 0 gram protein
  • Jalapenos – .5 grams net carbs, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein
  • Nacho Cheese Sauce – 2 grams net carbs, 2 grams fat, 0 grams protein
  • Avocado Ranch Sauce – 0 grams net carbs, 3 grams fat, 0 grams protein
  • Creamy Chipotle Sauce – 0 grams net carbs, 3 grams fat, 0 grams protein
  • Creamy Jalapeno Sauce – 0 grams net carbs, 3 grams fat, 0 grams protein
  • Habanero Sauce – 0 grams net carbs, 1 gram fat, 0 grams protein
  • Spicy Ranch Sauce – 0 grams net carbs, 3 grams fat, 0 grams protein

Eating at Taco Bell to Maintain Your Healthy Keto Lifestyle

Eating keto-friendly meals at Taco Bell may not be as easy as at other fast food restaurants, but they do offer plenty of options to customize their meals to fit the low-carb lifestyle. Their variety of different meat options means means you can get your protein without feeling bored, and to make sure you meet your fat intake goals you can turn to not only guacamole and bacon, but also a number of different sauces that are all sugar-free (https://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbiltmedicine/study-balanced-high-fat-diet-improves-body-composition-inflammation/).

So the next time you need a quick keto-friendly meal, stop by Taco Bell to see if these meals are a good option for you!

07/22/2019 | Comment

At first glance, finding keto-friendly options at McDonald’s might seem difficult. Fortunately, since the menu is fully customizable, many McDonald’s meals can easily work with the keto diet. In this guide we’ll provide foods to avoid at all costs plus many breakfast and dinner options that won’t kick you out of ketosis. 

Table of Contents:

  • Foods to Avoid
  • What to Order
    • Breakfast
    • Burgers
    • Salads
    • Chicken
    • Plus a Bonus Tip!

Foods to Avoid

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Knowing what not to order at McDonald’s for the keto diet is just as important as knowing what to order. If you’ve been doing keto for a while you’ll already know the short list of foods to avoid, but for those out there who are new to this health-boosting diet, here are the main items to ALWAYS AVOID in a McDonald’s keto breakfast or dinner

  • Bread of all types (this includes buns, McMuffins, bagels, McGriddles, biscuits, and pancakes)
  • French fries
  • Hash browns
  • Sweet tea
  • Regular soda
  • “Fruit” drinks with tons of sugar (like Gatorade or Fanta)
  • Milk (this includes milk in coffee and drinks from the McCafe menu)
  • Desserts – ice cream, milkshakes, McFlurrys, apple pies, cookies, etc.

What to Order

You can see from the list above that the easiest keto-friendly order at McDonald’s could be just a burger or grilled chicken sandwich sans bun, with water, unsweet tea, or diet soda to drink. Want more curated, detailed guidance on what to order? Read on for recommendations on menu items that come in at 10 grams of less net carbs per serving and so you can be “lovin’ it” without packing on the pounds. All nutrition information comes from the official McDonald’s nutrition calculator. 

1. Breakfast

Many people consider breakfast to be the easiest meal on the keto diet. Stick with the classic fare – fatty meats, eggs, cheese, and butter – and you can’t go wrong. McDonald’s has a variety of keto-friendly breakfast options to keep you full until lunchtime

Big Breakfast (hold the biscuit and hash browns)

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McDonald’s Big Breakfast normally comes with scrambled eggs, a sausage patty, a biscuit, and two hash browns. Nix the biscuit and hash browns to make this a keto-friendly breakfast. With just the eggs and sausage you’re looking at 2g net carbs, 340 calories, 29g fat, and 19g protein, which sizes up to a McDonald’s keto breakfast anyone can get behind.

Egg McMuffin (hold the muffin)

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The Egg McMuffin is a staple for McDonald’s breakfast, but that muffin breaks the carb bank if you’re on keto. Ask for no muffin, leaving just egg, ham, cheese, and butter for 3g net carbs, 160 calories, 11g fat, and 12g protein. While this isn’t the ideal macro makeup for keto, it’s definitely a low carb option that won’t kick you out of ketosis.

Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit (hold the biscuit)

Promo image McDonald's

You can actually get the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese in a biscuit, muffin, bagel, or McGriddle pancakes at McDonald’s…but none of those will work if you’re trying to stay in ketosis. Instead, ask for the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese biscuit with no biscuit and the net carb count falls from 38g to just 3g. You’ll also get 190 calories, 13g fat, and 14g protein.

Steak, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit (hold the biscuit)

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Steak for breakfast? Yes please! This protein-packed option is a guaranteed hunger killer. Packing in 280 calories, 20g fat, and 22g protein for just a meager 3g net carbs, you’ll want to order this one, biscuit-less of course, when you’re having a late lunch.

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit (hold the biscuit)

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The Sausage, Egg, & Cheese is just like its’ bacon and steak brothers above. As such, it is also offered on a variety of ketosis-busting breads that you must avoid at all costs. Order it biscuit-less for just 3g net carbs. While the carb count is low, it also packs a whopping 340 calories, 29g fat, and 16g protein, making it an excellent keto choice.

2. Burgers

Burgers are definitely what McDonald’s is known for, with it’s iconic Big Mac taking the lead of a variety of beefy choices. From a simple hamburger to the mouth-watering Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, burger lovers can definitely satisfy their cravings without adding in too many carbs.

Big Mac (hold the bun & sauce)

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The Big Mac is what many people think of when they think of McDonald’s. Just as much a part of the brand as the Golden Arches, the Big Mac features two beef patties stacked with lettuce, pickles, onions, and the famous Big Mac sauce. Ordering the Big Mac as is will cost you 43g net carbs, but just omitting the bun takes that down to 6g net carbs, and nixing the sauce cuts it down to 4g (but it also cuts out 9g of fat, so if you have enough carbs left in the day to keep the sauce it definitely helps make the macros of this burger more keto-aligned). If you do decide to go bunless but keep the sauce, you’ll get 330 calories, 25g fat, and 18g protein as well.

Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese & Bacon (hold the bun & ketchup)

The Double Quarter Pounder is another fan favorite and great option for keto dieters, boasting ½ pound of 100% beef. Leaving off the bun drops the net carb count from 40g to 9g, and giving the ketchup the axe brings it down to just 4g, which is very doable for keto dieters. Without a bun or ketchup, the Double Quarter Pounder has 590 calories, 43g fat, and 45g protein.

Double Cheeseburger with Bacon (hold the bun & ketchup)

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If a half pound of beef seems like a little much, and you’re not a Big Mac sauce fan, the Double Cheeseburger with Bacon may be for you. Ask for no bun or ketchup and you’ll already be down to 3g net carbs with 280 calories, 20g fat, and 20g protein. Ask them to add bacon for an extra fat and protein punch for no net carbs!

Bacon McDouble (hold the bun & ketchup)

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Keto on a budget? The McDouble gives even value shoppers some keto bang for their buck. Just order sans bun and ketchup for 3g net carbs, 230 calories, 16g fat, and 17g protein. Just like the Double Cheeseburger above, ask them to add bacon for extra calories, fat, and protein at no carb cost.

3. Salads

Salads should always be a go-to for the keto dieter when eating out, especially at a fast-food place. Salads are guaranteed to pack in the nutrients with leafy greens and colorful veggies for a low carb McDonald’s meal that’s an all-around good choice. However, it’s easy to let the carbs get out of control when we start adding dressings and other toppings. So always order grilled chicken instead of crispy (crispy = breaded and fried) and stick to the dressings shown below to keep it fresh, healthy, and keto-friendly.

Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad

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Another hard-hitter in the protein department, the Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad delivers 42g of protein, 320 calories, and 14g fat for only 5g net carbs! That leaves plenty of room for a packet of your favorite dressing….say, umm…ranch?

Side salad

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While the side salad might not suffice as a full meal, it makes an awesome, vitamin-packed snack with only 2g net carbs. You’ll definitely need to add some fat and protein to keep your macros within keto ranges since the side salad only has 15 calories, 0g fat, and 1g protein, but you won’t have to worry about this little guy ruining your ketosis. 

Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing

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A favorite for tons of keto dieters, ranch dressing is usually a safe bet in moderate amounts. Enjoy a packet from McDonald’s of Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing for just 7g net carbs, 140 calories, 11g fat, and 1g protein. This is by far the most keto-friendly salad dressing McDonald’s offers.

Newman’s Own Family Recipe Italian Dressing

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One packet of this fat-free, flavorful italian dressing has just 7g net carbs, so feel free to add it to your Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad or Side salad. You’ll also be adding 50 calories, 2.5g fat, and 1g protein. For those who aren’t ranch lovers, this is a solid option.

Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette

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This low-fat balsamic vinaigrette is the lowest carb salad dressing McDonald’s offers, with just 4g net carbs, 35 calories, 2g fat, and 0g protein. While it lacks enough fat or protein to be ideal for keto, it’s low net carb count make it a great choice, and it gives balsamic fans a way to enjoy their salad with that signature tang.

4. Chicken

Not everyone is a burger lover. For those who prefer white, leaner meats, McDonald’s also offer chicken options suited for the keto dieter, although the lack of fat might throw your macros off if not offset later on with a high fat food.

Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich (hold the bun)

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Drop 40g of net carbs off of the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich just by leaving off the bun, leaving just 2g net carbs, 160 calories, 4g fat, and 29g protein. With a carb count so low you may be tempted to enjoy two of these chicken filets, but the high protein count would likely throw your keto macros for a loop, so stick to just one to stay in ketosis.

5. Bonus tip - You can still make it a combo!

That’s right, no need to suffer with a dry mouth after that bunless burger or muffinless McMuffin. Just make it a low carb McDonald’s combo with a side salad and a water, unsweet tea, or diet soda and you’re good to go ! The side salad only adds 2g net carbs (without dressing) while the water or diet soda has no net carbs at all. Now, this doesn’t mean that diet soda is “healthy”, but when faced with all the sugar-loaded options at McDonald’s, sometimes the lesser of many evils is all you can do. If the thought of all that neuron-killing aspartame is too much for you though, just stick with the water for a guilt-free beverage. Bonus points if you choose the recyclable cup instead of the plastic bottle!

Conclusion

You might not think of McDonald’s first when thinking of low carb or keto-friendly food options, but you might want to think again. Thanks to the addition of healthy menu items like salads along with a fully customizable menu, you can stay in ketosis while enjoying breakfast, lunch, or dinner with the family.

It’s advisable to keep the visits to McDonald’s and all other fast food locations as limited as possible. Even though the affordability and convenience may be enticing, highly processed fast food just doesn’t offer the nutrition value of whole foods made from scratch at home

However, you can now enjoy a bite while the kids create those nugget-filled childhood memories without fear of wrecking your waistline.

References & Additional Resources:

  • https://mrskinnypants.com/how-to-order-low-carb-or-keto-at-mcdonalds/
  • https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-our-food/nutrition-calculator.html
  • https://surviveketo.com/mcdonalds-low-carb-keto-options/
  • https://www.kissmyketo.com/blogs/food/lowcarb-keto-mcdonalds-options-for-on-the-go
  • https://lowcarbyum.com/low-carb-mcdonalds/
  • https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/keto-fast-foods
  • https://forgetsugarfriday.com/keto-mcdonalds/
07/22/2019 | Comment

Peanut butter is a cheap and convenient food to purchase at almost any store. For Keto dieters, it is high in fat and proteins with little carbohydrate. The health benefit of all-natural peanut butter is amazing and this mouth-watering food can be eaten with almost anything. You name it, peanut butter could probably make it even better.

Is Peanut Butter Good For Keto?

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It is easy to question the safeness of peanut butter as a keto-friendly meal because of how much other ingredients goes into some of the store-bought brands. You’d easily find a “natural peanut butter” brand on the shelf containing artificial sweeteners and flavors or even colors that makes it look more appealing. 

So, is peanut butter keto friendly? 

Absolutely, but in moderation! Unless you are allergic to peanuts, then an all-natural peanut butter is considered a relatively safe food when on the ketogenic diet. According to a credible Health and Keto website, menshealth.com, Shiffer (2019) claimed that, “Peanut butter can be part of a Keto diet since it contains mostly fats and protein with very little carbohydrates.”

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While the key to selecting the keto-friendly ones is by reading the label to avoid purchasing those with added sugar and other carbs, all natural peanut butter is high in fat and also contains protein; these are the main types of food that are considered safe to eat when on a Ketogenic diet. When purchasing, always look out for brands of peanut butter that contains inflammatory ingredients like hydrogenated oils and trans fats, these are the bad ingredients.

Peanut butter is a food that is also high in calories and can easily be overeaten. A hundred gram of peanut butter is about 580 calories and also 20 grams of carbohydrate, which is about the daily limit when on a keto diet. With about 4 net carbs per serving, dieter will have to be careful when indulging in this treat, to avoid getting kicked out of ketosis. Though peanut butter is safe to eat  while on the Keto diet, it must be eaten in moderation.

Some Benefits Of Peanut Butter

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1. Fats

Since the whole goal of a ketogenic diet is to keep ones’ body in nutritional ketosis by ingesting fat and protein with very minimal carbs, peanut butter is of the best fat source. 50% of peanut butter, by weight, is fat; it contains very minimal carbohydrate and a moderate amount of protein.

2. Research-Proven Health Benefits​

Not only is peanut butter one of the most delicious creation this world has to offer, research has shown that it has a lot of health benefits. Ros (2010) found in his work on the health benefits on Nut consumption, that peanuts, among others, have beneficial impacts on many cardiovascular risk factors. The author also explained that there are some growing evidences that suggests that nut intake have beneficial effects on hypertension, cancer, inflammation, and even weight loss.

3. Nutritious

The Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shared on nutritiondata.self.com, that peanut butter is high in Vitamin E, B6, B3 (niacin), Folate, Iron, Potassium, magnesium, and several other vitamins and minerals. It also contain several notable antioxidants, like p-Coumaric acid and resveratrol.

4. Great Source of Fiber

Asides all the great vitamins that peanut provides, it is also rich in fiber. Fiber is known to help normalize bowel movement, control blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and aid in achieving healthy weight, among others.

Best Ways To Eat Peanut Butter

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Although, peanut butter does all these great things and more, one has to be careful with this food. Peanut butter is high in calories and can be easy to over-eat. This makes it hard to lose weight on the ketogenic diet. Here are some ways that you can eat your peanut butter while on a Keto diet, without the fear of overeating or derailing your attempts to stay on your goal.

1. Make Your Own Peanut Butter

In order to stay clear of the store-bought peanut butter brands that contains ingredients like hydrogenated oils, trans fats, and sugar, one option to eating peanut butter is by making your own. The key is in the selection of peanuts; you may prefer organic, dry roasted, salted or unsalted peanuts. It is also important to make sure you are purchasing natural peanuts with no added ingredients or additives (these are most likely easier to find than peanut butter.) Food Network is a credible source that offers some ways to make home-made peanut butter.

2. Using Peanut Butter as a Treat or Snack

Again, because of how easy it is to over eat this calorie-filled food, it is advised to use peanut butter as a treat or night snack.

Some peanut butter treats include:

Keto peanut butter fudge

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This is another low Carb, low sugar, high fat Peanut Butter snack that makes a perfectly delicious keto dessert or fat bomb. It is almost unbelievable that this snack is sugar-free and very low-carb. It has 10 minute prep and cook time, with 240 kcal per serving, 23g of fat and 7g of protein.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

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This is another low Carb, low sugar, high fat Peanut Butter snack that makes a perfectly delicious keto dessert or fat bomb. It is almost unbelievable that this snack is sugar-free and very low-carb. It has 10 minute prep and cook time, with 240 kcal per serving, 23g of fat and 7g of protein.

Peanut Butter Fat Bomb

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 A fat bomb is usually a combination of healthy fats, nuts or seeds and created to help people who eat a lower carb diet include more healthy fats into their diet. They are usually eaten as a snacks to give you energy during the day or at night as a bedtime snack. With raw peanut butter, coconut oil, cinnamon and sea salt, peanut butter fat-bombs come out to be about 130 calories per serving and 12g of fat.

Keto Peanut Butter Cookies

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Like the above snacks, peanut butter cookies are also high protein, low carb delicious food that can be eaten as a midday snack or late night dessert. Ingredients include peanut butter, eggs, and Swerve confectioners only, with 82 calories, 3g of protein, and 1g of fat

Peanut Butter As Fruit or Vegetable Dip

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Another way to snack on this delicious treat is to make it into a form of dip or “sauce” for your snacks. Peanut butter can easily go with anything, peanut butter and apple slices, celery, carrots, or any other keto-safe fruit or vegetables. Remember, moderation is key, no matter what you are eating.

Beginners who are just getting started on the Keto diet should make it a priority to measure their intake of peanut butter in order to avoid overeating. Peanut butter can be used to satisfy sugar cravings that beginners who are new to Ketogenic diet may experience. 

 

Typically, you should not consumer more than 30g to 50g of carbs per day when on the Keto diet; two teaspoons of natural unsalted peanut butter contains 4g net carbs. So, as a low-carb dieter, if you still have some room for carbs by the time you reach your last meal of the day, peanut butter can be a great way to end off your day. However, if you’re close to going over your carb limit, it may be better hold off. You know your body and how it responds to carbs and how quickly you can get back into ketosis.

When To Avoid Peanut Butter On Keto Diet

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This high source of vitamins, proteins, and fat can be incorporated into your Keto diet, but one must watch out for that (sometimes) uncontrollable urge to keep going. A Keto dieter must avoid overeating peanut butter as it is high in calories. Ideally, 3 – 4 teaspoons of peanut butter per day would be considered okay with your regular daily meals, as 2 teaspoons contains about 7g of carbs – almost half of the daily recommended intake on the Keto diet.

One must avoid peanut butter when:

  • Daily carb intake is maxed out
    You might want to hold off on peanut butter as a late night snack If you have maxed out on your daily carb intake. You may want to consider other zero carb delicious treats like beef jerky or celery sticks..

 

  • You’re unsure of the ingredients
    If you are unsure of the ingredients in your store-bought peanut butter brand, it is always better to hold off on them. Several store brands of peanut butter contains so much additives, sugars, flavors, and even preservatives, that has heightened the contents, and contains much more carb than you expect. So, if you are unsure if your peanut butter is keto-friendly, it is better to avoid it completely.

 

As long as you are staying clear of commercial peanut butters—filled with trans fats, hydrogenated oils and vegetable, and sugar, and sticking to all natural and or home-made brands, peanut butter can be the perfect snack for individuals who are on a low-carb or ket diet.

References
  • Homemade Peanut Butter. (n.d.). 
  • Ros E. (). Health benefits of nut consumption. 
  • Shiffer, E. (2019). Can I Eat Peanut Butter on Keto?  
  • Unites States Department of Agriculture (n.d) Peanut butter, smooth style, without salt Nutrition Facts & Calories. (n.d.).