9 Great Fruits You Can Still Totally Eat on Keto
These fresh picks keep carbs in check.
GONE KETO? WHILE you might be enjoying the results, you likely aren't appreciating the cravings for foods you used to love.
Like fruit.
While it’s possible to enjoy many fruits while on a low-carb keto diet, it's a challenge. You need to be selective about the fruits you eat, because if you just eat whatever that kind of defeats the purpose of doing keto at all.
"The goal of keto dieting is to induce ketosis,” says Johna Burdeos, R.D. Ketosis, for the unfamiliar, is the state in which your body is forced to burn stored fat—not carbohydrates, as its primary form of fuel. To achieve this state, you have to take in very little carbohydrates—about 5 to 10 percent of your daily calorie intake. For some people, that means only eating about 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day. For reference, one medium banana has 27 grams of carbs.
This is why a keto diet tends to be so high in protein and fat and very (very) low in carbs.
“Foods that are included in the ketogenic diet include protein-rich foods such as fish, beef, poultry, and eggs and high-fat dairies such as butter, cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream,” says Mary Wirtz, R.D., a consultant for Mom Loves Best. “Non-starchy vegetables are included in this dietary pattern, and options such as broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, peppers, and zucchini, among others, are encouraged as well as lower carbohydrate fruits.”
It's true, "lower-carbohydrate fruit" does exist. And these fruits are your best option for making sure you eat enough of the stuff. The alternative is not eating any fruit, which is a terrible idea because then you're missing out on fiber, vitamins, disease-fighting antioxidants, and deliciousness.
"The more variety you get in your diet, particularly when it comes to fruits (and vegetables and other fiber-rich foods), the better for your gut microbiome, immune system, and overall health,”" says Burdeos.
Ahead, nine low-carb fruits that dietitians approve of to add to your shopping cart if you’re following a keto diet.
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