The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb eating plan that has gained popularity for its potential benefits for weight loss and blood sugar control. On a keto diet, net carbs—total carbohydrates minus fibre and certain sugar alcohols—are typically restricted to 20-50 grams per day. Net carbs are important to calculate as eating too many carbs can prevent the body from reaching ketosis, a metabolic state where fat is burned for energy instead of carbohydrates. While the keto diet has become trendy, especially for weight loss, it is restrictive and may lead to nutritional deficiencies if not carefully planned.
What You'll Learn
- Counting carbs: The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Counting carbs is important to stay in ketosis
- Net carbs: Net carbs are the carbs left after subtracting dietary fibre and sugar alcohols from the total carbs
- Fibre: Fibre is a carb but the body can't break it down, so it passes through the body without being digested
- Sugar alcohols: Sugar substitutes that are either partially or entirely indigestible
- Glycemic index: High GI foods have a larger effect on blood sugar
Counting carbs: The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Counting carbs is important to stay in ketosis
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Counting carbs is important to stay in ketosis, which is a metabolic state where your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.
When counting carbs, it's important to note that not all carbs are created equal. There are two basic types of carbs: starches and sugars. Starches are long chains of individual glucose (sugar) units linked together, while sugars are much shorter chains, sometimes consisting of just a single glucose or fructose molecule.
When counting carbs on the keto diet, it's recommended to focus on "net carbs". Net carbs refer to the amount of carbs in a food after subtracting the fibre content. This is because fibre is indigestible and passes through your body without being broken down or absorbed.
The formula for calculating net carbs is:
> Grams of total carbs – fibre – sugar alcohols = net carbs
However, it's important to note that not all sugar alcohols are completely indigestible. Some sugar alcohols, such as maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, and glycerin, can have a glycemic impact and may affect your blood sugar levels. Therefore, when calculating net carbs, it's recommended to divide the grams of these sugar alcohols by two and add them back into your carb count:
> Grams of total carbs – fibre – sugar alcohols + (maltitol / 2) = net carbs
The recommended daily intake of net carbs on the keto diet is generally between 20-50 grams. This may vary depending on individual factors such as activity levels and health goals.
It's important to carefully plan your meals and track your carb intake to ensure you stay within the recommended range and maintain ketosis.
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Net carbs: Net carbs are the carbs left after subtracting dietary fibre and sugar alcohols from the total carbs
Net carbs are the number of total carbohydrates in a food item minus its dietary fibre and sugar alcohols content. Dietary fibre is the portion of the food that is not digested or absorbed by the body. Instead, it passes through the digestive system and is either broken down by bacteria in the colon or excreted.
Sugar alcohols, on the other hand, are partially digested and absorbed. Erythritol, for example, has minimal impact on blood glucose and ketone levels as most of it passes into the urine without being metabolised.
Net carbs are generally used to track one's carbohydrate intake on a keto diet. This is because net carbs give a more accurate picture of the number of carbohydrates that can be absorbed and used by the body for energy.
To calculate net carbs, you need to first determine the total amount of carbohydrates in a food item. Next, find out how much of it comes from dietary fibre and sugar alcohols. Finally, subtract the amount of dietary fibre and sugar alcohols from the total amount of carbohydrates to get the net carb count.
For example, if a food item contains 20 grams of total carbohydrates, 8 grams of dietary fibre, and 2 grams of erythritol, the net carb count would be 10 grams (20 grams of total carbs - 8 grams of dietary fibre - 2 grams of erythritol = 10 grams of net carbs).
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Fibre: Fibre is a carb but the body can't break it down, so it passes through the body without being digested
Fibre is often overlooked on the keto diet, but it's important to include it in your meal plan to avoid some of the pitfalls of the diet, such as constipation.
The keto diet is often criticised for its lack of fibre, and this is true for some followers of the diet. Dana Elia, RDN, an integrative and functional medicine dietitian, notes that dietitians frequently see patients who complain of constipation when they go keto. This is partly because the keto diet rules out most sources of carbohydrates, including whole grains, fruits, and legumes—food groups that are typically associated with fibre.
However, it is possible to get enough fibre on the keto diet. In fact, the keto diet recommends foods that are rich in fibre, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and certain vegetables.
Fibre plays a key role in digestive health. Because it isn't digested by your body, it passes through your system and keeps you regular by softening and adding bulk to your stools. It also has benefits beyond bowel movements. It feeds the good bacteria in your gut, aiding healthy digestion and nutrient absorption.
The US Food and Nutrition Board recommends a minimum daily fibre intake of 25 grams for women and 38 grams per day for men, based on research connecting higher fibre intake with better health. However, the keto diet typically requires you to get up to 80% of your calories from fat and only 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, so it can be challenging to meet these fibre recommendations.
High-Fibre Keto Foods
- Avocados: Half an avocado contains just 1.4 net carbs but a whopping 5 grams of fibre.
- Chia seeds: One ounce of chia seeds offers 9.6 grams of fibre and a net carb total of 2.2 grams.
- Nuts: Pecans and almonds are good choices, offering just 1.2 net carbs per ounce and supplying 2.7 grams of fibre.
- Flax seeds: One tablespoon of ground flax boasts 2 grams of fibre and 0 net carbs.
- Vegetables: Starchy veggies like sweet potatoes are off-limits on keto, but there are plenty of keto-friendly greens like collards, cauliflower, asparagus, and broccoli.
- Artichokes: One canned artichoke heart offers 1.7 grams of fibre and less than 1.9 grams of net carbs.
- Coconut: A small piece of coconut meat offers about 3 grams of net carbs and 4 grams of fibre.
- Raspberries: A half cup of fresh raspberries offers 4 grams of fibre and 3.3 grams of net carbs.
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Sugar alcohols: Sugar substitutes that are either partially or entirely indigestible
Sugar alcohols are sugar substitutes that are either partially or entirely indigestible. They are hybrids of sugar molecules and alcohol molecules, but they do not contain ethanol. Sugar alcohols are typically synthetically created from sugars, but some, like erythritol and sorbitol, occur naturally in fruits and vegetables. They are used to sweeten foods such as chewing gum, hard candies, baking mixes, cereals, and ice cream.
Sugar alcohols are considered low-calorie sweeteners, containing 25-100% of the sweetness of sugar but with fewer calories. They don't have the same negative effects as regular sugar, such as promoting tooth decay or significantly raising blood sugar levels. This is because they are low-digestible carbs, meaning they are not completely absorbed in the small intestine but instead travel to the large intestine, where bacteria ferment them. This can lead to gastrointestinal issues such as bloating, gas, and diarrhea in some people.
Sugar alcohols have a negligible impact on blood sugar and insulin levels, making them a smart choice for people with prediabetes or diabetes. They may also promote dental health by reducing plaque formation and inhibiting tooth demineralization. Additionally, some sugar alcohols may contribute to a healthy digestive system by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.
Overall, sugar alcohols are a popular choice for those following a keto diet as they provide sweetness without the negative side effects of regular sugar. However, it is important to note that consuming large amounts of sugar alcohols may cause digestive issues, and they should be enjoyed in moderation.
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Glycemic index: High GI foods have a larger effect on blood sugar
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of how quickly a food can make your blood sugar (glucose) rise. Foods with a high GI increase blood glucose quickly, while low GI foods increase glucose slowly in your body. The GI scale goes from 0 to 100, with pure glucose having the highest GI of 100. High GI foods include white bread, bagels, processed cereals, instant oatmeal, and watermelon. On the other hand, low GI foods include most fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, carrots, legumes, beans, and nuts.
When planning meals, it is recommended to choose foods with low to medium GI values. Combining a high GI food with low GI foods can help balance the effect on glucose levels. Additionally, cooking methods, processing, and the ripeness of fruits and vegetables can impact the GI of a food. For example, al dente pasta has a lower GI than soft-cooked pasta.
The amount of carbohydrates consumed has a more significant impact on blood glucose levels than GI alone. For instance, pasta has a lower GI than watermelon, but since pasta contains more carbohydrates, consuming similar amounts of these two foods will result in pasta having a greater influence on blood glucose levels. Therefore, it is crucial to consider both the GI value and the amount of carbohydrates in a food when managing blood sugar levels.
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers various health benefits, including weight loss and improved health. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with healthy fats, which can help the body use fat for energy. While on the keto diet, it is important to limit foods that are high in carbs, such as sugary foods, grains, starches, most fruits, beans, root vegetables, and low-fat products. Instead, the diet focuses on whole, single-ingredient foods like meat, fish, eggs, nuts, healthy oils, avocados, and low-carb vegetables.
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Frequently asked questions
Net carbs are the carbs in food that your body digests and uses for energy. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting fibre and certain sugar alcohols from the total carb count.
On the standard ketogenic diet, net carbs should be kept under 50 grams per day, with some people eating as few as 20 grams.
Good sources of carbs on a keto diet include vegetables, nuts, seeds, and some fruits like berries, avocados, and coconuts.
You can use a net carb calculator or a food database like the Atkins Carb Counter to calculate net carbs for foods without labels, such as fruits and vegetables.