What Coffee Can You Drink On The Keto Diet
Of course, adopting a diet that avoids sugar and carbs might mean your favorite flavored latte is out of the picture. But java addicts will be pleased to learn that coffee is 100% keto-friendly. Traditional hot or cold brew coffee has zero calories and carbs. The sugars only come into play when syrups and sweeteners are added.While on the keto diet enjoy any of these staple coffee variations:
-
Espresso
If you want to personalize your black coffee, several brands now sell specialized sweeteners that accommodate a keto diet. If you dont want to order something online to add to your morning coffee, just pick up some Stevia from your local supermarket.
You can even order keto meal replacement shakes and combine them with your coffee for fuel and a burst of caffeine. Theres an entire industry dedicated to making your keto lifestyle as easy as possible, so embrace your new diet and keep enjoying your favorite caffeinated beverage.
Reduce Calories In Coffee: General Tips And Tricks
As you can tell, flavored coffee beans arent packed with loads of carbs and calories but if you enjoy a cup of coffee with a lot of milk and sugar then things change. So here are a few little tricks you can use from time to time to avoid high calorie intake from your coffee.
- Drink mild & low-acid coffee that doesn’t need milk – Is coffee too strong or too bitter for you and you always dilute it with milk? Try a very low-acid and mild coffee that doesn’t need any milk at all. My recommendation is filter coffee from Chiapas in Mexico, a region known for low-acid beans.
- Try a different type of milk – In most coffee shops there are countless options to make the coffee a little lower in calories. Starting with milk as the number 1 main ingredient in coffee. Instead of whole milk , you can often use a lighter milk variant, such as half-fat or non-fat milk. Many cafés now also offer soy milk, almond milk, rice milk or hazelnut milk as milk alternatives.
- Omit or substitute sugar – If you like your coffee sweet, you don’t necessarily have to use sugar. There is often the option of choosing a sweetener as a sugar substitute. But beware: low in calories does not automatically mean healthier. Artificial sweeteners are to be enjoyed in moderation. Natural sweeteners from health food stores are better. I recommend agave syrup, maple syrup, birch sugar xylitol or naturally derived sugar substitutes from the stevia plant.
Ketogenic Diet And Caffeine
On LCHF you have to give up an endless amount of things. The list includes carbohydrates, sugars, starches, alcohol, sodas and many more.
Giving up so many of lifes pleasures can push us over the edge and ultimately fail to succeed on our chosen diet.
For many, caffeine is an integral part of life, because it awakens and motivates, stimulates and helps to overcome the lows that a day brings with it.
At first glance, many would not place coffee on the forbidden foods for a low carb diet.
If you follow an Atkins diet, however, you cannot consume coffee and caffeine in the first carbohydrate-free phase.
It is unclear how much caffeine it takes to kick you out of ketosis, but drinking coffee has an impact on insulin sensitivity.
Also Check: Does Folgers Cappuccino Have Caffeine
How Are Carbs Processed In The Body
Starches and two-unit sugars like sucrose and lactose are too big for your body to absorb. Therefore, after you eat carbs, your body produces enzymes that break them down into single sugar units that can be absorbed.
These single sugar units are handled by the body in different ways. To understand the effect of carbs on the body, its useful to know how glucose and fructose are absorbed.
Once glucose enters your bloodstream, it causes your blood sugar to rise immediately.4 This prompts your pancreas to produce insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to move out of your blood and into your cells. How much your blood sugar goes up and how long it stays elevated depends on a number of factors, including how many carbs you eat, how much insulin you produce, and how sensitive your cells are to insulin.
On the other hand, fructose doesnt raise blood sugar the way glucose does.5 Instead, it goes straight to the liver, where it is converted to glycogen for storage.
Your liver can handle small amounts of fructose found in whole foods without difficulty.6 However, consuming processed foods and beverages high in fructose can overwhelm your livers ability to process it properly. High fructose intake on a regular basis may potentially lead to insulin resistance, fatty liver, and obesity.7
Importantly, all digestible carbs, or net carbs, are absorbed and can raise blood sugar whether they come from whole or refined grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar itself.9
How To Make Keto Coffee At Home
If you prefer making coffee at home before getting your day started, then its worth being aware of where there may be hidden carbs. Avoid excess milk, some artificial sweeteners, and some sugar alcohols that still raise blood sugars.
Even some sugar-free coffee flavoured syrups still contain sweeteners that raise blood sugars . So take a close look at what’s in your pantry and throw them in the garbage. You’ll thank me for it.
Step AWAY from the syrups! Yes, even the “sugar-free” syrups have added sweeteners that are not keto-friendly.
You may be adding sugars to your coffee without perhaps even realizing the added hidden carbs!
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Butter Coffee Keto Recipe With Instant Coffee
If youre still having trouble figuring out the best coffee for you while on the Keto diet, here is one recipe made with Waka Coffees instant coffee that you can try!
**Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.
A Guide To Low Carb Sugar Free Keto Coffee Sweeteners
Switching to a keto diet doesn’t mean giving up your coffee! Here’s how you can make it work.
Switching to a keto diet can be a major lifestyle change. One of the foremost questions for new keto followers is, what is a good keto sweetener for coffee? Many of us need some sweetener in our coffee and yes, its possible to add sweetener to coffee even on a keto diet. The best way to do this is to explore sugar alternatives such as artificial sweeteners, naturally low-carb sweeteners, and sugar alcohols.
What Makes A Good Keto Sweetener For Coffee?
When looking for keto sweeteners for coffee, keep the following in mind:
- Zero calories and zero net carbs. Note that unmetabolized carbs dont count towards your net carb intake.
- Check the glycemic index score to ensure minimal effect on blood sugar levels.
- Stable at high temperatures so it doesnt make your coffee bitter or off-tasting.
- No side effects and safe to consume.
Best Keto Approved Sweeteners For Coffee
The hunt for a no carb coffee sweetener can be long and filled with dead-ends, so heres a handy guide to some keto-friendly, carb-free sweeteners:
1. Stevia
2. Erythritol
3. Yacon Syrup
4. Sucralose
5. Xylitol
6. Monk Fruit
Is Honey Keto Friendly?
Can I Have Agave On Keto?
Is Agave Keto? Agave is a natural sweetener but still not the best choice for a keto diet. Agave nectar has a very high fructose content which has been linked to insulin resistance and inflammation.
About the author
Recommended Reading: Intermittent Fasting Coffee With Sugar
Carb Contents Of Popular Coffee Beverages
Beverages made with only espresso and hot water, such as an Americano, will not contain carbs.
However, coffee or espresso beverages made with ingredients other than just water typically contain carbs. Milk and flavored syrups are two common sources.
Most coffeehouse beverages can be customized, and their carb contents depend on which ingredients are added to them. For example, whole milk contains more carbs than unsweetened almond milk.
Here are several popular coffee and espresso beverages and their potential carb contents:
- Café au lait . Your drink will contain 6 grams of carbs if its made with 4 ounces of whole milk or just 1 gram if its made with unsweetened almond milk .
- Cappuccino . A 16-ounce Starbucks cappuccino made with 2% milk has 12 grams of carbs .
- Latte . This beverage will pack more carbs, as its mostly milk. If you choose to add flavored syrup, such as vanilla, just 1 ounce can add 24 grams of carbs.
- Flat white . This drink contains about the same amount of milk as a latte and therefore offers a similar number of carbs.
- Mochaccino . Also called a cafe mocha, this beverage is made with milk and chocolate syrup, which contain carbs. A 16-ounce mochaccino at Starbucks made with 2% milk contains 44 grams of carbs .
Many coffeehouse favorites are also topped with whipped cream. Just 6 grams of whipped cream can add at least 1 gram of carbs to your drink (
As you can see, the carb content of coffee or espresso beverages can vary significantly.
Keto Whipped Dalgona Coffee Recipe
Dalgona coffee is super popular in Korea, and in the last year or so, its blown up on social media.
It looks like an elaborate coffee-house concoction when, in fact, its nothing more than instant coffee, sugar, and water.
To make it keto, youll substitute sugar for your favorite sweetener, and instead of milk, youll pour the foam over unsweetened almond milk.
The key to a good cappuccino is the foam on top. Unfortunately, many dairy-free milks wont froth up enough to make the proper amount of foam.
Instead, youll use coconut milk, which will also leave a little sweetness in the drink too.
Just be sure to get coconut milk and not the cream. That would be too thick and creamy and will whip up rather than become foamy.
Read Also: Sonic Cold Brew Iced Coffee Caffeine
Will Coffee Kick Me Out Of Ketosis
Black coffee in itself does not have a negative or positive impact on a keto diet. Its the high volume of milk added to the coffee shop favorites such as lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites that can raise your blood sugars and kick you out of ketosis.
Milk has 12g carbs in 1 cup . So you might want to think twice when ordering a large milky coffee that could have 2-3 cups . That’s 24g-36g carbs per latte. That’s more than some people’s daily carb limit for an entire day of food!
Does that mean we should give up our coffee beverages?
NO! Just learn how to order your coffee the right way.
For many of us, its one of the few things that can wake us up in the morning and set the right tone for the day! So while it may be advisable to ditch the milky lattes and cappuccinos at the local coffee shop, Im definitely not advocating avoiding coffee on keto.
Nutritional values from cronometer.com
How Do Various Coffee Drinks Compare To Each Other
Every coffee beverage is some ratio of coffee or espresso to water and milk. The more milk a drink contains, the more carbs itll have.
When made with regular dairy milk, lattes have the highest carb load. Theyre made with a 1-to-3 ratio of espresso to milk, which means they contain many milk sugars. This carb load gets even higher if you add syrup or sweetener. Just one pump of vanilla syrup from a popular coffee shop chain contains 5 grams of carbohydrates, all of which are simple sugars. Most drinks use more than a single pump.
Café au lait sits somewhere in the middle. Made of half coffee to half steamed milk, it contains much less dairy than a latte does. When made with whole milk, youre looking at about 6 grams of carbs per cup. Again, if you add any sweetener, this number will increase.
The Americano is on the lowest end of the spectrum, which contains no milk. Made of espresso and water, it has a carb count comparable to regular hot black coffee.
Garnishes can have an impact, too. One tablespoon of whipped cream, for example, will add eight calories and 0.4 grams of carbs. This might not sound like much, but most commercial coffee drinks are dolloped with much more than a single tablespoon of whipped cream. When you add things like chocolate syrup, caramel drizzle, or other add-ons, the calories and sugars continue to stack up.
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How Coffee Affects Ketosis
Luckily for coffee lovers, coffee itself does not contain calories or carbohydrates great! We can consume it at will.
Well, the problem may lie in the caffeine.
Theres one more compound in coffee that can counter this effect. It is known as chlorogenic acid , and it enhances glucose metabolism.
Long story short, even when caffeine does raise our blood sugar levels, we should not worry too much about its intake.
Caffeine on keto is a yes.
Adding Sugars Sweeteners And More
If you have to mask the bitter taste of coffee, then use a natural sweetener such as Erythritol or Stevia instead of sugar.
Avoid milk, including full-fat, skimmed varieties. If you have many coffees during the day, the net carbs will add up, and you will be over 50g carbs in no time.
Be careful with milk substitutes such as almond and Coconut Milk as the same carb problem implies.
Heavy cream is the best alternative if you do not like it black. It will give it added flavor and provide fats for energy.
The list could go on since there are many other ways to drink your coffee such as bulletproof coffee where you add coconut oil, MCT Oil, and or grass-fed butter.
Many people who follow a diet low in carbs use artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes in their coffee, teas and other beverages to satisfy the sweet tooth without altering carbs.
Natural sweeteners do not contain carbohydrates and can be extremely helpful to help cut sugar from your nutrition plan.
They can also set off a carb craving by telling your body you need something sweet.
Weight loss could even stall due to artificial sweeteners due to changes in the body when we eat something which appears to be sweet.
If you notice you are unable to lose weight try eliminating artificial sweeteners and see if it affects fat loss. You want to make your cup of coffee healthier.
Also Check: Does Diet Peach Snapple Have Caffeine
Indirect Benefits Of Caffeine For Ketosis
Drinking coffee can provide a few other benefits that would help you to get into ketosis. For example, most people tend to feel tired and weak when they stop eating carbs while on a ketosis diet.
Coffee can serve as a perfect stimulant and help you feel refreshed despite not eating carbs.
Similarly, drinking coffee may also prevent the psychological symptoms you might experience, such as irritability, anger, and frustration during a keto diet. These symptoms tend to worsen due to a lower intake of carbs.
Caffeine has the ability to stimulate the production of dopamine in your nervous system. This can improve your mood and prevent irritability during a ketogenic diet.
However, you must exercise caution regarding the number of cups of coffee you consume in a day. An excessive caffeine intake may increase your risk of certain symptoms such as caffeine dependence, anxiety, and insomnia.
Hence earning how much coffee is safe during a keto diet is as important as learning to drink coffee on a low-carb diet.
Can You Drink Coffee On Keto
The short answer is yes! But there are caveats.
The ketogenic diet calls for macronutrient percentages that look like this:
- 75-80 percent calories from fat
- 15-20 percent calories from protein
- 0-10 percent calories from carbs
A single 8 oz. serving of black coffee has .1 grams of fat, 0 carbs, and .3 grams of protein. Black coffee on its own contributes essentially nothing in terms of macronutrients, making it totally acceptable on a keto diet.
Black coffee is already keto. But to make it more calorically dense and boost your macros, you can add healthy keto fats . More on this next.
Read Also: Does Frostie Root Beer Have Caffeine
Can You Drink Juice On The Keto Diet
Only if it’s “diet” juice or reduced-sugar juice.
Most fruit juices are high in carbohydrates , which makes them almost impossible to drink on the keto diet, according to Mike Israetel, a sports nutrition consultant and former professor of exercise science at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Case in point: An 8-ounce ounces of cranberry juice has 30 grams of carbs. Apple juice? That’s roughly 24 grams of carbs.
That said, there are diet or reduced sugar juices that contain minimal carbohydrates, making them good keto-friendly drinks.
These products are packaged similarly to the full-calorie versions, so Israetel says you’ll need to read the nutrition label to ensure your juices are really low-carb.
What Is The Best Instant Keto Coffee
There are lots of options for good keto coffee. A simple search on Amazon can produce a remarkable amount of results.
Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade is an organic Fair Trade instant coffee with over 1,400 reviews and 4 ½ stars. Its ingredient list is simple 100% organic coffee. It gets excellent reviews, and even traditional coffee drinkers say it tastes great.
If youre looking for an instant coffee that already has grass-fed butter in it, Rapid Fire Ketogenic coffee is a Fair Trade instant coffee mix designed specifically for the keto diet.
Just click that link to check the current price on Amazon.
The best part is that it has benefits of bulletproof coffee built right in. This is an excellent option for folks that dont have a blender or dont want to spend time measuring out separate ingredients for bulletproof coffee.
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