Is Seafood Boil Keto Friendly?

If you're struggling with eating the same keto-friendly food options on your keto diet and are searching for suitable alternatives, looking towards seafood seems natural. Seafood boil is one of the most popular cuisines out there: yummy and nutritious. 

But is seafood boil keto friendly? It's natural to associate multiple health benefits with seafood, but that does not necessarily make seafood boil keto friendly. 

Keto diets work on your body being in the state of ketosis, meaning that your body is primarily using fats as an energy source, along with some protein and minimal carbohydrates. 

So how many carbs does seafood boil have, and does that make seafood boil keto? This guide delves into this question and gives you all the answers you may need! 

What is Seafood Boil?

Seafood boil can be one of two relevant things: a dish made of seafood or a party where such a dish is served. 

In this context, seafood boil is exactly what it sounds like: a dish made with various kinds of seafood, including oysters, crabs, shrimp, and crawfish, boiled together in a massive stockpot. 

It's common for families to hold seafood boils where everyone invited eats from a single communal seafood pot containing multiple ingredients. Seafood boils are known to have originated in Southern America and remain the most popular in that region. 

Seafood boils are generally very easy to make and don't work on a single specified recipe. Cooks are free to add their own ingredients and twists and turns to their dishes. This dish's most basic variation includes ingredients other than water, spices, and seafood, such as certain vegetables. 

The seafood is typically boiled live and whole: shrimp, crabs, and crawfish are added to the seafood boil pot immediately after catching them. Although some cooks wash them first, others do not for the sake of adding natural flavors and salts to the dish. 

Depending on individual taste, cooks heavily season the boiling water before adding the seafood in. The seasoning includes peppery – typically cayenne – and aromatic spices, generally including several herbs. 

Some cooks also add vegetables, typically red potatoes and sweet corn, and spicy sausages to the water while it boils. This not only gives tasty, seasoned vegetables but also adds a rich flavor to the seafood. 

Is Seafood Boil Keto Friendly?

Unfortunately, the answer to “is seafood boil keto friendly” is a no. That is because seafood boil contains carb-rich ingredients that are not keto friendly, such as corn on the cob and potatoes. 

One regular serving of seafood boil contains about 36 grams of carbs, making it unsuitable for a keto diet. 

However, all is not lost because you can make your seafood boil keto by removing just a few carb-rich ingredients. A majority of seafood boil ingredients, such as mussels, crab legs, clams, lobster tails, shrimp, sausages, and butter, are keto-friendly. 

Therefore, to make your seafood boil keto friendly, all you need to do is remove the corn and potatoes from the dish and eat the other ingredients, such as sausages, lobster tails, crab legs, and shrimp, to keep your total carb intake within your keto limit. 

Additionally, seafood boil dipping sauces are generally made of keto friendly ingredients such as seasonings, chopped onions, and butter. 

Let us look at a few reasons why regular seafood boil is not keto friendly: 

Carb-Rich 

Seafood boil is rich in net carbs and contains about 10.89 grams of net carbs per 100 grams of serving. Therefore, it should be avoided on keto because a keto diet limits your net carb consumption to about 20 to 30 grams per day to stay in ketosis. 

Not An Ideal Fat Source For Keto 

Seafood boil is not an ideal source of fat for keto, majorly because it's rich in carbs. An abundance of carbs makes it hard for the body to use only fat as an energy source leaving behind the abundance of carbs. 

Therefore, to make your keto diet work appropriately, you need to get an abundance of fats from food sources that are rich in fat but low in carbs simultaneously. 

Salmon, ghee, and avocado are excellent food options that are both rich in fats and low in carbs. 

Clean, Keto-friendly Ingredients But High In Carbs 

Seafood boil does not contain any of the most common non-keto ingredients, such as artificial sweeteners, sugar, and refined oils. However, all of these benefits get canceled out with their high carb content. 

It's crucial to look into both the ingredients and macros of your food to ensure healthy weight loss on keto. 

Why Is Regular Seafood Boil Rich In Carbs?

Two primary reasons make regular seafood boil not keto friendly and rich in carbs. These are:

Fresh Corn 

Most regular seafood boil recipes use about four ears of corn, which contains approximately 128 grams of carbs. 

Potatoes 

Regular seafood boil recipes use about one pound of Yukon potatoes, which contain about 80 grams of carbs. 

Nutritional Breakdown Of One Serving Of Seafood Boil 

The approximate nutritional breakdown for one regular serving of seafood boil is as follows:

Calories	15
Total Fat	0.11 grams
Saturated Fat	0.037 grams
Cholesterol	0 milligrams
Sodium	2 milligrams
Potassium	147 milligrams
Total Carbs	3.63 grams
Dietary Fiber	0.5 grams
Sugar	6.7 grams
Protein	0.65 grams

Keto Friendly Seafood Boil Recipe

Ingredients

Crab Legs	1 lb
Jumbo Shrimp	1 lb
Mussels	1 lb
Lobster Tails	2 (small)
Keto-friendly Sausages	½ to 1 lb
Eggs	4 (Large)
Cucumber	1 (Medium)
Lemon Pepper Seasoning	1 tbsp
Old Bay Leaves	6
Lemon Juice	3 tbsp
Water	14-16 cups
Salt	1 tbsp

Recipe

1. Begin by gathering all your seafood in one place and washing it thoroughly. 
2. Take a deep, large pot and add about 14 to 16 cups of water, lemon juice, salt, lemon pepper seasoning, and bay leaves to it. Bring everything to a boil. 
3. Start to cook the eggs, sausages, and seafood once the water begins boiling. 
4. Cook the lobster tails for about 12 minutes in the boiling water. 
5. Cook the crab legs for about 10 minutes in the boiling water. 
6. Cook the sausages for about 8 minutes in the boiling water. 
7. Cook the eggs for about 7 minutes in the boiling water. 
8. Cooking the mussels for about 5 minutes in the boiling water. 
9. Cook the shrimp for about 3 minutes in the boiling water. 
10. Once everything is cooked, place all your ingredients on a baking dish. Drizzle generous amounts of cajun garlic butter sauce or any other keto-friendly seafood boil sauce on your dish and serve! 

Variations of Keto Friendly Seafood Boil Recipes 

The above-mentioned recipe uses lobster tails, crab legs, mussels, and shrimp. However, you can try some other variations of this dish if you cannot find the mentioned shellfish or prefer some other seafood. 

Keto Crawfish Seafood Boil 

You can make this variation by removing the shrimp, lobster tails, mussels, and crab legs from the ingredients list and using about one to two pounds of fresh crawfish instead. 

Keto Shrimp Seafood Boil 

You can make this variation by leaving out the crab legs, lobster tails, and mussels and increasing the amount of shrimp. Two pounds of shrimp is enough to make this dish. 

Keto Crab Seafood Boil 

This variation is highly suitable for people who prefer crab legs over other seafood types. You can easily make it by leaving out all other seafood and replacing them with fresh, juicy crab legs. 2 lbs of crab legs are sufficient to replace the other seafood, potatoes, and corn. 

Benefits of Seafood Boil 

Rich In Vital Nutrients

Seafood contains abundant vital nutrients, including Vitamin B and iron, that are essential for the proper functioning of our body and mind. It also contains Vitamin D, which is crucial for the immune system and healthy bones.  

Fish and shellfish are the only two food sources rich in DHA (omega-3 fatty acids) that play a significant role in brain functions and nourishment.

Therefore, seafood boil helps improve brain health and prevent serious diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and memory loss. 

Improves Cardiovascular Health 

Seafood helps improve cardiovascular health because it contains high protein levels. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disorders and strengthens the heart. 

Boosts Brain Function 

Seafood helps boost brain function in children, adults, and even infants. Because it's rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, it significantly improves cognitive function, boosts brain power, and reduces the risk factors for serious cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer's. 

Allows Better Skin 

Everybody wants moisturized, youthful, and glowing skin, and eating more seafood – about two to three times a week – is the trick for that. 

Seafood is rich in omega 3-fatty acids, which are known to actively moisturize the skin, reduce acne, and protect against the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiations. That's one of the primary reasons why people who love seafood also have healthier and glowing skin. 

Allows Healthier Hair 

Similar to healthy skin, having voluminous, stronger, and healthier hair is a dream of almost all of us. But this dream proves quite unattainable, no matter how many skin products you apply. 

Eating more seafood is the best trick to getting the hair of your dreams, as it's full of vital nutrients that help increase the length and volume of your hair. 

Reduces Muscle And Joint Pain 

Seafood is wonderful in reducing stiffness, pain, and early aching in your joints. It also helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis. 

Therefore, people who suffer from joint and arthritis pain should include more seafood and red crab meat in their diet. 

Maintains Good Eyesight 

Eating seafood boil regularly can help retain good eyesight and prevent vision decline. Shellfish and fish also hold the potential to augment night vision. 

Beneficial In Pregnancy 

Seafood is highly beneficial for pregnant women. Research shows that women who eat seafood two to three times a day are likely to give birth to healthier babies who are able to achieve growth milestones quickly, such as eating and drinking on their own, speaking words correctly, and copying sounds.

According to the dietary guidelines for Americans from 2020 to 2025, people should eat seafood at least two times a week. 

Wrapping Up 

Seafood boil is a fun recipe made with all of your favorite seafood. This versatile dish is easily customizable according to your individual taste or dietary preferences. 

Although the answer to “is seafood boil keto friendly” is a no, there are several ways you can make your seafood boil keto to fit into your keto lifestyle. The easiest way is to leave out the carb-rich and starchy vegetables, such as corn and potatoes. 

This makes the answer to “is seafood boil keto friendly” a yes! You can easily save yourself 208 grams of total carbs or 34 to 36 grams of carbs per seafood boil serving by removing a mere one pound of potatoes! 

Make sure to include all your seafood in your list the next time you go keto shopping, and have fun enjoying yourself with your friends or family without disrupting your ketosis!

If you'd like to learn more about keto friendly foods, please click on one of the links below:

Is Jicama Keto Friendly?

Is Steak Keto Friendly?

Is Cream Cheese Keto Friendly?

Is Lobster Bisque Keto Friendly?

Frequently Asked Questions