Is Nacho Cheese Keto Friendly? Everything you need to know!

Let's admit it; we're all a little crazy for nacho cheese. Going to theater is definitely not the only we enjoy the cheesy delicacy.

After all, who could deny the flavorful richness that drips out of this smooth, creamy cheese?

If you're starting keto soon, you must be extremely careful about what you eat, even about nacho cheese. Yes, cheese is generally keto friendly, but nacho cheese is a different story.

Is nacho cheese keto friendly? In simpler words, nacho cheese is keto friendly, but only if you use keto friendly cheese. There are variations of nacho cheese that aren't keto friendly, so before you add dollops of nacho cheese to your food, let's talk about it in a little more detail.

Table of Contents

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• What is Nacho Cheese?
• Does Nacho Cheese Have Types?
• Which Cheese Makes Nacho Cheese?
• What is the Difference Between Nacho Cheese and Queso Cheese Dip?
• Nutritional Profile of Nacho Cheese
• Is Nacho Cheese Keto Friendly?
• Is Processed/Packaged Nacho Cheese Keto Friendly?
• How Many Calories in a Serving of Nacho Cheese?
• Can Nacho Cheese be Keto Friendly?
• Is There A Keto Friendly Nacho Cheese Recipe?
• Wrapping Up

What is Nacho Cheese?

Everyone knows about nachos (fried tortilla chips), but few know about nacho cheese. Yes, many of us may eat nacho cheese regularly, but surprisingly, not many of us know what makes nacho cheese.

Nacho cheese is a creamy blend of melted cheese, butter, chili, and spices. This rich blend is commonly served over tortilla chips, but it's also added to quesadillas, tacos, and burritos.

Does Nacho Cheese Have Types?

While there aren't any definite types of nacho cheese, there are different variations you can make, depending on the kind of cheese you hand. The cheese type is significant when making nacho cheese because nacho cheese has a particular texture that some cheeses can't create.

Which Cheese Makes Nacho Cheese?

Commonly, people use American Velveeta cheese to make nacho cheese. Velveeta quickly thickens, stays rich and creamy, and has a delicious flavor that most of us love on our Doritos and nachos.

However, you don't have to stick to Velveeta cheese. Some recipes use cheddar instead of Velveeta.

What is the Difference Between Nacho Cheese and Queso Cheese Dip?

You might have tasted queso dip quite a few times. Similar in taste and texture to nacho cheese, queso dip is a common addition to burritos, tacos, and tortilla chips.

But are nacho cheese and queso dip the same? Well, yes, and no.

Nacho cheese is a sauce that mixes two different types of cheeses and has chili as well. Queso dip also uses a mix of different cheeses and chili, but it also includes cream.

Commonly, you'll find nacho cheese with burritos, tortillas, and nachos chips. Queso is much more popular; most Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes use queso as a creamy cheese dip.

So, what is the difference between the two? Both queso dip and nacho cheese recipes use a blend of cheese, chili, and spice, but the cooking process, as well as their texture and taste, slightly differ.

But don't let that discourage you; you can use both queso dip and nacho cheese alternatively if you want.

Nutritional Profile of Nacho Cheese

Before addressing whether nacho cheese is keto friendly, let's look into its nutritional profile. Accordingly, in 243 grams of nacho cheese, there are:

Is Nacho Cheese Keto Friendly?

As you can see, nacho cheese has grate nutritional value. However, the nutritional profile for nacho cheese tells us that it is also rich in carbs, a solid red zone for ketoers.

So, is nacho cheese keto friendly or not?

The answer lies in the type of cheese you use. If a high-carb cheese makes the nacho cheese, it is not a good fit for people on a keto diet. However, if you substitute a high-carb cheese for a low-carb one, you can make a keto friendly nacho cheese.

Velveeta cheese, though tasty, can be heavy for some people because it's rich in carbs and sugar. Your whole keto journey could be in danger if you're making or eating Velveeta nacho cheese.

Yet, if you eat nacho cheese made from keto friendly cheeses like Fortuna cheese, cheddar cheese, and Swiss cheese, you can eat as much of it as you want.

Is Processed/Packaged Nacho Cheese Keto Friendly?

If you're eating store-bought nacho cheese, it might not be keto friendly, even if it uses cheddar or Swiss cheese.

Store-bought/packaged nacho cheese often has additional ingredients like preservatives, which may include a higher percentage of carbs, sugar, and cholesterol than you'll find in fresh nacho cheese.

Additionally, if the nacho cheese, whether fresh or store-bought, uses a blend of packaged/processed cheese (like processed American cheese, processed cheddar, etc.), it won't be keto friendly.

How Many Calories in a Serving of Nacho Cheese?

Most of us gloss over how it's not only the carbs and sugar affecting our diet but also the number of calories in what we're eating.

As most ketoers will know, to maintain a healthy weight/lose the weight we want, we shouldn't eat more calories than we burn. And we shouldn't only count the calories we're consuming in total, but also count calories we're consuming per component.

While most types of cheese are keto friendly, we should focus on keeping the calorie count of cheese to what our dietician recommends. Since calorie count varies, it's also necessary to know how many calories are in nacho cheese.

In a cup of Velveeta nacho cheese, there are around 460-465 calories. The good thing is, if you're making nacho cheese from a keto friendly recipe, you might have the exact calorie count.

Additionally, nacho cheese's calories come from fats instead of carbohydrates. Of course, the sugar and carbohydrate content are still high, but you can easily weigh it down by using keto friendly cheese.

Can Nacho Cheese be Keto Friendly?

You asked, is nacho cheese keto friendly? We told you it is, and it isn't. It's confusing, but we're about to clear the air in a minute.

The short and easy answer is that if you use keto friendly cheese to make nacho cheese, then nacho cheese is keto friendly. However, some types of cheese are not suitable for a keto diet. These include cottage cheese, Velveeta cheese, and processed cheese.

We're sorry, but If you use keto unfriendly cheeses to make nacho cheese, the creamy sauce is nacho friend.

Is There A Keto Friendly Nacho Cheese Recipe?

Luckily for nacho lovers, there are quite a few recipes that make keto friendly nacho cheese. But wait a minute! There's more to a keto friendly nacho cheese recipe than a healthy cheese choice.

If you're planning on making nacho cheese, you must be careful about every ingredient, not just the cheese. This is because the regular recipe for nacho cheese calls for flour, which you know is available in keto friendly and keto unfriendly variations.

 For instance, one recipe uses cheddar cheese and all-purpose flour. You can swap out the all-purpose flour for almond flour or coconut flour.

If you're in the mood for a queso dip, here's a keto friendly recipe. You can find more recipes here.

Wrapping Up

So, is nacho cheese keto friendly? Yes and no.

If your nacho cheese recipe calls for Velveeta or processed cheese, it's not keto friendly. But if you make nacho cheese using keto friendly cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese, you're good to include it in your diet.

Since you're on keto, you also have to keep a careful watch over your calorie intake. A cup of nacho cheese contains more than 450 calories, which could increase or decrease depending on other ingredients. To eat a keto friendly nacho cheese dip, you must ensure that each element is suitable for a keto diet.

Click on one of the links below to learn more about keto friendly foods:

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