KETO FOODS

Is Turkey Bacon Keto Friendly? [Better Than Pork Bacon?]

I don't know about you, but sometimes I just want a bit of a leaner bacon.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some pork bacon, especially from heritage breed pigs, but I love me some turkey bacon every once in a while as a leaner alternative.

Is turkey bacon keto friendly? Similar to pork bacon, turkey bacon is also keto friendly, with most brands ranging between 0 – 2g of carbohydrates per serving (1-2 slices).

In this article, I'm going to cover turkey bacon in detail, what it's made of, the nutritional content, why YOU SHOULD eat turkey bacon over pork bacon, and then throw in some keto friendly recipes and some brands of turkey bacon to look out for.

Is Turkey Bacon Keto Friendly?

So can you eat turkey bacon on keto? Based on my analysis of all the top brands, turkey bacon is VERY keto friendly. Most brands will have very little to no carbohydrates making it perfectly acceptable to enjoy while following a ketogenic diet.

Turkey bacon is the often forgotten “other” white meat.

Whether you simply enjoy the taste of turkey bacon more than pork, it's easier access or looking to save calories by switching from pork; you can rest comfortably knowing that you can eat turkey bacon on keto.

What Is Turkey Bacon Made Of?

You may be wondering how turkey bacon is made? And that would be a normal reaction. I had that same question.

After all, pork bacon is most known for its fatty slices taken from the pig's belly, so it's natural to ask if turkey bacon is also cut from the turkey's belly?

It is not.

Turkey bacon is made similar to how a burger is made by chopping or grinding a mixture. Both light and dark turkey meat, along with bits of skin, are blended with seasonings and preservatives before shaping them into what we know as turkey bacon.

You can think of turkey bacon as one-piece thigh, one-piece breast, and one-piece skin to give it the taste, texture, and visual characteristics of pork bacon. 1

*The above is not exact ratios, but just an example

Nutritional Content Of Turkey Bacon

Relative to pork, turkey is a much leaner meat. Therefore, turkey bacon has fewer calories and fat than pork bacon.

Below is a comparison chart to illustrate the nutritional content of turkey bacon relative to pork bacon. 2 3

	Turkey bacon	Pork bacon
Calories	60 grams	82 grams
Fat	4.5 grams	6.2 grams
Carbs	0.5 grams	0.2 grams
Protein	1.3 grams	2 grams
Vitamin B1	1% of the DV	4% of the DV
Vitamin B3	3% of the DV	8% of the DV
Vitamin B6	3% of the DV	4% of the DV
Vitamin B12	1% of the DV	4% of the DV
Zinc	3% of the DV	4% of the DV
Selenium	6% of the DV	14% of the DV
Phosphorus	7% of the DV	8% of the DV

Due to the relatively small serving sizes, the daily value (DV) may seem tiny percentage-wise. However, they are both relatively good sources of B Vitamins, zing, and selenium.

Similar to pork bacon, most turkey bacon will have very tiny amounts of sugar added, that is, unless it specifically states “no sugar added.”

But the amounts are so small that it will not make much difference. If you're worried about small amounts of sugar, then look for no sugar added turkey bacon or give my article below a read.

Read: Suddenly Kicked Out Of Ketosis

Additionally, most bacon contains nitrates or nitrites to preserve the meat and enhance color.

If looking for nitrate or nitrite-free alternative, natural or organic versions will often replace the nitrates or nitrites in favor of celery powder, which is a natural source of nitrates. 4

Is Turkey Bacon Better Than Pork Bacon? Turkey Bacon Benefits

Turkey bacon has a reputation for being the “healthier” bacon, but is turkey bacon healthy?

Healthy is often a subjective matter, as in, everyone has their definition of what “health” means.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “complete physical, mental, and social well-being.”

For the sake of argument, we'll say we're looking for a food that fits our needs and helps us achieve our goals, sound good?

Most people reading this are probably looking to lose some weight, which results in a myriad of health benefits on its own, regardless of how you got there (to a certain extent).

So who should eat turkey bacon instead of pork bacon? Here are some of the benefits, and if they pertain to you, then turkey bacon would be a good fit.

Fewer calories than pork bacon

Turkey bacon has ~25% fewer calories than pork bacon.

Despite what you've heard up until this point, calories do matter, and every little bit can add up.

Don't believe me? Ask any competitive athlete or physique athlete whose job it is to manipulate their body weight.

Of course, this is assuming you also like the taste of turkey bacon, which can grow on you even if you currently don't.

There's no point in switching to turkey bacon if you can't stomach the taste. For those that can or enjoy turkey bacon, you'll be consuming fewer calories, thus losing weight at a quicker rate.

It's simple swaps like this that can be easily implemented to shed a few pounds, so long as you don't use it as an excuse to eat 25% more.

Option for those who don't eat pork

Being of Filipino heritage, it's almost unheard of NOT to eat pork, but I get it.

I have plenty of friends who don't eat pork, whether for religious reasons, allergies, or simply don't enjoy the taste.

Turkey bacon can be an excellent substitute for those who still want to enjoy bacon but must refrain from pork for whatever reason.

While it doesn't have the same taste or texture as pork bacon, it still has that smoky, salty, cured flavor one might associate with pork.

Which Bacon Is Better For Keto? Turkey Bacon Or Pork Bacon?

No single bacon is better or worse for keto. You have to take the person and their goals into context.

Should you eat turkey bacon over regular bacon? Well, ask yourself the following:

Do you enjoy the taste of turkey bacon?
Are you trying to lose weight?
Is anything preventing you from eating turkey bacon?
Is eating pork bacon worth the additional calories?

Most people THINK that you need to eat high amounts of fat on a ketogenic diet. You may have read another website or told by a friend you need “X” percentage of fat, but the truth is that you don't “need” to eat as much fat as you may think.

I'd even argue that most people following a ketogenic diet are overeating fat, which is why people are not achieving the results they are looking for or hitting plateaus much sooner than they should.

The only requirement to achieve and maintain a state of ketosis is carbohydrate restriction, not eating high amounts of fat. Your body is more than sufficient enough to create ketones from your body fat to use as fuel.

Which I'm sure is what you want!

You want your body to eat the fat off your body, but if you feed it too much fat, it won't need to dig into your body fat stores.

Make sense?

When you want to maintain, that may be an ideal time to switch back to pork bacon.

Of course, you can still lose weight eating pork bacon, but this is an example of how a simple swap here and there can go a long way and is much easier to implement than other strategies.

Keto Friendly Turkey Bacon Recipes Or Ideas

So you've decided to go down the turkey bacon rabbit hole for your ketogenic diet, what can you do with it?

I like to keep things on the easier side, but here's how I like to enjoy my turkey bacon.

Turkey Bacon And Eggs

First off, you can still have your bacon and eggs, just switch out the pork for turkey.

Turkey Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

An easy way to get your kiddos to eat their veggies is to wrap it in bacon! Turkey bacon, that is.

Simply wrap season the asparagus with salt and pepper, wrap it with bacon, then put it on a wire rack on a baking sheet for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Don't have a wire rack? Just put it on a baking sheet, no problem.

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Chicken

Want something rich, hearty, and easy to cook? I love this recipe from Delish.com.

Just sub out the pork bacon for turkey bacon.

Cheesy bacon ranch keto friendly turkey bacon recipe

Photo and recipe courtesy of Delish

Best Way To Cook Turkey Bacon

Want an easy way to mass cook bacon? From here, you can use it as a topping on salads, burgers, or just pack I for a convenient keto snack on the go.

This is the same way I cook pork bacon, and it always ends up nice and crunchy.

I bake it! There's no need to stand over the stove to watch the bacon and flip it, just throw it in and pull it out when it's done.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Place bacon lined up on a foil-lined baking sheet
Back for 8 – 10 minutes (the longer, the crispier)
Enjoy

Want an even easier way? Try the microwave. Check this video out below.

Keto Friendly Turkey Bacon Brands

Almost every brand you find at the store will be keto-friendly, but here are some of the big brand names that you'll likely be able to find at your local grocery store.

Jenny-o
Butterball
Oscar Mayer
Applegate
Columbus

The Takeaway

So Is turkey bacon keto friendly? It sure is.

Turkey bacon can make a perfect lower-calorie alternative to pork bacon or for those who may be refraining from pork for other reasons.

Is Sauerkraut Keto Friendly? [4 Health Benefits]

Love it or hate it, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables are yummy!

Yes, I said it… I love sauerkraut and all kinds of fermented vegetables, but are they keto friendly?

Is sauerkraut keto friendly? Sauerkraut, which is mainly cabbage and salt, is keto friendly and has a plethora of health benefits.

In this article, I'll cover whether you can eat ALL sauerkraut on a keto diet, such as store-bought sauerkraut, how many carbs are in sauerkraut, the benefits, and much more.

Can You Eat Sauerkraut On Keto?

Sauerkraut, aka “sour cabbage,” is perfectly acceptable to eat while following a ketogenic diet. Traditional sauerkraut should only be using two, maybe three ingredients, and those are:

Finely shredded cabbage
Salt
Water *

Since cabbage is allowed on a ketogenic diet, sauerkraut is naturally also keto-friendly. Cabbage mainly consists of water and fiber, leaving very few net carbohydrates that would prevent or knock you out of ketosis.

Is Store Bought Sauerkraut keto?

While sauerkraut, for the most part, is keto friendly, some store-bought sauerkraut may not be.

Most companies make sauerkraut the traditional way, with very few added ingredients, but there are plenty of specialty companies that may try to add a little flair of their own.

To be 100% sure, make sure you check the nutrition label of the particular brand you plan to purchase.

Certain brands, like the example below, like to include white wine. You may find some that have added sugars in the fermenting process as well.

Other brands may add in other vegetables, such as shredded carrots, which raises the net carb count slightly. However, carrots and even sauerkraut with carrots may be eaten in moderation.

Read: Are Carrots Keto Friendly?

Simply be mindful of the nutrition label and make sure to track the net carbs to ensure you stay below your daily threshold.

How Many Carbs Are In Sauerkraut?

So how many carbs are in sauerkraut, you ask?

Labels always vary on the number of carbohydrates, even with the same ingredients and serving size.

In general, most brands have between one and three grams of net carbs per serving.

According to nutrition data from Self, which has a sizeable nutritional database of popular foods, one-cup of sauerkraut has a total of 6.6 grams of carbohydrates.

4.1 grams of those carbs come from dietary fiber, making for a total of 2.5 grams of net carbs for a one-cup (142g) serving.

As you see, you can eat a large volume of sauerkraut for a relatively small amount of calories and carbohydrates.

How Sauerkraut Is Made

Traditional sauerkraut is made through a pickling process referred to as lactic acid fermentation.

Finely shredded cabbage is layered with salt and left to ferment, typically at room temperature.

How long you ferment sauerkraut is entirely up to you. Generally, you would just ferment the sauerkraut until you like the taste and texture of your sauerkraut.

On average, people will ferment their sauerkraut between one and three weeks, so it does take a little patience if you are planning to whip up a batch of your own.

They say the best quality sauerkraut is fermented for a MINIMUM of 20 days, so it's probably best to make multiple batches, so you have some more for when one begins to run out.

It should also be noted that the longer you ferment your cabbage, the fewer carbohydrates it will have, and that's because the fermentation process “consumes” the sugars.

So yes, longer is better, especially for a ketogenic diet.

Is Sauerkraut Healthy?

Probiotics are popular in the health space, and this makes fermented foods like sauerkraut a “healthy” food.

Sauerkraut is RICH in probiotics, with some sources saying as much as 10 trillion bacteria in one serving size.

What do you mean, bacteria? Well, probiotics are essentially live bacteria, but they're the “good” or “healthy” bacteria, and that's because they keep your gut healthy.

While sauerkraut has a good amount of nutrition on its own, many of the health benefits in sauerkraut stem from these probiotics.

What Are The Benefits Of Sauerkraut?

Probiotics, such as those found in sauerkraut, have shown promise for a variety of treatments.

Additionally, sauerkraut contains many nutrients. A one-cup serving of sauerkraut has:

Vitamin C
Vitamin K
Iron
Manganese
Vitamin B6
Folate
Copper
Potassium

Improves Social Anxiety

Probiotics have shown promise in research as a potentially safe supplement compared to more traditional medications. Although more research is needed to make any conclusive claims.5

Improves Digestion

Most people are familiar with probiotic supplements for use with helping improve digestion and overall health.2 3

Studies also show that probiotics may help reduce constipation and bloating, in addition to symptoms linked with ulcerative colitis. 4 5

Boosts Immune System

Probiotics in sauerkraut help to improve and balance out the bacteria in your gut, which helps prevent unwanted substances from leaking into other areas of your body and causing an immune response. 6 7

Many people may have heard the term “leaky gut.”

Also, consuming probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut may reduce your risk of things like the common cold. 8

Sauerkraut is also rich in vitamin C and iron, both of which lead to a healthy immune system. 9

Helps Your Brain and Reduces Stress

A healthy gut flora with contributions from probiotic-rich foods such as sauerkraut may help reduce stress and maintain brain health. 10 11

Sauerkraut may also help the gut increase the absorption of minerals such as magnesium and zinc, both of which are considered mood-regulating minerals. 12

Will Sauerkraut Break A Fast?

Many people following a ketogenic diet stumble upon both intermittent fasting and possibly graduate up to multiple days fasting.

However, when it comes to weight loss, there's no evidence to support that intermittent fasting is superior for weight loss when protein and calories are equated for. 13

If you are using IF because it allows you to adhere to your diet better, then keep doing what you are doing.

If a little sauerkraut during your fasting window keeps you satiated until your first meal, then it won't make much of a difference for weight loss.

That is, so long as your total daily food intake remains the same.

If you are fasting for reasons other than weight loss, such as autophagy and other health benefits, then you shouldn't be eating sauerkraut during this period.

Keto-Friendly Sauerkraut Ideas Or Recipes

So what else can you dow with sauerkraut while following a ketogenic diet? Tons!

Here are a few keto friendly sauerkraut ideas and recipes for you to try out.

Polish sausage and sauerkraut

I like to mix up some sauerkraut and polish sausages together in a cast-iron skillet. If you have a local Costco, I like to pick up the Teton waters grass-fed polish sausages, but any polish sausage should work here.

If you want, use a keto-friendly hot dog bun like these ThinSlim Hot Dog Buns.

Add it to soups

Take your favorite keto friendly soup recipe and mix in some sauerkraut for a tangy crunch.

It may sound a little weird, but I like to mix in some sauerkraut into my beanies chili. If you have an instant pot, you can make a week's worth of chili in ~30 minutes.

In a casserole

Probably my absolute most favorite way of using sauerkraut is in a “casserole.”

Instead of eating the polish sausage whole, I chop it up into bite-size pieces and stir fry it with the bacon and sauerkraut. At the very end, I like to melt some cheese, especially some Dubliner Irish cheddar… but whatever cheese you prefer will work too.

Read: Can You Eat Cheese On Keto?

The Takeaway

Sauerkraut is not only keto friendly but quite healthy due to the plethora of probiotics it contains.

If buying store-bought sauerkraut, do a double-check at the nutrition label and make sure there are no added sugars. For the most part, sauerkraut should be only cabbage and salt.

Is Soylent Keto Friendly? [And Other Great Alternatives]

Many people on keto are busy people, working professionals, working mothers, college students. Sometimes we don’t always have time to stop for a meal, so naturally grabbing a protein shake or meal replacement shake is a quick and convenient option.

The thing is, a lot of fast food isn’t nutritious at all. If we’re going to eat something, it should at least be nutritious, right? In comes Soylent, a complete meal engineered to provide protein, good fats, and a plethora of vitamins and minerals.

But, Is soylent keto friendly? Soylent carries four different varieties of their meal replacements, stacked, original, cafe, and bridge. Both original and cafe are not keto friendly. However, Soylent stacked, and soylent bridge may be consumed in moderation on a ketogenic diet.

In this article, I’ll go over which soylent products are keto-friendly, which are not, what Soylent is, if it’s safe, better options for keto, and if it is a good option if weight loss is your goal.

Can you drink Soylent on keto?

Soylent was created to be a “healthy” animal-free protein-infused meal replacement shake filled with additional omega-3’s, vitamins, and minerals.

However, many of their products are not suited for a ketogenic diet due to carbohydrate content.

As of writing this, Soylent has four varieties of their soylent drink product.

Soylent Original
Soylent Cafe
Soylent Bridge
Soylent Stacked

Both the Soylent Original and Soylent Cafe have well over 30 grams of net carbs per bottle, making them not keto-friendly. However, the soylent bridge and Soylent stacked may be enjoyed in moderation.

Soylent stacked contains 12 grams of total carbs and 3 grams of fiber, which leaves 9 grams of net carbs per bottle. Soylent bridge includes 10 grams of total carbs and 3 grams of fiber, so bridge only has 7 grams of net carbs per bottle, the lowest of the four.

For a more keto-friendly version with the same premise of Soylent, I would recommend Ketolent/Sated (made by a different company)

Purchase Sated / Ketolent Here

A Note On Keto Friendly

When people use the term keto-friendly, it’s usually describing whether or not a particular food item has too many carbohydrates to make it worth your while.

There’s technically no food that is off-limits while following a ketogenic diet, so long as it fits within your carbohydrate allotment for the day.

Take, for example, if you try to stick to between 20 and 30 grams of net carbs per day, you could eat almost any food, so long as you don’t go over your threshold.

While fibrous carbs such as vegetables are more filling and nutritious, which is conducive to losing weight, sometimes fitting in some less than ideal foods are ok in moderation.

How Many Carbs Are In Soylent

Soylent offers a variety of products from drinks, powers, to bars. Below is a table that demonstrates the number of total carbs, fiber, and net carbohydrates in each of their products.

Product	Total	Fiber	Net
Soylent Stacked	12g	3g	9g
Soylent Original	36g	3g	34g
Soylent Cafe	37g	3g	34g
Soylent Bridge	10g	3g	7g
Soylent Bar	12g	2g	10g
Soylent Powder	28g	4g	24g

What Is Soylent?

Soylent is a complete animal-free meal on the go made in both drink and bar form.

According to its website, Soylent’s goal was to make sustainable and nutritious products made to feed everyone.

Being that Soylent was made by two engineers working in Silicon Valley, they took their expertise to the food industry and engineered what they believed to be a healthy plant-based meal replacement.

What Is Soylent Made Of?

There are four key ingredients that Soylent stresses about each of their products:

Soy protein
Carbs synthesized from beets (isomaltulose)
High oleic sunflower oil
Vitamin and mineral blend

However, after looking at their nutrition labels more closely, I’ve made the following discoveries:

Their bars do not contain sunflower oil, only canola oil. There are carbs synthesized from beets (isomaltulose), but soluble corn fiber and whole oat flour make up the majority of the carbohydrates.
The powder also does not contain sunflower oil, only canola oil. The majority of carbs come from maltodextrin and then isomaltulose.
In Soylent stacked, there is a more substantial portion of canola oil compared to sunflower oil.
In Soylent original, maltodextrin makes up the majority of carbohydrates compared to isomaltulose.
In the Soylent bridge, there is a more significant proportion of canola oil to sunflower oil.

Also, Soylent’s products all use the same non-nutritive sugar substitute Sucralose, popularly known by the brand name Splenda.

Is Soylent Safe? Is It Good For You?

Within the context of a well-formulated diet, there are worse choices then Soylent products. Many of their products also contain soluble corn fiber, similar to many low-carb protein bars, such as Quest Bars, on the market today.

Purchase Quest Bars Here.

Soluble corn fiber (SCF) is a non-digestible fiber used to bulk up food items or thicken liquids, such as protein shakes.

Some individuals report bloating and digestive issues when ingesting small or large quantities of soluble corn fiber, but everyone’s body is different. There are also anecdotal reports of SCF affecting blood glucose and insulin, but research seems to suggest otherwise. 14

On the opposite end, soluble corn fiber helps specific individuals with satiety and may even help you go poop, which is vital on any weight loss diet.

That said, if you are looking for a meal replacement shake you can drink on the go while following a ketogenic diet, I would recommend the following instead.

For a more keto-friendly version with the same premise of Soylent, I would recommend Ketolent/Sated (made by a different company)

Is Soylent Good For Weight Loss?

There are no magical foods when it comes to weight loss; I wish there were.

However, certain foods make things more convenient due to time or temptation. Eating certain foods may also cause you to feel more full, while some may trigger you and make you more hungry.

If Soylent or any other meal replacement is a more convenient option that:

Fits your lifestyle and schedule
Allows you to stay on track with the rest of your diet
Kills a craving

Then I’m all for it.

However, if Soylent or any other meal replacements cause you to:

Overeat or binge
Crave other sweets
Don’t fill you up or leave you wanting to eat something else

Then it would be best if you skipped it.

The Takeaway

Many of Soylent’s products are high in carbohydrates, but there are a few that may be enjoyed on a ketogenic diet, but sparingly and in moderation.

The Soylent products that may be enjoyed in moderation include the Soylent bars, Soylent stacked, and Soylent bridge with 10 grams of net carbs or less.

However, if you want something more “keto-friendly” I would recommend a very similar product called Sated, formerly known by Ketolent.

Purchase Sated / Ketolent Here

Is Lily’s Chocolate Keto Friendly? [All Their Products Explained!]

One of my downfalls when it comes to losing weight is undoubtedly my sweet tooth, but especially when it comes to chocolate.

Especially DARK chocolate.

Naturally, I wondered whether I could still indulge in chocolate now and then while following a ketogenic diet, and Lily’s was one of the first brands I discovered.

Is Lily’s Chocolate Keto Friendly? All of Lily’s chocolate products are keto friendly, but certain varieties do contain more carbohydrates than others.

In this article, I’ll go over exactly which of LIly’s chocolate products and bars are keto-friendly and which to be mindful of, the best chocolate to stick to while following a ketogenic diet, the benefits of chocolate, and keto friendly recipes using Lily’s products.

Is lilys chocolate keto friendly pinterest

Are Lily’s Chocolate Bars Keto Friendly

Overall, most of Lily’s chocolate bars are keto friendly. However, there are a few select varieties that have more net carbs than others.

Lily’s chocolate bars can remain low in carbohydrates because their products are sweetened with erythritol (sugar alcohol) and stevia (non-calorie sweetener).

Both erythritol and stevia have a negligible effect on blood glucose. Erythritol has a glycemic index (GI) of 1, and stevia has a GI of 0.

Most individuals following a ketogenic diet usually count net carbohydrates, which means the carbs left after subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols.

Which Lily’s Chocolate Bars Are Keto Friendly?

As of writing this article, Lily’s currently has 15 varieties of chocolate bars that they carry under three different categories:

Milk chocolate “style”
Dark chocolate
Extra dark chocolate

Below is a list of Lily’s chocolate products and the amount of total carbohydrates, fibers, sugar alcohols, and net carbs per serving (30g).

Dark (D) Milk (M) Extra Dark (EX)

Product	Total	Fiber	Sug Alc.	Net
LIly’s D Almond	15g	9g	3g	3g
Lily’s D Coconut	15g	9g	3g	3g
Lily’s D Original	16g	10g	4g	2g
Lily’s D Crispy Rice	17g	9g	3g	5g
Lily's M Creamy Milk	17g	10g	5g	2g
Lily’s M Salted Almond	16g	9g	4g	3g
Lily’s M Salted Caramel	17g	10g	5g	2g
Lily’s M Hazelnut	14g	8g	3g	3g
Lily’s EX Blood Orange	16g	9g	5g	2g
Lily’s EX Extra Dark	15g	8g	5g	2g
Lily’s EX Salted Almond	13g	8g	4g	1g
Lily’s EX Sea Salt	14g	8g	4g	2g
Lily’s EX Salted Caramel	14g	7g	4g	3g
Lily’s EX Extremely	12g	7g	2g	3g
Lily’s EX Intensely	10g	6g	2g	2g

On average, each bar contains two and a half to three servings in total.

As you can see above, the highest-carbohydrate variety of Lily’s chocolate bars is the crispy rice with 5 grams of net carbs per serving. An entire Lily’s dark crispy rice bar with three servings would contain 15 grams of net carbohydrates.

While it may not be the best idea to eat the whole chocolate bar at once, the most you would be setting yourself back is 15 grams of net carbs by eating an entire bar of their highest-calorie variety.

However, there are other reasons besides the carbohydrates why you shouldn't eat an entire bar (or two) in one sitting.

Is Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips Keto Friendly?

Lily’s chocolate chips are produced in the same way as their chocolate bars, with one difference, they’re in chip form. 🙂

This means the chips are also sweetened with erythritol and stevia.

Below is a list of the different varieties of LIly’s baking chocolate chips and their baking chocolate bar with the total carbohydrates, amount of fiber, sugar alcohols, and net carbs per serving (14g).

Product	Total	Fiber	Sug Alc.	Net
Lily’s M Baking Chips	8g	4g	3g	1g
Lily’s D Baking Chips	8g	5g	2g	1g
Lily’s S Baking Chips	8g	5g	3g	0g
Lily’s D Baking Bar	8g	4g	2g	2g

Compared to the baking chips, the baking bar has the “highest” net carb count with 2 grams of net carbs per serving, which is still relatively low in the grand scheme of things.

Are Lily’s Peanut Butter Cups Keto Friendly?

Below is a list of the different varieties of LIly’s peanut butter cups with the total carbohydrates, amount of fiber, sugar alcohols, and net carbs per serving of 2 pieces (36g).

Product	Total	Fiber	Sug Alc.	Net
Lily’s M PB Cups	18g	7g	8g	3g
Lily’s D PB Cups	17g	5g	8g	4g

What I find interesting is that Lily’s sells bags with multiple cups (6) or in packages of 2, similar to that of Reese’s cups.

Now, what’s interesting is that the cups in the multi-bags use roasted peanut flour as their main peanut butter flavoring, but the two-packs use peanut butter.

In either case, they both contain similar amounts of net carbohydrates per serving as one another.

Are Lily’s Chocolate Covered Nuts Keto Friendly?

Below is a list of the different varieties of LIly’s chocolate covered nuts with the total carbohydrates, amount of fiber, sugar alcohols, and net carbs per serving of 1oz. (28g).

Product	Total	Fiber	Sug Alc.	Net
Lily’s M Peanuts	12g	6g	2g	4g
Lily’s D Peanuts	10g	5g	2g	3g
Lily's M Almonds	12g	5g	2g	5g
Lily's D Almonds	9g	5g	2g	2g

Lily’s milk chocolate covered almonds have the highest net carb count relative to the other varieties with 5 grams per serving.

Are Lily’s Caramels Keto Friendly?

Below is a list of the different varieties of LIly’s caramels with the total carbohydrates, amount of fiber, sugar alcohols, and net carbs per serving (28g).

Product	Total	Fiber	Sug Alc.	Net
Lily’s M Caramel	18g	8g	5g	5g
Lily’s D Caramel	16g	6g	4g	6g
Lily's M Popcorn	18g	9g	3g	6g
Lily's D Popcorn	18g	10g	3g	5g

Out of all of LIly’s chocolate products, the caramels contain the most amount of net carbs per serving. If you choose to indulge in Lily’s caramels, do so in moderation.

How Many Carbs Are In Lily’s Chocolate

On average, Lily’s products contain between zero and six grams of net carbohydrates per serving.

Lily’s specialty products, more specifically, the chocolate covered nuts and especially the caramels, contain the most carbohydrates relative to their other products.

The caramels contain five or six grams of net carbs per serving, and the chocolate covered peanuts contain between two and four grams of net carbs per serving.

Lily’s chocolate bars and baking chips average between one and three grams of net carbs per serving.

For a full list of net carb counts for LIly’s different products, please scroll up to the appropriate section.

What Is The Best Chocolate For Keto

Most people, including myself, never thought of chocolate as a low-carbohydrate food. Still, when you strip down chocolate to its natural form, cocoa, it is very low in calories and carbohydrates.

Your typical chocolate bar is then mixed with cocoa butter, sugar, and dairy in varying proportions, thus making them what we’ve all be used to enjoying growing up.

Typically, the darker the chocolate, the less sugar it would have. This is why you’ll generally see a percentage of chocolate, especially on dark chocolate varieties.

The percentage written on the packaging indicates the amount that comes straight from cocoa beans. As an example, a 70 percent bar has seventy percent of it coming from cocoa beans, and the remaining 30 percent consists of everything else.

As is the case with Lily’s chocolate, the “darker” the chocolate, the less room for other ingredients, especially their primary sweeteners erythritol and stevia.

When looking for the best chocolate to indulge in while following a ketogenic diet, your best bet is to:

Stick to higher percentage chocolates, higher the better.
Find chocolate sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners (erythritol, stevia, Splenda, aspartame, etc.).
Check the nutrition label and ingredients list for hidden ingredients.

Benefits Of Chocolate

While chocolate is quite tasty, there may be other reasons to indulge.

Rich in polyphenols

Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, especially flavanols, which have been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, due to the processing and heating process, cocoa can lose some of these beneficial properties. 2

May reduce high blood pressure

The flavanols in cocoa are thought to improve nitric oxide (NO) levels in the blood. Elevated levels of NO are associated with better blood flow and lower blood pressure. 2

L-Citrulline has also been shown to improve NO levels.

Lower risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

These same properties that affect the blood may also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.3 4 5

Improve blood flow to your brain

Some research also suggests that the intake of cocoa daily may improve mental performance. 6 7

Ketones and ketogenic diets show positive effects on neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The addition of cocoa in the diet may further aid in the prevention, though more research is required. 8

Improve mood and reduce stress

A study on chocolate consumption in pregnant women found that higher and more frequent intakes of chocolate were associated with improved mood and reduced stress in babies. 9

Yes, in their babies!

In men, a study done on seniors showed eating chocolate improved overall health and psychological well-being. 10

Is Lily’s Chocolate Healthy?

With the good must also come the bad.

While not directly related to chocolate, Lily’s products do contain a significant amount of fiber and sugar alcohols, which allow them to have a low net carb count.

Sugar alcohols have been shown to have some benefits, such as:

Improvements in dental health 11
Prebiotic benefits 12

On the flip side, too much of anything is never a good thing.

Sugar alcohols in some individuals can cause digestive problems when consumed in large amounts. You’ll know if you ate too much because you may experience symptoms like:

Gas
Bloating
Diarrhea

If you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or sensitive to FODMAPs, considered refraining from Lily’s chocolate products.

Lily’s Chocolate Keto Recipes

Are you looking for some inspiration to bake with Lily’s chocolate? Here are some recipes sure to tickle your tastebuds.

Keto chocolate nut clusters

Use some salted mixed nuts for this recipe or a mix of your favorites. I like to use either macadamia nuts or almonds for these clusters.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Peace, Love, And Low Carb

Keto pumpkins chocolate chip cookies

Chop up Lily’s chocolate bar or use their chocolate chips to make this pumpkin-inspired cookie treat.

Lilys keto friendly pumpking chocolate chip recipe

Photo and recipe courtesy of Hip2Keto

Easy sugar-free keto peanut butter fudge

For those that enjoy RICH treats, this one is for you — using heavy whipping cream (HWC), peanut butter, and some of Lily’s chips making for a surprisingly tasty keto-friendly treat.

Keto peanut butter fudge lilys keto friendly recipe

Photo and recipe courtesy of Butter Together Kitchen

Where To Find Lily’s Chocolate Near You

Lily’s has gained in popularity over the last couple of years, and I’ve been seeing them pop up at most local grocery stores I’ve visited.

If you want to find a store locally, you can visit there store locator here, but the varieties they carry will differ.

I like to purchase my LIly’s in bulk online, which usually comes out cheaper.

Alternatives To Lily’s chocolate

With keto gaining popularity, many other companies have started to come out with there own low-carb keto-friendly chocolates. Below is a list of some alternatives you may want to try:

The Takeaway

Lily’s chocolate bars and the rest of their product line is keto friendly with the highest product containing 6 grams of net carbs per serving.

When indulging in Lily’s chocolate products, ensure you include the net carbs in your daily amount and make sure to observe the correct portion sizes per the nutrition label provided.

Want to see what other keto “candy” is keto friendly? Check out my article.

Is Oatmeal Keto Friendly? [Everything You Need To Know]

Whether you love it or hate it, oatmeal is a staple breakfast all over the world. However, if you're from the South, maybe you're more of a grits kind of person.

Either way, you may find yourself wondering if you can still enjoy your long-time breakfast ritual while following a ketogenic diet.

Read: Is grits keto friendly?

Is oatmeal keto friendly? Rolled oats, steel-cut oats, overnight oats, and every other variation of oats and oatmeal is not keto friendly.

In this article, I'll go over why you can or cannot eat oatmeal, how many carbs are in oatmeal, the benefits, the differences, and some more keto-friendly substitutes you may want to try to get that oatmeal fix.

Can You Eat Oatmeal On Keto

Whether you can or cannot eat anything while following a ketogenic diet boils down to how bad do you need to fit something into your diet.

There are no foods that are or are not inherently off-limits, meaning, foods are neither keto or not keto.

Ketosis is a metabolic state achieved through the reduction or elimination of carbohydrates. Therefore, as long as you stay under your carbohydrate threshold, whatever that may be for you, you'll achieve and remain in a state of ketosis.

Some foods are more keto “friendly” than others because they have low or no carbohydrates.

Most people stay between 20-50 grams of net carbs per day, which you might think of as your daily “budget.” How you choose to spend that budget is entirely up to you, but some foods aren't worth blowing your entire budget on.

At least most of the time.

While you could potentially eat oatmeal on a ketogenic diet, the portion size would be so small, it wouldn't be worth the trade-off.

You're better off using your carbohydrates are more nutritious and filling sources such as fibrous vegetables, which will keep you more satiate and provide additional micronutrients.

How Many Carbs In Oatmeal?

For a half cup of oatmeal (dry), oats contain 51 grams of carbohydrates with 8 grams of those coming from fiber. In total, oatmeal has 43 grams of net carbs.

If you were an individual who was sticking to the lower end carbohydrate range, a 1/4 cup (dry) would already put you over or close to your daily limit.

Are Oats And Oatmeal The Same Thing? What Are they?

The scientific name for oats is avenue sativa, which is considered a whole-grain food.

From what I've found, the main difference between oats and oatmeal is that the preparation of oats (cooked) for consumption makes it oatmeal.

Oats are commonly prepared by boiling the oats in water or milk and often referred to as porridge.

What Are The Different Kinds Of Oats?

Oats are considered an ancient cereal grain, believed to be cultivated as early as 1000 B.C. The different varieties of oats you may think of are essentially how processed they are.

In general, the more processed the oat is, the faster it will cook.

Listed from least processed to most processed:

Oat groats

Oat groats, also called whole oat kernels, is the least processed variety; thus, it takes a long time to cook.

Is oat groats keto friendly? Oat groats are not keto friendly.

Steel-cut

Also known as Irish oats, steel-cut oats are toasted whole oat groats cut into smaller pieces by a steel blade, hence the “steel-cut.”

Is steel-cut oats keto friendly? Steel-cut oats are not keto friendly.

Scottish

Scottish oats are stone-ground instead of rolled or cut, giving them a more finely ground texture and appearance.

Is Scottish oats keto friendly? Scottish oats are not keto friendly.

Rolled

More popularly known as old-fashioned rolled oats, they get their name due to whole oat groats being steamed, rolled, and flattened. Rolled oats are the most common variety of oats you're likely to find at the grocery store.

Is rolled oats keto friendly? Rolled oats are not keto friendly.

Instant

Instant oats, also known as quick-cooking or 1-minute oats, takes rolled oats and steams them even longer, thus allowing them to cook much quicker.

Is instant oatmeal keto friendly? Instant oatmeal is not keto friendly.

Why Is Oatmeal Good For You

Despite oatmeal not being the most keto-friendly food, it does have some health benefits associated with it.

Contain the soluble fiber beta-glucan

Beta-glucan has been found to have health benefits such as:

Increased satiety 13
Reduced blood sugar and insulin response 2
Reduced total and LDL (bad) cholesterol 3

Skincare

Since the benefits of oats on skincare are applied to the skin, this would be an acceptable application of oatmeal while following a ketogenic diet.

Oat-based skin products may improve symptoms of eczema, along with other various itch and irritation-based skin conditions.4 5 6

Rich in antioxidants

Whole oats have a unique group of antioxidants called avanthramids, which is almost exclusively found in oats. 7

Avenathramides increase the production of nitric oxide, which may help lower blood pressure. Nitric oxide acts to dilate blood vessels, which may improve blood flow. 8 9

Additionally, avenathramides also have an anti-inflammatory effect. 10

Who Invented Oatmeal

While we may all be familiar with the Quaker Oats Company, the origin of oats didn't start there.

However, it was Quaker Oats that propelled the popularity in the United States by inventing and pioneering the faster-cooking varieties in the late 1800s, then instant oats in the mid-1900s.

Instead, oats were believed to be cultivated by the Greeks and Romans as early as 1,000 B.C.

The primary use for oats was harvest for animal feed, and apparently to fatten up slaves and gladiators to provide that extra set of cushion to brace the impact.

As if that would stop a sword from piercing your organs… but I guess if you were fat enough, it would.

Minus one point for the Game Changers documentary on Netflix. (You'll get it if you've seen it)

Oatmeal Substitute For Keto

So now that we know oatmeal is probably a no-go on a keto diet, what can you have that may fulfill that craving?

Here are a few “n” oatmeal recipes.

Get it?

Low carb overnight chia oatmeal

The star of the show here is… can you guess…? Chia seeds! This isn't a warm variation of porridge, but I don't see why you couldn't warm up this recipe to make it one.

Photo and recipe courtesy of I Save A 2 Z

No-Oats keto oatmeal

This recipe also uses chia seeds but also combines flax seeds, nuts, and your choice of a non-dairy Milk. However, if you want to use some heavy whipping cream (HWC), it might make for something even more creamy.