KETO FOODS

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 1
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.

Read HWC On Keto

Photo and recipe courtesy of Cassidy's Craveable Creations

“Oatmeal” Chocolate chip cookies

What's better than a bowl of oatmeal?

Cookies made of oatmeal.

Here's a great keto friendly “oatmeal” chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies keto friendly

Photo and recipe courtesy of All Day I Dream About Food

The Takeaway

Oatmeal isn't exactly the most keto-friendly food.

The majority (99%) of people should steer clear of it if staying in ketosis is one of your primary goals.

If looking for an oatmeal substitute, try chia and flax seeds with your favorite nuts for a delicious keto-friendly alternative.

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

Depending on where you’re from, grits may have been a staple for you growing up. However, I may have unfortunate news for those who want to include them on keto.

Ninety percent of the calories from grits come from carbohydrates, making it not a suitable food choice for those following a keto diet. Just one cup of dry grits has 120 grams of net carbohydrates, which is more than double most individuals' carb targets for the day.

Being stationed in the South during my military years, I became very accustomed to grits… ON EVERYTHING! I would go through the dining facility line, and at the very end, have the guy pour grits on my entire breakfast.

I was obsessed.

In this article, I’ll go over why grits are not ideal for keto, how you may still be able to enjoy some from time to time, the number of carbs in grits, keto-friendly substitutes, and more.

Are Grits Bad For The Keto Diet?

Many people who follow a low-carb or ketogenic diet are advised to eat meat and veggies but stay away from starchy vegetables like carrots or corn.

While that’s generally good advice, it doesn’t exactly tell you WHY you should stay away from them. I’d argue that you may possibly benefit from including some carrots in your diet.

Read: Are carrots keto friendly?

Why do I bring this up you ask? Well, because grits are made with either hominy or stone-ground corn. Corn Is generally considered a carbohydrate source, which is what we’re trying to limit while following a ketogenic diet.

For our body to start producing ketones, we must first deplete our liver glycogen of glucose. 11

Only when liver glycogen is depleted will your body begin to produce ketones as a way to provide energy, thus allowing you to enter a metabolic state of ketosis.

How many carbs you must limit yourself will vary by individual, but most people find that between 20 and 50 grams of net carbohydrates are the sweet spot.

Are Cheese Grits Keto Friendly

When we refer to food as keto-friendly, we’re just saying that the food is generally low in carbohydrates.

In reality, you could eat almost any food so long as you stay under your carbohydrates for the day. While you COULD eat grits, you would only be able to eat such a tiny portion; it likely wouldn’t be a worthwhile trade-off.

But who knows, it may be for some people, especially those who want that itty bitty taste and think it’s all worth it.

However, when attempting to lose weight, hunger is already an issue, and so is sufficient nutrition.

For the most part, the carbohydrates that you do have are best spent on nutritious whole foods such as green leafy vegetables, but having “fun” foods here and there isn’t entirely out of the question.

You can think of your carbohydrates as a budget that you get to spend. If I gave you $20 to eat for the whole day, it wouldn’t make much sense to buy a 6 oz — prime USDA filet mignon for $19.

While you could buy it, would it be worth starving the whole day to do so? Maybe sometimes it is, but that’s for you to decide.

Overall, grits aren’t so keto friendly due to them being primarily high in carbohydrates. The amount of grits you would be able to eat wouldn’t be worth it to most people.

How Many Net Carbs In Grits?

One cup of cooked grits have the following calorie and macronutrient breakdown:

Calories: 182
Fat: 1 gram
Carbohydrates: 38 grams
Protein: 4 grams

For a half cup, that would set you back 19 grams of net carbs for those grits.

While you could potentially fit that into your daily budget, you can see how that may not be a worthwhile trade-off.

Can I Eat Grits On A Keto Diet?

Unless you are following a variation of keto, such as a targeted ketogenic diet or a cyclical ketogenic diet, it’s best to stay away from grits.

If you’re interested in learning more about a targeted ketogenic diet or cyclical ketogenic diet, check out my articles below.

How Are Grits Made?

Grits is a Southern comfort food that dates back to the colonial days.

Not to be confused with polenta, grits are usually made from dent corn, a starchy and less sweet variety. On the other hand, polenta is made from finely ground yellow corn.

The corn is then treated with lime or another alkali to remove the hull, which makes it hominy. After the corn is dried, it is coarsely ground to become hominy grits.

Keto-friendly Substitute And Recipes For Grits

If you’re looking for that creamy taste, but without the carbs, here are a few recipes that make “grits” more keto-friendly.

For the most part, most of the recipes do utilize cauliflower as the base ingredient.

Low Carb Cheesy Cauliflower Grits

Using cauliflower, cream cheese, and some cheddar, you’ll find this cheesy cauliflower grits recipe quite delicious and comforting.

ARE GRITS KETO FRIENDLY CHEESY CAULI GRITS

Photo and recipe courtesy of Sweet Pea Lifestyle

Keto Shrimp And Grits

When I think of grits, there’s one other food I always associate with it, and that’s shrimp. Indulge in this southern comfort classic low-carb style.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Word To Your Mother.

Unfortunately, when it comes to finding a keto grits recipe with no cauliflower, I can’t seem to think of another low-carb substitute. I’m all ears for anyone who has any ideas on how to make a keto friendly grits substitute without cauliflower.

I know certain people either do not like cauliflower or limit different types of FODMAP foods, so I’ll keep this updated if I come across any.

The Takeaway

While grits are delicious and versatile, they are not conducive to a ketogenic diet.

Grits are primarily made up of corn, and that makes grits a food relatively high in carbohydrates.

While you may be able to fit in a tiny portion, think ~.25 cup cooked, I don’t think it would be worth it.

However, if you’re following a targeted ketogenic diet or a cyclical ketogenic diet, grits may make the perfect carbohydrate source.

The Secret Behind Kefir And Ketosis

Kefir is growing in popularity, popping up in almost every grocery store. If you’re not familiar with kefir, it’s a fermented drink that contains a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria, similar to how you would make sourdough bread. However, it does contain a fair amount of carbs for those following a low carb or keto diet.

Kefir and water kefir can be consumed on a ketogenic diet within moderation. An average glass (8 oz) of kefir has the same amount of carbs as a glass of milk with 10 grams of net carbohydrates. However, this amount is reduced further through longer fermentation.

In this article, I’ll go over what kefir is and its health benefits, how to reduce the number of carbs, and alternatives that are even more keto-friendly.

Is Kefir Keto Friendly?

Keto-friendly is just another way of saying whether or not a food is generally ok to eat because no food is inherently keto or not keto. Foods aren’t “keto” since keto is a metabolic state achieved by limiting carbohydrates under a certain amount, which is different for everyone.

On average, an 8 oz. serving of kefir from most brands contain ~10 to 13 grams of net carbs. Since most people following a ketogenic diet limit carbohydrates between 20 and 50 grams of net carbs, kefir fits the bill as it falls under that threshold.

The real question is whether using up 10 to 13 grams of your net carbs is worth a glass of kefir. Of course, you can get the health benefits of kefir without drinking a full 8 oz. serving. For example, consuming 4 oz. of kefir only has ~6 grams of net carbs.

While I would suggest getting the majority of your carbohydrates from non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cactus, and spinach, you can enjoy treats that aren’t exactly seen as “keto” while staying in ketosis.

I wouldn’t make it a point to try to fit in treats every day, but if it makes you diet more enjoyable and allows you to stick to it, then who am I or anyone to stop you.

You do you.

What Is Kefir

So what exactly is kefir? It’s a cultured, fermented beverage similar to kombucha. Kefir is made similarly to sourdough bread, where a “starter” consisting of yeast and bacteria is used to ferment dairy milk, though other alternative milks may be used.

Kefir is almost like a yogurt drink, it’s not as runny as milk, but it’s not as thick as yogurt. Since kefir is fermented, individuals who may be lactose intolerant don’t seem to have the same reaction with kefir.

If you’ve never seen kefir, you’ll likely find it in the dairy section or lumped in with the yogurts.

Health Benefits of Kefir

Kefir is rich in nutrients, B vitamins, potassium, calcium, and a good source of high-quality protein. However, most people choose to consume kefir for its probiotics.

Other great keto-friendly sources of probiotics include kimchi and sauerkraut.

Probiotics are live organisms consumed through fermented foods or supplements such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha. Additionally, probiotics are thought to help promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria and linked to a variety of health benefits.

Aside from being rich in nutrients, 5 health benefits of kefir include:

How To Make Kefir More Keto Friendly

By making your kefir, you’ll have full control of making a lower carb version than the ones found on the store shelves.

First, decide which type of dairy or non-dairy base you would like to use. Popular non-dairy alternatives include:

Coconut milk
Goats milk
Rice milk
Almond milk
Macadamia nut milk

Easy ways to make kefir more keto-friendly…

Use coconut milk or another dairy alternative

Make kefir with coconut milk, not to be confused with coconut water, or another non-dairy milk lower in carbohydrates. Using something other than cows milk is an easy way to slash carbs from your kefir.

For example, this recipe from KetoDietApp uses coconut milk and has only ~4 grams of net carbs per 8 oz. serving.

HomemadeCoconutMilkKefir1 — Recipe and image from ketodietapp

Reduce the serving size

Reducing your kefir serving from 8 oz to 4 oz is a way to take in fewer carbohydrates, but still, get the health benefits of kefir and probiotics.

Just because the nutrition label says 8 oz. or 1 cup equals a serving, doesn’t mean that you have to drink that much in one sitting.

Ferment kefir longer than 24-hours

Ferment your kefir longer than 24 hours. Typically, kefir is fermented for 24 hours, but fermenting kefir for 48 to 72 hours will help further reduce the carb count.

Bear in mind, the longer you ferment your kefir, the sourer it becomes, but this is easily remedied by mixing in your favorite zero-calorie sweetener such as stevia or monk fruit.

Or, if you enjoy the sourness, then leave it be.

Drink water kefir

Yepp, that’s not a typo.

You can make kefir from water the same way you can from dairy and other milk. Water kefir is easy to make at home as all you need is water, sugar, and water kefir grains.

The fermentation process is what reduces the sugar content, so using less sugar and increasing the fermentation are perfect ways to reap the benefits of kefir with even less sugar.

Here’s a natural water kefir recipe from Kombucha Kamp.

Image and recipe from Kombucha Kamp

The Takeaway… Is Kefir Keto?

Kefir can most certainly fit into a ketogenic diet as a single serving has ~10 grams of net carbs and a half serving only ~5 grams. However, you’ll get more bang for your buck by making your kefir with non-dairy milk or fermenting dairy for longer than 48 hours.

Kefir is rich in probiotics that have been shown to have a multitude of health benefits, including digestion health and improved bone health, making it worth consideration as part of a healthy diet.

Since kefir is a fermented beverage, the sugar is significantly reduced during the fermentation process. Still, if you ferment it even further, you can reduce the overall net carbs even more.

[The 7 Best Foods] What To Eat On Keto When Sick

It's that time of the year, depending on when you're reading this, that is. If you're not already sick, then someone you know is coughing up a storm, or maybe your kids are feeling under the weather.

What do you do when you're sick because chicken noodle soup just won't cut it on a ketogenic diet.

What to eat on keto when sick? The best foods you can eat on keto when sick are keto-friendly foods that provide adequate nutrition, comfort, hydrate and replenish your electrolytes.

In this article, I'll list some keto-friendly foods to eat when you're sick, but also some common pitfalls to avoid or look out for that may be mistaken as an illness and what to do.

What to eat when sick on keto pinterest cover

Top 7 Foods To Eat When Sick On Keto

Food not only can provide us comfort when we're not feeling our best, but some foods may even help give relief to many of your symptoms. First, you want to make sure you're feeding yourself with foods that help nourish and support your body while helping fight off any illness.

What you should eat on keto when sick should follow a few fundamental principles:

Provide nourishment and support
Help comfort and relieve symptoms
Hydrate
Replenish electrolytes
Keto-friendly

Avocados

What keto food list wouldn't be complete without the avocado? Avocados are an excellent source of fiber in addition to being rich in vitamins and minerals, especially potassium.

Avocados are also high in healthy monounsaturated fat, similar to that of olive oil. In particular, avocado is a rich source of oleic acid, which has been shown to help decrease inflammation and improve immune response. 6

Fatty fish

Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines are full of high-quality protein and rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3's are shown to have potent anti-inflammatory effects. 2

Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin D. As much as 42% of the population is deficient in Vitamin D, which helps fight inflammation and boost immune function. 3

Eggs

Eggs are another great keto-friendly food that's relatively easy to whip up and consume, which is especially essential while sick. Eggs are another great source of vitamin D and also zinc, commonly found in many over the counter medications.

Chicken soup

Chicken soup has been a remedy for the common cold since the dawn of time, at least my time on this earth, and for a good reason. Chicken soup is easy to consume and chock full of vitamins, minerals, and protein.

Additionally, chicken soup is excellent at providing additional hydration and electrolytes. Making sure you're well-hydrated is vital while following a ketogenic diet, even more-so when sick.

What's more, chicken soup may act as a natural decongestant due to the hot steam and being rich in the amino acid cysteine. N-acetyl-cysteine's shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-viral effects. 4 5

You can quickly turn this into chicken noodle soup, like pho, by using a low-carb noodle alternative such as shirataki noodles.

Bone broth

Another option similar to chicken soup or chicken broth is bone broth. Bone broth's full of vitamins and minerals in addition to having other possible healing properties, though only anecdotal.

You can make your bone broth from store-bought bones, or if you're less inclined like me, there are great ready-to-eat alternatives. Kettle and Fire produce an excellent bone broth ready to drink, or Lono Life makes a powder you can mix in hot water.

Liver

Beef liver is probably as close to a “superfood” as you can get. People usually associate fruits and vegetables as being the king of vitamins and minerals, but the liver far surpasses them in terms of quantity and bioavailability.

Beef liver is also a great source of high-quality protein, relatively low in calories, and very cost-effective.

A small 100-gram serving of beef liver is chock full of key vitamins and minerals. Here are the nutrients found in one 100-gram serving of beef liver:

Vitamin A: 500% DV | 26091 IU
Vitamin B12: 1300% DV | 83.1 mcg
Riboflavin (B2): 200% DV | 3.4 mg
Folate (B9): 65% DV | 260 mcg
Iron: 35% DV | 6.2 mg
Copper: 730% DV | 14.6 mg
Choline: 418 mg

Fish eggs

When you think about eating a chicken egg, it's as if you're consuming the complete nutrition of a whole chicken in a bite-sized package, or what you can call “nose to tail.” Fish eggs, referred to as roe, are similar in that they're a nutrition powerhouse.

All the different varieties of roe are nutritious in their own right, but fish such as salmon and carp are much more affordable and sustainable than other fancy caviars. A 1 oz serving of salmon roe averages nearly 900 mg of anti-inflammatory omega-3's in its most bioavailable form, meaning better absorption than taking a fish oil supplement.

When Does Keto Flu Hit And Why

Sometimes people mistake getting sick for the keto flu. The keto flu typically affects people during the beginning stages of a ketogenic diet, as I'll explain further.

Feeling like you have a common cold while on keto or other illness can sometimes be mistaken for the keto flu, especially if you've just started your ketogenic lifestyle. The keto flu generally occurs during the first couple of weeks while transitioning to a ketogenic diet due to a variety of factors.

When transitioning to a ketogenic diet, your body is undergoing many changes. A significant cause of why you may be experiencing flu-like symptoms when switching to a ketogenic diet is due to a rapid loss of fluids and electrolytes. Additionally, your body is becoming accustomed to using fat and ketones as its primary fuel source after living off carbohydrates your entire life.

Low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets cause a rapid loss of water and electrolytes during the first couple of weeks because carbohydrates stored in the body help to retain water. Our bodies store carbohydrates in the body as glycogen located within our liver and muscles. The role of glycogen in our body is mainly to provide quick, usable energy to our muscles and brain when needed.

For every gram of glycogen in your body, it will store an additional three grams of water. As you begin to deplete glycogen by following a ketogenic diet, the body also releases the water stored with it. Imagine every gram of glycogen In your body as a sponge holding water and every time your body needs a sponge, it squeezes out the water inside.

The rapid water loss is the reason you may have noticed a substantial drop in the scale the first week or two of starting a ketogenic diet. While some of the weight was fat, a good majority of the weight loss at the beginning of the diet was water weight.

You may have noticed that you had to pee a lot more when first starting keto, which is your body rapidly getting rid of fluid retained by your glycogen stores. This sudden shift in fluid levels, and the electrolytes lost, as a result, is a major reason why you may be experiencing the keto flu.

To help off-set or avoid many of the keto-flu symptoms, make sure you are staying well hydrated and replacing any lost electrolytes. You can best accomplish staying hydrated and replenishing electrolytes by making sure you are drinking enough water to thirst and salting your food liberally and to taste.

Secondly, your body is still getting used to using fat and ketones as its primary fuel source. While you may generally start to enter a state of ketosis within 24 to 72 hours, it can take upwards of three weeks or longer for your body to become “keto-adapted.” Being keto-adapted means your body's accustomed to running on fat and ketones for fuel, which generally gets better and better as time progresses.

Symptoms Of The Keto Flu

The keto flu cleverly gets its name due to many of the symptoms sharing similarities with the common influenza flu:

Nausea
Increased sweating
Headaches
Increased heart rate
Keto breath or dry mouth
Chills
Runny nose
Fever
Lethargic
Sore throat

Again, one of the best methods anecdotally to help prevent or relieve symptoms of the keto flu is to drink plenty of water and replenish your electrolytes, most importantly, sodium.

An easy and tasty keto flu drink remedy is to sip on some salty chicken or bone broth.

Alternatively, you can supplement with an electrolyte supplement such as Keto Vitals Electrolytes, specially formulated for people following a ketogenic diet.

For temporary relief from a cough or sore throat, you'll be glad to know that there is a plethora of keto friendly cough drops that you may utilize.

The keto flu may also explain why you lack energy or feel exhausted on a ketogenic diet, among other reasons I've written about.

What to drink on keto when sick plenty of water

Feeling Nauseous While On Keto

While feeling nauseous on keto can be a symptom of the keto flu, there's another big reason people following a ketogenic diet may feel sick.

The body requires the enzyme lipase to help break down fats. If the body doesn't produce enough lipase, this can lead to fat malabsorption, which can result in nausea and indigestion, among other symptoms. Many people that start keto, even months into the diet, report feelings of nausea, especially after a high-fat meal.

Not producing enough lipase is similar to someone who's lactose intolerant, their body doesn't produce enough of the enzyme lactase. Not producing enough lactase leads to poor digestion of sugars found in dairy.

Also, your liver manufactures bile and bile salts, which help to emulsify fat. If your liver is not producing enough bile and/or bile salts, you may have trouble absorbing and digesting the fats and fat-soluble vitamins from your diet.

Other tell-tale signs you may not be absorbing fat well is by examining your stool. If you find your stools are white, pale yellow, clay-colored, oily, and/or smelly, you may be suffering from fat malabsorption.

What can you do?

Assuming you do not have a pre-existing medical condition that may hinder your ability to digest fats, there are a few things you can do to help your body along:

Reducing total fat intake
Smaller more frequent meals
Supplement with ox bile and/or lipase (ox bile supplement | lipase supplement)
Make sure you chew your food well
Allowing your body to adjust over time

Specific individuals, such as those without a gallbladder and following a ketogenic diet, may find these tips useful as well. The liver and gallbladder especially helps to produce, store, and secrete the bile necessary to help absorb and digest fat. If you have any medical-related problem with your gallbladder, liver, or pancreas, this can lead to poor fat digestion.

If you've given it enough time, followed the tips, and the problem persists, you should consult your doctor as you may have another underlying problem.

Sick After Eating Carbs While On Keto

We can't all be perfect ALL the time. Sometimes we want to indulge in a treat rich in carbohydrates or enjoy food with friends and family.

While it's perfectly ok to indulge from time to time, eating a large amount of carbs after being on a ketogenic diet for a while may cause some people to feel unwell. If this happened to you, you're not alone, and here's why.

For the same reason, it takes weeks, and possibly months for your body to get used to burning fat as its primary fuel source, the same happens in reverse. You may feel sick after introducing carbohydrates because your body has been ramping up the enzymes and transporters necessary to use fat and ketones.

Meanwhile, the enzymes to break down and process carbohydrates have ramped down, commonly referred to as physiological insulin resistance. Physiological insulin resistance isn't a bad thing. Physiological insulin resistance means your body is healthy and functioning properly, doing what it's supposed to do.

Physiological insulin resistance is completely normal and reversible. There's no cause for alarm if you plan to switch to a diet higher in carbohydrates in the future or indulge from time to time. Physiological insulin resistance is just that “physiological,” and not “pathological,” which means it's not a disease state.

Take Away Message

Sometimes people confuse the keto-flu or re-introducing carbohydrates after a prolonged period with actually coming down with a cold or illness. To help off-set or avoid the keto-flu, you should do your best to stay well hydrated and replace any lost electrolytes.

If you find yourself with an actual sickness or illness, make sure to incorporate the foods listed above in addition to getting plenty of rest and drinking plenty of fluids.

No foods can inherently cure sickness, but eating the right foods to support your body may help relieve symptoms and boost your immune system.

Can You Eat Cheese On Keto? [Best Cheeses]

Asking can you eat cheese on keto is like asking if the sky is blue.

Ok, so maybe it’s dark and gloomy when you look out your window (whenever you happen to be reading this) but you get the picture.

Cheese is a staple in mine and many others keto diets. Not only is cheese tasty on its own, but you can practically top anything with cheese to enhance the flavor. The way I like to use cheese is slathering it on my keto pizza, cauliflower nachos, or even as a side dish on its own.

And that’s not all, not only does cheese just taste good, it’s a nutrient powerhouse with many benefits, few drawbacks, and easily accessible. So sit back and let’s go over how cheese can benefit your diet, some things you want to be mindful of, and the best cheeses to consume.

Can you eat cheese on keto? Cheese is perfectly acceptable on a keto diet. Not only are most cheeses low carbohydrate, but they are packed with the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2. Cheese is also rich in calcium and protein making it a great fit for those living a ketogenic lifestyle.

Can you eat cheese on keto pinterest cover

Time to go over the good and the bad to finally settle the question of can you eat cheese on keto or not.

What is cheese?

If you don’t know what cheese is, you’re living under a rock!

Living under a rock can you eat cheese on keto

But I imagine you know since you’ve found your way here and wondering if you can eat cheese on keto. That said, cheese is made by curdling milk, much like the process of producing yogurt where the solid (fat and protein) is split from the liquid (whey and water).

Soft cheeses have not been aged as long as hard cheeses, and for the most part hard cheeses will contain fewer carbohydrates than soft cheeses.

Benefits of cheese on keto

Besides being super tasty by itself or on top of anything, cheese has health benefits.

Rich in calcium

Cheese is rich in calcium, a one ounce serving on average will provide you with nearly 200 milligrams. We often forget calcium with keto electrolytes that people concern themselves with.

A diet rich in calcium helps ensure you’ll have strong, healthy bones. This is very important, especially for females, who are more susceptible to osteoporosis 6 as we age.

Wondering how to get more calcium on keto?

Great source of protein

On average, per one ounce of cheese will net you with ~7 grams of protein. This is the equivalent to what you would find in any other protein source such as chicken, fish, beef, etc.

Be mindful of cheeses fat content since most are also high in fat and calories unless opting for a lower fat cheese.

Packed with nutrients

Cheese is packed with many nutrients including the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2.

Not only that, but they contain “healthy fats” such as EPA and DHA, even more in cheese that came from grass-fed milk

Contain probiotics

Most people associate yogurt with having a good dose of probiotics, but cheese to contains a good dose of these “good” bacteria.

While still being researched and a relatively new field of study, maintaining gut health is paramount for better overall health. It’s not just about what you eat, but what you eat AND can absorb.

The top 3 drawbacks to cheese on keto

While there are tons of benefits to eating cheese on your keto diet, there can be some drawbacks. Here are three things you want to watch out for when including cheese on your keto journey.

Highly processed

Not all cheeses are created equal. Many kinds of cheese that you might be used to growing up are full of additives and starches. I’m talking about the cheese you might find wrapped perfectly in individual little squares or shredded in a bag.

I’m not saying you can’t eat these,

but be mindful of any extra ingredients thrown in. The most important aspect for remaining in ketosis is that you keep carbs low.

While you can still enjoy these cheeses, make sure the cheese you choose isn’t high in carbs because of added sugars or they can quickly add up and knock you out ketosis.

Easy to overeat

While you may have heard some mumbo jumbo about calories not mattering on a ketogenic diet, that is false, because they absolutely matter. So, if you are eating copious amounts of cheese you might end up wondering why you’re not losing weight on keto.

Cheese is one of those foods like nuts that are calorie dense. Super tasty calorie-dense foods like cheese and nuts are easy to over-consume, so be cautious when including these types of foods in your diet.

Possible allergy

Sometimes we expose ourselves to things we know aren’t good for us. I’m sure we all have that friend who is lactose intolerant but loves ice cream. While cheese isn’t high in lactose, certain individuals don’t respond well to casein protein, the protein found in cheese.

And like I said, cheese isn’t “high” in lactose, so there is some. Usually, the more aged cheese is the less lactose and carbohydrates there is.

Best Cheese For Keto

Certain cheeses are better than others in terms of health benefits and even carb count. Here are two categories of cheeses to steer towards for additional nutrition and fewer carbohydrates per serving.

Grass-fed

Grass-fed cheeses are richer in many vitamins including B and fat-soluble vitamins. Grass-fed cheese is also high in “healthy fats” like omega-3’s and CLA. I’m sure you know that omega-3’s is good for you, but few people have heard about CLA.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a fat that has been shown to have a wide variety of health benefits, improved blood sugar regulation, and reduced body fat are two of the key ones you might be interested in.

Aged cheeses

If you look at the nutrition facts on cheese and navigate to the carbohydrate line, you’ll see many kinds of cheese contain carbohydrates in the form of sugar. Basically, all the sugar that’s in the cheese is in the form of lactose, so if it says 2g it has 2 grams of lactose per serving.

Natural and aged cheeses, such as cheddar or parmesan, will contain less lactose and thus less carbohydrates. If you’re looking to keep it as low carb as possible, then stick to aged cheeses, the more aged the better.

Wondering about more ethnic cheeses like paneer or “other miscellaneous cheese products?”

Even small amounts of “cheese” like velveeta cheese can be keto friendly.

Keto Cheese Cheat Sheet

There are few carbs in cheese making it a perfect fit for your keto diet. However, some cheeses contain a lower carb content than others.

The carb content in the below cheeses is per 1 oz serving.

The lowest carb keto-friendly cheeses are:

Cheese	Amount	Carbs
Goat cheese	1 oz.	0.1g
Brie	1 oz.	0.1g
Blue cheese	1 oz.	0.7g
Cheddar	1 oz.	0.8g
Parmesan	1 oz.	0.9g
Provolone	1 oz.	0.6g
Mozzarella	1 oz.	0.6g

Keto friendly cheeses for can you eat cheese on keto

Some of my favorite keto cheese snacks

Bunker hill cheese crisps
Cello whisps *I've seen these at Costco too
Just the cheese bars

How to make keto cheese chips

If you’re a DIY person and rather make things from scratch wondering how to make keto cheese chips, then here are my top 3 favorite cheese crisp recipes I’ve tried.

How Much Cheese Can You Eat On Keto?

Since there is no general rule of thumb on how much cheese on keto is acceptable, it comes down to how much you want to fit in your daily intake. Everyone is different and some people like more cheese than others.

If you can fit it within your daily caloric allotment and macros, then go right ahead.

Don’t know how to calculate your calories or macros? Try using my keto macro calculator to get a starting point based on your body and lifestyle factors.

Just remember, you can’t have an unlimited amount of cheese just because it’s “keto-friendly.” Cheese is caloric dense, and a little goes a long way. If you eat too much and weight loss is your goal, you may find yourself in a plateau or even worse… gaining weight.

Closing Thoughts To Cheese On Keto

Whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain, you can most certainly fit cheese into a well-balanced ketogenic diet. Not only is cheese tasty, but it’s packed with nutrition.

Think of cheese as a flavor enhancer rather than the main part of a meal. Or perhaps… enjoy a few small slices of cheese with a glass of wine to stay keto while out a cocktail party.

Either way, you may have cheese on keto as long as you’re mindful of not eating so much cheese you sabotage your weight loss efforts.

What’s your favorite kind of cheese?