KETO FRIENDLY

21 Amazingly Keto Friendly Hot Sauces

There was once a time when I put hot sauce on EVERYTHING. Do you know how that Frank's red hot sauce commercial goes? Ya, that was me.

Most hot sauce found on the store shelf or online can be used while following a keto diet. Many hot sauces are made with the same essential ingredients that do not contain any, or very minimal, carbohydrates. Hot sauce may be one of the most keto-friendly condiments a person can use.

I don't know what it was, but I think it was the military and the people I hung around that got me into hot sauce. I had to carry a bottle of hot sauce with me wherever I went.

In this article, I'll go over what makes something “keto-friendly,” what goes into hot sauce, and then list out 21 unique and easily accessible hot sauces you can use for your keto diet.

Can You Have Hot Sauce On The Ketogenic Diet?

Hot sauce is perfectly acceptable to use a condiment when following a ketogenic diet.

Most hot sauces are made with basic ingredients that don't have many if any, carbohydrates. This makes hot sauce one of the most keto-friendly condiments you can use on a ketogenic diet, and you don't have to stingy with the pouring of it either.

When it comes to hot sauce and keto, use it until your heart's content.

Of course, there are a certain number of hot sauces you should stay away from, and I'll explain that later on in this article.

What Hot Sauce Is Keto Friendly?

As I stated, most hot sauce you'll find at your local grocery store is keto-friendly.

If you were to look at some of the most common hot sauces available, you'll find that most of them are made of the following ingredients.

Red Pepper of some sort
Salt
Garlic
Vinegar

All of the ingredients above are considered keto-friendly.

What Makes An Item Keto Friendly?

As I mentioned, almost all hot sauce is considered keto-friendly, but there are a certain few that MAY NOT be.

While the majority of hot sauce is composed of the same essential ingredients, there are a few that may include added carbohydrates in the form of flavors or sugars to give it a different taste,

Now, when it comes to something being keto-friendly, that will generally mean that an item has very few, if any, carbohydrates.

However, there is a caveat to that; those individuals, maybe you, that can eat more carbohydrates than another person and stay in ketosis, will be able to find more items that are “keto-friendly.”

Let me explain further.

If you can only consume about 20 carbohydrates and your friend Suzy can eat 50 carbohydrates and still be in ketosis, they have a little more freedom when it comes to food choices.

In essence, your friend Suzy would have a bigger budget to spend.

There are no foods that are inherently keto or not keto. Instead, all foods fall on a spectrum of eating very little, if any, all the way to eat to your heart's content.

Hot sauce, at least most of them, fall into the far right of that spectrum.

21 Amazing Keto Approved Hot Sauces

Now that we got the technical stuff out of the way, what are some keto-friendly hot sauces that you can include on a ketogenic diet?

Here are some of the most popular brands that are easily accessible at your local grocery store or online on sites like Amazon and won't break that carb budget.

Hopefully, your favorite one is on the list, but if it's not, please shoot me an email and let me know which one you have a question about.

Tapatio

Is Tapatio hot sauce keto-friendly? Tapatio hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: water, red peppers, salt, spices, garlic, acetic acid, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate

Purchase Tapatio Hot Sauce Here

Cholula

Is Cholula hot sauce keto-friendly? Cholula hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: water. salt, dried peppers vinegar, garlic, spices, natural flavors, xanthan gum, dried garlic

Purchase Cholula Hot Sauce Here

Tabasco

Is Tabasco hot sauce keto-friendly? Tabasco hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: distilled vinegar, red pepper, salt

Purchase Tobasco Here

Texas Pete

Is Texas Pete hot sauce keto-friendly? Texas Pete hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: vinegar, aged peppers, water, xantham gum, benzoate of soda

Purchase Texas Pete Hot Sauce Here

Frank's RedHot

Is Frank's RedHot sauce keto-friendly? Frank's RedHot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, garlic powder

Purchase Franks RedHot Sauce Here

Louisiana Hot Sauce

Is Louisiana hot sauce keto-friendly? Louisiana hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: aged peppers, vinegar, salt

Purchase Louisiana Hot Sauce Here

Crystal Hot Sauce

Is Crystal hot sauce keto-friendly? Crystal hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: aged red cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, salt

Purchase Crystal Hot Sauce Here

Valentina Hot Sauce

Is Valentina hot sauce keto-friendly? Valentina hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: water, chili peppers, vinegar, salt, spices, sodium benzoate

Purchase Valentina Hot Sauce Here

Taco Bell Hot Sauce

Is Taco Bell hot sauce keto-friendly? Taco Bell hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: water. tomato puree, vinegar, jalapeno peppers, salt, chili pepper, dried onions, spices, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, potassium chloride, maltodextrin, yeast extract, datem, natural flavor

Purchase Taco Bell Hot Sauce Here

La Costena Mexican Hot Sauce

Is La Costena Mexican hot sauce keto-friendly? La Costena Mexican hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: water, carrot, red jalapeno pepper, vinegar, onion, iodized salt, dried peppers, wheat flour, xanthan gum, condiments, spices, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, citric acid, red 40, lemon, MSG

Purchase La Costena Mexican Hot Sauce Here

Sriracha Hot Sauce

Is Sriracha hot sauce keto-friendly? Sriracha hot sauce is keto-friendly with only 1 gram of net carbs per serving. However, you should be mindful of the amount you use as it can begin to add up.

Net carbs: 1 gram per teaspoon (5g)

Ingredients: chili, sugar, salt, garlic, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite, xanthan gum

Purchase Sriracha Hot Sauce Here

Nando's Hot Sauce

Is Nando's hot sauce keto-friendly? Nando's hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: water, vinegar, lemon, onion, salt, serrano chili, vegetable oil, spices, garlic, stabilizers, antioxidant

Purchase Nando's Hot Sauce Here

Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce

Is Secret Aardvark hot sauce keto-friendly? Secret Aardvark hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: White wine vinegar, Roasted tomatoes, Habanero peppers, Onion, Carrot, Sugar, Prepared mustard (vinegar, water, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, paprika), Water, Kosher salt, Cornstarch, Herbs, and Spices.

Purchase Secret Aardvark Hot Sauce Here

Dave's Original Insanity Hot Sauce

Is Dave's Original Insanity hot sauce keto-friendly? Dave's Original Insanity hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: Tomato sauce, onions, hot pepper extract, hot peppers, vinegar, spices, soy oil, garlic, and salt

Purchase Dave's Original Insanity Hot Sauce Here

Mad Dog 357 Hot Sauce

Is Mad Dog 357 hot sauce keto-friendly? Mad Dog 357 hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: vinegar, chile extract, evaporated cane juice, habanero peppers, garlic, onion, 160,000 Scoville cayenne peppers, spices, xanthan gum.

Purchase Mad Dog 357 Hot Sauce Here

Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce, Habanero Pepper

Is Marie Sharp's hot sauce keto-friendly? Marie Sharp's hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: red habanero pepper, fresh carrots, vinegar, onions, salt, lime juice, garlic

Purchase Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce, Habanero Pepper Here

Yellowbird Habanero Hot Sauce

Is Yellowbird Habanero hot sauce keto-friendly? Yellowbird Habanero hot sauce is keto-friendly with 2 grams of net carbs per serving of 1 tablespoon.

Net carbs: 2 grams per tablespoon (15g)

Ingredients: Organic carrots, organic onions, organic habanero peppers, organic distilled vinegar, organic garlic, organic tangerine juice concentrate, salt, organic dates, organic raisins, organic lime juice concentrate

Purchase Yellowbird Habanero Hot Sauce Here

Satan's Blood Chile Pepper Extract Hot Sauce

Is Satan's Blood Chile Pepper Extract hot sauce keto-friendly? Satan's Blood Chile Pepper Extract hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: chile extract, polysorbate 80, red wine vinegar

Purchase Satan's Blood Chile Pepper Extract Hot Sauce Here

Gator Hammock Hot Sauce

Is Gator Hammock hot sauce keto-friendly? Gator Hammock hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: aged cayenne peppers, vinegar, crushed and ground peppers, garlic, salt, other spices

Purchase Gator Hammock Hot Sauce Here

Aunt May's Bajan Pepper Sauce Hot

Is Aunt May's Bajan Pepper hot sauce keto-friendly? Aunt May's Bajan hot sauce is keto-friendly with only 1 gram of net carbs per one teaspoon serving.

Net carbs: 1 gram per teaspoon (8g)

Ingredients: Mustard, Glacial Acetic Acid, Water, Onions, Peppers, Salt, Sugar, Corn Starch, Tumeric

Purchase Aunt May's Bajan Pepper Sauce Hot Here

Melinda's Hot Sauce

Is Melinda's hot sauce keto-friendly? Melinda's hot sauce is keto-friendly with 0 grams of net carbs per serving.

Net carbs: 0 grams

Ingredients: habanero peppers, fresh carrots, onions, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt

Purchase Melinda's Hot Sauce Here

Benefits Of Hot Sauces Besides Flavor And Heat

You'll be happy to hear that hot sauce has more benefits to it than just adding extra flavor and heat to your food, most of which come from peppers active compound, capsaicin.

May reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes

Hot sauce contains capsaicin, which is an active component found in chili peppers. In one study, regular consumption of a chili containing meals helped to prevent hyperinsulinemia. 1

Hyperinsulinemia is when there is more insulin in your blood than what is considered normal.

May help with weight loss

Capsaicin reduces ghrelin levels, a hormone that is often referred to as the “hunger hormone.” Additionally, capsaicin raises levels of GLP-1, which is an appetite-suppressing hormone.

It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway… Most people end up quitting their diets because hunger ends up getting the best of them. It's happened to me (numerous times), and I'm sure it's happened to you as well.

If something can help with hunger on a diet AND give it some flavor, that's a no brainer.

Contains antioxidants and vitamins

The ingredients found in hot sauces not only spice up your life (and your mouth), but the hot sauce adds a bit of Vitamin A, C, folate, magnesium, and potassium to your keto diet.

May reduce inflammation

Capsaicin is a potent antioxidant that protects your body and its cells from free radicals. When there is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body, we can get oxidative stress and inflammation.

At the root of many diseases is chronic inflammation, with chronic inflammatory diseases such as:

rheumatoid arthritis
heart disease
stroke

Other Keto-Friendly Condiments You Can Use On The Ketogenic Diet

Now that you know hot sauce is keto-friendly, you may be wondering what other condiments you can spice your dishes with.

To name a few keto-friendly condiments.

Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Mustard
Sugar-free Ketchup (used sparingly)
Sugar-free BBQ Sauce (used sparingly)

Ways To Use Hot Sauce On Keto

If you've never been creative in the kitchen, now may be a great time to start. Besides pouring hot sauce on your food, here are a few other ideas you can use.

Stirred into ketchup
Combined with mayo (Spicy mayo anyone?)
Sauce for hot wings (besides some ranch dressing of course)
Marinade
Folded into scrambled eggs

Make Your Own Keto-Friendly Hot Sauce

Want to make your own keto-friendly hot sauce? Check out this video for an easy to make fermented hot sauce.

Keto-Friendly Hot Sauce Takeaway

Hot sauce is not only delicious but quite keto-friendly. Almost 99% of the hot sauces you'll find on the shelf can be used as a condiment while following a ketogenic diet.

Bear in mind; certain hot sauces have added flavors or sweeteners, so be cautious when it comes to some certain craft hot sauce brands.

19 Amazing Sugar Free-Syrup Brands [Keto Friendly]

I get it, what good is that keto-friendly pancake or waffle, in our case, a chaffle, without some syrup to top it off.

I'd almost venture to say I've tried every sugar-free syrup in existence, or at least what I could get my hands on, and here's what I've discovered.

What is the best sugar-free syrup for keto? While there is no “best” sugar-free syrup as that is relative to what you like in terms of sweetness and thickness, here are 19 of my favorite ones that are keto-friendly.

Stay tuned to find out the learn a bit more about sugar-free syrups, how they fit into your ketogenic diet, and the entire list with net carb count and sugar substitute used.

Are sugar-free syrups ok on a ketogenic diet?

You might be wondering if sugar-free syrups are ok on a ketogenic diet, and to answer that briefly, yes they are.

While sugar-free syrups are generally ok to include in moderation while following a ketogenic diet, they shouldn't be abused.

What do I mean by abuse? Well, sometimes people assume that just because something is “keto-friendly,” that gives you a free pass to consume them ad libitum (basically as much and as often as you like).

What people often fail to realize is that these products still contain calories, and consuming too much will begin to add up, causing fat loss to come to a screeching halt.

And we don't want that do we?

Consuming sugar-free syrups are ok on a ketogenic diet, but like anything… too much can be a bad thing.

19 sugar-free and keto-friendly syrups

Below is a list of the sugar-free and keto-friendly syrups I've come across along with their net carbs per serving and which sugar-free substitute they use.

Serving sizes vary, but they are generally between 1tbsp – 4tbsp.

Brand	Calories	Net Carbs	Sweetener
Walden Farms Pancake Syrup	0	0g	sucralose
Walden Farms Maple Walnut Syrup	0	0g	sucralose
Walden Farms Blueberry Syrup	0	0g	sucralose
Walden Farms Strawberry Syrup	0	0g	sucralose
Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup	25	1g	monk fruit
ChocZero Low Carb Maple Syrup	35	1g	monk fruit
All-U-Lose Natural Maple Syrup	2.68	0.32g	allulose
Pyure Organic Maple Syrup	70	4g	erythritol, stevia
Maple Grove Farms Vermont Sugar Free Syrup	5	1g	sorbitol, aspartame
Good Good Sweet Like Syrup Maple	50	1g	stevia
Cary's Sugar Free Syrup	15	1g	sorbitol, aspartame
Mrs. Butterworth's Sugar Free Syrup	20	0g	sorbitol, aspartame
Sukrin Maple Syrup	60	2g	sorbitol, erythritol, stevia
Smuckers Sugar Free Breakfast Syrup	10	0g	sorbitol, sucralose
KNOW Better Maple Syrup	10	0g	allulose
Blackberry Patch Maple Praline Syrup	90	0g	maltitol
Nature's Hollow Sugar Free Maple Syrup	25	0g	xylitol
Nature's Hollow Sugar Free Raspberry Syrup	25	1g	xylitol

Where to find sugar-free syrups for keto

While you may be able to find some of the ones listed at your local grocery store, most of the specialty syrups can be found online.

Certain sugar-free syrups like Cary's or Mrs. Butterworth may be available at a local grocery chain such as Walmart. However, the rest can be purchased by using the links below.

What is the best sugar-free maple syrup for keto?

There is no clear cut answer when it comes to sugar-free syrups and what's “best” for a ketogenic diet. Almost all of the sugar-free syrups listed below have nearly the same amount of net carbohydrates and the same impact on blood sugar.

The best sugar-free syrup comes down to personal preference, and of course, accessibility in obtaining said syrup.

As for MY personal favorite, I prefer Walden farms syrups due to its thick consistency and flavor profile. In particular, I enjoy the regular pancake syrup by Walden Farms.

I'll not only use the Walden Farms pancake syrup on keto-friendly pancakes and waffles but also use it to drizzle on some greek yogurt or berries for a refreshing dessert.

What is maple syrup?

Real maple syrup is produced from maple tree sap that has been boiled down to reduce the water content and concentrate the sugars.

Unfortunately, real maple syrup is too high in carbohydrates for a ketogenic diet. There is hardly any real maple syrup included when you see a sugar-free or keto-friendly maple syrup.

Instead, natural maple flavor or extract gives the sugar-free syrup the same maple flavor without the added sugars.

How is maple syrup made?

The process of making maple syrup is quite simple.

A spout is tapped into a maple tree, usually a red or black maple tree. Once the temperature is warm enough, the sap flows through the spout into a container.

After the sap is collected, the liquid is processed by boiling it down and allowing the water to evaporate, leaving the sweet thick syrup we've grown to love. Finally, the sap is filtered, graded, and made ready for packing.

Sugar-Free Maple Syrup Nutrition

Depending on the specific brand, each sugar-free syrup is made with their spin. Below are just three examples of how many net carbs are in the different sugar-free syrups brands and what they're made of.

First up, my favorite Walden Farms pancake syrup.

Walden Farms pancake syrup is stated as having 0 calories and 0 carbohydrates. While it does say 0 calories, companies can do so if a serving contains less than five calories. It may be safe to assume that each serving is nearly around three calories and has 0.5 grams of carbs per serving.

Ingredients: Triple filtered purified water, maple flavor, natural flavors, sea salt, cellulose gum, sucralose, lactic acid, sodium benzoate.

Second, Lakanto maple-flavored syrup.

Lakanto maple-flavored syrup has 25 calories per 2 tablespoons and seven total carbohydrates, of which 6 grams come from dietary fiber, leaving 1 gram of net carbs per serving.

Ingredients: Purified water, tapioca fiber, chicory root inulin, potato starch, natural flavors, vegetable glycerin, natural flavors, sea salt, monk fruit extract, fruit juice (color), natural citrus extract.

Lakanto Maple Syrup back update 1500x1500 da3c966c 390d 41f1 b8db a45e35ce4fdf 768x768

Third, Choc Zero maple syrup.

Out of the three, choc zero has the most calories with 35 calories per tablespoon. Each tablespoon serving also has 16g of total carbohydrates, of which 15 grams come from dietary fiber, leaving 1 gram of net carbs per serving.

Ingredients: Soluble corn fiber, natural maple flavor, natural caramel color, monk fruit extract.

As you see, the nutrition facts for sugar-free maple syrup can vary widely, but they all generally have about 1 gram of net carbs per stated serving size.

When choosing a sugar-free syrup, it's probably best to try a few different ones to see how you enjoy the flavor and if you have any adverse reactions.

What sweeteners are keto-friendly?

All of the above sugar-free syrups are keto-friendly and made with keto-friendly sweeteners.

Any non-nutritive or sugar substitute is generally considered keto-friendly, except for maltitol. Maltitol seems to be the most questionable sugar alcohol that has a larger impact on blood sugar levels when compared to others.

In general, the majority of the syrups listed above are made with the following keto-friendly sweeteners.

Stevia
Sucralose (popular brands include Splenda)
Aspartame (popular brand names include Nutrasweet and Equal)
Monk Fruit
Allulose

Are sugar alcohols keto-friendly?

Sugar alcohols are also considered keto-friendly, and some of the syrup brands listed above do contain sugar alcohols.

The flavor profile of sugar alcohols is similar to table sugar and often used to mask some sugar substitutes aftertaste, making it a popular choice for many products.

You'll be able to distinguish sugar alcohol on the ingredients list because they tend to end with ‘tol.'

Example: erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, and mannitol.

Sugar alcohols are hard for the body to digest, thus having a negligible effect on blood sugar levels when compared to sugar. This is also another reason to use these syrups in moderation as too much may lead to increased gas, bloating and gastric distress.

Will sucralose and other keto-friendly sweeteners break a fast?

I'm often asked if a particular food will break a fast, and when it comes to answering that question, context is everything.

If you're looking for the longevity and health benefits of fasting, then I'd argue to say that anything besides water will “break a fast.”

However, if you're doing intermittent fasting or fasting with the sole purpose of weight loss, then adding sweeteners should generally be ok.

Recent research has shown that intermittent fasting offers no more significant benefit than calorie restriction when it comes to weight loss. Meaning, whether you're eating throughout the day or restricting your food to a particular eating window will make no difference (as long as you're eating the same amount of calories).

Therefore, including things like coffee or artificial sweeteners during your “fasting” period will not make a difference when it comes to fat loss, but may slow or negate stuff like autophagy.

How to make your own keto-friendly sugar free syrup

If you're adventurous in the kitchen, here are a few recipes to create your own keto-friendly sugar-free syrups.

I'm a big fan of simple, so this keto low carb sugar-free maple syrup from Wholesome Yum is perfect with only four ingredients.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Wholesome Yum

This keto maple syrup is also another recipe requiring four ingredients.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Keto Diet Yum.

Last, if you prefer to follow along, here is a great video courtesy of Desserts With Benefits that requires only five ingredients.

When to avoid sugar-free syrups on a ketogenic diet

I know I said sugar-free syrups are perfectly ok in moderation on a ketogenic diet, but there are times I would strongly recommend against them.

If you're the type of person triggered by sweet foods (like myself), then merely the taste of something sweet can often lead to cravings. So, if you lack a bit of self-control, it may be worth avoiding such syrups.

Secondly, sometimes the ingredients in many of the syrups can cause digestive distress, gas, and/or bloating in specific individuals. If you find yourself with any of the symptoms mentioned earlier, it may be worth easing up on their use or getting rid of them completely.

Final thoughts on the best sugar-free syrup brands for keto

As you can see above, there are so many choices regarding sugar-free keto-friendly syrups that you can choose.

While my personal favorite is the Walden Farms pancake syrup, you may find that you prefer another brand due to its thick consistency and specific maple flavor.

The best thing you can do is experiment with different ones to see which one you enjoy best. After all, the only way you'll make keto sustainable for you is by finding the foods and products you enjoy.

Can You Just Eat The Toppings Off A Pizza While On Keto?

Who doesn't like a slice of pie, pizza pie that is?

There is a reason so many different keto pizza recipes are floating around, and now every pizza place is starting to come out with their own “keto-friendly” pizza crusts. But what do you do when you're at a party or gathering, and nobody ordered the “keto pizza” for you, can you pick off the toppings and keep it keto?

Most pizza toppings and cheeses are relatively low in carbohydrates, which can be eaten while following a keto diet. The majority of carbs in a standard pizza are found in the crust and sauce, which should be avoided if trying to keep net carbs as low as possible.

In this article, I'll go over what toppings you can eat and which to avoid other popular keto pizza-related questions, and even share with you some delicious keto-friendly pizza recipes for you to get your fix.

CAN YOU EAT THE TOPPINGS OFF A PIZZA ON KETO PINTEREST

Can You Eat Pizza Toppings Or Cheese Off Pizza While On Keto?

I get it, you're at a party, and maybe you've snuck into the bathroom and reading this wondering if eating the toppings off a regular pizza will de-rail your keto diet.

First, don't stress; everything is going to be ok. Secondly, yes, you can eat the toppings or the cheese from the pizza, and you should be ok.

Of course, if it's a Hawaiian pizza, you may want to skip out on the pineapple.

This reminds me of that one episode from the Jersey Shore (yes, I watched it… it was my guilty pleasure) where Vinny, also known as the “keto guido,” was drunk scraping off the toppings from the pizza.

Major props to him, because in that drunken state, I may have gone into screw it mode and ate the entire pizza.

Crust and all

Most toppings, including the cheese, are relatively low in carbohydrates.

While there may be some places that use a few fillers here and there, it's not enough to add any significant amount of carbohydrates.

Do Pizza Toppings Have Carbs?

Some carbs are to be expected within pizza toppings, even cheese has a few trace carbohydrates, but not so many as to throw you out of ketosis.

Read: Kicked Out Of Ketosis?

Since most pizza toppings are based on meats and vegetables, I'd say m most toppings fall in the keto-friendly category.

Toppings with low to no amount of carbs:

Topping 1 oz. (28g)	Net carbs
Green Peppers	1.2g
Olives	0g
Mushrooms	0.7g
Spinach	0.5g
Jalapenos	0g
Anchovies	0g
Bacon	0g
Beef	0g
Canadian Bacon	0g
Chicken	0g
Italian Sausage	0g
Meatballs	0g
Pepperoni	0g
Salami	0g
Sausage	0g
Philly Steak	0g
Cheddar Cheese	1g
Mozzarella Cheese	1g
Parmesan Cheese	1g
Roma Tomatoes	1g
Onions	0.6g

Toppings with the most amount of carbs:

Topping 1 oz. (28g)	Net carbs
Pineapple	15.2g
Pizza sauce	6g

Short of wiping off the marinara pizza sauce from the cheese, you should be ok eating the toppings off a pizza while following a ketogenic diet.

Just don't be surprised if you get odd looks from others in the room.

Can You Eat Gluten-Free Pizza On Keto?

Some may confuse gluten-free with being keto-friendly, and while most keto-friendly pizzas are gluten-free, not all gluten-free pizzas are keto-friendly.

Wait, huh?

Not all gluten-free pizzas are keto-friendly.

Gluten-free means that the pizza-crust does not contain any gluten. Gluten-free DOES NOT mean that a pizza does not contain carbohydrates.

Gluten-free pizzas can easily be made with flour substitutes with just as many carbohydrates as a regular pizza.

And this can be tricky.

I've browsed the aisles looking for keto-friendly pizza crusts, only to find ones I thought would be keto-friendly, but were still high in carbohydrates.

Take this Caulipower pizza crust (which is gluten-free); you may automatically think it is keto-friendly at first sight. Still, aside from cauliflower, they also use brown rice flour or cassava flour, which is relatively high in carbohydrates.

CAULIPOWER PIZZA CRUST NOT KETO FRIENDLY

One serving, or 1/3 crust, has 26 grams of carbohydrates with 2 grams of dietary fiber. This means that the caulipower pizza crust has 24 grams of net carbs per serving or 72 grams of net carbs for the entire crust.

Eating Pizza Without Crust

What about eating the pizza, but just chopping off the crust from the outside? Unfortunately, that won't do.

Even a thin-crust pizza has enough carbs in it to add a significant amount of carbohydrates. While it may be possible to fit in a small slice or two, you'd be rolling the dice, which is entirely up to you, of course.

Of course, if you've been dying to have a slice of pizza, you could always have one if you're good about hopping back on your diet soon after.

For others, this may be too tempting and could lead to binge eating.

However, if you're the type of person that can moderate themselves and exercise restraint, there's nothing wrong with living a little every once in a while.

It's about what you do MOST of the time that will dictate your results.

Can You Have A Cheat Day In Keto?

Now, you may be wondering… can you have a cheat day on keto?

Well, that's entirely up to you.

As I've said before, if you're mindful and can exercise restraint, short of having any allergy, having a small cheat with foods “not keto-friendly” could be doable.

Of course, if this small cheat turns into a large one, then you can easily undo a week of progress in a single day.

I've seen it done.

But if having that small “cheat” allows you to adhere to your diet as a whole, it could be a worthwhile trade-off for some individuals.

Other individuals may find that these “cheats” open the flood-gates to uncontrolled appetites and eventually binge eating.

You may also feel a little sluggish or less than optimal the following day. This ill-feeling is likely due in part to the fluctuation of going in and out of ketosis.

I like to supplement with exogenous ketones if I decide to have an unplanned meal to help “bridge” the timeframe between knocking myself out of ketosis and getting back in.

By supplementing with exogenous ketones, it helps me bypass that sluggish feeling I might have otherwise experienced from kicking myself out of ketosis for that short period.

My recommended exogenous ketone supplement:

Perfect Keto BHB. I worked a deal out with Perfect Keto where you can get 15% off by clicking on the banner below and using code: AOK

Keto Friendly Pizza Recipes You Won't Have To Scrape The Toppings From

These are just a few of my favorite keto friendly pizza recipes that I enjoy using various ingredients.

For more inspiration, visit my keto-pizza Pinterest page with 1000's of different keto pizza ideas.

Deep Dish Keto Pizza

I'm a bit bias when it comes to pizza. I LOVE DEEP DISH!

So the first recommendation can't be anything else but a deep dish one.

Gluten free deep dish keto friendly pizza topping

Photo and recipe courtesy of Gnom Gnom

Fathead pizza dough

Fathead pizza was all the rage among keto dieters. Use this recipe to make the crust and top it with whatever you prefer.

Photo and recipe courtesy of How To This And That

Keto Fathead Pizza Pockets

Not exactly a pizza, but close enough! I used to live off of pizza pockets when I was a kid.

Fathead keto friendly pizza pocket keto toppings

Photo and recipe courtesy of Hey Keto Mama

Meatza

This is my creation that was invented out of laziness.

Simply take one to two pounds of ground beef and flatten it out (thin) on a cookie sheet.
Bake in the oven until the meat is well-done.
Take out the cookie sheet and drain the beef.
Top meat crust with a little Rao's pasta sauce, your favorite cheese, and you have yourself a meatza!

The Takeaway

Most pizza toppings, including the cheese, are keto-friendly.

If for whatever reason you want to eat the cheese and toppings off a pizza, they should have very few carbohydrates

Is Coconut Water Keto Friendly? [The Ultimate Sports Drink?]

I don’t know what it was, but I was introduced to coconut water through my CrossFit gym at the time. EVERYONE was on the coconut water bandwagon. In fact, it has more than ten times the amount of potassium than most sports drinks you’ll find on the shelves at the supermarket, but the question remains if coconut water is keto friendly or not?

Coconut isn't a recommended beverage while following a keto diet due to its high carbohydrate content. Depending on the brand, an 8 oz. cup of coconut water will have between 7 and 15 grams of net carbohydrates, making it not an ideal beverage choice while in ketosis.

And it makes sense; coconut water is basically like a natural sports drink that can help replenish lost electrolytes and provide hydration from a workout, especially potassium.

In this article, I’ll go over when drinking coconut water may be acceptable, how many carbohydrates are in coconut water, the health benefits, and keto friendly alternatives worth considering.

IS COCONUT WATER KETO FRIENDLY PINTEREST

Can You Drink Coconut Water On A Keto Diet?

For most people, drinking coconut water on a ketogenic diet is a no go.

However, if you’re sticking to a minimal amount of less than 8 oz or so, it may be possible that you can fit in a small glass.

Just remember, all of those carbohydrates will go towards your daily total and take from other, more filling and nutrient-rich sources of carbohydrates, such as green leafy vegetables.

For athletes or highly active individuals, there may be a time and place when coconut water is a viable option when following a targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) or cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD).

But that’s a whole other can of worms that doesn’t apply to most individuals.

Though, if you’re interested, feel free to drop a comment below for a response.

How Many Carbs Are In Coconut Water?

On average, an 8 oz. serving of coconut water has ~7g of net carbohydrates (just depends on the brand) with some as high as 15 grams per 8 oz., which isn’t too bad when comparing it to 8 oz. of soda

… which sets you back 26 grams of carbohydrates.

Read: Can You Drink Diet Coke On Keto?

However, for most individuals, it’s simply not worth spending your carbohydrates on a small serving of coconut water, that is unless you want some for one reason or another.

Bear in mind, most cartons or cans of coconut water are between 24 and 32 oz. So drinking an entire can of coconut water isn’t advised.

Drinking an entire can of coconut water would set you back upwards of 30 grams of carbohydrates.

Even the smaller coconut waters I’ve seen from brands like Vita Coco or Zico will still have ~15g of carbohydrates for an entire carton.

Some coconut water beverages also have added sugars, thus raising the carb count. Make sure you check the label if you decide to indulge in a sip.

The Benefits Of Coconut Water

That being said, people love coconut water due to it being as close to a natural sports beverage as you can get.

Coconut water may be the perfect beverage for athletes looking to restore hydration and replace lost electrolytes.

A study found that coconut water restored hydration after exercise similar to that of an electrolyte-enhanced sports beverage, and better than plain water. 2 2

Coconut water is also delicious and not sickly sweet like many sports beverages.

While electrolytes are crucial, especially while following a ketogenic diet, coconut water is just too high in carbohydrates for most people to make it worth consuming.

There are other lower carbohydrate alternatives for those looking to replenish lost electrolytes.

Alternatives To Coconut Water

While coconut water may not be the most ideal or ideal at all, for those following a ketogenic diet, what else can you drink?

Technically, most sugar-free sports drinks are relatively safe to drink while following a ketogenic diet.

These include drinks such as Propel fitness water, Mio electrolyte water enhancer, and even your favorite sugar-free energy drinks like Bang, Rockstar, and Reign.

To read up on any one of those, take a look at any one of the articles above.

However, most sports drinks you’ll find locally won’t have nearly as much potassium as coconut water.

For drinks with a sufficient amount of electrolytes, including potassium, I would recommend:

Keto Vitals Electrolyte Powder
LMNT Recharge
Zip Fizz (You may be able to find this at Costo if you have access)

The Takeaway

Coconut water is a delicious beverage that’s not overly sweet and rich in electrolytes, especially potassium.

Unfortunately, though, coconut water has too many carbohydrates for me to recommend it as being keto friendly for most individuals.

However, if consuming 8 oz. or less, which has ~7g of carbohydrates, you may be able to fit in a small amount here and there if you wanted to.

Instead, stick to sugar-free sports drinks like Propel fitness water, G-Zero, Powerade Zero, or purchase an electrolyte beverage formulated with keto dieters in mind such as Keto Vitals Electrolyte Powder or LMNT Recharge.

The 10 Top Keto Friendly Cough Drops [And What To Avoid]

When I first started a ketogenic diet, I felt all the typical symptoms you may be going through right now. I felt tired, nauseous, and worst of all… for me, at least, I had the worst sore throat.

Usually, when I get a sore throat, that's almost a sign, something even worse is just around the corner. Want to know why you may have a sore throat when first starting keto?

In any case, I didn't want to ruin the progress I made up to that point, but I also wanted some symptom relief for the time being. I was wondering which cough drops I can have that wouldn't set me back.

As funny as it sounds, I was hell-bent on keeping doing what I was doing despite how lousy I felt.

What are some keto friendly cough drops? Most sugar-free cough drops are keto-friendly and will not prevent or knock you out of ketosis. Some keto friendly cough drops include:

Cold-Eeze sugar-free
Dr. John's Oral Health sugar-free
Equate Menthol sugar-free
Halls Relief sugar-free

In this article, I'll go over whether you can have sugar-free cough drops on keto and which ones may kick you out of ketosis.

I'll also list all the sugar-free cough drops that should be ok while on a ketogenic diet, including some popular brands you may be familiar with, and even how to make your own homemade keto-friendly cough drops.

Get Keto Cheat Sheet Magnets: Check it out now here

Can I Have Sugar Free Cough Drops On Keto?

Most sugar-free cough drops are perfectly acceptable on keto, but you should still check the ingredients label to make sure certain ingredients aren't listed. (Honey, fruit juice, etc.)

Even though a cough drop has something sugar-related on the packaging, it may still have an ingredient with plenty of carbs. This is because sugar-related claims can be quite misleading.

When a food package claims “unsweetened” or “No added sugar” that just means it doesn't contain certain types of sugars (i.e., table sugar, fruit juice, etc.)

You want to ensure the package says “sugar-free.” Which means it has zero sugar. However, this still means your cough drop can have up to 0.5 grams of sugar.

Therefore, don't go wild on cough drops and pop them like candy. Assuming each cough drop had 0.5 g of carbohydrates per cough drop if you pop in 20 of them, you just had 10 grams of carbohydrates.

Will A Cough Drop Kick Me Out Of Ketosis?

The biggest thing when it comes to being kicked out of ketosis is the number of carbohydrates you consume, generally over the day. Most people following a ketogenic diet will stick to between 20 and 50 grams of net carbs per day.

Net carbs are the number of carbs left after subtracting both fiber and/or sugar alcohols.

If you're sticking to the cough drops that are labeled as “sugar-free,” then they shouldn't kick you out of ketosis.

That is, of course, as long as you take my advice and don't endlessly pop them in like candy.

Remember, all of them will add up, so just keep that in mind. Even though they aren't exactly a food or beverage, a carb is a carb. Make sure you count each cough drop as 0.5 grams of carbohydrates to be on the safe side.

Sugar Free Cough Drops On A Keto Diet

Below is a list of sugar-free cough drops, which should have less than 0.5 g of net carbs per drop.

These are generally safe to take on a keto diet to relieve symptoms such as a sore throat or if you're constantly coughing.

Read: Sore Throat On Keto? Here's Why.

Another remedy you may want to consider is drinking some ginger tea or steep ginger in hot water.

Read: Is Ginger Keto Friendly?

Are Ricola Cough Drops Keto Friendly

Ricola Herbal Sugar-Free Cough Drops are keto friendly.

The regular Ricola variety isn't as keto-friendly due to ingredients such as honey, starch syrup, and even sugar.

Just make sure you purchase the sugar-free version to ensure you are consuming the least amount of carbohydrates possible.

Here are a few sugar-free Ricola varieties:

On the safe side, consider counting each sugar-free Ricola cough drop as 0.5g of net carbs.

Are Sugar Free Halls Keto Friendly?

Similar to Ricola, the regular Halls cough drops have more carbohydrates relative to the sugar-free versions. It's best to opt for the Halls varieties that clearly state sugar-free on the label.

Regular Halls cough drops contain such ingredients as glucose syrup and sucrose, which are pure forms of carbohydrates.

Halls ingredient label not keto friendly

Here are a few sugar-free Halls varieties:

On the safe side, consider counting each Halls sugar-free cough drop as 0.5g of net carbs.

Homemade Keto Cough Drops

If you're into making your own home remedy for your sore throat or cough, here are some ideas you can do at home that are keto friendly.

Ginger tea or ginger water

I mentioned this earlier, while not a cough drop, ginger has a whole range of health benefits, including sore throat relief. 3

Homemade honey lemon cough drops with ginger

This recipe from Thank Your Body uses lemon and ginger, but it also has honey in the ingredients list.

Instead of the honey, substitute it out for a sugar-free sweetener like Stevia or Splenda to keep it keto-friendly.

Homemade herbal throat lozenges

Want something a little more “herbal?”

Give this recipe a try which uses ingredients like elderflowers, horehound, and slippery elm bark powder.

Again, the original recipe calls for honey, so substitute the honey for your favorite sugar-free sweetener of choice.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Keeper Of The Home

Sugar-free sweeteners for your home made cough drops:

The Takeaway

Using a cough drop for symptom relief shouldn't be avoided simply because you're on a keto diet.

Sugar-free alternatives are perfectly acceptable while following a ketogenic diet, but still do have a small number of carbs, though lower compared to their non-sugar-free counterpart.

On the safe side, it's best to count each cough drop as having 0.5g of net carbs per cough drop, so don't pop them endlessly like candy.

Read: Sore Throat On Keto?