How much sugar can you have on keto?
This question comes up often, and many, like you, search for answers. The answer is: It depends!
Where are you on your keto diet?
- You are just starting. In this case, I would recommend as little as possible. In our case, we kept it under 10 grams a day. That’s so easy—not really, not at all. It is tough. Imagine a 1.55 oz bar of milk chocolate contains 23g of sugar while a can of Coke contains only 39g of sugar.
- Many recommend 20 grams when you start, but looking at the 2 numbers above… doesn’t help; it just slows down the process.
- I’m talking about sugar, and later, you will realize that it’s also all about carbs (carbohydrates).
- You are on keto and want to stay on it. We are at 40 grams a day of sugar and carbs.
- Many specialists recommend 50 grams daily, but we prefer keeping a 10-gram buffer.
- THERE IS NO magic number… for us, 40 grams works well, while for others, it could be 60 grams or worse… 30 grams to stay on Keto.
Did I say carbs?
You thought this post was about how much sugar on keto? Earth, Earth, we have a problem!
Let’s the fun start:
- Our body uses glucose (sugar) for energy – Cool.
- If too much is in our bloodstream, the famous insulin hormone “tells” our body to store the overflow in the liver and muscles – Very Cool.
- If the tanks (liver and muscles) are full, our body converts the extra sugar into fat… Not Cool.
- Now, if the hormone is not efficient enough… the sugar stays in our bloodstream and causes something called diabetes – Really Bad
Can you imagine… our body makes fat with sugar!!!!! 😨
Our body converts carbohydrates into sugar, or glucose, through a process that begins in the mouth and continues through the digestive system:
- Salivary amylase: It breaks down carbohydrates in the mouth.
- Guts: They break down carbohydrates further.
- Stomach and small intestines: They absorb glucose into the bloodstream.
When we ask how much sugar on keto? The question should be: “How much carbs and sugar can I have?”
Sugars are easy to point out: sugar cubes, in chocolates, in drinks, added to industrial food, etc… for carbohydrates, it’s a little bit more complex as there are several types:
Who are carbs?
Carbohydrate comes from the Greek sakharon, which means… sugar.
What are carbs?
- Monosaccharides: glucose, fructose, galactose, the simplest form of sugar.
- Disaccharides: sucrose, lactose. For me, it’s 100% sugar.
- Oligosaccharides: The most complex form of sugar that helps gut health.
- Polysaccharides: chitin, cellulose. They are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food.
- Fibers: These are non-digestible and pass through the body without breaking down into sugar molecules. Fiber helps regulate the body’s use of sugars and is essential for digestion
Still asking only: “How much sugar you can have on keto?”
Maybe not, and that’s why many fail the ketogenic and/or Paleo diet. We cut sugar but not what is the major source of glucose –> carbs.
Let’s look at what food we crave for has the most carbs:
- A cup of pasta (4.5 oz) has only 40 grams of starches, which is equal to 40 grams of glucose after digestion.
- A slice of bread varies from about 1 g to 5 grams—homemade bread using old-fashioned unbleached flour contains about 1g per slice, and supermarket bread contains about 5 grams. The first one contains more fibers.
- A serving of ice cream can range from 20–97 grams…
- An apple typically contains around 6 grams of glucose, but some types of apples can contain more, like the delicious Honeycrisp: 12.4 grams of sugar!
- Veggies like fresh broccoli and avocado have the lowest amounts, with around 0.1 grams of glucose per 100 grams and plenty of fibers.
- Meat doesn’t contain carbs, but recipes, if not careful, will.
An easy answer to “how much sugar on keto?” is to cut sugar completely and limit the carb intake.
It is not that easy as sugar causes addictive behaviors like cravings and binging, and experts say it’s the most consumed addictive substance in the world.
Sugar activates the same pleasure centers in the brain and can be very rewarding. When consumed, sugar releases dopamine and opioids, which are neurotransmitters associated with addictive behavior and reward.
What does that mean? Fighting back cravings… How do we do that easily? Definitely, not going cold turkey. We tried and failed 😊The ideal solution is to cut sugar step by step and replace it with fruits and veggies like:
- Berries. Like many other berries, strawberries are often high in fiber and contain very little sugar. …
- Peaches. Be careful; a peach contains around 13 g of sugar.
- Melon. A small wedge of melon has some 4 g of sugar…
- Avocados. They have a low amount of sugar, like 1.5 g per avocado.
- …
Avoid juices. For example, an 8-oz glass of orange juice contains 24 g of sugar, and some brands add more sugar for taste.
When sweet tooth cravings are gone, we can tackle carb cravings. In my case, it was bread and pasta. The ideal solution for sugary treats is to go step by step:
- You can replace bread with Keto Bread—it’s a bit more expensive, but many have only 1 g of carbs per slice.
- Replace pasta with low-carb pasta made of almond flour.
- Replace pizza crust with almond flour and/or cauliflower crust.
- Replace rice with cauliflower rice.
Replacing sweets and heavy carbs helps not having to monitor butter, milk, and other ingredients.
Other food with high carbs – danger zone for those like me who love meat and potatoes 😁
Looking at the list below, how much sugar on keto is not really relevant if you enjoy a daily cup of beans.
- Peas: 1 cup = 120g carbs
- Beans: 1 cup = from 100g carbs to 150g, depending on the type.
- Sweet potato: 1 cup = 27g carbs
- Parsnips: 1 cup = 24g carbs
- Potato: 1 cup = 27g carbs
- Corn:1 cup = 27g carbs
- Carrot: 1 cup = 12g carbs
- Butternut squash: 1 cup = 16g carbs
- Pumpkin (chopped): 1 cup = 8g carbs
- Corn:1 cup = 27g carbs
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