Yes, You Can Consume Fruits When Following Keto Diet!

You really need to cut down your carbohydrate intake when you want to follow a keto diet plan. A keto diet is a high-fat high-protein diet which stimulates the body to burn more fat than carbohydrates. It is usually recommended to be followed by patients of epilepsy seizures. During the consumption of a high carbohydrate diet, energy is derived in the body from the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose.

However, due to low consumption of carbohydrates through a keto diet, our liver converts fat into ketone bodies and fatty acids. Ketone bodies, when transported to the brain, replace glucose as a source of energy. When the level of ketone bodies in the blood increases, then the state known as ketosis is achieved which helps in controlling seizures. In order to maintain high level of ketone bodies in blood, your diet needs to have more portions of fat and protein and fewer portions of carbohydrates.

You really need to cut down your carbohydrate intake when you want to follow a keto diet plan.

You can follow this simple rule in meal preparation, but it becomes difficult to follow when it comes to fruit consumption. Fruits which are sweet in taste have a high amount of sugar in them, while ketosis demands only 20 grams of carbohydrate consumption per day. However, some fruits do fulfill the criteria of a keto diet, by providing that carbohydrate punch without overburdening the body with too much sugar.

Blackberries and Blueberries

Our goal should be to consume fruits which help in the production of ketone bodies. Blackberry, in this regard, is best for consumption as it contains very low amount of carbohydrates. 1 cup of blackberries contains only 6 grams of carbohydrates.

This low carb fruit is rich in vitamin C and fiber. About 100 grams of blackberries contain 5 grams of fiber. Keto diet followers often complain about constipation and consumption of blackberries can help them in reducing its onset.

Our goal should be to consume fruits which help in the production of ketone bodies.

Blueberries are a bit sweeter than blackberries and contain a relatively higher amount of carbohydrates. But since the recommended amount of consumption is ½ cup of blueberries per day, therefore keto diet followers can safely consume this fruit while staying in the state of ketosis.

Avocado

Like berries, avocados are not a good source of carbohydrates; hence they automatically qualify as a star ingredient in keto diet plans. This fruit is not only healthy as far as all the richness of minerals and nutrition in it is concerned but is also an excellent source of dietary fiber.

1 cup of avocado contains around 7 grams of dietary fiber and only 9 grams of carbohydrates. But since the recommended serving size for a keto diet is 1/2 portion of a medium sized avocado, therefore you get only 1 to 2 grams of carbohydrates from its consumption.

Coconut

Calorie count doesn’t matter when it comes to keto diet. After all, you need to add all that fat in your body to get into the state of ketosis. Coconuts can’t be missed in such case. They are full of saturated fats making it a definite choice for a keto diet.

1 cup of 50 grams of coconut contains 15 grams of fats and 7 grams of carbohydrates. The recommended portion for consumption is ¼ cup of canned or dried coconut with no extra sugar added. This makes this fruit super low in carbohydrates and excellent for maintaining ketosis.

Calorie count doesn’t matter when it comes to keto diet. After all, you need to add all that fat in your body to get into the state of ketosis

Limes and Lemons

Lemons and limes are not consumed as a whole fruit but used to give other foods a rather citrusy flavor. This fruit is safe for consumption in keto diets because of its extremely low carb content and high levels of vitamin C.

Vitmain C intake is particularly beneficial for aiding the fat burning process. Next time when you prepare your keto tea, don’t forget to add the juice of half a lemon in it to enjoy that citrus flavor without any guilt of consuming any carbs.

Olives

You need to add a bit more fat in the keto diet and olive consumption can achieve this purpose. Olives are a rich source of anti-oxidants, therefore they are pros at reducing oxidative stress in the body.

This fruit is rich in saturated fat which maintains a good cholesterol level of LDL and HDL. You can make olives part of your keto salads or meals or can consume it in the form of olive oil. It is best to cook all your meals in olive oil because of zero carbohydrate content in it. The best thing about olives is their versatility. They can be made part of many meal recipes, sandwiches and pizza toppings, salads, and beverages.