6 Hidden Sources of Carbs to Avoid on the Keto Diet

 

The ketogenic diet is a very popular diet with a number of health benefits. It’s known for helping people lose significant amounts of weight with participants of the diet reporting a loss of 20 to 100 pounds by switching to the low-carb, high-fat eating routine. Overall, people are often pleased with the results they receive from the ketogenic diet. In fact, a survey by U.S. News found that 94 percent of respondents experienced positive changes to their health. These positive changes typically involved weight loss, managing chronic diseases, and more energy, among others.

A lot of people recognize the benefits of the ketogenic diet but following the low-carb plan can be a challenge. Many foods contain hidden sources of carbs which quickly throw people off their diet. Below is a list of six hidden sources of carbs to avoid or limit during your keto diet.

1. Yogurt

Yogurt, even the low-fat and plain varieties, can have a surprising number of carbs hidden inside. For example, a half-cup of plain Greek yogurt contains four grams of total and net carbs thanks to naturally occurring dairy sugars. A half-cup of regular nonfat plain yogurt contains even more carbs for a total of nine grams. As for the flavored and fruit-filled varieties, don’t even think about it. These options contain 15 to 30 grams of total and net carbs; way above what you want to consume on the keto diet.

2. Milks

Regular dairy milk contains a surprising carb counts thanks to lactose, a naturally occurring sugar in dairy products. If you have a cup of whole milk, you’re looking at approximately 11 grams of carbs while 1% and 2% milk have 12 grams. Unsweetened nut milks are a better option, but not all of them are entirely free of carbs. For instance, unsweetened almond milk contains one gram of carbohydrates, which isn’t too bad. The flavored vanilla almond milk, on the other hand, has a whopping 14 grams of carbs.

3. Beans

Beans are generally considered a healthy food which is why they throw so many people off their keto diet. A good majority of beans contain more than 10 grams of carbs per a half-cup serving. The two exceptions to this are black soybeans and green beans which contain two grams each of net carbs per a half-cup serving.

4. Seafood

Certain seafoods have a sneaky number of carbohydrates in them. Take clams, for example. One cup of steamed clams contains about 10 grams of net carbs. Squid comes in just a little lower at eight grams of net carbs. Shellfish and mollusks in general tend to be higher in carbs, so stay away from these options for your keto diet whenever you eat seafood.

5. Seasonings

Few people think to count the carbs contained in their seasoning when they first start out on keto. Who could even think seasoning and spices would contain a significant amount of carbs? In fact, your favorite spices could be adding an extra handful of carbs to each dish depending on which ones you use. Favorites such as garlic powder and onion powder each contain more than a gram of net carbs in a single teaspoon. If you make a recipe that calls for a teaspoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of onion powder, that’s nearly four grams of extra carbs you didn’t account for in your food.

6. Gummy Vitamins

Gummy supplements are a popular way to consume vitamins because they usually taste good and the chewy texture makes them enjoyable to eat. However, that yummy flavor doesn’t come for free. A bit of sugar is typically added to the vitamin recipe to make the gummies taste good resulting in as much as three grams of hidden carbohydrates in your supplements. Flavored and chewable supplements are notorious for containing sugar so skip these vitamins in favor of ones that come in a tablet or pill instead.

 

Photo credits

Weight loss - PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Yogurt in bowl - Aline Ponce from Pixabay

Dried beans - artverau from Pixabay

Herb seasonings - Tonda Tran from Pixabay

Gummy chews - 俊哉 佐伯 from Pixabay