In this article, we are going to determine whether grapes are keto-friendly or not and why or why not.
Fruits are always a confusing topic on low-carb diets. First, we all know that fruits offer several benefits, so removing or limiting them on a diet can seem counterintuitive.
Secondly, most fruit is sweet and high in fruit sugar (fructose) which means that on a low-carb diet, most of it has to go. Obviously-high-sugar fruits like pineapple and bananas are a no-brainer but what of the ambiguous ones.
Are grapes keto-safe?
Keep reading to learn more about grape nutrition and whether it qualifies as low-carb or not.
Grapes are a type of small fruit that grow in clusters and come in a variety of shapes and colors.
They have been cultivated for thousands of years and are believed to have originated from the Middle East.
They are healthy, just like any fruit. However, they aren’t very rich in many micronutrients. They contain a fairly significant amount of vitamin K, but not much of any other vitamin or mineral.
Even though this food is not rich in many traditional nutrients, it is still very beneficial because it provides special substances known as phytochemicals.
Phytochemicals are non-nutrient compounds found in plants that are beneficial to human health. All grape varieties contain phytochemicals, but deeper-colored varieties are richer in anthocyanins, a type of phytochemical that gives fruits a purple or reddish color.
You can also get anthocyanins from fruits or vegetables with similar colors, like aubergine and purple cabbage.
Like a typical fruit, grape nutrition is mostly carbohydrates with very little protein or fat. Unlike other fruits, though, it is not very rich in vitamins or minerals.
Serving size: 1 cup of whole grapes. Equal to about 150 g.
Are grapes high in carbs?
Yes. From the nutrition information above, we see that they are very high in carbohydrates. Only a small portion of the carbs are in the form of fiber. This means that most of the carbohydrates present are fruit sugars.
This is not surprising as grapes are very sweet, which is indicative of high sugar content.
No.
It is sad to say that you cannot eat grapes on the ketogenic diet, but with 25.8 g of net carbs per cup, it is not possible.
Even with the highest level of portion control, it would be very difficult to fit them into your macros.
Let’s say your daily carb limit is 50 g and you can spare 10 g of it for fruit. 10 g of net carbs means less than a half-cup serving. 1 cup is about 32 grapes, so 10 g of net carbs is about 12 grapes.
We don't know about you, but a 12-grape meal doesn’t sound like much. They are also not very filling as they are low in fiber and protein. This implies you would have to eat them with something else or have another snack soon after eating them.
None. Just 1 grape has 1.2 net carbs.
Grapes are too high in sugar and other carbohydrates to be part of a ketogenic diet. The only way you would be able to eat them is if you were to eat a very small quantity.
You could possibly cut up two or three grapes to use as a topping or as a sweetener in a salad. However, it is wiser to opt for lower-carb fruits like berries to get a better nutritional bang for your carb buck.
For culinary reasons, grapes are usually classified into two groups.
Neither light nor dark-colored types are good for keto due to their high carb content. Even though green grapes are not as sweet, they are still very high in carbs and therefore just as non-keto as the red ones.
Another way to look at grape classification is how they are processed. They can be made into different food products, all of which have different nutrient compositions.
Needless to say, dried grape varieties are not keto-safe.
Don’t feel bad about missing out on grapes. There are plenty of food options to choose from in their place.
First, keto-compliant fruits are the closest replacements as they offer a similar flavor profile and nutrient composition. Such fruits include:
In addition to these fruits, there are other snacks that can work as keto-friendly grape substitutes. These snacks include nuts, seeds, cheese cubes, and cured meats like beef jerky.
If you still have some grape-related questions, read our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Yes. All fruit is wonderful for weight loss. However, the main goal of the ketogenic diet is ketosis. Any food that doesn’t support that goal should be avoided or limited on the diet.
Yes, botanically grapes are berries. The scientific definition of a berry is a fruit that grows from one flower resulting in a fleshy edible epicarp (outermost layer of fruit). Since grapes grow from one flower and their outermost layer is edible, they are scientifically berries.
You might know that most common berries are very keto-friendly. A grape being botanically a berry, however, does not make it keto.
Health benefits of grapes include improved skin health, eye health, and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Grapes are very rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds like resveratrol that protect the body from diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Grapes last from 7 to 14 days in the fridge. However, how long they last depends on how fresh they were when you bought them. They are very fragile because of their soft cover and can therefore easily get damaged during transport and storage.
Grapes are one of the fruits with the highest amount of pesticide residues. Imported grapes are particularly higher in pesticides, so sticking with a local organic supplier is always best.
All grapes, whether sweet or tart, black or white, red or green, round or oval, are high in carbs and therefore not keto-friendly.
