It’s fiesta time! And let’s be honest, there is no party without guacamole! However, since you are following a ketogenic lifestyle, you might be wondering if guac is a keto-friendly food that won’t jeopardize your goals.
The good news is that guac is keto-friendly in most cases. This article will explore everything related to guacamole and a ketogenic diet, from its nutrition facts to how much and what type you can eat.
We will cover everything related to this tasty dish. Let’s get started!
Guac is a creamy dip typically made with mashed avocados, lime juice, onions, tomato, salt, pepper, and cilantro. It is a traditional dish from Mexico (the Aztecs were the first to make it!) and it is commonly served with tortilla chips, tacos, quesadillas, and more.
The beauty of guac is that you can always adjust the recipe based on your preferences and restrictions. Thus, the flavors might vary for each person. Some people put garlic into the mix, and others add Greek yogurt to make it creamier.
Guacamole is a food very high in nutrients. It has potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, and several vitamins from the B complex. They are all essential to help our immune system, help provide us with energy, and keep good hydration levels.
While we know that guac is very good for us, what about people doing keto? How many carbs are in guacamole?
Serving size: 1 tablespoon of guacamole (15 g)
Guac is a very low-carb food. Most of the calories come from fats. You only get 0.3 g of net carbs in one tablespoon.
Yes, you are allowed to eat guac on keto.
Guac is high in unsaturated fats, which are the ones that are healthier for your heart. A ketogenic diet could be high in saturated fats (mostly from animal products) if not done properly. This could potentially lead to heart problems.
So, eating this food is a great way to balance the fats out throughout the day. More unsaturated fats mean less risk of heart disease when following this way of eating.
Remember that variety is key to a healthy diet, meaning that although guac is a healthy fat, you should always add other sources like nuts, seeds, and olive oil to get different nutrients.
The amount of guac won’t depend a lot on the carbs but more on the total calories and fats you have to eat throughout the day.
Even though you are on a ketogenic diet, you still want to have a caloric deficit (eating fewer calories than your body needs) if one of your goals is to lose weight.
This means that it’s important to measure the portion size and determine how many calories you will have come from guac. For example, you could have ½ cup, which would be 184 calories and 2.4 g net carbs.
Since it is a combination of different foods, the type you can have depends significantly on its ingredients. The following ingredients are keto-approved, so you can add them and not worry about jeopardizing your goals.
If you are going to buy it in a store, look at the ingredients list. If it comes with sugar, syrups, or any other type of carb, you need to be careful since the quantity can impact your ketosis state.
While making it at home is the best option, sometimes we lack the time or the culinary skills to create a tasty guac. Thus, we often go to store-bought guac to satisfy our cravings. Here is a list of keto-friendly guacamoles that you can buy at your local grocery.
So the problem with guacamole doesn’t come from the guac itself but on the dipping items you use. Several of the things that are high in carbs like chips, tacos, or tortillas, meaning you have to be careful with them.
You don’t have to search anymore if you love guac but don’t know any keto-friendly options. Here is a list of all the goodies you can use to dip in guac without remorse about affecting your ketosis levels.
If you are not a fan of guac (no judgments!) or just want to add some variety, some other dips and options are keto-friendly and just as delicious. Here is a list of keto-friendly guac alternatives you can whip up.
Here are some of the other typically asked questions people often have regarding guac and a ketogenic diet.
Any ingredient that is typically used in guac is keto-friendly. Using avocado, lime juice, garlic, onions, cilantro, and tomato are all great options that you can use that won’t add many carbs to your diet.
Avocados (the main ingredient in guac) are high in unsaturated fats, good for your heart health. Also, they are high in the omega-3 fatty acid ALA, which may help reduce inflammation in the body
You can use veggie sticks, keto-friendly chips, beef jerky, or low-carb tortillas as a snack when you have guac.
Yes, chicken is a good source of protein that goes along nicely with guacamole.
Protein is good for maintaining your muscle mass, and it provides satiety since it takes longer to digest in the stomach. Thus, adding avocado (fat) and chicken (protein) is a perfect meal for you to have. Just remember to add some veggies, and you are all set.
Yes, as long as it doesn’t have any sugar or syrups as its ingredients, guacamole dip is a great low-carb food to have.
If you are buying it in a store, read the nutrition label and check how many net carbs it contains.
Yes, store-bought guac is suitable for those doing a ketogenic diet if it doesn’t have any sugars in its ingredients. Make sure that it has less than 3 grams of net carbs per serving to ensure that it is a good ketogenic option.
