Moderation Is Key With Nuts And Seeds
Regardless of what your favorite nut is, the serving size is key because carbs add up. If you indulge in a bag of almonds with your daily afternoon coffee, your blood glucose levels spike requiring your pancreas to release insulin.
In the short term that means youll get kicked out of ketosis.
However, if that happens a lot, your bodys insulin sensitivity can decrease the first step towards insulin resistance or Type 2 diabetes.
Besides their carbohydrate content, many nuts and seeds have unfavorable omega-3 to omega-6 ratios and contain antinutrients.
So my recommendation is to consume them in moderation and to listen to your body. In the Kummer family, weve made the observation that if we eat more than a handful of nuts, our stomachs get upset and we end up with loose stools. Thats true for my wife, our two kids and me. So listen to your body itll usually tell you how much is too much.
Enriching Your Keto Menus With Nut And Seed Products
If you are a seasoned ketoer, you probably dont snack much.
So you may not want to snack on nuts but they can still add flavor and spunk to your keto meals.
So, when you are on a keto diet, the versatility of nuts and seeds will help you create keto-friendly alternatives to foods that are naturally high in carbohydrates.
Just keep in mind the more processed your nuts and seeds are the more calorie dense they become. So, youll want to limit your consumption of nut butters and flours.
If weight loss is your goal, and you your weight loss has stalled, maybe you are eating more nut products than you should. Re-evaluate your macros and your calorie intake.
Keto Nut/seed #: Walnuts
Walnuts offer a host of health benefits.
They have more antioxidant activity than other common nuts. That means they work hard to prevent oxidative damage that can compromise health.
Walnuts have more omega-3 fatty acids than other nuts, and they contain polyphenols that can decrease inflammation. And research shows walnuts can help treat obesity and diabetes by improving appetite control.
The net carb count for an ounce of these keto nuts is 2 grams.
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Why You’ll Love This Nordic Bread
- Low Carb. Only 3 net carbs per serving.
- Easy. Chop, Mix, Bake.
- Simple Ingredients. Having a hard time finding yeast? There’s not any in this bread recipe without yeast.
- Gluten-Free. Guess what? There’s no flour either. So this recipe is totally gluten-free.
- Tasty. It tastes like regular bread, but without the carbs.
Keto Nut/seed #: Brazil Nuts
The Brazil nut has lots of healthy fatty acid and antioxidants, but its perhaps best known for being an excellent source of selenium. Selenium supports your thyroid and immune system, and its essential for cell growth. In addition, research shows that eating Brazil nuts can help lower harmful cholesterol.
An ounce of Brazil nuts contains 1.2 grams of net carbs.
Recommended Reading: Can You Have Peanuts On Keto
Final Words Best Keto Nuts And Seeds
Eating healthy should be incredibly easy. But the overwhelming number of choices and often misleading dietary guidelines make that task unnecessarily complex.
When I first started with paleo several years ago, I thought that all paleo-friendly foods were healthy. Only later did I realize thats not necessarily the case.
You can eat unhealthy food while remaining in ketosis just as easily as you can eat paleo-friendly food and maintain high blood sugar levels.
To make my life easier, I tend to only eat foods that are both paleo and keto. Unfortunately, that severely limits the nuts and seeds I can have.
But guess what? Thats how humans evolved over millions of years on a limited amount of resources that our bodies became accustomed to.
So do your body a favor and dont try to cheat evolution!
Keto Nut/seed #: Chia Seeds
The ancient Aztecs and Mayans viewed chia seeds as highly nourishing, and modern science supports that belief.
These seeds are rich in nutrients such as protein, magnesium and phosphorus. The fiber and protein in chia seeds support healthy weight loss, and research shows these seeds can help reduce blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension.
One ounce of chia seeds has 2.2 grams of net carbs.
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Are Nuts And Seeds Keto
Nuts and seeds are keto, especially if you snack on high-protein low-carb nuts. You must control how many you eat each day as part of reducing your carb intake. How many carbs per day you enjoy will depend on whether you are following a keto diet or a low-carb diet. The macro calculator will help you decide.
When you first start living low carb, I bet you were excited to learn we can snack on nuts and seeds again. We no longer count calories and we no longer fear high-fat foods. In fact, increasing our healthy fats are encouraged.
When you eat this way, you enjoy numerous health benefits such as stable blood sugar levels, improved cholesterol profile, lowered rates of heart disease, and a reduction in weight gain.
But, that’s only true if you eat the best nuts and enjoy them in the right proportions. Many people slip up by overindulging on nuts and then realise their weight loss has stopped and wonder why. They never make the connection between nuts and the slow creep of carbs back into their diet. Why is that?
So let’s take a closer look at the most common nuts and seeds with their carb values.
The Best Keto Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds are a nutritious and delicious addition to the keto diet!
Theyre loaded with healthy fats and make a great snack or ingredient in keto desserts – I have a ton of delicious keto friendly recipes featuring nuts and seeds.
But did you know that they arent all low carb?
So Ive compiled a list of the best low carb nuts and seeds that are delicious and keto friendly – alongside some surprisingly high carb ones that you may want to eat in moderation.
Read Also: How To Make Keto Pizza Crust
Top Keto Breadmaking Tips
- Use your flour power Different low-carb bread recipes use different blends of flour and its important to follow the recipe to get the right texture, For example, these rolls use almond and coconut flour, while this loaf just uses almond flour.
- Dont be afraid of adding extras Adding a little something extra can push a loaf of low-carb bread from okay to fantastic! This grain-free sandwich bread has Italian seasoning added to the dough, while this zucchini bread is moist and tender thanks to shredded zucchini.
- Dont think you dont have time to bake Its true that some Keto-friendly bread recipes are more complicatedor have more ingredientsthan others but just because this particular bread recipe takes a little bit of prep work , doesnt mean that all low-carb bread recipes are time-consuming. If youre short on time, check out this 90-second Keto bread recipe.
Carbs In Macadamia Nuts
Macadamias and keto go together beautifully. In fact, we dedicated an entire article to this incredible low-carb nut.
Heres a quick overview of why macadamias are a great option for keto from a health perspective:
- They have only 1.5 g of net carbs per ounce.
- They contain the most thiamin compared to the other low-carb nuts.
- They have more manganese than most nuts, which plays a crucial role in the production of digestive enzymes, bones, and immune-system defenses.
- They provide us with more healthy monounsaturated fats than any other nut.
To add more of these nutritional powerhouses to your diet, feel free to eat them raw, roast them, blend them into a keto nut butter, or make a macadamia-nut-based keto-friendly recipe:
Read Also: Is Quaker Oats Keto-friendly
Keto Nuts: A Guide To The Best Nuts For A Keto Diet
On keto, nuts can provide healthy fats, protein, and important vitamins and minerals. Yet some nuts are also high in carbohydrates. So, choosing the best nuts for a keto diet can be tricky.
In this article, well explore the best keto friendly nuts, while highlighting the nuts that arent so keto friendly, and others youll want to avoid.
My Top 4 Recommendations
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Pumpkin Seeds Nutrition Carbs And Tips
Also known as pepitas, this mildly nutty seed provides us with protein, healthy fats, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.
On the keto diet, these seeds will make a great snack or a flavorful garnish that will add nutrition to your keto salads.
However, make sure you are mindful of how much you are eating. Pumpkin seeds are one of the highest carb seeds with 3.3 g of net carbs per ounce .
Beware Of Food Allergies
Nuts and seeds are a top keto snack, but if you react to any of them, chances are you have a food allergy. Tree nut allergies are one of the most common types of allergic reactions among individuals today, so its recommended you get a food allergy test if youre experiencing symptoms.
Some symptoms to be aware of include stomach cramps, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, nausea, shortness of breath, nasal congestion, and any itchiness of the mouth, throat, eyes, or skin.
Also Check: Vegan Keto Daily Meal Plan
Can You Eat Too Many Pecans On Keto
Pecans, like Brazil nuts, pack the most fat with the fewest carbs, Keatley says. One ounce is less than four grams of carbs. If you want to have a little bit of a nut thats not ideal for keto here and there, dont stress ityou wont automatically lose keto cred.
Can you eat pecans on a low carb diet?
In fact, pecans are loaded with an array of important nutrients like thiamine, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc . Theyre also very low in carbs, delivering a little over 1 gram of net carbs per 1-ounce serving.
A Reason Not To Go Nuts On Nuts
While Brazil, macadamia, and pecan nuts are good keto options, if you are trying to lose weight, overeating any type of nut may be problematic.
Keep in mind that all nuts have a high fat content and therefore contain lots of calories. Eating them is fine if youre hungry and need energy. But if youre just snacking on them between meals because the nuts taste good or you feel bored, then youre adding calories that you dont need.
The result? Your body will burn the fat from the nuts, instead of your stored body fat which is a problem if you want to lose weight. In this case, minimizing between-meal snacking may be the best option.6
As always, eat when youre hungry, and dont eat when youre not hungry.
Recommended Reading: Does The Keto Diet Raise Your Cholesterol
Tips And Tricks For Making This Nut And Seed Bread
- Use a combination of whole nuts and smaller seeds. Use whatever you have lying around, it will work as long as you follow the rest of the directions.
- Do not cut the whole nuts. I wasn’t sure how those would work but they sliced beautifully in the finished product.
- Do not omit the flax seed, and if possible use ground flax seeds. These, along with the egg, serve as a binder for the bread.
- Cook for the specified length of time. You won’t be able to do a chopstick test on it while it’s hot. There’s not a lot that truly needs cooking forever, but I haven’t had time to experiment with shorter cook times. I can tell you it works beautifully at 45 minutes.
- Be sure to grease the pan well so the beautiful seed bread pops right out.
- Serve with lots of butter.
If you love this nut and seed bread as much as I do, make sure you share the recipe with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can try it too.
Best Keto Nuts & Seeds Video
Heres the video where I talk you through some of my go to low carb nuts and seeds. Hit play below or .
Disclaimer this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
Disclosure this post contains affiliate links.
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Carbohydrates In Nuts And Seeds
Most nuts and some seeds have a lot of carbs that the body converts into glucose . That glucose then triggers an insulin response by your pancreas.
When that happens, youre likely to get kicked out of ketosis. Thats bad because the goal of a ketogenic diet is to remain in ketosis most, if not all, of the time.
In the long term, the more often you experience a spike in insulin levels, the more likely it is for your cells to become less sensitive to that glucose-storing hormone.
Plus, guess what your liver does with the glucose that your cells dont need once theyre saturated?
Thats right the liver converts excess glucose to fat and stores it around your organs and mid-section. Thats the visceral fat that dramatically increases your risk of developing metabolic diseases.
But what about the fiber?
Its true that nuts and seeds are also good sources of fiber, which slows down the conversion of the carbs to glucose. But still, the fiber in nuts can only do so much to prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking.
The bottom line is that you should consume most nuts only in moderation. See below for a ranking of nuts with the lowest amount of net carbs.
Nuts And Seeds On A Ketogenic Diet
Many people wonder if nuts and seeds are fine with ketogenic diet due to their high fat levels. Nut lovers rejoice because the answer is a big yes. In fact, there are plenty of them that are perfect for ketogenic diet.
Among the best nuts for keto are pecans, macadamia, walnuts, and cashews but should be consumed in moderation. Peanut butter is also good but check the labels for traces of added sugar, hydrogenated oils, monosodium glutamate, and modified food starch.
On the downside, raw nuts are rich in phytic acid that tends to irritate the gallbladder. In this case, limiting yourself to two to three ounces in a given meal and sticking to it is the best.
Seeds are high in nutrients and healthy fats, and are low in carbohydrates, making them better than nuts. Recommended seeds are sunflower, hemp, chia, and flax seeds, and add them to your salads and trail mixes.
Also Check: Is Keto Healthy Long Term
Some Of The Best Nuts And Seeds For Keto Dieters In One Shot:
Keep this handy image printed on your fridge or pantry to remind yourself which nuts and seeds to go for!
Reminder: Net carbs are the carbohydrates which are absorbed by your body. To calculate net carbs in whole foods, subtract fiber from total carbs. To calculate net carbs in processed foods, subtract fiber and some of the sugar alcohols from total carbs.
Should You Eat Nuts And Seeds On Keto
The ultimate goal of a healthy dietary lifestyle is to reduce the risk of developing a chronic disease, such as cancer, cardiovascular heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimers and more.
Besides chronic inflammation, many of these diseases start with issues in the bodys glucose metabolism that leads to varying degrees of insulin resistance.
Thats why I advocate for a Paleolithic ketogenic diet, which combines the benefits of both the keto and paleo diets.
Read Also: Free Keto Food Tracker App
Why Nuts Are Keto
Many keto dieters associate nuts and seeds with keto-friendly foods because theyre excellent sources of fat and provide moderate amounts of plant-based protein.
Additionally, nuts and seeds are packed with micronutrients such as vitamin E, B vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.
The nutritional value of nuts and seeds is one of the reasons why governmental and non-profit organizations, such as the American Heart Association , often promote their consumption as a heart-healthy snack alternative.
- High in micronutrients and fiber
Unfortunately, most of those recommendations are based on epidemiological or observational studies that are meant to establish a hypothesis rather than a scientific fact. But due to the lack of food-related clinical trials, we often falsely accept an association as a fact.
If that sounds complicated, check out this article by Chris Kresser on the perils of observational epidemiology.
The reason why Im bringing this up is that while nuts and seeds do have some health benefits, and you can enjoy them in moderation on keto, they also have some drawbacks you should know about.