There is a lot more to the keto diet than cutting out bread and eating high-fat content foods. You can’t eat a brick of cheese without the rye and expect to see results. The diet is far more complex. It’s an intricate biological process that relies on changing your lifestyle and becoming extremely picky about what you eat. Food labels are the new deciding factor and calculating carbs will become just as important as filing taxes.
However, don’t let this discourage you. There is a reason why the keto diet is taking the world by storm – it works! By staying motivated towards the end goal and having an arsenal of helpful keto weight loss pills, it won’t be long until you see results.
While the diet may be restrictive, there are still a few delicious food favorites to choose from, which brings us to this very important question. Is there a space for peanut butter on the keto menu? This creamy treat may be high in fat, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that peanut butter is keto-friendly.
In this article, we take a deeper look to find out if this nutty delight is something that should be in your keto pantry.
Peanut Butter On A Low Carb Diet
There is a lot of confusion around whether or not peanut butter is suitable on a low carb diet, mainly because of its classification and how it is manufactured.
Despite having the word nut in the name, peanuts do not form part of the tree nut species, they actually belong to the legume family. Anyone who has been following the diet for quite some time will know that most legumes are a big no in the ketogenic world. However, most nut butter lovers will be pleased to know that peanuts are classified as nuts because their taste and nutritional profile closely resemble that of tree nuts.
The second reason behind the confusion is how the peanut butter is manufactured. Many brands of peanut butter are processed using trans fats such as hydrogenated oil, which helps to extend the product’s shelf life and maintain its consistency in warmer temperatures. In addition to this, many store-bought nut butters contain excessive amounts of sugar. Fortunately, not all peanut butter is created equal, there are many brands that do not have added sugar or other artificial ingredients included in their formula.
How Many Carbs Are In Peanut Butter?
To find out if a specific food is acceptable on the keto diet, you have to arm yourself with the hard, or in this case, the “carb” facts first.
A serving of two tablespoons of natural, unsweetened peanut butter amounts to a total of about 200 calories. Ten percent of the calories are made up of net carbs, meaning that there are about three to four grams of net carbs per serving of two tablespoons.
Natural peanut butter nutrition facts based on a 32g serving:
- Calories – 200 Kcal
- Fat – 16g
- Protein – 8g
- Total Carbs – 5g
- Net Carbs – 3g
- Fiber – 2g
Looking at these figures, it’s safe to say that you can enjoy natural unsweetened peanut butter on a keto diet. It is high in healthy fats, low in carbs, and moderate in protein, making it the perfect treat on any low carb diet. Besides the low carb count, peanut butter is a great source of beneficial nutrients. It contains Magnesium, Phosphorus, B Vitamins, Copper, and Vitamin E.
The Best Type Of Peanut Butter On A Keto Diet
It goes without saying that sugar-laden peanut butter should be avoided, even if you are not following a strict low-carb diet. The same goes for brands that contain stabilizers. A keto-friendly peanut butter should only contain two ingredients. Roasted peanuts and a sprinkle of salt. It’s best to double-check the labels, even if the brand has the word organic or natural printed on the packaging. Some manufacturers are known for sneaking in sugars and oils under different names on the ingredient list.
How Much Peanut Butter Can I Eat On A Keto Diet?
Peanut butter is a great way to get a protein boost during the day. It can even be added to fat bombs for an extra kick. The only downside to eating peanut butter is that it’s hard to stop! The creamy texture and nutty goodness are hard to resist for even the toughest of keto followers. If you are not careful with the servings, you could cause your ketone production to come to a grinding halt.
The amount of peanut butter you can eat on a keto diet depends on two factors. Which keto diet you are following and whether or not you have reached your macro quota for the day.
For those who are following the standard keto diet or the SKD, the recommended number of carbs should be anywhere between 20 to 50 grams a day. If you haven’t reached your daily limit, then a serving of two tablespoons (about three to four grams net carbs) of peanut butter won’t affect your state of ketosis.
The targeted keto diet or TKD is similar to the SKD but allows for 20 to 50 more grams of carbs up to an hour before exercising. Anyone who goes to the gym regularly would find this variation of the diet to be more suitable for their active lifestyle. The amount of peanut butter should still be restricted but a serving of anywhere between two to four tablespoons before your workout is fine. The protein content in peanut butter will give you the pre-workout fuel needed to bulk up those muscles.
Keto-Friendly Peanut Butter Alternatives
Finding out that peanut butter is suitable on a keto diet may have made your day, however, some individuals can’t eat it at all. Unfortunately, one of the biggest downfalls of peanuts is that they are one of the most common allergy-causing foods amongst children and adults in the United States. Luckily, there are some wonderful keto-friendly peanut butter alternatives that will satisfy your creamy craving.
Almond Butter
The most common alternative is almond butter. It contains the same amount of net carbs as peanut butter and is lower in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fats can cause inflammation and lead to other health disorders such as obesity when eaten in excess.
Coconut Butter
While coconut butter may not have the same taste profile, it is just as creamy and delicious as peanut butter. Coconut is one of the most go-to foods on the keto diet because it is high in medium-chain triglycerides, a potent fatty acid that promotes weight loss and increases satiety.
Our Take Away On Peanut Butter On Keto Diets
The traditional PBJ’s your mom used to make for lunch may be out of the question when it comes to the keto diet, but it’s safe to say that natural unsweetened peanut butter is keto-friendly. As long as the brand of peanut butter only contains roasted peanuts and a touch of salt and you are within your daily carb limit, there should be nothing holding you back from enjoying a spoonful or two.
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