by Fruits and veggies are limited on the keto diet, but there are many fruits that you can eat while on this low-carb eating plan. Knowing which fruits are the most heart-friendly will help you create nutrition-rich snacks and meals—and give you some naturally sweet and refreshing bites to enjoy.
The premise of the ketogenic, or “keto,” diet is that eating fewer carbohydrates puts your body into ketosis, a state in which it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates or sugars. This low-carb keto diet is a popular choice for weight management, but the downside is that you need to eat a lot of fruit – but not all fruit.
While some fruits are high in carbs, here’s what you need to know about nine keto-friendly fruits.
If you used lemon to spice up your pre-keto water or tea, you can still use it. Here’s what to expect from one teaspoon of lemon juice:
- calories: 1
- Carbohydrates: 0.3g
- Calcium: .45 mg
- Vitamin C: 0.83mg
One teaspoon of lemon juice has less than half a gram of carbs, as well as some vitamin C and calcium. Vitamin C helps the immune system, and calcium supports bone health.
Raspberries are a great addition to yogurt – and a variety of other meals and dishes – and fit well with a keto diet. Ten raspberries include:
- calories: 9.88
- Carbohydrates: 2.26g
- Fiber: 1.24g
- Vitamin C: 4.98mg
- Vitamin K: 1.48mcg
Ten raspberries contain about one gram of net carbs (total carbs minus grams of fiber). You will also get vitamins C and K. Vitamin K helps protect bone health.
Olives are technically categorized as fruits. Here’s what to expect in a cup of green olives:
- calories: 196
- Carbohydrates: 5.18 g
- Calcium: 70.2mg
- Fiber: 4.46g
- Monounsaturated fatty acids: 15.3g
The healthy fats in olives are removed to make extra virgin olive oil. So, it shouldn’t be too surprising that these antioxidant-packed bites have about 15 grams of healthy fats (monounsaturated fatty acids) in a cup. Monounsaturated fatty acids may reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease.
In addition, a cup of olives contains less than one gram of net carbohydrates.
Lime alone offers the following:
- calories: 20
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Calcium: 22 mg
- Fiber: 1.88g
- Vitamin C: 19.5mg
That’s about five grams of net carbohydrates—in a whole lime. Like lemons, a spritz of lime in your water provides some carbs but provides immunity-boosting vitamin C.
One cup of whole strawberries contains the following:
- calories: 46
- Carbohydrates: 11.1 g
- Fiber: 2.88g
- Vitamin C: 84.7mg
Therefore, there are about eight net carbohydrates in a cup of whole strawberries, which is fine for a keto diet. However, you may only want to eat half a cup of strawberries, depending on the other foods on your menu for the day.
The best part about strawberries is their versatility. You can eat them in a variety of creative ways. For example:
- Add Greek yogurt
- Throw them in a salad
- Throw them on top of a keto dessert
- Use them to flavor water
Not everyone is convinced that coconuts are fruit. Some consider a coconut a nut or a seed. However, coconut can be classified as all three. Here is some nutritional information for one cup of shredded coconut:
- calories: 283
- Carbohydrates: 12.2g
- Fat: 26.8g
- Fiber: 7.2g
Therefore, a cup of coconut has about five grams of net carbs.
You can buy a whole coconut and scoop out the meat yourself, or you can buy it dried or canned. If you choose the canned variety, make sure there is no added sugar.
Avocados (which botanists classify as fruit) are packed with healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are also relatively low in carbs. Here are some key nutrition facts for one whole avocado:
- calories: 240
- Carbohydrates: 12.8g
- Fiber: 10g
A whole avocado contains about three grams of net carbs. The recommended serving size for avocado is about one-third of a medium-sized fruit, so sticking to this recommendation will further reduce carbon intake.
Some research has shown that you may experience diarrhea and constipation) while on the keto diet. While there are a few possible culprits, one of them is insufficient fiber. That’s why it’s important to eat foods based on plant fiber, like blackberries. Key nutrition facts for one cup of blackberries include:
- calories: 62
- Carbohydrates: 13.8g
- Fiber: 7.63g
One cup of blackberries has almost eight grams of fiber. The recommended daily value for fiber is 25 to 38 grams.
A cup of blackberries also has six grams of net carbohydrates.
Blueberries offer fiber, which is good for digestion, and vitamin C and other antioxidants that may reduce the risk of cancer. Here are some nutrition facts for one cup of blueberries:
- calories: 84
- Carbohydrates: 21.5g
- Fiber: 3.55g
One cup of blueberries contains about 18 grams of net carbohydrates, much higher than the other berries on the list. However, you could probably add a quarter to a half of a cup to your daily menu while staying in ketosis.
Some fruits are quite high in carbs and, therefore, may not be suitable for a keto diet. Here are a few, along with their respective carb counts:
- Apples: 27,6 g per average fruit
- Grapes: 27.2 g per cup
- Bananas: 26,9 g per average fruit
- Cherries: 24.6 g per cup without pits
- Pineapples: 21.6 g per cup chunks
- peaches: 15.2 g per fruit
It varies, but a keto diet may indicate that you can only eat 5% to 10% of your calories from carbohydrates and instead eat moderate amounts of protein and fairly high amounts of fat. May be less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.
The keto diet may help promote weight loss, but this may not be true for everyone. Sticking to the plan and getting all the necessary nutrients can be challenging. In addition, it can have side effects and risks, and you may have to cut back on foods like fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be good for you. It is best to consult with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian to decide if a keto diet is right for you and, if so, how to follow it in a way that is good for your health.
Although it’s a good idea to lighten up the keto plan with fruit, fruit can be high in carbohydrates. A medium-sized apple, for example, has about 25 grams of carbs.
Fortunately, there are keto-friendly fruits with fewer carbs to enjoy.
Although it can be difficult to incorporate fruit into your keto diet, there are nutrient-packed and keto-friendly fruit options available. These low-carb fruits include avocado, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, olives, lemons, raspberries, limes, and coconut.
Despite the long list of fruits to avoid if you’re on the keto diet, there are plenty of keto-friendly fruits to enjoy. Consult a healthcare provider or dietitian if you have questions or concerns about eating fruit on a keto diet.
