Ideally, when eating a keto diet, one should keep to keto staples that are guaranteed to keep you in ketosis. But when there isn't time, or you're too tired to cook it's smart to have snacks so as not to be tempted by non-keto food.
But shopping for snacks that will be keto-friendly for you personally is challenging if you don't have a clear framework due to:
Net carbs confusion on the internet (Europe vs. USA, Fibre, Polyols etc.)
The fact that each person has a personal net carb limit. It's not one size fits all.
Hidden net carbs that don't show up in nutrition information on packaging.
The Three Steps to Choosing Keto-Friendly Snacks
Step 1: Screen out snacks with hidden net carbs with the ingredients list.
Step 2: Calculate net carbs from nutritional information table.
Step 3: Evaluate against a conservative net carb daily limit (or better, your personal net carb daily limit)
Step 1: Screen Out Hidden Net Carbs
Hidden net carbs behave like net carbs but cannot be counted so they are the first thing you should check for. This article will help clarify how to spot them. If they are an ingredient in your snack of choice pick another snack. It won't be keto-friendly for you.
With that in mind, we can now focus on net carbs. What they are and how to find them on food packaging. Once you master this, shopping for keto-friendly snacks or foods will be that much easier.
Step 2: Identify and Calculate Net Carbs in Europe
When checking your packaged food and snacks you can tell the number of net carbs by checking the Nutritional Information section. It is usually located on the back of your packaged item.
The Information provided here applies only to European food labels as USA labels are structured differently. So keep that in mind when going through the steps below.
Here is an Example:
Health Bar Nutritional Information |
|
Typical Values Per 100g | 60g |
Energy 1526 kj / 366 kcal | 916 kj / 220 kcal |
Fat 28.4g | 17.0g |
- of which are saturates 17.3g | 10.4g |
Carbohydrates 30.8g | 18.5g |
- of which sugars 1.5g | 0.9g |
- of which are polyols 25.7g | 15.4 |
Fibre 17.4g | 10.4 |
Protein 9.1g | 5.4g |
Salt 0.71g | 0.43g |
To calculate the net carbs amount use this two step process in Europe:
1) Review the Nutrition Label (like the one above) and check for the ‘Polyols’ section. This could also be called ‘Erythritol’ or ‘Xylitol’.
2) Subtract the number found in the 'Polyols' from the ‘Total Carbohydrates’ section.
Here's an Example:
Morgan wants to buy a box of health bars. To find out if the bars are keto-friendly for her she uses the following equation:
Total Carbs - (Polyols/ Erythritol/ Xylitol) = Net Carbs
Total Carbs: 18.5g per bar
Net Carbs: 18.5 - 15.4 = 3.1g per bar
Step 3: Check Against a Conservative Net Carb Daily Limit
We take the final net carb amount calculated and check if it is below a conservative default net carb limit. You should use 5.0g as the cut off for this to be confident it is a keto-friendly snack for you.
Going by the net carb limit of 5.0g Morgan would only be able to eat one of the above bars per day.
Keeping your net carbs low is crucial to staying in ketosis. Consuming too many net carbs will lower your blood ketones below 0.5 mmol/l compromising your fat loss results. Ketones keep your appetite low and therefore allow you to consume fewer calories throughout the day. This is what helps you to lose fat over time.
One final note on the daily net carb limit of 5.0g: It's a good place to start because we've set it to be conservative to work for most people. But it is not personalised. Depending on the person, the daily limit may be above or below this number.
In Part Two of this article, we will cover how to calculate and use your Personal Net Carb Limit so you can have complete confidence that the snacks you buy are keto-friendly for you.
Actionable Takeaways
Choosing Keto-Friendly snacks can be simple if you follow these guidelines:
Avoid any snacks that have hidden net carbs
Check your snack or food item for the Nutritional Information label and find the polyol section (sometimes called ‘Erythritol’ or ‘Xylitol’)
Detract the polyol number from the total net carbs
Make sure that number is below the conservative daily 5.0g limit. Once you know your personal net carb limit, use that instead.
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