One of the biggest challenges you’ll ever face when on keto diet is finding fiber-rich foods that are also low in carbs.
However, it would be best to look for these food options.
Low fiber consumption can amplify keto’s digestive side effects such as constipation, abdominal cramping, gas, bloating, and many more.
Here is a little secret that we want to tell you.
There’s actually one food item that has zero carbs and zero calories but is loaded with pure insoluble fiber.
This food is the butter and bread to your low carb diets.
So what is it? … It’s Oat Fiber! Now, we know you have many questions in mind.
Oat isn’t supposed to be keto-friendly, right?
Is oat fiber not keto-friendly as well?
Read this article to find out!
What is oat fiber used for keto?
You know what an oat is. You also know what fiber is. But do you have any idea what oat fiber is?
It’s the technical term for the husk or hull of the kernel, which is removed when producing oatmeal.
This husk is a highly fibrous material that will add high amounts of fiber to your diet.
It can also absorb about seven times its weight in water.
The oat fiber contains high amounts of non-starch polysaccharides, which makes it a good source of pure insoluble fiber.
Is oat fiber the same as oat flour?
Before you head to the grocery to buy oat flour, there’s one thing that you should know.
Oat flour is not the same as oat fiber.
While oat fiber is produced by removing the fibrous husk from the oat, the oat flour is produced by grinding the oat which is left after the removal process.
Similarly, oat fiber is also different from the following ingredients:
- Rolled oats
- Oat flour
- Instant oats
- Oat bran
- Oat groats
Does oat fiber have any carbs?
If this type of insoluble fiber that comes from oats, it means that this contains carbs and is therefore not keto friendly, right?
To answer that, here’s the oat fiber’s nutritional content: (*)
- Total Fat: 0 grams
- Sodium: 0 grams
- Net carbs: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 3 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
This is what you can get from a serving size of 1 teaspoon (3 grams) of oat fiber, and exactly what people on keto diet need.
Is oat fiber okay for keto diet?
Based on the nutritional content of oat fiber, it contains 3 g carbs and 3 g fiber.
Since the carbohydrates and fiber have equal amounts, the net carb count is 0 grams.
In short, there is no carbs in oat fiber.
Since you can’t get any amount of carbohydrates from this food item, we can consider this as a keto-friendly food item.
P/s: It’s also a suitable option for other low carb diets.
What are the Benefits of Oat Fiber?
Now this is the big question you’ve been waiting for.
“Why should you incorporate Oat Fiber in your keto diet?”
Well, using oat fibers comes with plenty of benefits. Therefore, we’ve listed some of them down below.
Better Digestion
As you’ve read above, oat fiber contains about 3g of fiber per serving.
And we all know, dietary fiber aids in digestion.
Without enough fiber, your colon will have difficulty moving regularly, and the waste materials will accumulate in the digestive tract.
The insoluble fiber acts as a bulking agent that will draw water to your stool, softening it in the process.
In this way, it will be easier to pass and move along your digestive tract. (2)
Healthier Weight Loss
Consuming enough fiber will help you feel full for longer.
Greater satiety means you’ll consume lesser amounts of food.
You will also experience curbed cravings. Thanks to this, you will lose weight easier in the healthiest way possible.
Long-lasting Energy
The benefits of oat fiber are not limited only to digestion. Your energy levels will spike up like you just finished a Red Bull can.
This is because it contains beta-glucan, which helps you feel full for longer and will give you the energy you need to carry out all your tasks without experiencing an energy crash. (3)
People who are on a ketogenic diet will benefit a lot from this as this can help them prevent the fatigue that is associated with the keto diet.
Different Ways to Use Oat Fiber on Keto
If you plan on using oat fiber, we have good news for you.
There are plenty of ways on how to apply oat fiber to your keto diet.
One of the most popular uses of oat fiber in the keto diet is baking because of its ability to increase bulk without boosting your carbohydrate and sugar consumption.
It’s an excellent option for creating a baking blend. In addition to that, here are some of the oat fiber keto uses:
Oat Flour Substitute
By this, we mean a partial substitute.
This is because you cannot use oat fiber to substitute oat flour fully.
The best that it can do is to replace a portion of the amount of oat fiber needed in the recipe.
By doing this, you’ll be able to lessen the amount of carbohydrates the recipe contains, so you can still adhere to the carbohydrate limitations of your keto diet.
Bulking Agent
This is one of the most common baking uses of oat fiber– as a bulking agent when baking with Stevia.
While Stevia delivers the level of sweetness that sugar has, it doesn’t add bulk as much as sugar does.
That’s why you’ll need a bulking agent, and one of the best options that you have is oat fiber.
Filler For Recipes That Call For Ground Meat
We all know that some of the best filler for burger patties and meatballs are bread crumbs or old bread cubes.
Unfortunately, those will add to your carbohydrate consumption, and you would want to avoid that as much as you can.
Lucky for you, oat fiber can deliver the same results minus the unwanted carbs!
Final Words:
Yes, oat fiber is keto-friendly. However, you shouldn’t go with just any oat fiber that you can find in the market.
We recommended that you choose one that is non-GMO and organic and is free of fillers.
While oat fiber is good for the body, it’s recommended that you eat it in moderation.
To boost your fiber intake, another option that you have is fiber supplement. To know which are the best ones, take a look at this buying guide.
Up Next: is oatmeal keto friendly?
