Following a ketogenic diet means eating foods that are high in fats and very low in carbohydrates.
This applies to drinks too.
Can you enjoy an alcoholic drink on the weekend while maintaining ketosis?
Even though most alcoholic beverages have a high carb count, there are keto-friendly options that won’t kick you out of ketosis.
And we’re not talking about water.
Some of the keto-friendly alcoholic drinks include light beer, dry wine, and some spirits with mixers that contain zero carbohydrates. How does White Claw stack up? Is whiteclaw keto friendly?
This hard seltzer has been flying off the shelves and has become an unofficial drink of the summer. Despite its fruity and sweet taste, it is very low in carbohydrates and suitable for a keto diet.
Keep reading to learn more.
What Is White Claw?
White Claw is a hard seltzer that took the world by the storm, quickly selling out in many countries and becoming one of the most popular summer drinks.
White Claw hard seltzer is a light sparkling gluten-free alcoholic beverage that comes in various fruity flavors. Out of the different hard seltzer brands on the market, White Claw is clearly winning the popularity contest.
The ingredients of a standard White Claw are purified carbonated water, alcohol, natural flavors, cane sugar, citric acid, natural juice concentrate, and sodium citrate.
And even though it contains sugar and fruit concentrate, it is very low in carbs. This made it a popular drink choice for people trying to watch the number of calories and carbohydrates they consume.
Including the keto dieters.
Is Whiteclaw Keto Friendly? Is It Really Low Carb?
Keto is a low-carb diet that prioritizes high-fat foods and limits the daily amount of net carbs. This approach allows your body to enter ketosis, where it utilizes fats for energy instead of glucose.
There are different approaches to keto dieting but the most common ketogenic guidelines recommend you consume less than 30 grams of carbs per day. (*)
With many alcoholic drinks being high in carbohydrates, you need to choose carefully. Pina colada, for example, contains up to 32 grams per drink and a regular beer around 12 grams of carbs per can. Neither of those is a good choice for keto dieters. (*)
White Claw Carbs:
Despite its fruity flavor and a 5 percent alcohol content, a can of White Claw only contains around 100 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates per 355 ml can. Which is less than you find in a light beer.
This means White Claw is keto.
Alcohol as a Part of Daily Intake
Following a ketogenic diet doesn’t mean you need to miss out on all the fun. And White Claw is a good choice for those who want to enjoy a drink on a weekend but also stay in ketosis.
But as with any alcoholic beverages, moderation is key. Even though White Claw is keto-friendly, don’t overdo it.
The dietary guidelines define moderate alcohol consumption as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. (*) That’s one or two cans of White Claw seltzer.
There are no nutritional benefits from drinking White Claw and we do not only recommend focusing on carbs but also optimizing nutrition.
Most of your daily carb intake on a keto diet should come from foods that have health benefits and are full of minerals and vitamins. These include fruit and vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, avocados, berries, or mushrooms.
What Are the Best White Claw Flavors for the Keto Diet?
White Claw comes in many exciting flavors. Some of them differ in the number of carbs they contain.
The classic flavors such as black cherry, mango, natural lime, raspberry, or ruby grapefruit contain 2g of net carbs per can. The pure hard seltzer and 70 clementine flavors don’t contain natural fruit concentrate or any sugar, therefore have zero net carbs per can.
Don’t worry. Whether you prefer mango, natural line, or pure hard seltzer, all the White Claw flavors are keto-friendly, so there is no need to compromise.
Will Drinking White Claw Make You Gain Fat?
Drinking a can of White Claw won’t kick you out of ketosis.
But what about weight loss?
Will drinking White Claw sabotage your weight loss journey?
Look, here’s the deal. If you only drink White Claw occasionally and limit your consumption to a couple of servings, it shouldn’t make you gain fat.
But let’s be honest. Blowing off your daily carb intake by drinking nutritiously poor alcoholic seltzer isn’t a smart approach to weight loss.
When consuming alcohol, your body naturally shifts focus from burning fat to removing alcohol from the system. And this could temporarily slow down the weight loss process.
And let’s not forget. Consuming alcohol often leads to snacking and being tipsy can blur your judgment.
So even though drinking White Claw is keto-friendly, it can make you snack on foods that are not that suitable for a keto diet.
Possible Risks
Net carbs are not the only thing that you should worry about when drinking alcohol on a ketogenic diet.
Drinking too many White Claws can also lead to dehydration. And even though they contain seltzer water, you still need to make sure you are replacing the fluids.
And because people on the keto diet don’t have many carbohydrates in their daily intake, overdoing it with the hard seltzer can also lead to a condition called ketoacidosis. (*) This is a state that affects diabetes 1 patients and alcoholics and can lead to life-threatening conditions.
Don’t panic. This condition is not very likely to happen, however, it is good to be aware of.
Let’s be honest. Since people on a ketogenic diet have a very low-carb diet, alcohol tends to affect them a lot faster. So drinking a couple of White Claws will do the trick without any increased health risks.
White Claw vs. Truly on a Keto Diet
White Claw is not the only hard seltzer on the market. One of the biggest brand rivals is Truly. How do these two hard seltzers compare?
Regarding the ingredients, the White Claw and Truly are almost identical. They both contain sparkling water, an alcohol base, and a touch of flavor.
And regarding the number of net carbs, while White Claw hard seltzers contain 2 grams, Truly has 1 gram of carbs per serving.
Good news. They are both keto-friendly.
Truly offers a good range of flavors, the classic fruity ones as well as some unusual options like rose water flavor.
The kicker is, the Truly flavors are not that flavorful.
When tasting these two competitors alongside each other, White Claw hard seltzer was a clear winner. Our personal favorite is natural lime or mango White Claw. And it is the delicious taste that makes White Claw seltzer so popular.
Conclusion
Is white claw keto? Yes, As far as net carbs per serving are concerned, White Claw is keto-friendly. You can enjoy this summer drink, and when consumed in moderation, it is one of the most suitable alcoholic drinks on a ketogenic diet.
Even though you can drink a serving of White Claw and still lose weight, we would recommend you only do it occasionally, remember to replenish lost fluids, and avoid snacking on unhealthy foods.
When incorporating carbohydrates into your ketogenic diet, focus on nutrient-rich foods that promote overall health such as certain fruits, berries, and vegetables.
Up Next: Truly Hard Seltzer Net Carbs: Is Truly Keto-friendly?
