The keto diet will ask you to commit to a very serious and hard decision: give up on sugar!
Sadly carbs, and implicitly sugars, are a definitive non keto option.
But is sugar completely off the table with the keto diet?
If not, you might be thinking to yourself:
How much sugar can you have on keto?
The short answer to this is not a lot, because sugar is highly risky for your ketosis once you have gained it.Â
Let’s break it down!
What is sugar exactly?
The first thing to come to mind when we say sugar is the powdery white sweet granules commonly encountered.
But that’s not all!
When it comes to the keto, sugar is not just the typical white stuff, because that’s not the only kind of sugar that affects the keto.
Different sizes of sugar get a different classifications, such as:
- Monosaccharides – fructose, glucose, galactose (*)
- Disaccharides – a combination of galactose and glucose (*)
- Oligosaccharides – made from a chain of fewer than 10 monosaccharides (*)
- Polysaccharides – made from more than 10 monosaccharides (*)
Why does all this matter?
Sugar is found in a wide variety of products and it’s important to know this when you follow the keto diet. Anyone of these products can affect your ketosis.
Is sugar Allowed On keto Diet?
The basic rule to follow on the keto diet is to avoid carbs and eat more fat loaded products like meats. Sugars are basically carbs and are the one thing we suggest you avoid.
Counting carbs will mean paying close attention to sugars when following the keto diet. We advise you to look at sugar’s nutritional chart and see exactly what you get.
For 13 grams of sugar (*)
- Total Carbohydrates 13 grams
- Dietary Fiber 0 grams
- Sugars 13 grams
- Protein 0g
- Calories 49
- Total Fat 0 grams
- Saturated Fat 0 grams
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0 grams
- Monounsaturated Fat 0 grams
- Cholesterol 0 milligrams
This chart clearly shows the high amount of carbs contained in sugar.
How Much Sugar Can You Have On Keto?
The keto diet limits the number of carbs you can eat to around 50 grams a day. These 50 grams of carbs are not set in stone as they will depend on weight and level of activity.
What’s more!
People following different types of the keto diet can have more leeway with carbs and macros.
That being said!
Sugar is still risky, as it takes up a lot from that carb limit per day. If you can fit some sugar in that 50 grams of carbs limit then you should be ok. (*)
With that in mind though, we propose you seek out other more keto friendly sweeteners.
What to use instead of sugar?
We know how hard it is to stave off sugar cravings when following the keto diet. But all is not lost and you can still satisfy your sweet tooth even while on the keto.
1. Keto approved sweeteners
- Stevia
- Xylitol
- Sucralose
- Erythritol
- Yacon Syrup
Whatever sweetener you opt for, we still maintain that you should keep count of its glycemic index and how many carbs it brings.
2. AlluloseÂ
Allulose is a natural sugar source that is extracted from:
- Raisins
- FigsÂ
- Wheat
- JackfruitÂ
Allulose is said to be almost as sweet as white sugar but with far fewer carbs and calories. (*)
3. Monk fruit
A more atypical choice for a keto sweetener, monk fruit can be used and not jeopardize your keto diet. (*)
Low on carbs and very sweet, Munk fruit seems like an ideal pairing for the keto diet, perfect to satisfy one’s sweet tooth.
4. ErythritolÂ
A sugar alcohol-based sweetener, erythritol is acceptable for the keto diet and boasts a similar taste to regular sugar. (*)
What sugary foods to keep out of the keto?
Sugar will be inevitable in many food products and it could throw a wrench in your keto diet. That’s why we suggest you pay careful attention to certain foods.
- Granola bars
- Yogurt
- Pasta and pasta sauces
- Certain cereals
- Dried fruit like raisins
- Any kind of oatmeal
- Sugary energy drinks
- Packaged fruits
- Salad dressings
- Coleslaw
- Sweetened tea
- Ketchup
How else is sugar listed on product labels?
Keeping sugar away from your keto might seem easy at face value, but not all food labels will simply have sugar written on it.
We encourage you to look out for any of the following sugars:
- Fructose
- Sucrose
- Dextrose
- Maltose
- Honey
- Cane sugar
- Agave
- Corn syrup
- Invert sugar
- Malt (malt syrup)
- Molasses
FAQs
In conclusion
By following the keto diet, you either avoid sugar entirely or find some way to have a sweet treat while staying within that carb limit per day.
Even though searching to answer the question of how much sugar can you have on keto will offer up more negative answers, there is hope yet.Â
In essence:
Sugar and keto are not the best of friends but you can substitute sugar with keto friendly sweeteners.Â
