Fruits and vegetables are limited on the keto diet, but there are many fruits you can eat on this low-carb eating plan. Knowing the most keto-friendly fruit will help you create nutrient-rich snacks and meals, providing you with naturally sweet and refreshing snacks to enjoy.
The gist of the ketogenic or “keto” diet is that consuming fewer carbohydrates sends your body into ketosis, the state of burning fat instead of carbohydrates or sugar for energy. This low-carb, high-fat keto diet is a popular option for weight management, but the downside is that you’ll need to avoid eating most, if not all, fruits.
While some fruits are high in carbohydrates, here’s what you need to know about nine keto-friendly fruits.
If you used lemon to sweeten your water or tea before keto, you can continue to use it. What can be expected from a teaspoon of lemon juice:
- Calorie: 1
- Carbohydrates: 0.3g
- Calcium: 0.45mg
- Vitamin C: 0.83mg
One teaspoon of lemon juice has less than half a gram of carbohydrates, as well as some vitamin C and calcium. Calcium supports bone health while vitamin C helps the immune system.
Raspberries are a delicious addition to yogurt and a variety of other meals and dishes, and fit very well into the keto diet. Ten raspberries include:
- Calorie: 9.88
- Carbohydrates: 2.26g
- Fiber: 1.24g
- Vitamin C: 4.98mg
- Vitamin K: 1.48mcg
Ten raspberries contain about one gram of net carbohydrates (total carbohydrates minus grams of fiber). You also get vitamins C and K. Vitamin K helps maintain bone health.
Olives are technically classified as a fruit. What to expect from a cup of green olives:
- Calorie: 196
- Carbohydrates: 5.18g
- Calcium: 70.2mg
- Fiber: 4.46g
- Monounsaturated fatty acids: 15.3g
To obtain extra virgin olive oil, the healthy oils in olives are extracted. So it shouldn’t be too surprising that these antioxidant-packed bites contain about 15 grams of healthy fats (monounsaturated fatty acids) per cup. Monounsaturated fatty acids may reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease.
What’s more, one cup of olives contains less than one gram of net carbohydrates.
A lime offers the following:
- Calorie: 20
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Calcium: 22mg
- Fiber: 1.88g
- Vitamin C: 19.5mg
This equals about five grams of net carbs in one lemon. Like lemon, squeezing some lemon into your water provides small amounts of carbohydrates but immunity-boosting vitamin C.
One cup of whole strawberries contains:
- Calorie: 46
- Carbohydrates: 11.1g
- Fiber: 2.88g
- Vitamin C: 84.7mg
Therefore, one cup of whole strawberries contains about eight net carbohydrates, which is good for the keto diet. But depending on what other foods are on your menu that day, you may only want to eat half a cup of strawberries.
The best thing about strawberries is their versatility. You can consume them in a variety of creative ways. For example:
- Add these to Greek yogurt
- put them in salad
- Throw these on keto dessert
- Use them to sweeten water
Not everyone is convinced that a coconut is a fruit. Some consider coconuts to be nuts or seeds. However, a coconut can be classified as all three. Here is some nutrition information for one cup of shredded coconut:
- Calorie: 283
- Carbohydrates: 12.2g
- Oil: 26.8g
- Fiber: 7.2g
Therefore, one cup of coconut contains approximately five grams of net carbohydrates.
You can buy the whole coconut and extract the meat yourself, or you can buy it dried or canned. If you choose the canned variety, make sure no extra sugar is added.
Avocados (which botanists classify as a fruit) are full of healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are also relatively low in carbohydrates. Here are some basic nutrition facts for a whole avocado:
- Calorie: 240
- Carbohydrates: 12.8g
- Fiber: 10g
A whole avocado has about three net grams of carbohydrates. The recommended serving size of an avocado is about one-third of a medium-sized fruit, so adhering to this recommendation will further reduce carbohydrate intake.
Some studies have shown that you may experience diarrhea and constipation while on the keto diet. While there are several possible culprits, inadequate fiber is one of them. Therefore, it is important to consume fiber-rich plant-based foods such as blackberries. Key nutritional values for one cup of blackberries include:
- Calorie: 62
- Carbohydrates: 13.8g
- Fiber: 7.63g
One cup of blackberries contains about eight grams of fiber. The recommended daily value for fiber is 25 to 38 grams.
One cup of blackberries also contains six grams of net carbohydrates.
Blueberries contain digestive fiber, vitamin C, and other antioxidants that may reduce the risk of cancer. Here are some nutritional values for one cup of blueberries:
- Calorie: 84
- Carbohydrates: 21.5g
- Fiber: 3.55g
A one-cup serving of blueberries contains about 18 grams of net carbohydrates; which is much higher than other fruits on the list. However, you can probably fit a quarter to a half of a cup into your daily menu while remaining in ketosis.
Some fruits are relatively high in carbohydrates and therefore may not be suitable for the keto diet. Here are a few, with their respective carb counts:
- Apples: 27.6 g per medium fruit
- Grape: 27.2g per cup
- Banana: 26.9 g per medium fruit
- Cherries: 24.6 g per cup without pit
- Pineapple: 21.6g per cup per piece
- Peach: 15.2 g per fruit
It varies, but the keto diet may indicate that you can consume only 5% to 10% of your calories from carbohydrates and instead consume moderate amounts of protein and relatively high amounts of fat. This could mean less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.
The keto diet may help with weight loss, but this may not work for everyone. It can be difficult to stick to the plan and get all the nutrients you need. It may also have side effects and risks, and you may need to cut back on good-for-you foods, such as fruits and vegetables. It’s best to consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian to decide whether the keto diet is right for you and, if so, how to follow it in a way that’s good for your health.
While it may seem like a good idea to lighten up the keto plan with fruits, fruits can be high in carbohydrates. For example, a medium-sized apple has about 25 grams of carbohydrates.
Fortunately, there are keto-friendly fruits that contain fewer carbs.
While it may seem difficult to include fruit in your keto diet, there are nutrient-packed, keto-friendly fruit options available. These low-carb fruits include avocados, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, olives, lemons, raspberries, limes and coconut.
Despite the long list of fruits you should avoid if you’re on the keto diet, there are many keto-friendly fruits you can enjoy. If you have questions or concerns about eating fruit on the keto diet, consult a healthcare professional or dietitian.