Eating fruit is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. However, with low-carb diets becoming more popular, you may be wondering what fruits you can eat on keto. They may be packed to the brim with essential vitamins, minerals and compounds with strong health-promoting benefits, but fruits also have a high sugar content.
The main objective of a keto diet is to reduce your intake of carbohydrates to the absolute minimum, to achieve and maintain the state of ketosis. This is a metabolic state that can potentially help with losing weight and improving blood sugar levels.
Sounds like an impossible task? Not necessarily. With the right choices, you can reap the health benefits of eating fruits without overloading on carbohydrates and jeopardizing your health and fitness goals. Here, we’ll discuss which fruits contain the least amounts of carbohydrates to help you stick to your keto diet.
If you're thinking of getting started on the keto diet, have a look at our guide to the keto diet for beginners to give yourself the best start.
1. Avocados
Boasting a rich, creamy consistency and subtle flavor, avocados can be easily added to salads, mashed on toast or blended into guacamole. They have a high nutritional value, including an exceptionally low sugar content. Half a cup of sliced avocado provides more than 10g of fat and fewer than 3g of carbohydrates, making it a perfect addition to your keto meal plan.
Avocados are rich in prebiotic fiber, potassium and healthy unsaturated fats. According to a review published in the Nutrients journal, regular consumption of this creamy fruit may help to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, improve cognitive function in certain individuals and contribute to better gut health in overweight or obese adults.
Great swap for: Bananas
2. Blackberries
If you want to keep your sugar intake low, but don’t want to miss out on essential nutrients that fruit provides in abundance, look no further than berries. There are many types that would suit the strict requirements of a keto diet, but potentially the best ones to choose are blackberries. Half a cup of these slightly sour, black fruits provides only 3g of carbohydrates and almost 4g of dietary fiber.
Blackberries are also a great source of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K and many different antioxidants. Multiple studies have shown that regular consumption of these fruits can help protect against cancers, age-related neurodegenerative diseases and bone loss.
Great swap for: Grapes or pomegranates.
3. Raspberries
One cup of these berries delivers 8g of dietary fiber and more than 50% of the Daily Value for vitamin C, yet has less than 7g of carbohydrates. Raspberries are also rich in highly bioactive compounds that may provide health benefits. According to a review published in the Advances in Nutrition journal, regular consumption of these could be an effective tool for combating obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Great swap for: Grapes, cherries and pomegranates.
4. Strawberries
Though relatively higher in carbohydrates than their berry counterparts, these red fruits can still be enjoyed on a keto diet. A cup of strawberries contains more than 3g of dietary fiber and approximately 9g of carbohydrates, while delivering a hefty dose of micronutrients like iron, copper, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium.
According to a comprehensive review published in the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, a high intake of strawberries can help lower systemic inflammation and blood sugar levels.
Great swap for: Grapes, cherries and pomegranates.
5. Blueberries
Blueberries are arguably the most sugary fruits from the berry family, but since they’re also one of the healthiest, it’s a good idea not to remove them from your keto meal plan. Half a cup contains almost 9g of carbohydrates, so it’s best to enjoy them sparingly if you want to keep a low sugar intake.
Having said this, blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse and contain many essential micronutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. But it's their high level of phytonutrients that makes them exceptional. Multiple studies have shown that these compounds have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help ward off obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as improve gut health and potentially slow down the aging process.
Great swap for: Grapes, cherries and pomegranates.
6. Rhubarb
This fruit is a great choice if you want to keep your carbohydrate consumption low. One cup of diced rhubarb contains as little as 4g of carbohydrates, while delivering almost 2g of dietary fiber and a significant amount of vitamin C and vitamin A.
What’s more, researchers have started exploring the potential health benefits of rhubarb’s highly bioactive compound called emodin. According to a review recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, emodin from rhubarb exhibits strong diuretic, antibacterial, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimalarial and antiallergic properties.
Great swap for: Apples, prunes and grapes.
7. Watermelon
Refreshing watermelon is one of the best snacks for scorching days. The fruit is also a good addition to ketogenic diets as it has a relatively low sugar content and provides great nutritional value.
A cup of diced watermelon contains approximately 12 g of carbohydrates and a host of essential micronutrients, like vitamin C, potassium, copper and vitamin A. If eaten regularly, these red fruits can be beneficial to our cardiovascular health and fitness. As described in a review recently published in the Current Atherosclerosis Reports, watermelons contain relatively high levels of compounds called L-citrulline and L-arginine, which have been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow.
Great swap for: Melons and mangoes.
8. Kiwi
Most exotic fruits contain a significant amount of carbohydrates, which makes it difficult to include them in a keto diet. Thankfully, there’s an exception: kiwi. One of these fruits provides around 7g of carbohydrates, as well as a significant portion of fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium. Emerging evidence suggests that kiwis may be protective against types of cancers, particularly the ones located in the lower gastrointestinal tract.
Great swap for: Mangoes, melons, pineapples.
9. Tomatoes
These red fruits – with only 3.3g of carbohydrates in a medium-size tomato – can help you to keep your sugar intake in check. But that’s not the only feature that makes tomatoes a nutritious food staple: they also contain significant amounts of beta-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin K and folic acid.
Tomatoes have also attracted attention due to their high antioxidant content, especially lycopene. According to a review recently published in the Food Chemistry journal, lycopene has been shown to protect against dying from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases and types of cancer, such as prostate and stomach.
Fruits to avoid on keto
Cherries
Many fruits contain significant amounts of sugars and cherries are no exception. Whilst tasty and nutritious, just half a cup of these red fruits provides more than 10g of carbohydrates.
Peaches and nectarines
Peaches and nectarines will be difficult to fit into a keto diet. One medium fruit contains around 13g of carbohydrates.
Apples and pears
Apples and pears may work great with your morning bowl of oatmeal, but if you’re on a keto diet, you may need to swap them for other fruits. One medium apple contains approximately 23g of carbohydrates, while a medium pear would provide nearly 20g of this macronutrient.
Oranges, mangoes, pineapples and bananas
Exotic fruits are notorious for their high sugar content. For example, one medium banana or a cup of chopped mangoes can deliver up to 26g of carbohydrates, while just two slices of pineapple will contain more than 12g of this macronutrient. Be careful with oranges as well: one medium fruit can have up to 15g of carbohydrates.
Grapes
It’s challenging to add grapes to a keto diet, so it’s best to avoid them altogether. One cup of these can easily provide more than 25g of carbohydrates.
If you are vegan and looking for inspiration for what to eat on the keto diet, have a look at our guide to what can you eat on a vegan keto diet? Or, if you don't think the keto diet is for you, you can read our guide to the paleo diet vs keto: the differences explained to see if the paleo diet might be a better fit for you.
- Related: Keto diet for beginners
- Related: Which vegetables are low in carbs?
