Bursting with vitamins, minerals, and protective antioxidants, fruit makes an important contribution to a varied and balanced diet. However, some fruits are high in carbs. The ketogenic diet has surged in popularity due to its ability to help people cut off weight and improve metabolic health. The key to the success of this low-carb diet is the careful selection of foods, including fruits. This article delves into whether mangoes fit into a keto-friendly lifestyle, considering their nutritional profile and the principles of a ketogenic diet.
Understanding the Keto Diet
In essence, this eating plan emphasizes high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate intake, inducing the body to enter a state of ketosis where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. To get into ketosis, most people need to eat less than 50 grams of net carbs per day.
In the keto community, ‘net carbs’ is a familiar term that refers to the amount of carbs that are absorbed by the body and contribute to calories. The figure is calculated by subtracting the amount of indigestible carbs, which includes insoluble fibre (and some sugar alcohols) from total carbs. For those of us in the UK, our food labels list fibre separately to total carbs, so we don’t need to do this subtraction.
Fruits and the Keto Diet
Fruits are whole foods, high in natural nutrition, and contain no added ingredients. Like most plant-based foods, fruits can provide a lot of essential nutrition to your diet - nearly all fruits are high in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. Fruits also make a great natural sugar substitute for those that have a sweet tooth or are looking to cut added sugars from their diet. No food is truly forbidden on a keto meal plan - as long as you hit your daily keto macro goals. You can absolutely enjoy the taste and health benefits of fruit on keto, it just depends on which fruits you choose and your serving size.
Fruit is naturally high in sugars - aka carbs - leading many to believe this food group is forbidden on a keto diet. Fruit is highly nutritious, but it's also a source of carbohydrates. The fruits highest in sugar include tropical fruits, dried fruits, fruit juice, and certain whole fruits. The fruits lowest in sugar tend to be high in water content or fiber - allowing you to enjoy a larger serving size with fewer carbohydrates. Very few fruits can actually be considered low carb when you take into account a typical serving size.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Mangoes: A Nutritional Overview
While mangoes are undoubtedly delicious, they tend to be high in sugar and carbohydrates. If there’s a fruit even worse for keto diets than bananas, it’s mangoes. These tropical treats have a high carb content, packing in 50 grams per fruit!
Why Mangoes Might Not Be Keto-Friendly
The high carb content in mangoes can potentially disrupt ketosis. If your carb intake is too high, you’ll kick yourself out of ketosis and sabotage your keto diet.
Keto-Friendly Fruit Options
Incorporating keto-friendly fruits into your diet can be a delicious and healthy way to maintain your keto journey. Selecting the right fruits is vital when adhering to a ketogenic diet. Low-carb options like berries, avocado, tomatoes, olives, and coconut offer the nutritional benefits of fruits without impacting ketosis.
When reducing anything in your diet, it's important to make sure you're not missing out on any vital nutrients. If you're conscious about carbs and monitoring your intake, consider including some of our top keto-friendly fruit in your diet.
Here's a list of some keto-friendly fruits to consider:
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
- Rhubarb (stewed without sugar): Technically a vegetable, but used as a fruit, rhubarb is a useful source of vitamins C and K, as well as the minerals potassium and manganese. 100g contains only 0.7g carbs.
- Cucumber (raw with skin): Not typically considered a fruit, and more often used in savoury recipes and salads, this summer fruit is low in calories and carbs. 100g contains only 1.2g carbs.
- Courgette (raw): Despite their vegetable-like appearance, courgettes are technically fruit, and can be used in a variety of ways. 100g contains only 1.8g carbs.
- Avocado (flesh only): Avocados not only provide a rich source of healthy fats, but are also a source of vitamins C, K, B5, B6 and E. 100g contains only 1.9g carbs.
- Aubergine (raw): This large fruit is technically a rounded, fleshy berry. With little of its own flavour, aubergine takes on the taste of the other ingredients used with it. 100g contains only 2.2g carbs.
- Tomatoes (raw): Tomatoes are rich in plant compounds called carotenoids, one of which is lycopene. 100g contains only 3.0g carbs.
- Lemon (whole): Well known for its vitamin C levels, lemons also provide folate and potassium. 100g contains only 3.2g carbs.
- Coconut (flesh): Unlike other fruit, coconut provides mostly fat. They are also a good source of manganese, which is essential for bone health. 100g contains only 3.7g carbs.
- Honeydew melon (flesh only): Low in calories and carbs, juicy honeydew melon offers a burst of delicious sweetness, as well as useful electrolyte minerals, such as potassium. 100g contains only 4.0g carbs.
- Raspberries (fresh): Not only do raspberries provide sweetness, they also offer a healthy amount of fibre. 100g contains only 4.6g carbs.
- Blackberries (fresh): Blackberries boast a host of protective plant compounds, thanks in part to their deep purple colour. They also contribute vitamins C, K and the mineral, manganese. 100g contains only 5.1g carbs.
- Strawberries (raw): Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, folate and potassium, and are surprisingly low in calories for all their sweetness. 100g contains only 6.1g carbs.
- Grapefruit (flesh only): Zesty with a sharp, sour flavour, grapefruit makes a great addition to any meal. They’re a good source of beta-carotene, which is converted in the body to vitamin A and is especially useful for skin health. 100g contains only 6.8g carbs.
- Watermelon (flesh only): Watermelon contains 92 per cent water, while also contributing vitamins like vitamins A, B6 and C and protective plant compounds, such as lycopene. 100g contains only 7.1g carbs.
- Papaya (flesh only): Although papaya is a tropical fruit, it’s not as rich in carbs as other exotic options. 100g contains only 8.8g carbs.
Berries are an excellent keto option due to their low carbohydrate content. Such yummies provide essential vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.
Meal Planning and Keto-Friendly Recipes
Planning meals in advance is a crucial habit for those adhering to the keto diet. It guarantees that you always have healthy and convenient options available.
Here are a few keto-friendly recipe ideas:
- Keto Berry Chia Seed Pudding: Use your mason jar to mix chia seeds and unsweetened almond milk with your favorite keto-friendly berries.
- Chicken and Avocado Salad: Mix diced cooked chicken, mashed avocado, diced tomatoes, as well as chopped olives.
- Coconut Fat Bombs: Mix unsweetened shredded coconut with coconut oil and a natural sugar substitute on the like of stevia. Shape the mixture into bite-sized balls, then refrigerate until they reach firmness.
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