When you think of butter, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s toast and jam or holiday baking or even the farm-fresh churned kind, right from the cow. But how about coffee? Plenty of people sing the praises of this coffee concoction, which is popular among intermittent fasters and followers of the low-carb, high-fat keto diet. Some fans even turn to it as a breakfast replacement. This article delves into the world of coffee on the keto diet, exploring various options, benefits, and potential drawbacks.
Understanding the Keto Diet
The keto diet is based on keeping the body in ketosis. “When the body doesn't get enough glucose from the diet, it will make it into ketones as a survival mechanism,” says Destini Moody, R.D., C.S.S.D., a sports performance dietitian. “When the bloodstream contains enough ketones, the body is said to be in ketosis. Those who advocate the keto diet claim that if you stay in ketosis long enough, your body will burn fat more efficiently, resulting in weight loss. Staying in ketosis requires eating fewer carbs than 50 grams per day.”
Bulletproof Coffee: A Keto Staple
Bulletproof coffee, also known as butter coffee or keto coffee, is coffee with an added dollop of butter and oil. The prep is simple: Add two tablespoons of butter and a little bit of oil to your morning cup of joe and start sippin’. Bulletproof coffee calls for unsalted, grass-fed butter or ghee and medium-chain triglyceride oil (MCT) oil added to low-toxicity coffee beans.
Benefits of Bulletproof Coffee
- May Boost Energy: Caffeine, of course, is a powerful stimulant, that can boost your energy. But fans of bulletproof coffee say caffeine isn’t the only reason that this brew provides a wide-awake start to the day. MCT oil can increase your energy levels, which may make it a powerful partner to the caffeine in coffee. Typically, your body stores dietary fats in its adipose tissue, the fat around and inside of your muscles. But MCT travels directly to your liver, where it’s processed into powerful energy particles called ketone bodies. Because medium-chain triglycerides are digested much quicker than other types of fats, they may lead to quicker bursts of energy,” Kopp notes. Butter and ghee also contain omega-3 and omega-6 fats that may slow down how quickly your body metabolizes caffeine. Butter coffee drinkers say this helps your body hold onto energy longer and avoid the crash that comes when the stimulant wears off.
- May Help You Feel Full: MCT oil is thought to promote the release of hormones that tell your brain that your stomach is full, which can reduce your appetite and lead you to eat less (which may lead to weight loss). Medium-chain triglycerides may increase your satiety more than the long-chain triglycerides found in polyunsaturated fats like nuts, seeds and some other oils,” Kopp explains. “And the butter in the coffee is very slowly digested, potentially causing you to feel fuller longer.”
- May Improve Your Workouts: Grass-fed butter and ghee are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to help battle inflammation and reduce joint pain. Some studies show that MCT oil may reduce your lactic acid levels, which is associated with being able to exercise harder and for longer.
Potential Drawbacks
- High in Calories and Saturated Fats: A plain, black cup of coffee has zero fat and fewer than five calories, but that changes as soon as you add butter and oil. Depending on how you prepare it, one cup of bulletproof coffee can range from 230 to 500 calories. Those numbers creep higher if you add protein powder, as some drinkers do. Butter, ghee and MCT oil are also high in saturated fats. Consuming too much saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and may cause your LDL cholesterol (sometimes called “bad” cholesterol) levels to spike.
- Lacks Nutrients: Butter, oil, and coffee, even when combined together, do not meet the standards of a well-balanced breakfast,” Kopp warns. “It’s important to have more nutrients, like protein and fiber, to help keep you fuller longer and to avoid any energy crashes.”
Who Should Avoid Bulletproof Coffee?
Butter coffee is often incorporated into the keto diet, an eating style that isn’t recommended for everyone. Skip this drink if you have:
- Diabetes: When you stay full longer, you may be inclined not to eat at regular intervals, which isn’t necessarily a good thing when you have diabetes. It’s not the safest route for people with diabetes, who need to be consuming a consistent amount of carbohydrates throughout the day,” Kopp explains. (Also of note: If you have diabetes, it’s very important to talk with your doctor before going keto.)
- Gastrointestinal Issues: MCTs may actually be beneficial for people with GI issues who are experiencing weight loss, since they’re a shorter chain length and are digested and absorbed much more efficiently,” Kopp says. But some people who try butter coffee report experiencing unpleasant side effects like bloating, diarrhea and an upset stomach after drinking it.
- Heart Problems: People with high cholesterol and other heart issues are often advised to scale back on butter, due to its high amounts of saturated fat. Bulletproof coffee is definitely not part of a low-cholesterol diet.
Making Ketoproof Coffee
Ketoproof coffee goes by a lot of names but it is originally adapted from Tibetan and Ethiopian butter coffees that hundreds of years old. Here’s a simple recipe:
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- Brew 2 cups worth of coffee into a large container using your favorite method. If you’re using a pour over method, my recommendation is to grind to the size of kosher salt (or a bit smaller). Fill your coffee filter and wet the coffee with a little bit of water, allowing around 30 seconds for it to “bloom”.
- Grab your butter, MCT oil (or coconut oil), and immersion blender.
- Cut off 2 Tbsp. of grass fed butter. I’m surprised at how few people use the packages markings - just cut into it, they work! I personally prefer salted butter, but many don’t.
- Drop in the butter, add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract, and plunk in the 2 Tbsp.
- Last but not least, the 1 Tbsp. of Heavy Cream.
- Mix it all together with your immersion blender. Usually between 45-60 seconds gets a great frothy cap on the top. Make sure to move the immersion blender up and down to emulsify all of the fat into the coffee.
- Watch out when you’re pouring with the froth on top (it can drip down the side), but your ketoproof coffee is finished!
Other Keto-Friendly Drinks
If you’re following the low carb, high fat keto diet, you might wonder what you can drink aside from water. Although water is the healthiest choice because it’s free of calories, carbs, and additives, you may want a beverage to boost your energy, provide some flavor and variety, or replace some of your favorite sugary drinks.
Hot Drinks
Several hot drinks are keto-friendly, though you should be mindful of what you add to them. Suitable additions include half-and-half, heavy whipping cream, unsweetened plant-based creamers, zero calorie sweeteners, and sugar-free flavoring syrups. You’ll want to avoid high carb additions like regular milk, sweetened creamers, sugar, honey, and standard flavoring syrups.
- Black or Green Tea: Tea is a natural option that contains a negligible number of carbs - typically less than 1 gram per cup (240 mL). You can enjoy it iced or hot (1, 2).Black tea is made from aged tea leaves, giving it a more robust flavor, darker color, and higher caffeine content. Meanwhile, green tea is made from fresh tea leaves, lending it a more floral flavor, lighter color, and less caffeine (3).You can also choose white tea, which is made from young tea leaves. It has a very mild, delicate flavor compared with both black and green tea (4).Furthermore, tea is essentially calorie-free and full of polyphenol antioxidants. For example, green tea is rich in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant that may provide anticancer benefits (3).
- Coffee: Coffee is another nearly calorie- and carb-free favorite that’s safe for the keto diet. Like tea, it can be consumed hot or iced (5).Coffee contains caffeine, which may give your metabolism a slight boost. It also provides chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol antioxidant that may likewise aid weight loss (6).
- Herbal Teas: Herbal teas are infusions derived from dried flowers, fruit, leaves, or herbs. As such, you may want to check the carb count of packaged tea products before purchasing them.
Soft Drinks
Soft drinks are typically loaded with sugar or potentially harmful artificial sweeteners. However, keto-friendly options exist.
- Alternative Diet Sodas: Although diet sodas like Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi are technically keto, they may not be the best choice. That’s because they harbor artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, which may damage the healthy bacteria in your gut and strengthen sugar cravings - potentially leading to weight gain (7).Conversely, several diet sodas are made with naturally derived zero calorie sweeteners like stevia or erythritol, a sugar alcohol derived from corn that has fewer negative effects than artificial sweeteners (8, 9, 10).
- Sparkling Water: Sparkling water is carbonated either naturally from a mineral spring or during manufacturing by using carbon dioxide gas. Many sparkling water options are flavored, but they’re typically unsweetened - making them an excellent low carb choice.
Juices
In general, it’s best to avoid juice on keto, but there are a few safe options.
*Fruit Juice: Fruit juice is typically loaded with sugar, making it inappropriate for the keto diet. Yet, there are exceptions, including lemon and lime juices, which are low in carbs but full of flavor. You can add them to plain water or other beverages, such as hot or iced tea, to liven up the taste.*Vegetable Juice:* Some juiced vegetables are low in carbs and can be included on the keto diet. Still, keep in mind that juicing removes most of the nutritious fiber from the veggies unless you choose to drink the pulp. Some keto-friendly vegetables that can be juiced include (11, 12, 13, 14): celery, cucumber, leafy greens like kale and spinach If you don’t have a juicer, store-bought juices are sometimes available. Nonetheless, be sure to check the label on bottled veggie juices, as they may pack sugar or other carb sources. In fact, most contain at least 10 grams of carbs per serving, making them inappropriate for keto.
Read also: Stay Hydrated on Keto
Other Flavored Drinks
Some keto-friendly beverages are flavored with small amounts of real fruit juice, which adds natural flavor and sweetness while keeping the carb count relatively low - usually 1-5 grams of net carbs per serving. Plus, you can add zero carb liquid or powdered water enhancers to tap or bottled water. They’re available in many flavors, and although they’re typically made with artificial flavors and sweeteners, others are unsweetened or use stevia.
Plant-Based Milks
Although cow’s milk isn’t recommended on keto because it contains natural sugar, several plant-based alternatives are perfectly keto-friendly: almond milk, coconut milk, macadamia nut milk, flaxseed milk. These products are great for drinking, pouring on keto-friendly cereals, and various culinary uses. Still, only the unsweetened versions of these milks are keto-friendly. Many plant-based milks are flavored and sweetened, making them inappropriate for keto. Unsweetened soy milk is another great alternative to dairy milk and you won't have to cash in on your carbs. A cup of unsweetened soy milk contains just four grams of carbs. Like almond milk, stay away from flavored varieties.
Energy Drinks
Some energy drinks are keto-friendly, although many popular brands use artificial sweeteners. As such, you may want to choose from a handful that use natural sweeteners like stevia. You should be aware that energy drinks may harm the brain, heart, and liver, especially in adolescents and teens. They’re linked to heart failure in rare cases (19). If you decide to consume these beverages on occasion, keep their caffeine content in mind. Most energy drinks contain 150-200 mg per 16-ounce (475-mL) can, which you can compare with the recommended safe daily caffeine threshold of 400 mg for the general population (20).
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade contain electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, to help replenish those that are lost through sweat. For people who engage in intense exercise or outdoor workouts in the heat, electrolyte supplements and fluid rehydration are vital. Loss of electrolytes through sweat can exacerbate dehydration and lead to muscle cramping and headaches (21). Electrolyte drinks may also help combat the keto flu, a cluster of symptoms that includes fatigue, headaches, and muscle cramps that may occur when you first start the diet (22). Still, most sports drinks are loaded with sugar. Gatorade Zero and Powerade Zero are solid keto-friendly options, but they use artificial sweeteners. Some alternatives include electrolyte powders sweetened with stevia that you can mix into water.
Alcoholic Beverages
Although alcohol is likely to hamper your efforts if you’re trying to lose weight on keto, you may still wonder which alcoholic beverages you can drink and remain in ketosis. Keep in mind that these beverages pack calories from fat and alcohol.
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- Low Carb Beer: Beer is typically high in carbs, as it contains sugars from wheat that aren’t fermented into ethanol. Yet, low carb beer is made by either using less wheat or allowing a longer fermentation process to more completely convert the sugars into alcohol. Some of the lowest carb beers, which clock in at 2-3 grams of net carbs per 12-ounce (355-mL) bottle, are Budweiser Select 55, Michelob Ultra, and Miller 64 (23, 24, 25).
- Hard Liquor: Hard liquors like vodka, whiskey, rum, and tequila are naturally carb-free and therefore appropriate for the keto diet. However, you should be careful with mixed drinks, as they’re often loaded with sugar from fruit juices or soda. You should also check the label on flavored liquors for any added sugars. To keep your drinks low carb, try drinking hard liquor straight or use zero-carb mixers like diet soda or seltzer water. Try to avoid tonic water, as it contains added sugar.
- Low Carb Hard Seltzer: You can also choose low carb hard seltzers, which are made with flavored seltzer water or sparkling water and added liquor. If you happen to avoid gluten, you’ll want to check the label carefully because many of them are made with malt liquor.
Drinks to Avoid on Keto
“THERE ARE SEVERAL types of drinks that should be avoided on a ketogenic diet due to their high carbohydrate and sugar content,” says Winnifred, noting that these drinks can disrupt ketosis and make it more difficult to achieve the desired health benefits of the diet. Steer clear of sugary drinks, too. Winnifred shares that this category includes sodas, energy drinks, and other sweetened beverages that are high in added sugars and carbs. “These types of drinks can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, which can disrupt ketosis and lead to weight gain,” she says. Fruit juices ought to be avoided, too. “While fruits themselves can be a part of a healthy keto diet in moderation, fruit juices should be avoided due to their high sugar content,” says Winnifred. Apple juice? That's roughly 24 grams of carbs. Milk is another drink that doesn’t get the keto stamp of approval. “While small amounts of milk may be acceptable on a keto diet, it is generally high in carbs and should be consumed in moderation,” says Winnifred, adding that if milk is included in a keto diet, choose one of the low-carb varieties discussed in the previous section, such as almond milk or coconut milk. As for sports drinks, these should be nixed from a keto diet as well. “Sports drinks are high in carbs and are designed to replenish glycogen stores after intense exercise,” says Winnifred. “They are not necessary for most people on a keto diet and should be avoided.”