If you're following the keto diet, you're likely focused on keeping your carbohydrate intake low and your fat intake high. When it comes to sweeteners like honey, things can get a bit tricky. This article explores the role of honey in a ketogenic diet, offering insights and alternatives for those navigating the world of low-carb eating.
Understanding the Keto Diet
The keto diet, short for ketogenic diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet. The keto diet aims to force your body into using a different type of fuel. When you reduce your intake of carbs, the body reaches a state of ketosis. This is a condition in which the body begins to break down fat stores instead of carbs to produce energy. A ketogenic diet has been found to be effective for quick weight loss.
The keto diet typically limits a dieter to a set amount of carbs a day, often 20-50g. For those following a ketogenic lifestyle, maintaining the state of ketosis where the body shifts from using carbohydrates to burning fat for energy is a central goal. However, sugar regardless of form can disrupt this process. Even small amounts of sugar can shift the body out of ketosis by reintroducing glucose as its primary energy source.
Honey: A Closer Look
Honey is often admired for its natural origin and nutrient content, including trace vitamins, minerals, and unique compounds like MGO (methylglyoxal) found in Manuka honey. Many people prefer honey for its natural origin, trace nutrients, and rich flavor.
However, honey is mostly sugar-about 80% to be exact. That’s because honey, while natural, still contains sugars in the form of glucose and fructose. One tablespoon (21 grams) of honey has 17 grams of total carbohydrates, less than a gram of fiber, and 17 grams of sugar, according to the USDA. One tablespoon of honey can have around 17 grams of carbs, which can add up quickly if you're sticking to a strict keto plan. The majority of the calories from honey are from carbs.
Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Sugar on Keto
Honey generally has a glycemic index of around 55, while sugar is around 68. Honey’s high sugar content means it can raise your blood sugar quickly, which is not ideal when you’re trying to stay in ketosis (the state where your body burns fat instead of carbs). From a keto standpoint, both honey and sugar can raise blood glucose levels and impact ketosis.
Honey and Ketosis: A Problematic Pairing
Short answer: No, honey isn’t allowed on the keto diet. And really, if you’re on any low-carb diet, you may want to limit honey. Because of the carbohydrate content, “if you’re on a keto diet, honey pretty much has no place,” he says. Because honey is a sugar and contains a lot of carbohydrates, eating honey can kick you out of ketosis. On keto, you need to limit carbohydrate consumption in general.
High sugar intakes not only inhibit the fat-burning state called ketosis, but drive a slew of health problems too. If you want to kick yourself out of ketosis, honey is a good way to do that.
Flexible Keto Approaches
That said, not all keto approaches are the same. Some individuals follow targeted or cyclical keto diets, which allow for more flexibility in carbohydrate intake.
Targeted Keto Diet (TKD): This type of keto diet involves consuming your daily carb allowance before or after a workout. Many keto followers find that consuming Manuka honey before or after physical activity works best, as the body can utilize the carbohydrates more efficiently during these times.
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Cyclical Keto Diet (CKD): On a CKD, you eat only 20-50 grams of carbs five to six days a week, followed by one to two days of more carbs - called “refeeding” days. You can eat more than two servings of honey and consume other carb sources (e.g.
Ultimately, it comes down to understanding your body’s response and your specific keto goals. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
When Honey Might Fit (With Caution)
Honey can technically fit into your keto diet if you keep it in moderation, but it’s not the best choice for those who are strictly monitoring their carbs. So, if a keto adherent really wanted to sneak in some honey, they could: a spoonful or two at most. But a little sweetness would come at a steep cost.
If you’re really craving honey, don’t worry. A teaspoon or two here and there won't ruin your keto progress, but it’s definitely something to keep in moderation. Maybe drizzle a tiny bit over some keto-friendly pancakes or mix it into your tea.
However, there are some groups who should exercise extra caution:
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- Are still very new to the keto diet: Wait until you’ve adapted to keto before experimenting with carbohydrate sources like honey. During the initial adaptation phase (first 2-4 weeks), it's generally recommended to keep carbs at a minimum.
- Have diabetes: People with diabetes may put themselves at risk of blood sugar spikes since their bodies cannot effectively handle the amount of glucose coming in.
- Are likely to go overboard with your sweet tooth: This happens when you’re stressed, feeling anxious, and sleep deprived.
Important note: Check for ketosis using ketone urine testing strips or a blood ketone meter. Does one serving of honey spike your blood sugar or knock you out of ketosis? If the answer is yes, we recommend these alternative sweeteners.
Keto-Friendly Honey Alternatives
However, for those aiming to strictly limit carbs, several keto-friendly alternatives offer sweetness without significantly affecting blood sugar levels. If you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, it’s better to turn to lower-carb alternatives.
Here are some viable honey alternatives to try on keto:
- Stevia: Extracted from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, this natural sweetener has no carbohydrates or calories. One packet has 0 calories and 1 g of carbohydrates. Both stevia and monk fruit contain powerful antioxidants and have a long history of traditional medicinal use.
- Monk Fruit: Another natural sweetener, monk fruit also has zero carbs and calories. Often mixed with the sugar alcohol erythritol, 2 teaspoons (tsp) has 8 g of carbohydrates (all from erythritol).
- Erythritol: This sugar alcohol is better tolerated than other sugar alcohols and is used in many keto baked goods. There’s evidence showing that erythritol may promote satiety, which increases weight loss. Erythritol may improve blood vessel function and oral health.
- Allulose: This rare sugar can be found in figs and raisins. It contains only 4 grams of total carbs and 0 grams of net carbs.
You might consider adding a pinch of your preferred alternative sweetener to a chilled beverage, a no-bake snack, or a warm drink after it has cooled slightly.
Honey's Nutritional Profile: Is It Worth It?
Both honey and sugar offer sweetness, but their nutritional profiles are far from identical. Honey is often marketed as a healthy sugar substitute. There is some truth to this. Honey also contains antioxidants (called flavonoids) that may help with blood sugar regulation, wound healing, and immunity. Raw and unfiltered honey has something to offer everyone.
Honey contains vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and potassium, among others, notes past research. For one, honey contains plant compounds called polyphenols, which may have anti-inflammatory properties, points out a January 2021 review in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies.
Although honey might be dubbed a “natural” sugar, it’s still not appropriate for someone on a keto diet. “Whether table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or honey, sugar is sugar,” adds Keatley.
Although honey contains more vitamins and minerals compared with white table sugar, it’s important to remember that you are typically eating small amounts of honey, and so you are consuming very little of these nutrients.
Manuka Honey: A Special Case?
Manuka is a world-renowned honey native to New Zealand that is best known for its robust nutritional value and delicious rich flavor. Manuka is a nutrient-dense honey containing a plethora of antioxidants, prebiotics, and antibacterial components. Its most distinctive compound is methylglyoxal (MGO), which is unique to the Manuka tea tree. It's also 100% raw and a monofloral honey, meaning our bees solely collect nectar from the Manuka tea tree. Overall, we'd argue that Manukora Manuka honey far exceeds regular honey varieties with its premium quality and unique natural compounds.
A teaspoon of Manuka honey (about 5.7g of carbs) or a tablespoon (about 17g of carbs) should be counted within your daily carb allowance. While artificial sweeteners contain zero carbs, Manuka honey offers natural compounds and a complex flavor profile that many prefer.
Integrating Manuka honey into a keto diet will aid in increasing blood sugar levels and provide the body with the nutrients it needs to thrive.
How to incorporate Manuka Honey into a Keto Diet:
- Restrict the intake of Manuka honey to only a couple of tablespoons per day, depending on your specific carbohydrate limit. Instead of drizzling it all over the food, be sure to measure the amount.
- There is no need to eat boring, plain food while on a ketogenic diet. Use Manuka sparingly as a sweet dressing over fresh salads or drizzled over roasted vegetables. A Manuka honey avocado dressing is perfect for keto dieters, as avocados are high in healthy fats.
- It is important to listen to the body while on a ketogenic diet to ensure optimal overall health and well-being is maintained.
Other Sweeteners to Avoid on Keto
Reducing sugar intake can be as challenging as reducing carb intake. This is also because many foods which claim to be healthy, contain hidden sugar. This is especially true for packaged and processed foods such as baked goods, tomato ketchup, salad dressings, digestive biscuits, etc.
When following a keto diet, you need to take care of avoiding carbs. Sugar substitutes like honey, which are otherwise considered to be healthy, should also be avoided on a keto diet. This is because honey is high in calories and carbs, and may interfere with your weight loss regime.
- Maple syrup: Just as is the case with honey, maple syrup too is considered to be a healthier version of refined sugar. While maple syrup contains micronutrients like manganese and zinc, it is also high in calories and carbs and thus must be avoided in a keto diet.
- Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar is high in fructose. It provides the same number of calories as regular cane sugar and thus people on a weight loss regime or those aspiring for weight loss through a keto diet might not benefit from switching to coconut sugar. Coconut sugar absorbs more slowly than regular sugar. Its fructose content can also affect blood sugar levels.
- Dates: Dates are considered to be extremely healthy. They are dried fruit which are commonly used as healthy substitute of refined sugar. While they contain good amount of minerals, vitamins and fibre, dates also contain substantial amounts of carbs and hence are a sweetener which must be avoided on a keto diet.
Thus, when on a keto diet for weight loss, you must try and avoid sweeteners!