The ketogenic diet has surged in popularity as a method for weight management and potentially improving certain health conditions. This high-fat, low-carb diet aims to shift the body's metabolism from using carbs to using fat as its primary fuel source, inducing a state of ketosis. Understanding which foods fit into this eating plan is crucial for success. Dairy products, in particular, often raise questions.
Understanding the Keto Diet
The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a high-fat, very low-carb diet designed to shift the body's metabolism away from carbs and toward fat. The primary goal is to induce ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose (derived from carbohydrates and sugars). This metabolic shift can potentially lead to weight loss and improved metabolic efficiency.
Typically, a keto diet includes foods rich in fats, such as meats, fatty fish, nuts, and certain high-fat dairy products. Conversely, it restricts high-carbohydrate foods like grains, sugars, fruits, and starchy vegetables. Success on the keto diet hinges on adhering to these rules to promote ketosis, where carb intake should ideally not exceed 10% of daily caloric intake.
Many follow the diet strictly for weight management, while others are interested in its potential protection against certain health conditions.
Dairy and the Keto Diet: What to Consider
Dairy products can be a contentious topic in the keto world. While some dairy items are excellent choices, others are not keto-friendly due to their carbohydrate content. The general rule of thumb is: the higher the fat content, the better.
Read also: Evaporated Milk and Weight Loss
Including dairy in your keto diet gives you plenty of delicious options to liven up your menu with keto fats. The naturally occurring nutrients in dairy products help you stay nourished while limiting your intake of other food groups.
Important Considerations for Dairy Consumption on Keto
- Carbohydrate Content: Some dairy products are high in carbohydrates, while others are rich in fats and proteins, which are essential for ketosis.
- Digestibility: Dairy can be difficult for some people to digest, potentially leading to health issues like stomach upset, bloating, sinus problems, acne, and even joint pain.
- Pasteurization: Choosing pasteurized milk over raw milk can mean missing out on beneficial bacteria that aid in digestion.
Evaporated Milk: A Closer Look
Specifically, evaporated milk is generally not considered keto-friendly. This is primarily due to its lactose content.
Lactose Content
Milk, especially evaporated and dry milk, are not healthy keto foods. This is because they are high in lactose. Milk has around 5% lactose, evaporated milk has around 10% lactose, and dry milk has 50% lactose. Lactose is a milk sugar that does affect blood glucose levels the same way regular sugar does. Many people are unable to digest lactose, which means they are lactose intolerant. Therefore, it would be better if you are not eating dairy containing high amounts of sugar.
Evaporated milk contains a significant amount of lactose, a milk sugar that can impact blood glucose levels similarly to regular sugar. For those closely monitoring their carbohydrate intake to maintain ketosis, this can be problematic.
Net Carbs in Evaporated Milk
Evaporated Milk is not keto-friendly because it is a high-carb processed food that contains unhealthy ingredients. Evaporated Milk should be avoided on keto because it is high in net carbs (10.67g of net carbs per 100ml serving).
Read also: Nutritional Profile of Rice Milk
To stay in ketosis, it is important to limit your net carb consumption to 20g - 30g per day.
Other Considerations
Evaporated milk may contain carrageenan, a controversial food additive that some people choose to avoid on keto. Most of your diet should come from minimally processed foods to achieve a healthy weight loss on keto.
Keto-Friendly Dairy Options
Fortunately, many dairy products can be enjoyed on a ketogenic diet. These options are generally high in fat and low in carbohydrates.
Cheeses
Most cheeses are low in carbohydrates, making them a perfect option for a healthy keto meal plan. You should opt for fattier, hard varieties of cheese like swiss cheese, feta cheese, parmesan, gouda, or cheddar cheese. These contain high amounts of fat along with moderate quantities of protein, vitamins A and B and calcium.
Cream
Cream again is rich in healthy fats. You can also go for partially fermented cream (sour cream) which contains less lactose than the unfermented cream. You can put a spoon of whipped cream in your cup of coffee.
Read also: Milk on Carnivore: Benefits & Risks
Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream are high in fat and low in carbs - the keto dessert-lover’s dream! An important note: This product is very high in calories, so indulge mindfully!
Yogurt
Yogurt is low in fat than many other dairy products. Although some yogurts contain probiotics that aids in digestion. Full-fat yogurt is a good source of protein and is low in lactose. Plain Greek yogurt is lower in carbs compared to other yogurts because more of the liquid whey is strained out, which contains lactose
Butter
One of the healthy fats, butter is obviously a must to include in keto food. It is low in milk proteins and is also lactose-free. You can cook with it, bake with it, or even use it as a spread. With about 11 grams of fat per tablespoon and zero carbs, butter is an ideal source of fat on the keto diet
Ghee, also known as clarified butter, is free of the milk protein casein and the milk sugar lactose, ghee is ideal for those who are extra cautious about their lactose intake or who are sensitive to it
Keto-Friendly Milk Alternatives
For those seeking alternatives to traditional dairy milk, several keto-friendly options are available, primarily plant-based milks.
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Almond milk is probably the most widely used milk on keto. It’s inexpensive, sold at most grocery stores, and relatively low in carbs, containing only 1 gram of net carbs per cup (240 mL)
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is also a good choice for keto, but some brands contain up to 5 grams of net carbs per 1-cup (240-mL) serving. As this is one-fifth of the daily carb allotment for keto, it should be used sparingly
Macadamia Nut Milk
Macadamia nut milk is more expensive than other keto-friendly milks, but it’s the lowest in carbs. One cup (240 mL) contains 1 gram of fiber and 0 net carbs.
Flax Milk
Made from flax seeds, flax milk is high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. One cup (240 mL) contains only 1 gram of net carbs
Soy Milk
Unsweetened soy milk contains 1 gram of fiber and 3 net carbs per cup (240 mL). Plus, it provides 7 grams of protein
Cashew Milk
Cashew milk contains only 2 grams of net carbs per cup (240 mL)
Pea Milk
As a legume, peas are naturally high in protein, and pea milk boasts 8 grams of protein and 2 grams of net carbs per 1 cup (240 mL)
Milks to Avoid on Keto
Keto dieters should avoid milks that contain moderate or excessive amounts of carbs. For instance, all sweetened milks - including sweetened versions of keto-friendly milks - should be avoided because they are high in carbs from added sugar.
Cow’s Milk
Cow’s milk contains lactose, or milk sugar. This includes evaporated milk, ultra-filtered milk, and raw cow’s milk. One cup (244 mL) of 2% milk contains 12 grams of net carbs (1).
Oat Milk
Oat milk is made from oats, which are naturally high in carbs. This makes oat milk inappropriate for keto. One cup (240 mL) provides 17 grams of net carbs
Rice Milk
Like oats, rice is naturally high in carbs, making rice milk a higher carb milk choice, too. One cup (240 mL) contains 21 grams of net carbs
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Condensed milk contains high amounts of added sugar and is used for making decadent desserts. Because of its high sugar content, you shouldn’t use it while on keto. One cup (240 mL) contains a whopping 165 grams of net carbs
Goat’s Milk
Similarly to cow’s milk, goat’s milk contains natural sugars that make it too high in carbs to be keto-friendly. One cup (240 mL) provides 11 grams of net carbs
Incorporating Low-Carb Dairy into Recipes
Changing your diet can be hard. Especially when you get a craving for a food that might not fit into the confines of your high-fat, low-carb goals.
Keto Pasta
Noodles made out of cheese? This two-ingredient keto pasta recipe creates a delicious pasta noodle alternative using the minimal carbs in mozzarella.
Keto Pizza
Similar to the texture and flavor of a real pizza crust, but made with almond flour and mozzarella, you can still enjoy a slice on the keto diet with this keto pizza recipe
Low-Carb Cinnamon Muffins
Start your morning off with this delicious low-carb cinnamon muffins recipe - made keto friendly using heavy cream and almond flour and topped off with cream cheese frosting.
Low-Carb Sour Cream Biscuits
When every carb counts, biscuits are probably out of the question, right? Not when they’re made with a low-carb dairy product like sour cream in this low-carb sour cream biscuits recipe
Benefits of Eating Dairy While on the Keto Diet
Even when following a diet, it’s important to ensure you aren’t missing out on any micro-nutrient needs. Including dairy in your keto plan is a great way to meet your daily dose of nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, high-quality protein and more.
Cheese for Muscle Mass
A 12-week study in adults over 60 years old found that those who ate 7 ounces of ricotta per day experienced less loss of muscle mass and muscle strength than those who didn’t eat this amount of cheese
Vitamins in Butter
Butter is a rich source of several fat-soluble vitamins - great news for followers of a high-fat, low carb diet like keto. The most abundant vitamin found in butter is vitamin A. One tablespoon provides about 11% of your daily needs. Followed closely by vitamins D, E, B12 and K2
Greek Yogurt is High in Protein and Fat
Yogurt lovers on the keto diet will be happy to know that Greek yogurt (unflavored, of course), is a great source of protein and fat with minimal carbs. Even better, Greek yogurt is a fermented dairy product and can also keep your gut happy with loads of probiotics
Keto Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe
I discovered this simple Keto Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe made with evaporated milk when I was craving a low-carb Irish Cream Cocktail and I failed to find a keto condensed milk product in the market or even online.
Ingredients
- Unsweetened Evaporated Milk: Unsweetened evaporated milk can be found in stores or online, and it's the base of our sweetened condensed milk.
- Powdered Low Carb Sweetener: For sweetening the evaporated milk, we opt for a powdered low carb sweetener. It's best to use a powdered keto sweetener as it will incorporate into the milk far more easily than a granulated sweetener.
- Unsalted Butter: Traditional condensed milk is rich and thick, and we use unsalted butter to emulate this luxury.
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the unsweetened evaporated milk and powdered low carb sweetener.
- Once the sweetener has dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir the unsalted butter into the light mixture.
- Allow the keto sweetened condensed milk to cool to room temperature before transferring the mixture into a sealed container.
Keto Vegan Condensed Milk
A keto vegan condensed milk is simple to achieve by using full-fat unsweetened coconut milk instead of unsweetened evaporated milk and omitting butter. Follow the same process above, warming the coconut milk and low carb sweetener on the stove until it thickens.
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