The ketogenic diet, often called keto, has surged in popularity as a health regimen and food trend. Celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, Halle Berry, and LeBron James swear by its low-carb, high-fat approach to boost energy and reduce fluid retention by encouraging the body to enter a fat-burning state known as ketosis. This article explores whether Prosecco can be part of this lifestyle.
Understanding the Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with healthy fats. The goal is to shift the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of relying on carbohydrates. A ketogenic diet is inherently very low in carbohydrates - specifically 20 to 25 net carbs, or 50 total carbs, per day.
Alcohol and the Keto Diet
Many people wonder if alcoholic drinks are off-limits on the keto diet. Fortunately, they are not. It’s possible to enjoy happy hour while adhering to your keto diet, provided you make the right choices.
When following a keto diet, monitoring carb consumption is crucial. However, when alcohol is involved, paying attention to the calorie count of your drinks is equally important. Alcoholic beverages contain no nutritional benefits, so the calories are considered "empty calories" and aren't converted into usable, fat-burning energy.
According to April Murray, RDN, founder of Orange County Nutrition Coaching, “You can drink alcohol on a keto diet,” but you’ll need to be more strategic with your choices.
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Lauren Weiss, PhD, a keto nutritionist, notes, “Alcohol can be keto-friendly, but too much can slow down your weight loss progress.” When on a low-carb, high-fat diet, liver metabolism changes because glycogen stores in the body are depleted. When you drink alcohol, your body may use the alcohol for energy instead of fat. If that happens too often, it can stall your progress.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults drink alcohol moderately: one standard drink per day for women and two for men. A standard drink is equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor.
Drinking daily may slow down the fat-burning process, so while an occasional drink is okay, moderation is key.
Wine on Keto: What to Consider
Choosing what to drink on a low-carb diet might seem tricky, especially for wine lovers. Wines vary greatly in their carb content, making it essential to understand your options.
Carb Content in Wine
During fermentation, yeast converts the sugars from grapes into alcohol. Consequently, wines typically contain residual sugars in varying quantities. Wines are generally low-carb beverages, but it's crucial to know that when you ingest alcohol, your metabolism prioritizes digesting it, potentially halting fat-burning processes.
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Fortunately, figuring out the carb content in your favorite wines is easier than you might think. Many winemakers now include nutritional information on their bottles. Dry wines usually have fewer carbs than sweeter varieties, and serving size matters. A standard wine glass holds about 5 ounces or 148 milliliters, which is considered one serving.
Types of Wine and Carb Content
- Red Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are excellent low-carb options. These dry red wines have minimal carbs and offer a rich, full-bodied flavor. Choose drier varieties to keep the carb count low. A glass of cabernet sauvignon has 3.8 g of total and net carbs, 0 g of fat, and 0.1 g of protein.
- White Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay are great low-carb options. "All of these contain around 1 gram (g) of carbs per oz, or less,” says Weiss.
- Sparkling Wines: Dry Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava are excellent choices for those on a low-carb diet. Opt for brut varieties or consider brut zero if you prefer drier options, as they tend to have lower sugar content.
Wines to Avoid
Avoid sweet and dessert wines, as well as wines with added sugars or sweeteners. Late-harvested wines, dessert wines, and fortified wines like Port have significantly higher levels of carbohydrates - up to 20 grams per serving. Sweet wines, such as Port, Sherry, Riesling, Moscato, and late-harvest wines, have a higher sugar content and can be higher in carbs.
Tips for Choosing Keto-Friendly Wines
- Check the Label: Look for the alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage and the residual sugar (RS) content.
- Opt for Dry Wines: Dry wines have a minimal amount of residual sugar, making them ideal for those on a low-carb or keto diet.
- Research Wine Brands: Some winemakers cater specifically to the low-carb market by producing wines with reduced sugar content. Dry Farm Wines is a club that sources sugar-free and lower-alcohol wines from small farms.
- Wine Regions: Certain wine regions are known for producing drier-style wines, such as Bordeaux in France, Rioja in Spain, and Marlborough in New Zealand.
- Experiment with Wine Varieties: Don’t be afraid to try different wine varieties to discover your personal preferences.
- Prioritize red wines: Red wines tend to have slightly lower carb content compared to white wines. They also offer potential health benefits due to their higher antioxidant content.
- Consider lower-alcohol wines: Wines with lower alcohol content often have fewer residual sugars, resulting in fewer carbs.
- Pair with low-carb foods: When enjoying wine on a low-carb diet, consider pairing it with low-carb foods to maintain balance. Opt for lean proteins, such as grilled chicken or fish, and non-starchy vegetables and salads.
- Stay hydrated: Alcohol can dehydrate the body, so drinking water alongside your wine consumption is crucial.
Is Prosecco Keto-Friendly?
Yes, bubbly wines can totally fit into your keto lifestyle. Dry sparklers like Champagne and Prosecco only contain about 1 gram of carbs per serving, less than you'll find in dry still wines. However, it's important to keep an eye on residual sugar in your fizzy wine; sweet varietals like Moscato and sparkling cocktails like Aperol Spritzes pack many more carbs than the dry versions.
As long as you do your research and make sure to stick to dry varieties without too much added sugar, most bottles of bubbly can fit perfectly into a Keto lifestyle, with around 1-1.5 grams of carbs/sugar per 5 ounce serving.
Understanding Prosecco Labels
You may notice that Prosecco is often labeled Brut, Dry, and Extra Dry. These labels can be confusing, because in actuality, the Dry and Extra Dry varieties have more sugar in them than a Brut. An Extra Dry Prosecco has around 12-17 grams of sugar per liter, and Dry has even more: 17-32 grams! There is also a Demi-Sec Prosecco.
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SYLTBAR Prosecco: A Keto-Friendly Option
If SYLTBAR is your preferred Prosecco, you are in luck! Not only is Mr SYLBAR Premium Prosecco labeled as a Brut, but its sugar contents are even less than that of other popular brands. A 6 ounce glass of Mr contains less than half a gram of sugar. This is due to the extra long fermentation time during the winemaking process, which allows the Glera grapes to fully ripen and there is no need for our wine producers to add extra sugar or sweeteners to make it more palatable.
SYLTBAR has even been lab tested against other well known sparkling wine brands and had its sugar contents compared. The studies done by the University of Miami Diabetes Research Institute prove that Mr is significantly lower in sugar than other brands, and that the other brands tested had glucose levels that were 1.6 to 4.2 fold higher than SYLTBAR.
Whether you follow a Keto lifestyle, or simply just want to sip on something that has absolutely no added sugar, sulfites or other chemical preservatives, SYLTBAR is the answer.
Creating Keto-Friendly Prosecco Cocktails
Elevate your Prosecco experience by crafting Keto-friendly cocktails that not only tantalize your taste buds but also align with your low-carb goals. Add a burst of flavor to your Prosecco by infusing it with Keto-friendly ingredients. Experiment with fresh herbs like mint or basil, aromatic elements like cucumber or berries, or citrus notes from lemon or orange. Simply let the Prosecco sit with these additions for a short time before serving. This not only enhances the taste profile but also introduces a refreshing twist to your drink.
Pairing Prosecco with Keto-Friendly Snacks
Pair your Prosecco with Keto-friendly snacks. One of our favorite ideas is putting together an impressive cheese platter featuring a variety of cheeses such as cheddar, brie, or goat cheese. Make sure to include different textures and shapes to add dimension and enhanced presentation to the plate. Add some low-carb nuts like almonds or walnuts for crunch. The rich and creamy textures of the cheeses complement the effervescence of Prosecco, creating a perfect pairing that aligns with your low-carb goals. We also like making stuffed olives. Whether filled with blue cheese, almonds, or garlic, this makes for a savory and satisfying Keto-friendly snack. These briny bites not only add a burst of flavor but also pair well with the crispness of Prosecco.
Other Keto-Friendly Alcoholic Beverages
Luckily, most pure spirits fulfill all of these keto-related requirements. A shot of vodka, for example, contains zero net carbs and under 100 calories, according to Healthline.
Generally, folks who want to drink alcohol while following the keto diet run into trouble when cocktails and mixers get involved. Popular booze chasers like juice, non-diet soda, and tonic water contain plenty of sugar, which the body rapidly burns for energy (therefore eliminating the need for the body to burn fat instead). But if you still want to indulge in a spiked sipper while on keto, you have options. Keeping it simple with a 2-ingredient classic like vodka-and-seltzer won't derail your diet with extra sugar.
- Hard Liquor: Choose a spirit over wine, beer, or cider, as they are lower-carbohydrate options. Have 1 oz of your favorite hard liquor - vodka, tequila, rum, gin, or whiskey - and add a mixer like soda water or a flavored sparkling water (like LaCroix or Waterloo) for a drink with no calories, sugar, or carbohydrates. For reference, one shot of tequila has 0 g each of total carbs and net carbs, fat, and protein, for 97 calories.
- Mojito: A standard mojito - made from rum, lime juice, mint, sugar, and soda water - contains just 5 g of net carbs (5.51 g of total carbs, as well as 0 g fat and 0.2 g protein). You can do even better with a twist on the mojito, says Wagner. Leave out the sugar, and add rum or tequila to muddled mint, soda water, and top with a lime twist.
Alcoholic Beverages to Avoid on Keto
- Beer: Unless it’s brewed to be carb-free, beer is generally not keto-friendly. A 12 oz can of regular beer has 13 g of total and net carbs, 0 g of fat, and 1.7 g of protein.
- Vodka Tonic: Tonic water contains a ton of sugar. A vodka tonic has 15 g of total and net carbs (all from added sugar in the tonic water), 0 g of fat, and 0 g of protein.
- Rum and Coke: Regular soda is not allowed on keto. A 12 oz can of Coca-Cola contains a whopping 39 g of carbs, and same goes for net carbs! Combine that with rum and your rum and cola packs 17.6 g of carbohydrates, 0 g protein, and 0.4 g fat. If you must have a Captain & Coke, order one with diet soda for 0.2 g of carbs, 0.1 g protein, and 0 g fat.
- Mixed Drinks: Most mixed drinks are a combination of hard liquor plus sugar, fruit juice, or purees. An old-fashioned (made with sugar, bitters, and whiskey) has 10.1 g of net carbs, 0.1 g of fat, and 0.3 g of protein. A margarita has 36 g of total and net carbs, 0.2 g of fat, and 0.2 g of protein.
- Mimosa: It’s made with Champagne or prosecco, but it also has a hefty amount of orange juice, which means a lot of sugar.