The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that requires drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. The goal is to put your body into a metabolic state of ketosis, where it uses ketones (produced from fat breakdown) instead of carbohydrates as its primary energy source. This dietary approach has gained popularity for its potential benefits in weight loss and managing certain health conditions. However, navigating the world of keto can be challenging, especially when trying to determine which foods fit into the diet.
Oatmeal is often considered a healthy breakfast option due to its fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is made from oats, which are processed in various ways to create different types, such as steel-cut, rolled, and instant oats. Given that oats are a grain, and grains are naturally high in carbohydrates, the question arises: is oatmeal keto-friendly?
The Verdict: Oatmeal and the Keto Diet
No, oatmeal isn’t keto-approved. Oatmeal is a popular breakfast staple but isn’t considered keto-friendly due to its relatively high carbohydrate content. "Oats are a type of grain and naturally rich in carbohydrates," explains Dr. Berg. "Eating oatmeal can quickly raise your blood sugar levels and trigger the release of insulin, a key metabolic hormone that regulates blood sugar." When insulin levels are elevated, your metabolism won’t use stored fat as an energy source and switches back to burning sugars, explaining why eating oatmeal can quickly push you out of ketosis.
Oats are whole grains and contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. One 1/4 cup serving of oats contains 28 grams of carbs. To trigger and maintain ketosis, it’s crucial to limit net carb intake to no more than 20 to 50 grams of net carbs per day. Oatmeal can quickly exceed this net carb count and push you out of ketosis. Considering the high carb content of oatmeal, it is challenging to incorporate oatmeal into a keto diet without exceeding daily carb limits. Those following a strict keto diet should avoid oatmeal altogether.
Instant Oatmeal vs. Steel-Cut Oatmeal: A Nutritional Comparison
Instant oatmeal and steel-cut oatmeal, also known as regular oatmeal, are two common types of oatmeal that differ in texture and nutritional value. Instant oatmeal has been pre-cooked, processed, and dried, resulting in a smooth oatmeal that cooks quickly. In contrast, steel-cut oats are made by cutting the whole grain into smaller pieces, creating a heavier, coarser oatmeal that takes much longer to cook.
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Compared to steel-cut oats, instant oatmeal has a much higher glycemic index (GI)-a scale of how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels compared to glucose, which has a GI of 100. Plain instant oatmeal has a GI of 83, meaning it raises blood sugar and insulin levels quickly and interferes with ketosis. Moreover, many instant oatmeal products contain sweeteners like brown sugar or maple syrup, which increases their carbohydrate content and GI.
Steel-cut oatmeal is considered a healthier option than instant oatmeal due to its minimal processing and higher fiber content. Steel-cut oats are less processed and contain more dietary fiber, which explains why this steel-cut oatmeal has a lower GI of 55. While regular oatmeal has some nutritional advantages over instant oats, it contains around 28 grams of carbs per 1/4 cup (40 grams) serving.
Oatmeal’s glycemic index (GI) depends on how processed it is. Instant oatmeal has a GI of 83 due to heavy processing that removes significant amounts of fiber.
Potential Benefits of Oatmeal (Outside of Keto)
Oatmeal is a nutrient-rich food that's excellent for your health. When choosing oatmeal, we recommend sticking to Steel Cut Oats. The large pieces of oats are digested more slowly, which will help keep your blood sugar levels stable. Additionally, oats are a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may be missing in a keto diet. Fiber is an essential part of gut health and works to aid in a well-working digestive system.
One advantage of oatmeal is its low glycemic index, due to its high fiber content. This means that oatmeal does not cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels.
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Incorporating Oatmeal into a Keto Diet: Is It Possible?
While oatmeal isn't considered a keto food, it's not entirely off-limits. One serving of our Organic Steel Cut Oats oats contains 31 grams of carbohydrates. The suggested daily carbohydrate intake is typically reduced to less than 50 grams when following the ketogenic diet. Therefore, if you adjust the other meals you eat throughout the day, you can enjoy a bowl of oats and remain within the advised range.
Will oatmeal fit into a keto diet or not? This depends greatly on your version of keto and on how strict you are with your carbohydrates. It is common to think it wise to stay away from anything that is not perfectly keto, particularly with something with such a high net carb content. On a strict standard ketogenic diet (SKD), oatmeal would be avoided due to the net grams of carbohydrates. Oats are, however, highly nutritious foods - they are a source of magnesium, are high in iron, and contain soluble fibre (beta-glucan), which may improve heart health and gut health.
If you are using a flexible keto (or a higher carb keto) version of keto, oatmeal for keto could be possible for you once in a while, especially with low carb options like chia seeds, unsweetened almond milk, or protein powder to help create a better macro profile.
Modified Keto and Targeted Carbs
Oats are generally not compatible with strict keto, but they can have a place in modified keto and targeted keto. Both of these versions allow a couple more carbs than strict keto, particularly with targeted keto, which allows carbs around workouts, and possibly with modified keto, depending upon the version being used and the level of activity someone has or needs, or how much metabolic flexibility they may have or want.
An example of this might be eating oatmeal for keto diet 30-60 minutes before a workout. Oats may provide a slow source of energy, and may not throw you out of ketosis, especially if you go right back to eating strict low carb without oats after your workout. You could also have small amounts of oats with a couple of servings of protein and fat at either breakfast or dinner on a modified keto plan, if you are less focused on being pure macro based and more focused on eating whole foods.
Read also: Nutritious oat ideas
Strategies for Including Oatmeal in a Keto-Friendly Way
To further minimize the impact on your carb intake, pair oatmeal with low-carb or zero-carb foods such as eggs, avocado, or non-starchy vegetables. When crafting a keto-friendly bowl of oatmeal, fill it with keto-approved foods like blueberries and strawberries, and stay away from ones that could up the carbohydrate content.
Here are some smart ways to add oats to a keto diet plan:
- Keep servings small: 2-3 tablespoons of cooked oats will give you enough texture and flavor without giving you an overload of carbs.
- Use oat fiber not whole oats for baking and thickening.
- Pair with healthy fats (like coconut milk or nut butter) to balance macros.
Enhancing Oatmeal with Keto-Friendly Add-Ins
Making a bowl of lower-carb oatmeal doesn't have to be bland. Keto-approved oatmeal can be just as flavorful as a traditional bowl with the right ingredients.
Hulled hemp seeds top the list of our favorite oatmeal add-ins. Gorgeous green-colored seed has a mild nutty flavor and packs a punch of nutrition. Considered a complete protein, our hemp seeds deliver 5 grams of plant-based protein per 2 tablespoon serving, making them a great addition to ketogenic, vegan and vegetarian diets. In addition to providing a wealth of protein, hemp hearts also provide a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. The fatty acids found in this seed have many health benefits ranging from promoting heart health to reducing inflammation.
An excellent addition to your low-carb bowl of oatmeal, flaxseed meal offers a mild and nutty flavor that blends perfectly with the versatile taste of oatmeal. First cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC., King Charlemagne was one of the first individuals to believe in the health benefits of flaxseeds. In fact, he believed in this seed so much that he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it. While flaxseed meal contains several nutritional components, the most commonly recognized are omega-3 essential fatty acids, lignans and fiber. Just two tablespoons of our flaxseed meal offer 2430 mg of omega-3s. In addition, flaxseed contains nearly 75-80 times more lignans than other plant foods. Like oatmeal, flaxseed meal is a good source of fiber, including soluble and insoluble fiber.
Nuts are an excellent way to add flavor and texture to oatmeal. When adding nuts to any recipe, you can crush them, ground them, or add them in whole. To keep your oatmeal low carb, reach for nuts with low carbohydrate content. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts are the lowest in carbs and will taste great when combined with the naturally nutty flavor of oats.
Berries like strawberries, blackberries and blueberries top the list of delicious keto-approved foods. And their naturally sweet flavor makes them an excellent way to sweeten your bowl of oats without using syrups or processed ingredients. Like nuts, berries can be added to oats in several different ways. For example, choose to bake blueberries into your oats as they're cooking, add a handful of fresh strawberries to your oats and top them with cottage cheese, or dice up a few strawberries and stir them into a freshly cooked bowl of oatmeal.
Keto-Friendly Oatmeal Alternatives
If, after reviewing the nutritional facts of oatmeal, you've found that it won't work within your dietary requirements, don't worry! Several low-carb dishes can be created to replicate the taste and texture of oatmeal without the extra carbs.
There are plenty of low-carb alternatives to oatmeal that are perfect for a ketogenic diet. Here are delicious keto-friendly oatmeal alternatives.
Seeds
Flaxseeds are an excellent keto-friendly alternative to oatmeal. To make yourself a flaxseed oatmeal alternative, combine half a cup of ground flaxseeds with one cup of unsweetened almond milk, a pinch of salt, and a dash of cinnamon. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Ground flax seeds contain less than two net carbs per 1/4 cup, making them a perfect low-carb ingredient for keto porridge. When flaxseed is soaked in keto-friendly milk alternatives like coconut milk, heavy cream, or almond milk, it develops a thick and creamy consistency similar to hearty oatmeal. Flaxseed porridge doesn’t just have a delicious taste-it also offers impressive health benefits. Flax seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that helps the body fight inflammation, promotes skin health, and can lower the risk of heart disease. In fact, research published in Nutrients suggests that flax seeds should be a dietary staple to improve overall health. The study concludes, “Dietary flaxseed has benefits for diseases, cancer, gastrointestinal health, and brain development and function, as well as hormonal status in menopausal women.”
Chia seeds are another fantastic keto-friendly substitute for oatmeal. For a tasty serving of keto chia pudding, mix half a cup of chia seeds with two cups of unsweetened almond milk and a sweetener of your choice. Chia seeds contain around one net carb per 1/4 cup serving and are an ideal choice for individuals on low-carbohydrate diets. Chia seeds soaked in coconut cream or keto milk have a pudding-like consistency.
Hemp seeds are another excellent keto-friendly oatmeal alternative. Hemp seeds, also known as hemp hearts, contain less than two net carbs per 1/4 cup serving and can be soaked in any keto milk. Soaked hemp seeds can be thickened with a little coconut flour or almond flour or mixed with other seeds, including flax or chia seeds, to make a tasty and nutritious keto breakfast ideas.
Other Alternatives
Coconut flour is a versatile low-carb alternative for keto dieters. To prepare a warm and comforting coconut flour ‘oatmeal’, combine half a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, 4 tablespoons of coconut flour, 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed, 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan.
To make almond flour porridge or ‘oatmeal’, start by combining 6 tablespoons of almond flour, 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed, 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for about five minutes. Almond flour has approximately 6 net carbs per 1/4 cup.
Keto smoothie bowls offer a highly customizable and nutrient-dense breakfast option. For a keto Berry Smoothie Bowl, blend half a cup of frozen berries, one cup of spinach, half an avocado, and unsweetened almond milk until smooth.
Recipes for Keto Porridge Using Non-Oat Ingredients
- Chia-Flax Porridge: Combine chia and flax seeds with unsweetened almond or coconut milk. Top with raspberries, almonds, and stevia.
- Coconut-Berry Porridge: Combine unsweetened shredded coconut and chia seeds with cashew or macadamia nut milk. Top with mixed berries, cinnamon, and MCT oil.
- Cauliflower “Oats”: Finely riced cauliflower cooked with coconut milk and cinnamon. Mimic warm oatmeal’s texture with ultra-low carbs.
- Almond-Sunflower Porridge: Combine almond flour and sunflower seed flour with chia and hot water. Create a thick, oatmeal-like bowl under 5 g net carbs.
Savory and Sweet Keto Oatmeal Alternatives
Explore savory bowls for a change:
- Sweet Options:
- Chia-flax bowl with mixed berries and vanilla
- Coconut chia porridge topped with toasted coconut and pecans
- Savory Options:
- Chia and vegetable broth (“savory oatless porridge”) topped with avocado, herbs, and a hard-boiled egg
- Cauliflower “oatmeal” seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and served with sautéed mushrooms and cheese
The Importance of Fiber on a Keto Diet
While oats are typically avoided on strict ketogenic diets due to their carb content, limited use of specific oat forms or derivatives like oat fiber can enhance both nutrition and satisfaction.
One of the most important benefits of oats on any diet is their ability to promote fullness. This is thanks to beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber found in oats, which slows down digestion and helps you feel fuller for longer.
Why it matters on keto:
- Eating less frequently helps maintain ketosis.
- Prevents unnecessary snacking and overeating.
- Supports regular bowel movements, especially important since keto diets can often lack fiber.
Oats are well-known for their cholesterol-lowering properties, largely due to their beta-glucan content. Even on keto, supporting cardiovascular health remains a priority-especially given the higher intake of dietary fats. Beta-glucan helps reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, promotes better arterial function and heart health, and adds a fiber source that’s often missing from very low-carb meals.
Oats contain beta-glucan fiber, which aids digestion, but studies have also shown it reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol. This means that oats are one of the few grains that promote a healthy heart. In terms of gut health, oats are a prebiotic so they feed the healthy gut bacteria. The fiber deficit that most keto eaters have due to food restrictive practices can actually be augmented to a reasonable extent by controlled servings of oats and restoring gut balance and regularity.