Unlock the Truth About Keto and Milk: How to Enjoy Dairy Without Breaking Your Low-Carb Diet!

Milk and milk alternatives are popular beverages and key ingredients in many recipes. If you're following a ketogenic diet, you might wonder if you can still enjoy them. The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. On the keto diet, most people need to restrict their carb intake to about 25-30 grams of net carbs per day. The concept of net carbs refers to the total number of carbs minus the fiber content. Therefore, for milk to be keto-friendly, it needs to be low in net carbs. While some milks are not keto-friendly, several varieties are compatible with a keto diet.

Understanding the Keto Diet

The ketogenic (keto) diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet gaining popularity for its potential benefits for weight loss, blood sugar management, and preventing cancers and neurodegenerative conditions. The keto diet was originally developed in 1921 but has exploded in popularity recently.

The keto diet works by restricting the number of carbs that you eat. Under these guidelines, a person who needs 2,000 calories daily can only eat 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates. When you deprive your body of carbs, it enters ketogenesis, which means that it starts producing ketone bodies as an alternate energy source. The keto diet restricts carbohydrate intake to a maximum of 50 grams per day, so it’s best to select foods with very low amounts of carbs.

Net Carbs vs. Total Carbs

Some people on keto count their total carb intake, while others count net carbs. Net carbs refer to total carbs minus fiber, which is indigestible and, therefore, cannot be broken down and absorbed by your body.

The Role of Dairy in a Keto Diet

Dairy can fit into the Keto diet. To satisfy the keto rules, foods must be low enough in carbs to promote ketosis. Ketosis is the fat-burning state driving the potential benefits of this particular diet. For your body to enter ketosis, your carb intake should not exceed 10% of your daily calories. Including dairy in your keto diet gives you plenty of delicious options to liven up your menu with keto fats. Not only that, the naturally occurring nutrients in dairy products help you stay nourished while limiting your intake of other food groups.

Read also: Using Coconut Milk on Keto

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.

Here are some other milks that you should avoid while on keto:

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). According to the Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central, one cup of 1% milk contains 12.7 grams of carbohydrates. In other words, drinking a single cup of cow’s milk could provide one-fourth of your daily carbohydrates, requiring you to more severely restrict your carb intake for the rest of the day. Milk from a cow contains a lot of lactose, which is a naturally occurring sugar. One cup of 1% milk has about 12 carbohydrates. The standard keto diet has dieters consuming less than 50 carbs each day (some dieters stay under 30 net carbs), so milk can derail your diet in a hurry if you are not careful. This is why most keto dieters steer clear of milk and enjoy keto milk alternatives. Regular Cow's Milk: Despite being natural, cow's milk is high in lactose, a type of sugar, making it unsuitable for a keto diet.
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 (2). Oat milk is another plant-based milk derived from whole oat grains.
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 (3). Rice milk. Rice is a carbohydrate-rich starch, so rice milk contains more sugar than cow’s milk.
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 (4).
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 (5).

Keto-Friendly Milk Options

Keto-friendly milks need to be low in carbs. Luckily, there are several good options. However, you should note that only the unsweetened versions of these milks are appropriate for keto. Additionally, carb counts will vary significantly between different brands due to their varying ingredients and formulations. Be sure to carefully read the nutrition facts on the label to assess whether a milk is truly keto-friendly.

Here are some keto-friendly milks:

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) (6). Almond milk. This faintly nutty-tasting milk is made from almonds. A 100-gram serving of plain, unsweetened almond milk contains 0.67 grams of carbohydrates, making it a great choice for a keto diet.
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 (7). Coconut Milk: Unsweetened, pure coconut milk is delicious and natural.
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 (8). Nut Milk: Unsweetened nut milk is made from many different kinds of nuts including almonds, cashews, macadamias, and walnuts. Read labels and find the nut milk with the least amount of ingredients and 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 (9, 10). Seed Milk: Milk is also made from seeds such as flax and hemp.
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 (11). Soy milk. 100 grams of soy milk include 3 grams of carbohydrates.
Cashew milk: Cashew milk contains only 2 grams of net carbs per cup (240 mL) (12). Cashew milk. This milk is made by blending wet-milled cashews and water.
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) (13). Pea Protein Milk: This product goes by different names including pea milk or plant protein milk.
Half-and-half: Half-and-half is a combination of whole cow’s milk and heavy cream. It contains only 1 gram of net carbs per ounce (30 mL) and is a good substitute for cow’s milk in coffee and cooking (14). Although half-and-half is not a terrible coffee option, there are other items you can put in your coffee that are more keto-friendly.
Heavy cream: Heavy cream is the fatty portion that’s separated from fresh cow’s milk to make butter or whipped cream. It’s high in fat and calories but contains only 1 gram of net carbs per ounce (30 mL) (15). Heavy Whipping Cream: HWC is a dairy milk product that is keto-friendly.

Other Keto-Friendly Dairy Options

Besides milk alternatives, several other dairy products can be part of a keto diet:

Read also: Guilt-Free Keto Chocolate

Butter: With about 11 grams of fat per tablespoon and zero carbs, butter is an ideal source of fat on the keto diet. Butter and ghee are good fats to include while on the keto diet. Butter and ghee are also carb-free.
Ghee: Also known as clarified butter, ghee is free of the milk protein casein and the milk sugar lactose, making it ideal for those cautious about lactose intake or sensitive to it. Ghee is clarified butter made by heating butter and removing the milk solids that rise to the top. It has a concentrated buttery taste and is commonly used in Indian cooking.
Plain Greek yogurt: If you love yogurt, plain Greek yogurt is your best option for enjoying this breakfast staple while following a keto diet. It’s lower in carbs compared to other yogurts because more of the liquid whey is strained out, which contains lactose. 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.
Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream: Made from pure milkfat, heavy cream and 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!
Sour cream: Perfect for use in dips, dressings, or as a thickener, full-fat sour cream fits into the keto diet as it contains about 19 grams of fat and 4.6 grams of carbs per 100-gram serving.
Most cheeses: Many cheese varieties are ideal keto foods due to their high fat, moderate protein, and low carb content. Mozzarella, Gouda, brie, Muenster cheese, Monterey Jack, mascarpone cheese, provolone, cheddar, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and ricotta are all considered keto-friendly.

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. Here are some delicious dupes that incorporate keto dairy options into recipes you know and love, so you can stay on track without missing out:

Keto pasta: 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.
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: These are made with a low-carb dairy product like sour cream.

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.

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