Keto Foods

Are Pistachios Keto? – Net Carbs, Fiber and Keto Nut Alternatives

By Bree

Last updated on September 4, 2022

Nuts like pistachios, almonds, and walnuts all make for great snacking options for anyone following the keto diet. They’re excellent sources of both dietary fat, fiber, and protein. But some nuts like pistachios are also rather high in their carb counts, which raises the question, “are pistachios keto?”

Today, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at pistachios in order to definitively answer that question.

What Makes Pistachios a Popular Choice for Low Carb Diets?

Nuts like pistachios are an incredibly popular snack choice for many people who are following low carb diet plans. Here are just a few of the reasons why:

Pistachios are a calorie-dense food, making pistachios an ideal snack choice for satisfying hunger cravings.
Like other nuts, pistachios provide an abundance of dietary fat.
Pistachios are packed full of protein.
Pistachios are a good source of dietary fiber.
Pistachios contain several other essential vitamins and minerals.

Are Pistachios Keto?

Figuring out whether or not pistachios are keto or not can be somewhat tricky. After all, they’re quite high in carbs, with 100 grams of pistachios having 28 grams of carbs.

Appearances can be deceiving, however. Quite a lot of those carbs come from dietary fiber, leaving you with a reduced total of 18 grams of net carbs. That’s admittedly a little high, but still quite manageable for many keto dieters depending on their total daily carb allowance.

Many find the trade-off to be worth it; along with those 18 grams of net carbs, 100 grams of pistachios still provides you with 45 grams of fat, 20 grams of protein, and 10 grams of dietary fiber.

Make no mistake about it; if you can spare the carbs, pistachios are a nutrient powerhouse and should absolutely be included as part of your keto diet.

Pistachio Nutrition Facts

Going with a 100 gram serving size of pistachios will provide you with the following nutritional breakdown for all of the major macros:

562 calories
45 grams fat
20 grams protein
28 grams carbs
10 grams dietary fiber
8 grams sugar
0 mg cholesterol
1 mg sodium
1025 mg potassium

Good Keto Pistachio Recipes

Pistachio Keto Bark

VIEW RECIPE

Health Benefits of Pistachios

As with pretty much all nuts, pistachios also provide you with a wide range of great health benefits. Here are 3 of the top health benefits offered by pistachios:

Rich source of dietary fiber. Pistachios are an excellent source of dietary fiber, which provides numerous great benefits. Fiber helps with regulating bowel movements, improving overall gut health, reducing your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and it can even help some individuals with achieving their weight loss goals. (1)
Protects against disease. Pistachios are also rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. It’s well known by now that free radicals from both dietary sources and the environment can cause significant cellular damage, increasing your risk of disease. Foods that are rich in antioxidants help to protect against this harmful cellular damage, which helps with reducing your risk of disease.
Relieves inflammation in the body. Another significant predictor of disease is chronic inflammation left unchecked in the body. Pistachios are rich in the type of dietary fatty acids that help with relieving inflammation, namely polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. This makes them a great dietary choice for anyone who has inflammation-related concerns. (2)

Keto Pistachio Alternatives

The great thing about including nuts in your diet is that if you don’t like one particular type, you’ll still have plenty of options to choose from. If you’d prefer to get your dietary fats, protein, and fiber from a different type, try one of these instead: