Are Strawberries Keto or Too High in Sugar? – Net Carbs + Keto-friendly Alternatives
A lot of newcomers to the keto diet have trouble determining which fruits are okay to include in their new low carb diet plan. After all, a lot of mainstream advice tends to recommend avoiding all fruits because of their fructose content.
But does that include all berries too? What about strawberries for example? Are strawberries keto?
Let’s take an in-depth look and find out.
What Makes Strawberries a Popular Choice for Low Carb Diets?
Berries like strawberries are commonly recommended for low carb dieters who want to include fruit as part of their diet plan for a few big reasons. Here are just a handful of reasons why strawberries are so popular for low carb diets:
- Strawberries are a great example of a fruit that is genuinely nutritious and delicious; they taste quite sweet while also being ridiculously nutrient-dense.
- They’re loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants.
- Strawberries are also a good source of dietary fiber, which makes them surprisingly filling.
- They can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways. Serve them as a snack with whipped cream, use them to make healthy smoothies, or you can even bake yourself a low carb strawberry cheesecake.
Are Strawberries Keto?
Strawberries are indeed a 100% keto-friendly fruit option.
Even though they’re so low in calories, strawberries are deceptively satiating thanks to their dietary fiber content. That same fiber content also helps to keep net carbs low, with 100 grams of strawberries only containing about 5 grams of sugar.
On top of that, strawberries are rich in several essential vitamins and minerals. They may not be a good source of protein or fat for keto dieters, but they’re great for providing your body with all of the other micronutrients that it needs.
Along with other types of berries like blueberries and raspberries, strawberries are an easy low carb recommendation to make for keto dieters, especially those with a sweet tooth!
Keto-friendly Strawberry Recipes
Strawberry Nutrition Facts
Here is the approximate nutritional breakdown for a 100 gram serving size of fresh strawberries:
- 33 calories
- 0.3 grams fat
- 0.7 grams protein
- 8 grams carbs
- 2 grams dietary fiber
- 4.9 grams sugar
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 1 mg sodium
- 153 mg potassium
Strawberry Health Benefits
As with most berries, strawberries are incredibly nutrient-dense and jam packed with health benefits. Here are the top three health benefits that can be gained by adding strawberries to your diet:
- Can help regulate blood sugar. Strawberries are rich in dietary fiber and they may even be particularly beneficial for helping to prevent metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Studies have found that strawberries slow down glucose digestion, which helps to prevent spikes in both glucose and insulin after a carb heavy meal. (1)
- May help to prevent cancer. All berry types are incredibly rich in antioxidants and other phenolic compounds that have been shown to help protect against disease. The antioxidants found in strawberries show particular potential in protecting against various types of cancers, including mouth and liver cancers. (2)
- Helps to promote a healthy heart. The combination of dietary fiber and antioxidant compounds in strawberries also helps to provide a one-two punch that keeps your heart healthy as well. Numerous studies have found that strawberries can help with relieving chronic inflammation, reducing oxidative stress, improving blood lipid profiles, and improving overall cholesterol levels. (3)
Keto Strawberry Alternatives
Since berries are widely recommended for individuals on the keto diet, it’s rather easy to substitute strawberries for another type of berry, namely those listed below:
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
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