Which Nuts are Healthy for a Ketogenic Diet

Is it okay to have nuts on keto? Have you been wondering this if you are following a ketogenic diet? That’s fair enough, there’s heaps of mixed messages out there which makes it difficult to navigate. If you are following a ketogenic diet, and want to stay in ketosis during any festivities, it will help if you are aware of which nuts are lower in carbs.

It’s important to get your macros right, and keep your carbs under 20 preferably to be able to stay in ketosis.

With any celebration, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, Birthdays, Thanksgiving etc etc, it’s possible for those on a ketogenic diet to break out in a sweat unsure what can be eaten when everyone else dives in!

So while sitting around spending precious time with family and friends, you can be prepared with high fat snacks keep you feeling full instead of caving in.

Become aware which nuts are better for you while not using up too much of your carb count in the process.

How Many Carbs are in Nuts

That depends on a few things. Using a small handful (28 grams) as a guide, let’s have a look at each nut’s measurements below:

Macadamias: carbs 4g, fiber 2.5g, protein 2g, total fat 21g

Walnuts: carbs 4g, fiber 2 g, protein 4g, total fat 18g

Pecans: carbs 4g, fiber 2.5g, protein 3g, total fat 20g

Almonds : carbs 6g, fiber 3.5g, protein 6g, total fat 14g

Pistacios: carbs 8g, fiber 3g, protein 6g, total fat 12.5

Brazil nuts: carbs 3g, fiber 2g, protein 4g, total fat 18g

Hazelnuts: carbs 6g, fiber 3.5g, protein 6g, total fat 9g

Peanuts (legume): carbs 5g, fiber 3g, protein 4g, total fat 17g

Cashews: carbs 9g, fiber 1g, protein 5g, total fat 12g

Net Carbs…Fiber, huh?

When working out how many carbs are in foods, you need to know how many carbs and fiber are in the item.

This is because fiber isn’t able to be digested. So the higher the fiber amount, the lower the carbohydrate amount.

To work out the net carb count, simply subtract the fiber from the carb amount.

For instance, 28 grams of almonds have 6g carbs minus 3.5g fiber so have a net carb count of 2.5 grams.

How Can Nuts Keep Me Full

When you eat more healthy fat, you feel fuller for longer (for more information on this, click here). The best nuts for keeping you feeling fuller for longer are macadamias, pecans and walnuts. These have a higher amount of fat with lower carbs, especially net carbs (carb minus fibre).

Eating nuts helps increase healthy fats while helping eating less since healthy fat fills you up and helps you stay fuller for longer. Healthy fats are saturated fats and monounsaturated fats, also found in many nuts.

Nutty Nutrition

Here’s a few things these little nutritious power houses contain to help you with staying in ketosis, and supporting your mental and emotional well being…

Brazil Nuts – selenium which is believed to be heart protective and helps support mental clarity.

Almonds – folic acid, magnesium, LDL-lowering fat, antioxidants, calcium, vitamin E, and can also help when you’ve got a headache. Almonds have the highest amount of nutrients among nuts.

Hazelnuts – folate, vitamin E, B vitamins and arganine, potassium and antioxidants and has been shown to help reduce symptoms of depression.

Cashews – iron, folate, vitamin K, magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, zinc, folic acid and omega 3’s.

Walnuts – omega 3’s, alpha-linoleic acid, and has been known to reduce symptoms of depression.

Macadamias – fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and contribute to improving heart health, and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol & inflammation

Pistachios – potassium, cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, contain antioxidants.

Pecans – vitamin E, magnesium, contains antioxidants and has been shown to lower cholesterol

Peanuts – magnesium, vitamin E, improves Type 2 Diabetes, reduces heart disease and in one study showed a link to lower death rates.

Eat Mindfully

When you’re in a festive mood, it’s possible to not focus on the moment, and instead get carried away with the excitement and involvement in conversations with those around you. It is possible to practice mindfulness during these times, but it takes practice.

The purpose of practicing mindfulness in a festive atmosphere can help you be more mindful of what you’re eating. This can help you consume less. Instead listen to your body and notice when you feel full.

So while you’re having a great time with friends and family take a moment to notice and be in the moment. When you eat something, take some time to notice the color and flavor of the food, what if feels like in your mouth. Is it warm or cool, take your time to chew it, and enjoy what it tastes like.

This practice can help you eat less and become more present in the moment without actually meditating.

It’s simply noticing and taking the time to grow your awareness of what’s happening around you and how your body responds to being fueled. A bit like this little guy 🙂

Recipe Ideas Especially During the Holiday Season

Ideally, it’s best to eat nuts in their natural form, or even after being soaked. However, to make them a bit fancy, why not give these a go…

• Check out this recipe on ditchthecarbs for spiced almonds flavored with cinnamon and sweetener (xylitol or swerve)
• And Martha Stewart’s mixed spice nut recipe here.
• Another idea is to make your own nutella so you can cut out the sugar and artificial flavors and have a nutritious, healthy spread. It can also be added to shakes, use as a spread on keto bread or eaten on it’s own. It can be made using hazelnuts or walnuts. Libby has an awesome recipe over at ditchthecarbs.com website.

So if you’re looking for a keto-friendly, brain-supporting snack you can reach for nuts and relax in the knowledge that you can have your nuts and eat them too.

Just don’t go overboard on eating too many nuts to ensure staying in ketosis.