Is Watermelon Keto Friendly – can you eat watermelons on a low carb ketogenic diet and an overview of the best fruits.
Is Watermelon Keto Friendly
Is Watermelon Keto-Friendly? That’s a question I’m often asked by blog readers and followers of a low carb diet.
Watermelons are known for their high water content and have high amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A. Plus, watermelon even has small amounts of vitamin B6, which is good for the nervous system.
Vitamin C is full of good health benefits and is an antioxidant, which helps to neutralise free radicals in the body with some studies suggesting increasing vitamin C intake lowers risk of heart related issues like heart disease (cardiovascular disease) and high blood pressure.
But the question remains can you have watermelon on a keto-friendly diet or a ketogenic diet plan?
How Many Carbs In Watermelon?
The nutritional content per 100g serving of watermelon is as follows:
- Calories – 30
- Fat – 0.2g (0g saturated fat)
- Total Carbohydrates – 8g
- Fiber Content – 0.4g
- Sugars – 6g
- Protein – 0.6
Is Watermelon A KETO-FRIENDLY FOOD?
The answer is both yes and no. As listed above, a 100g serve of watermelon has 7.6 grams of net carbs of natural sugars.
So if for example you choose to consume a 50 gram portion of watermelon, you can have it as is, or blend it into a refreshing berry smoothie with healthy fats.
Small amounts of watermelon like this allows you to keep to a carb content that is low in net grams of carbs, but you are still able to enjoy watermelon in your diet.
This can be a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth that is keto-friendly, without kicking you out of a state of ketosis.
Perfect for those hot summer days.
That said, to have too much watermelon could raise blood sugar levels, derail your weight loss efforts, and therefore potentially be detrimental to a keto or low-carb diet, so as long as you keep the total amount of watermelon to a minimum and with a bit of careful planning, you should be fine.
Personally, when I’m following a strict keto diet or a low-carb diet, I prefer other low-carb fruits or keto-friendly fruit so there’s more wiggle room in my total net carbs for the day.
What about other melons? Are other types of melons keto friendly?
There are quite a few varieties of melon. To get an idea about how much sugar some contain, below is the nutritional value of some other types of melons.
Cantaloupe Melon
- Calories – 34
- Fat – 0.2g (0.1g saturated fat)
- Total Carbohydrates – 8.2g
- Fiber Content – 0.9g
- Sugars – 7.9g
- Protein – 0.8g
Honeydew Melon
- Calories – 36
- Fat – 0.1g (0g saturated fat)
- Total Carbs – 9.1g
- Grams of Fiber – 0.8g
- Sugar content – 8.1g
- Protein – 0.5g
Galia Melon
- Calories – 36
- Fat – 0.1g (0g saturated fat)
- Total Carbohydrates – 9.1g
- Fiber Content – 0.8g
- Sugars – 8.1g
- Protein – 0.5g
Casaba Melon
The lowest carb content of all the melons. This melon will help keep your net carb consumption lower than the other melons listed.
The nutritional information per 100 is below
- Calories – 28
- Fat – 0.1g (0g saturated fat)
- Total Carbohydrates – 6.6g
- Fiber Content – 0.9g
- Sugars – 5.7g
- Protein – 1.1g
BETTER OPTIONS
Keto Friendly Fruit Options – While watermelon can elevate your carb count on a keto diet plan, you’ll find that keto fruit like fresh, frozen or even dried strawberries, raspberries or blueberries will be much lower in carbs, making it easier for you to keep within your daily carb limit.
Plus berries are a staple summer fruit that is keto-friendly and a great way to have low-carb fruits in smoothies or as a snack.
These low carb fruits also keep your blood sugar levels low and also being full of antioxidants which is good for your overall health
More Keto Meal Inspiration
Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
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