Keto Means
Photo by cottonbro studio Pexels Logo Photo: cottonbro studio

Is alcohol allowed on keto?

The short version: wine is much lower in carbs than beer, so most people on keto choose wine. Pure spirits like whiskey and vodka contain zero carbs. But watch out for sweet mixed drinks – they often have a significant amount of sugar.

Does keto Coffee replace breakfast?
Does keto Coffee replace breakfast?

Bulletproof coffee is a high fat coffee drink intended as a breakfast replacement. It's popular among people who follow a ketogenic diet. While...

Read More »
Is cream cheese OK to eat on a keto diet?
Is cream cheese OK to eat on a keto diet?

Cream Cheese This is a keto favorite, thanks to its nutritional profile: Per the USDA, 1 oz contains 84 calories, 8 g of fat, 1 g of carbs, and 2 g...

Read More »

Drink with care: When on a keto diet, you might feel stronger effects from alcohol. Intoxication, hangovers, and more. Keto-friendly drinks: Wine and pure spirits are lowest in carbs; beer and sweet mixed drinks are highest. See visual ranking. Alcohol = calories: All alcohol contains calories that your body has to use before it burns body fat. More on keto and alcohol. Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems if consumed in excess. Note that on a keto diet you might need significantly less alcohol to get intoxicated. Women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy. Pure spirits like whiskey and vodka contain zero carbs . But watch out for sweet mixed drinks – they often have a significant amount of sugar. The short version: wine is much lower in carbs than beer , so most people on keto choose wine. There’s a huge difference between different kinds of drinks when it comes to how many carbs they contain. First, the obvious: alcohol doesn’t help with weight loss. The more alcohol you drink, the harder it is to lose weight, since the body tends to burn alcohol before anything else. Drinking alcohol can also make you want to eat more. What are the best and the worst alcoholic drinks on a keto diet The New Me 2-Week Reset can help you lose weight — and keep it off — by forming healthy habits that last. You’ve probably tried to reach your goals in the past, but in today’s world, it can be hard to be healthy. The New Me 2-Week Reset can help you lose weight — and keep it off — by forming healthy habits that last. You’ve probably tried to reach your goals in the past, but in today’s world, it can be hard to be healthy. Drink with care: When on a keto diet, you might feel stronger effects from alcohol. Intoxication, hangovers, and more. Keto-friendly drinks: Wine and pure spirits are lowest in carbs; beer and sweet mixed drinks are highest. See visual ranking. Alcohol = calories: All alcohol contains calories that your body has to use before it burns body fat. More on keto and alcohol. Carbs list See the complete carbs list for wine and beer Champagne: 2 grams of net carbs per 5 ounces (150 ml)

Red wine: 2 grams of net carbs per 5 ounces (150 ml)

White wine: 2 grams of net carbs per 5 ounces (150 ml)

Beer: 13 grams of net carbs per 12 ounces (355 ml)

How do I get through the first week of keto?
How do I get through the first week of keto?

Restrict carbs below 10 grams of net carbs per day to get into ketosis more quickly. Drink plenty of water. Consume as many low carb vegetables as...

Read More »
What is the best drink to burn belly fat?
What is the best drink to burn belly fat?

13 Drinks That Melt Belly Fat, Say Dietitians Green Tea. Kombucha. Protein Water. Coffee. Black Tea. Raw Apple Cider. Ginger Tea. Raw Vegetable...

Read More »

Discover healthy food you'll love Our new interactive Food Navigator will guide you. Try it out

Wine

The numbers represent grams of carbs in a typical serving – for example, one 5 ounce or 150 mL glass of wine or one 12 ounce draft beer. Note that sweeter wines may contain substantially more carbs, while drier types may contain quite a bit less. Even on a keto diet (below 20 grams of net carbs per day), you can probably have a glass of dry wine fairly regularly. And on a moderate low carb diet, dry wines can be enjoyed regularly with minimal weight-loss impact from the carbs. If, however, you find you are not losing weight, try cutting back on alcohol. The extra, nutrition-free energy from alcohol may be contributing to your weight stall. Reducing or eliminating alcohol may be all that is needed to get the scale moving again. A glass of dry wine contains about 0.5 grams of sugar as well as small amounts of glycerol and other carbohydrate remnants of the wine-making process, which usually amount to less than 2 grams of total carbs. It is unlikely that a glass of dry wine will impact blood sugar or insulin levels significantly. Sweeter wines, like Rieslings and Gewurztraminers, have about 4 grams of carbs in a typical glass. Even sweeter dessert wines – like Muscato, Tokaj, Ice Wines, or fortified wines like Port, Sherry and Madeira – are all sweeter and contain more fructose, with carb counts per glass of around 5 grams or more.

Beer

Beer is a problem on keto. There’s a reason people talk about “beer bellies.” Beer is made from grains, which provide a lot of rapidly digestible carbs. It’s even been called “liquid bread.” For this reason, most beers are bad for weight control and should be avoided on keto. Note that the amount of carbs in beer varies depending on the brand. There are a few possible low-carb options for keto. Check out our keto beer guide below for details.

Keto-friendly beers

The numbers above are the grams of carbs in one 12 oz. bottle of beer (355 ml). Carbs list See the complete carbs list for keto-friendly beers Select 55: 1.9 grams of net carbs

Michelob ultra: 2.6 grams of net carbs

Select premium light: 3.1 grams of net carbs

Busch light: 3.2 grams of net carbs

Natural light: 3.2 grams of net carbs

Miller lite: 3.2 grams of net carbs

Is peanut butter and bananas on toast healthy?
Is peanut butter and bananas on toast healthy?

Bananas contain more nutrients per serving than jelly, and the fruit doesn't contain any added sugar. With the right kind of bread, a peanut butter...

Read More »
Is 2 carrots a day too much?
Is 2 carrots a day too much?

According to a Cleveland Clinic article, dermatologist Melissa Piliang says that regularly eating between 20 to 50 milligrams of beta-carotene per...

Read More »

Bud ice: 4 grams of net carbs

Coors light: 5 grams of net carbs

Bud light: 7 grams of net carbs

Becks: 9 grams of net carbs

Victoria bitter: 11 grams of net carbs

Heineken: 11 grams of net carbs

Budweiser: 11 grams of net carbs

Foster’s beer: 11 grams of net carbs

Newcastle brown ale: 13 grams of net carbs

Stella Artois: 13 grams of net carbs

Corona extra: 14 grams of net carbs

Guinness extra stout: 14 grams of net carbs

DD+ MEMBERSHIP

Get your personalized meal plan with a FREE 30-day trial!

What's your gender? Female Male Other

As you can see, some very light American beers contain the least amount of carbs and can be consumed without derailing a keto diet (if you enjoy that type of beer). Check out the brands to the left in the graphic above. Other brands of beer are fairly high in carbs and calories and should likely be avoided completely on a keto diet.

Spirits

When it comes to hard alcohol, it’s pretty straightforward: pure spirits like whiskey, brandy, cognac, vodka, gin, and tequila contain zero carbs and are all fine on keto. Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks. Don’t add juice, soft drinks, or sweet flavorings to spirits. Adding tonic to zero-carb gin boosts its carb count to 16 grams per serving! Have vodka, soda water and a twist of lime instead for a refreshing carb-free drink.

The numbers represent grams of carbs per drink.

Carbs list See the complete carbs list for spirits Carb amounts per standard drink: Whiskey: 0 grams of net carbs

Brandy: 0 grams of net carbs

Tequila: 0 grams of net carbs

Dry martini: 0 grams of net carbs

Vodka & soda water: 0 grams of net carbs

Bloody Mary: 7 grams of net carbs

Margarita: 8 grams of net carbs

Cosmopolitan: 13 grams of net carbs

White Russian: 14 grams of net carbs

Gin & tonic: 14 grams of net carbs

Vodka & orange juice: 18 grams of net carbs

Rum & coke: 22 grams of net carbs

Coolers

The numbers represent grams of carbs (sugar) per bottle.

Sometimes called alcopops, spirit coolers, wine coolers or hard lemonades, these pre-mixed, packaged drinks are loaded with sugar and carbs. Most are over 180 calories each. Do not drink if you want to stay in ketosis — you are drinking sugar.

What is the keto flu?
What is the keto flu?

The bottom line: The keto flu is a set of symptoms that many people who try the keto diet experience for a few days to a few weeks, including low...

Read More »
What are the red flags of keto diet?
What are the red flags of keto diet?

A: Anyone with a chronic condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure or metabolic syndrome should avoid following a ketogenic diet. Plus, since...

Read More »
Which is better for you rice or pasta?
Which is better for you rice or pasta?

For lower calorie and carbohydrate content, rice comes out top. But if protein and fibre is your aim, pasta wins over rice. That said, both can...

Read More »
How much weight can you lose in a week on 20 carbs a day?
How much weight can you lose in a week on 20 carbs a day?

The first phase of Atkins, which permits just 20 grams of carbs daily, is such a plan. According to the Atkins website, it's possible for some...

Read More »