Sweet and Low on Keto Diet
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If you're on keto, then you know sugar is a no-go—the ultra-restrictive diet calls for slashing your daily carb intake to under 50 net grams a day.
If you're looking for some sweetness to add to coffees or treats, you'll need to go with a sugar alternative that's low-carb and keto-friendly. Yes, they exist! If you're buying keto protein bars, soups, frozen meals, or baked goods, there's likely at least one of these sweeteners on the label to give it its awesome flavor.
It's worth noting: Serving sizes for all of these are going to be smaller than standard sugar, as the substitutes taste sweeter, says Ginger Hultin, RD and Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. So, if you're new to keto-friendly sugar alternatives, start slow to find out the right amount for you.
1 Stevia
The green leaves of the stevia plant resemble mint, but the flavor is super, super sweet. "Touch it to your tongue and you get a very sweet taste. Derived straight from a plant, this is among the more natural of keto-friendly sweeteners," Hultin says.
A little goes a long way, and stevia is extremely sweet, so use only one 1 teaspoon for each cup of sugar, says Karissa Long, CHC, keto expert, author of Clean Keto Lifestyle, and global integrative nutrition coach. It also has a slight aftertaste, so be prepared, she says. Most people cook with it in baked goods or use in their coffee.
It doesn't raise your blood sugar at all, so use stevia as a sweetener when attempting to stay in ketosis, Hultin adds.
3 Monkfruit
Monk fruit is a small, green gourd from Southeast Asia that resembles a melon. Buddhist monks first used the fruit in the 13th century, which is where the fruit gets its name, says Long.
"You'll also see monk fruit products labeled 'lo han guo' or 'lo han,'" says Hultin.
Similar to stevia, monk fruit is a natural sweetener, and is sweeter in taste than sugar. "Monk fruit contains no calories and does not spike blood sugar but it does provide a very sweet taste that can be used in recipes or beverages," Hultin adds.
Be cautious when buying products that contain monk fruit, as opposed to cooking with it yourself. "Some monk fruit products are blended with other sugars or sugar substitutes, so read labels carefully," Hultin says.
4 Monkfruit 1:1 Sugar Substitute
5 Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are found commonly in food, particularly in fruit and berries. A few include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, and erythritol. These types of sugar are not absorbed in the body, so they move through with much less impact on blood sugar or calorie content than actual sugar.
Two sugar alcohols in particular, erythritol and xylitol, are often used in keto-friendly foods. While they do contain a few carbohydrates and calories, it's not so much that you'll have a hard time staying in ketosis. (You can track the precise carb count, but it's not super important, as the amount is so minimal.) If it really matters to you, know that stevia and monkfruit are carb- and calorie-free.
Feel free to add sugar alcohols to beverages like coffee, smoothies, or shakes, or use them in baked goods or other recipes that require some sugar.
Important note: Sugar alcohols can sometimes cause gastrointestinal distress. They're "incompletely" digested, so they're actually digested by the bacteria in your lower intestine, which for some people can lead to a rough belly and gas. If you notice gas, bloating, or diarrhea upon consumption, swap for another keto sweetener.
7 Chicory Root
Chicory root fiber comes from the chicory root plant.
"When you extract the fiber of the chicory root, you get a powder. In packaged form, chicory root is light and fluffy, with a very light sweet flavor," says Long.
This keto-friendly sweetener is good for your gut. "Chicory root is considered a prebiotic (it feeds the good gut bacteria in your digestive lining) and causes a bulking effect in the colon that helps with bowel movements," says Long.
If you don't like the bitter aftertaste of stevia, try out chicory root fiber. There's nothing wrong with adding a little fiber to your diet, especially when you're on keto, too.
8 Chicory Root Sugar Substitute
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Source: https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/g26293358/keto-sweeteners/