Let's talk about keto fruit! We're sharing what we know about keto fruit, low carb fruits, and what we think are the best keto fruits.
Welcome to Four Score Living where we believe you can achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle through 80/20 living - and that includes enjoying a select list of keto friendly fruits.
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Keto fruit options
When you think of keto friendly fruit, think avocadoes, berries, tomatoes and olives. They are all high in fiber and low in sugar, making them perfect for a ketogenic diet.
That's the key to low carb fruits - low sugar and high fiber. These keto fruits are rich in antioxidants and also contain many different vitamins, minerals, manganese, potassium and magnesium.
When you are doing a carb load day or in maintenance mode, you can sneak in a few higher carb fruits like peaches, bananas, and pineapple.
For a low carb keto diet, try and stick to keto fruit with less then 5 grams of net carbs as most people aim for no more than 20 grams of net carbs per day on keto. This really helps with weight loss and maintaining blood sugar levels. There are a few on my list that are just over 5. That's close enough for me.
Keto fruit list
Unlike keto vegetables, the list of fruits that are keto friendly is a mix of sweet and savory. The below list includes their net carbs for a ½ cup serving size:
- Avocadoes - 1.8 net carbs for half an Avocado
- Blackberries - 3.1
- Raspberries - 3.3
- Strawberries - 4.1
- Cranberries - 4.6
- Olives - 2.2
- Fresh Coconut - 2.2
- Rhubarb - 1.5
- Tomatoes - 2.4
- Star fruit - 2.5
- Lychee - 1.5 per fruit
- Lemons - 4.2 for a whole lemon
- Lime - 5.1 for a whole lime
- Watermelon - 5.5
- Currants - 5.3
- Guava - 5.8 per fruit
- Cantaloupe - 5.8
- Blueberries - 5.0 for a ¼ cup
Fruit to limit during keto
Most fruits are high in sugar and carbs, so that is why they aren't recommended on keto. Below are some that should be avoided due to their high net carbs. The list includes their net carbs for a ½ cup serving size:
- Grapefruit - 22 for a whole grapefruit
- Apples - 20 for a medium sized apple
- Bananas - 15
- Grapes - 13
- Kiwi - 12
- Mangoes - 11
- Pineapples - 10
- Tangerines - 8.8
- Pears - 8
- Cherries - 8
- Plums - 8
- Clementines - 7.6
- Papaya - 6.5
- Peaches - 6.5
Best low carb fruits plus recipes
Avocado
We LOVE avocado with its 1.8 net carbs(8.8 grams of carbs minus its 7 grams of fiber in half of an Avocado).
Sliced, mashed, or in a 4 ingredient guacamole or keto avocado smoothie, we will find any way we can to include avocado into our meals - topping keto enchiladas or complimenting honey garlic salmon bites with avocado is a must.
It's super filling and full of healthy fats (15 grams in half an Avocado). It adds a creaminess to sauces and dressings. It's probably our number one most consumed out of all of our favorite keto fruits.
Avocados are packed with nutrition, containing vitamins C, E, K, B5, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, and monounsaturated fats. A medium-sized avocado contains 14 grams of fiber, which is three times as much as a medium-sized apple at 4.5 grams.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the most popular home garden crop, grown by over 80% of people with a garden in their yard. Guess it's a good thing that tomatoes are on the approved keto fruit list.
Their beautiful red color comes from lycopene. Such a versatile fruit, it can be used fresh and made into a delicious keto salsa or as a topping on our keto cheeseburger casserole.
Use sundried tomatoes to make our famous easy marry me chicken, just be careful who you serve it to as it is said they will propose to you on the spot.
Blackberries
Definitely one of the healthiest fruits you can eat, plus they are perfect for a keto diet as they are low in sugar and high in fiber with only 3.1 net carbs. Add a handful to our almond flour crepes for a delicious nutrient-dense breakfast.
Raspberries
Raspberries are another super food that is great on a keto diet with only 3.3 net carbs. They're great as a topping on almond flour waffles.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a powerhouse of nutrition. With only 4.1 net carbs per ½ cup, they are the perfect addition to our almond flour scones and for pairing with our keto whipped cream. Strawberries contain many antioxidants (like anthocyanins which gives them their bright red color) vitamins and minerals.
Blueberries
Yes they are, but you need to be extra careful with the serving size. A ¼ cup of fresh blueberries has 5 grams of net carbs. Please note I said fresh.
The serving size of dried blueberries have 22 grams of net carbs. Please see later in the post for more information on dried fruits.
Even with the smaller serving size we definitely recommend adding these antioxidant rich berries to your keto approved fruit list. Blueberries may be tiny, but they pack a big punch when it comes to antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
We love to include them when we build a keto charcuterie board. Also give our keto blueberry muffins a try.
Olives
Olives are excellent on a keto diet. Green or black, Kalamata or Picholine, it doesn't matter which color or type you choose. This is a fruit that packs a punch plus they're great on a keto diet as they have very low net carb score of 2.2 grams per ½ cup serving plus 4 grams of fat. Eat them straight up or add to our keto chicken salad or keto taco casserole.
Coconut
Fresh coconut is great on keto. The only issue for most people is that fresh coconuts may be hard to find unless you live in a tropical climate, such as South Florida where coconuts grow on trees in abundance. Your most common use of coconut on a low carb diet will be with coconut flour as it is low in carbs. We use it in many of our baked goods such as keto rolls and keto cinnamon rolls. We always get asked about other coconut products:
- Coconut milk is naturally low carb plus high in fat, it is a great replacement for dairy.
- Coconut flakes are also keto friendly as long as they are unsweetened. Every now and then we replace the walnuts in our keto banana bread with them.
- Coconut sugar and coconut water are to be avoided on a ketogenic diet as they are both too high in carbs and sugar.
Coconut contains minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.
Watermelon
Watermelon is keto friendly. This fruit has been described as a hydration super star, as it is made up of more than 90% water, making it an ideal fruit to enjoy in moderation on a ketogenic diet.
The water in fruits and vegetables is the most nutritious water available! Watermelon has 6 grams of total carbs and 0.5 grams of fiber in a ½ cup serving, giving it a 5.5 net carb score.
Star Fruit
Yes! Star fruit is keto friendly. This tropical fruit, also known as carambola, is a great addition to any keto diet with its 2.5 grams of net carbs in a ½ cup serving.
Star fruit adds visual interest to any dish, provides the "yellow" in following the common nutritional recommendation to "eat a rainbow."
Cranberries
Cranberries are keto friendly when consumed in moderation. Most people think of them at Thanksgiving. Processed, pre-packaged cranberry jelly bought at the store is a big no-no as it's loaded with sugar.
But have no fear, we have a keto cranberry sauce recipe to save the day. Add in our keto stuffing and keto gravy and you are well on your way to a delicious and flavorful meal any time of year!
Fresh, natural cranberries are keto approved with their 4.6 grams of net carbs per ½ cup serving.
Lychee
Most people will tell you no, but again as with many fruits, its all about the serving size. Eating three lychees equal 4.5 grams of net carbs. This fruit can be a refreshing treat on a keto diet.
FAQs
Dried fruits are high in calories and carbohydrates. The process of drying, or “dehydrating” the fruit removes the water content, therefore concentrating the sugars.
For example, a ½ cup of fresh strawberries is 4.1 net carbs compared to 28 net carbs in only ⅓ of a cup of dried strawberries.
Although dried fruits do contain fiber and nutrition, they are best to be avoided when following a keto diet. Fresh fruit, which is high in water content, is the best choice to feel satisfied and maintain hydration with a ketogenic lifestyle.
Absolutely keto friendly, frozen fruit is a healthy snack on it’s own or to enjoy with meals or desserts.
Fruit smoothies, a topping for yogurt or paired with keto baked goods, such as our almond flour blueberry muffins are all options for this easy-to-grab treat.
Freezing does not alter nutrients, in fact frozen fruits are packed with higher levels of antioxidants, including lutein, polyphenols, beta-carotene and anthocyanins (the colored pigments in fruits that are antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory). Frozen produce is preservative-free, prewashed and ready to eat which equals no prep time!
The short answer is no. You can actually get those same nutrients from vegetables. When most people think of vitamin C, citrus fruits come to mind.
There are so many vegetables, like kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and bell peppers, that provide more vitamin C per serving than oranges and grapefruits, plus they have a lot less sugar and carbs. Here is a list of low carb vegetables.
The bottom line
Some people may want to avoid most fruit while on a keto or low carb diet as it can prevent ketosis (a state where your body is burning fat rather than carbs for energy). But as shown above, if you are like me and love fruit, there are many you can still enjoy in moderation.
Fresh and frozen keto friendly fruits are nutritious and packed with fiber. Whole foods, such as fruit, are certainly a much better option than most pre-packaged foods lining our grocery store shelves.
What's your favorite recipe using an approved keto fruit? Leave us a comment below letting us know.
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Courtney Salamone
So surprised (and relieved!) to learn that watermelon is keto friendly as it is my favorite 😉
Four Score Living
Hi Courtney, thank you for your feedback. I am glad you found some useful and welcome information in our keto fruit article. We love watermelon too!
The Four Score Living Team
robert hutchinson
I found this article both interesting and educational for me. My concerns are heart healthy and that was mentioned in descriptions. So many keto recipes, etc are referenced. Thank you.
Four Score Living
Hello Robert, thank you for stopping by! We are glad you found this article informative and appreciate your feedback.
The Four Score Living Team