How Much Sugar Can You Have on Keto?

On a keto diet, it’s all about carbohydrate restriction that makes it effective. And seeing as carbohydrate is just a fancy name for sugar, it’s important to know how much you’re allowed to be having while on the keto diet.

How much sugar can I have on keto? 

We won’t go into too much detail on the scientific terms of classifying all sugars and simple carbohydrates, but we will mention that sugar is hidden in a lot of different forms. And on a keto diet, the primary goal is to avoid raising sugar and insulin, as it leads to inflammation, insulin resistance, and weight gain. 

In an ideal world, sugar consumption at a minimum is best and should be as close to 0 grams as possible. However, as that is fairly challenging to do, a regular goal for those on the keto diet is to aim for net carb intake to be roughly 30-50 grams per day (note that different keto guidelines will recommend different amounts). By net carb intake, we mean your total carbs minus fiber, as fiber buffers the sugar response and doesn’t affect your insulin levels. 

What are alternatives to sugar that are keto-friendly? 

Knowing how many carbs and sugar you’re able to consume on a keto diet, here are some alternatives to sugar that are keto friendly. 

• Stevia - the most natural of keto-friendly sweeteners, a little goes a long way! 
• Monk fruit sweetener - similar to stevia, also natural, and sweeter than regular sugar
• Sucralose - an artificial sweetener that is 600x sweeter than regular sugar so you’ll only need a tiny amount in place 
• Erythritol - a type of sugar alcohol that’s about 80% as sweet as regular sugar 
• Xylitol - another sugar alcohol, exchanged for sugar in a 1:1 ratio 

And lastly, we wanted to point out that it’s not just the sweet treats that contain sugar. Many of your favorite savory snack foods also contain lots of added sugar, enough to put you over your daily threshold for sugar intake, and raise your blood sugar. As we mentioned above, sugar is hidden in a lot of different products, so just because a food isn’t seen as “sweet”, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have high sugar content.

For a snack that contains NO ADDED SUGAR, you can try our Flock Chicken Skin Chips. Great for those trying to stay under their carb limit, and for those avoiding sugar entirely!