Top 6 Keto-Friendly Drinks
You might be wondering what you can drink besides water if you’re on the low-carb, high-fat keto diet. Although water is the healthiest option since it has no calories, carbohydrates, or additives, you may desire a beverage to enhance your energy, provide taste and diversity, or replace part of your favorite sugary drink. Each of the selections below has 0–5 grams of net carbohydrates (carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols). It’s a more realistic representation of the carbohydrates your body breaks down. Apart from water, these are some of the best keto-friendly drinks.
Black or green tea
Tea is a natural alternative with very few carbohydrates – often less than 1 gram per cup (240 mL). It can be served cold or hot. Black tea is made from older tea leaves, giving it a strong flavor, deeper color, and higher caffeine content. Green tea is prepared from fresh tea leaves and has a more flowery flavor, lighter color, and lower caffeine content. White tea, prepared from young tea leaves, is another option. Compared to black and green tea, it has a very mild flavor. Tea is also almost calorie-free and high in polyphenol antioxidants. Green tea is high in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant with anti-cancer properties.
Coffee
Coffee is another keto-friendly beverage that is practically calorie- and carb-free. Caffeine is present in coffee, and it may aid in the acceleration of your metabolism. Chlorogenic acid is a polyphenol antioxidant that may help weight loss.
Diet soda alternatives
Diet drinks, such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, are technically keto, but they may not be a great option. Artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame can harm your gut bacteria and increase sugar cravings, potentially leading to weight gain. Several diet sodas include natural zero-calorie sweeteners such as stevia or erythritol, a sugar alcohol made from maize with fewer adverse effects than artificial sweeteners.
Juice
Fruit juice is often high in sugar, making it unsuitable for a ketogenic diet. There are, however, exceptions, such as lemon and lime juices, which are low in carbohydrates but high in taste. To brighten up the flavor of plain water or other beverages, such as hot or iced tea, you can add them. However, juicing eliminates most of the beneficial fiber from the vegetables. Check the label on packaged veggie juices because they may include sugar or other carbohydrate sources. Most of them have at least 10 grams of carbohydrates per serving, making them unfit for keto.
Energy drink
Some energy drinks are keto-friendly, even though many popular brands use artificial sweeteners. There are a few alternatives that use natural sweeteners.
Hard liquor
Hard liquors like vodka, whiskey, rum, and tequila are inherently carb-free, making them keto-friendly. Avoid adding any drinks because mixed beverages are heavy in sugar from fruit juices or soda. Look for added sugars on the label of flavored liquors. Drink hard liquor straight or use zero-carb mixers like Diet Coke or seltzer water to keep your beverages low-carb. Tonic water includes extra sugar, so avoid it.
