Are Mushrooms Keto Friendly? (Low Carbs Veggies + More)

Lindsey, do you know if mushrooms are keto friendly? This is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

Mushrooms are generally considered to be keto friendly because many varieties of mushrooms contain very few carbohydrates, if any at all, and are also full of protein. Mushrooms also contain a number of nutritional ingredients and high levels of fiber, which can be hard to find in foods suitable for a keto diet.

In the following article, we cover everything you need to know about whether mushrooms are keto friendly, including what makes them that way and how many carbs are in typical mushroom varieties.

Table of Contents

Are mushrooms keto friendly?

Most mushrooms are typically considered to be keto friendly. Mushrooms come in numerous varieties, most of which are very low in carbohydrates.

Other mushroom varieties contain no carbs at all. For this reason, most types of mushroom will be suitable for anyone following a keto friendly diet.

Mushrooms are also high in protein and are a great natural weight loss aid, which makes them even more suitable for a keto diet.

Not only are they very nutritious, but they are also able to be used in many different recipes and alongside different ingredients as part of a balanced keto diet.

Are mushrooms good in a keto diet?

Mushrooms are a great source of flavor and are really easy to use in different ingredients, so they suit many different needs when it comes to cooking.

They are also good food for when you are trying to lose weight and can help to balance blood sugar due to the vitamin D they contain.

Mushrooms are also a great way to get a lot of protein and fat into a meal if you don’t eat meat or are trying to cut back on meat intake. Mushrooms are a natural alternative for vegetarians to get some of the benefits of meat without having to eat it.

This opens up many more recipes for vegetarians trying to follow a keto diet, which can be difficult to do.

How many carbs are in different types of mushrooms?

Different types of mushrooms contain different amounts of carbs, meaning some are more suitable for a keto diet than others. Let’s look at how many net carbs are found in some of the most popular mushroom types:

Regular mushrooms: 0.55 grams of net carbs,
Portabella mushrooms: 2.96 grams of net carbs,
Enoki mushrooms: 0.08 grams of net carbs,
Oyster mushrooms: 5.92 grams of net carbs.

From this, we can see that regular and enoki mushrooms are great for a keto friendly diet. Portabella mushrooms might also be good for a keto diet, particularly if you were using them in combination with other, low carb foods.

Oyster mushrooms, however, are less likely to be keto friendly, as they take up a lot of the daily allowance of carbs on a keto diet.

Are canned mushrooms keto friendly?

Canned mushrooms should be keto friendly, but it’s always worth checking the label on the can to see what the mushrooms have been canned with.

Canned mushrooms may have higher number of carbohydrates, especially if they have other ingredients with them or have been made with cream.

What makes mushrooms healthy?

Mushrooms are full of nutrients which makes them an ideal keto friendly snack.

They are packed with healthy ingredients like niacin, which can help to lower the risk of heart attack, and vitamin B1, which improves the way the heart and muscles work.

Other vitamins like B2 also help to improve the way the body uses oxygen.

Mushrooms are also great for preventing infections. Selenium helps to protect against infectious diseases, while the antioxidants present help to improve the immune system.

Potassium is also found in mushrooms, which helps to control blood pressure, while the presence of fibre can help with weight loss.

What are the benefits of a keto diet?

Keto diets are often recommended to anyone trying to lose weight, as this is often thought of as a beneficial side effect of following the diet. By cutting out carbs and unhealthy foods, weight loss is often one of the unintentional benefits of following a keto diet.
Some diseases have been found to be treated and prevented by following a keto diet. Epilepsy in childhood is one example of such a disease, as physicians have been recommending a keto diet to help treat epilepsy for many years. Other people have found success in treating or managing diseases like type 2 diabetes with a keto diet.
Some studies have found that a keto diet can help to alleviate acne. The decrease in carb intake and processed foods was thought to help stabilize blood sugar, which can help to reduce the symptoms of acne in some cases. This was found to be the case in people whose acne was thought to be caused by diet.

Are there any risks with following a keto diet?

Many people experience something called ‘keto flu’, which is something that happens at the start of the diet and can cause people to feel flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, vomiting, headaches, nausea, and constipation. While this goes away eventually, it can be difficult to cope with at first.
While the keto diet has some benefits for health, it can also provide some risks when it comes to health. Most issues with health come from the amount of fat and protein that is consumed when on the diet, which can cause issues like a build-up of fat, kidney stones, and excess protein.
As part of the keto diet requires food groups to be reduced or even eliminated, you automatically miss out on the nutritional benefits of these groups. This can put people at risk of nutritional deficiencies, which can be dangerous and lead to other issues.

Final Thoughts

Mushrooms are generally considered to be keto friendly. Of the many varieties of mushrooms out there, most are low in carbohydrates and high in protein, making them a great keto friendly food.

They are also high in other nutritional ingredients like fiber, which can be difficult to find in other keto friendly foods.

References

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mushrooms-keto