Are Peanuts Good For Ketosis (Nuts, Carbs, Benefits – All You Need To Know!)

Do you know if peanuts are good for Ketosis? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

Are you on a ketogenic (keto) diet and are you wondering if peanuts are a good food to eat to help maintain ketosis?

You’re probably confused by what different people say about peanuts and a keto diet. That’s because the answer is not entirely straightforward.

So, are peanuts good for ketosis? Yes, peanuts can be eaten as part of a ketosis diet because they have high protein and high fat levels. However, because of the relatively high level of carbohydrates in peanuts compared to other nuts, you need to eat them in moderation.

Alternatively, if you’re a nut-lover, you might want to switch to another type of nut; after all, there’s plenty of variety available in your local supermarket or wholefoods store.  

In this article, I look into the composition of peanuts and explain how well they fit into a ketogenic diet, and offer you some tasty alternatives.

I’ll aim to clear up any lingering confusion you may have on whether it’s OK to eat peanuts while on a keto diet.  

What Are The Principles Of A Ketogenic Diet?

When you successfully follow a keto diet, your body goes into ‘ketosis’. Keto diets are characterized by their low carbohydrate intake. Keto is a type of dirt that covers named diets such as the Dukan Diet and the Atkins Diet.

These diets are similar in that they are all low-carb, but the allowed proportions of the key diet components – carbs, fats, and protein – differ. For a keto diet, you’ll be looking to limit your daily carb intake.

The daily carb intake limit to maintain a ketogenic diet varies from person to person, but typically this is in the range 25g to 50g. Compare this to a non-keto diet average of 100g to 150g of carbs per day.    

For healthy body function, you need energy. Normally, your body will convert glucose from carbohydrates to produce this vital energy to power your body and mind.

However, if you do not eat carbohydrates, or only eat them in small amounts, your body will start to convert, or burn, fat rather than carbohydrates to produce ketone energy.

This fat-burning process is called ketosis.

Keto diets focus on high-fat foods such as meat, fish, oils, nuts, cheese, and low-carb fruit and vegetables – green leafy vegetables, such as kale, low sugar berries such as blueberries, and cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage are good keto options.   

If you love bread, pasta, and rice and you’re following a keto diet, you’ll need some serious willpower. These food staples do not feature in ketogenic diets.

How Much Carbohydrate Is In Peanuts?

Peanuts are a good option for a keto diet from a protein and fat content perspective. However, the issue with peanuts is that they contain a relatively high proportion of carbohydrates when compared to other nut options.

If we look at the US Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central database we can see that one ounce of peanuts contains 4g of net carbs. Net carbs are the usable carbs minus fiber.

With around 8 ounces in a cup measure, you can see how even half a cup of peanuts is going to quickly use up your daily carb limit with around 16g of net carbs.    

But don’t totally discount peanuts. They are a good source of powerful nutrients, such folate, vitamin E, copper, zinc, and magnesium, as well as being high in protein and antioxidants.

Keto Alternatives To Peanuts

Lots of people love peanuts, they can be very addictive!

If you’re craving nuts but are on a keto diet, you don’t have to reach for the peanuts to satisfy your nut cravings. Try some alternatives, there are plenty of options to tempt your taste buds. I list the best alternative options here:

• Almonds are a great source of various nutrients such as vitamin E, magnesium, copper, and riboflavin, and contain around 3g of net carbs in each ounce.
• Walnuts are packed with antioxidants, various B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium, and contain just 2g of net carbs in each ounce.
• Hazelnuts are rich in antioxidants, vitamins E, K, and manganese, and just 2g of net carbs in each ounce.
• Macadamia nuts are often cited as the most keto-friendly nut available because of their high-fat content, whilst being low in carbs, with only 2g of net carbs in each ounce. They’re also an excellent source of antioxidants, various B vitamins, iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese. 
• Pecans are very low in carbs with around 1g of net carbs per ounce, and pack healthy amounts of vital nutrients such as zinc, thiamine, and magnesium.
• Brazil nuts are thought to be one of the best natural sources of selenium; you only need one Brazil nut to get all of your recommended daily amount of selenium.  Selenium contributes to the healthy functioning of the body and supports the immune system. Brazil nuts contain an amazing 1g of net carbs per ounce.

The data on the amount of carbohydrates in the various peanut alternatives discussed above also comes from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) FoodData Central.

Other nuts worth investigating to replace peanuts are pili nuts, pistachios, and pine nuts.

And what about peanut butter? Of course, peanut butter contains a lot of peanuts, and so it also contains a relatively high amount of carbs.

I know peanut butter is irresistible but I recommend you try a different, but equally tasty, nut butter. We are lucky that food companies offer us a huge choice these days. Cashew, almond, and macadamia nut butters are great keto alternatives to peanut butter.  

Summary

So, are peanuts good for ketosis?  

You can eat peanuts as part of a keto diet. However, you need to limit the number of peanuts you eat so as not to quickly blow your daily carb limit.

If you want to eat nuts, but are open to trying a different variety, there are better whole nut, and nut butter options, available that are more suited to a keto diet.

References

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/