Is Eggnog Keto Friendly? (All You Need to Know)

If you’re prepping for the holidays and finishing up your final grocery list to include all of your seasonal favorites, you may want to think again about picking up that eggnog if you’re trying to stick to a keto diet.

Regular eggnog is not considered keto friendly because it contains more carbohydrates than are allowed on a keto diet. However, there are keto friendly eggnog recipes and certain brands who make eggnog that may qualify as keto friendly.

In this article, we will delve into why regular eggnog isn’t keto friendly and how to make a keto friendly version of eggnog.

Additionally, we will cover some keto friendly eggnog alternatives as well as whether or not there are brands that make keto friendly eggnog.

Table of Contents

Why Isn’t Regular Eggnog Keto Friendly?

In general, eggnog is not considered keto friendly because it contains more carbohydrates than a keto diet allows for.

An eight ounce or one cup serving of eggnog has more than forty carbs in it, all of which are presented as sugar and not fiber.

In a regular keto diet, you should not consumer more than twenty net carbs per meal. If you had just one glass of eggnog, you would utilize more than two meals worth of carbohydrates with just that one serving. There are way too many other holiday treats for that one glass of eggnog to be worth it!

While the main ingredient of eggnog – eggs – is an excellent keto friendly food, the problem remains with all of the added sugar.

There are ways to compensate for the excessive amounts of sugar in eggnog, but you will need to make your own or go on the hunt for a brand that does not use the concentration of sugar found in most eggnogs.

How Do You Make Keto Friendly Eggnog?

There are a variety of keto friendly eggnog recipes out there to try. Most of them significantly cut the sugar content down to less than five grams of carbs per serving.

The biggest difference between a homemade keto friendly version of eggnog and the regular kind that you buy in the store is the type of sweetener used and, sometimes, the dairy product.

Most keto friendly eggnog recipes use monkfruit instead of cane sugar as a sweetener. Monkfruit offers the same sweetness and the same taste as cane sugar but has zero carbs compared to the four carbs found in just one teaspoon of sugar.

Another way to bring down the carb count is by replacing the dairy milk and cream with another option.

Dairy products are typically high in sugar; however, dairy free alternatives can bring the sugar content down significantly.

Coconut milk and almond milk are great ways to cut the carbs while still providing excellent flavor if not a new twist on classic eggnog.

What Are Some Keto Friendly Eggnog Alternatives?

If you are looking for alternatives to regular eggnog to serve this holiday season, be aware that not all of the healthy options are considered keto friendly.

Most people looking to cut down on the fat content that eggnog contains will usually go for rice nog or soy nog. However, these are not great choices for those following a keto diet.

Both soy and rice are high in carbs, so don’t fall for the “healthy” alternative eggnog unless it really is keto friendly. Eggnog made with alternative sweeteners or non-dairy milk is more likely to be keto friendly.

To make sure, always look at the amount of carbs per serving; this will let you know if you are safe to drink it on a keto diet.

When all else fails, you can always make your own eggnog. There are plenty of keto friendly recipes out there.

You could also switch it up and try out a new holiday drink. Vanilla chai tea will give you the same great mixture of spices and you can drink it hot or cold.

Do Any Brands Produce Keto Friendly Eggnog?

Most brands do not produce eggnog that is keto friendly because the sugar content is too high. However, there are some brands that specifically make keto friendly eggnog.

Real Appeal makes a keto eggnog that only has three grams of carbs per serving.

If you can find an eggnog made with 2% reduced fat milk instead of whole milk, you may be able to cut the carbs down to 16 grams per cup instead of forty.

The majority of eggnog makers produce eggnog that has around twenty grams of carbohydrates per half cup serving, which means you are consuming forty grams for a full cup.

You can keep it keto friendly if you stick to the serving size and only consume half of what you normally would.

There are other creative ways to get your eggnog fix without sacrificing your keto diet. Coffee Mate makes eggnog creamer that is keto friendly and Inspire has an eggnog protein powder with only three grams of carbs per serving.

All things considered though, it can be very difficult to find a brand that makes eggnog that you will be able to drink and enjoy without worrying about consuming too much sugar.

In the end, it might be worth it just to make your own.

Conclusion

While eggnog is a traditional holiday drink and favorite for many, it is not keto friendly.

Between the added sweetener and the dairy products, regular eggnog can contain over forty grams of carbohydrates in a single cup.

There may be some brands that make keto friendly eggnog, but they are few and far between.

The best option for keto friendly eggnog is to whip up a batch yourself. Replacing cane sugar with monkfruit and dairy milk with coconut or almond milk will significantly lower the amount of sugar without compromising taste.

If you’re not sure that all the trouble is worth it, try an alternative to eggnog this holiday season like a nice hot cup of vanilla chai tea.

References

https://www.wholesomeyum.com/keto-eggnog/