Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, folate, and fiber, but what about their carbs? That’s what you’re probably wondering if you’re following the keto diet, which restricts your carb intake to 20 grams per day (or less). If you don’t think strawberries fit into your diet anymore, read on to learn more about fruit carbs and how you can still eat strawberries on the keto diet!
10 Things You Didn't Know About Low Carb Fruit
Many of us know that strawberries are high in sugar and shouldn't be consumed on a low-carb diet. However, there is some debate about what types of sugars they contain. While it's true that strawberries do contain fructose and sucrose (just like most fruits), they are also unusually high in fiber, which makes them more nutritionally valuable than many other fruits. Here are ten things you didn't know about how to eat strawberries on a low-carb diet.
things you didn't know about how to eat strawberries on a low-carb diet.
Fruits are high in carbs, but many of us are unsure of which fruits can fit into a keto diet and which should be avoided. Today I’ll discuss strawberries, one of my favorite low-carb fruits, and how to eat them on a keto diet. Spoiler alert: When you start your day with strawberries, you’re eating something nutritious—and taking advantage of that breakfast as a treatment concept that I teach in How to Start a Low Carb Diet. But unlike other low-carb foods like eggs or bacon or avocado, strawberries aren't very filling by themselves.
Types of Carbohydrates in Fruits
There are two types of carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables: simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs are created from single sugar molecules, which digest quickly; these are found in fruit juice, candy, and soda. Complex carbs form long chains with various other sugar molecules; they take longer to digest and provide your body with more sustained energy. Because of their fiber content, some types of fruits contain more fiber than others—and strawberries are one of those high-fiber fruits. Read on to learn how many carbs there are in strawberries and how you can add them to your keto diet!
How Many Carbs Are In A Cup Of Strawberries?
You’re probably used to looking at nutrition labels for carbs, but it's a bit different with strawberries. That’s because not all types of carbohydrates are equal. Some carbs can be good for you! The majority of carbs found in strawberries are net carbs — or digestible carbohydrates that your body can break down into glucose and use for energy or maintain cellular structure. A single cup of fresh strawberries has 11,5 grams of net carbs and just 3,5 grams of fiber, leaving 8 grams to account for after taking into account insoluble fiber. While on a keto diet, which focuses on weight loss by encouraging high-fat consumption, those 8 grams (or less) are a great deal!
How Many Grams Of Fiber Are In A Cup Of Strawberries?
The United States Department of Agriculture states that each cup of strawberries contains 3.5 grams of fiber, with 15 total carbs and 11.5 net carbs. Because our bodies cannot digest fiber, it is subtracted from a food’s total carb count. Thus, we subtract 3.5 grams from 15, giving us 11.5 grams of effective carbs in a cup of strawberries—making them low-carb friendly!
Some Final Thoughts on Fruit
Many fruits contain a lot of carbohydrates, but they also have plenty of fiber—and that’s what makes them good carbs. Fruits like berries and apples are considered low in net carbs because they don’t spike your blood sugar as much as many other fruits do. They will still raise your blood sugar and insulin levels some, though, so you need to take that into account when you eat them.
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