Keto Nuts – What nuts can you eat on keto?
Snacking on keto can be difficult. Most snacks in vending machines and stores are loaded with sugar. Even a traditionally healthy snack, like fruit, is a no go on a keto diet. Luckily, nature’s own packaged snack, Nuts, are generally great for keto. Most are high in fat and can help you feel fuller for longer. However, you also need to consider the carb count. Not all nuts are keto friendly.
Best nuts for keto
The table below lists the most common nuts rated by the amount of carbs per 100g (lower is better).
Side note – the nutrition information below assumes that they are just the raw/cooked nut. In other words, nothing has been added, like coatings such as “Honey roasted”. Most coatings and flavourings tend to drastically change the carb count. Remember to always check the ingredient and nutrition label!
| Rating | Nut | Carbs (per 100g) | Calories (per 100g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pecan | 4 | 715 |
| 2 | Brazil | 4 | 690 |
| 3 | Macadamia | 5 | 770 |
| 4 | Hazelnut | 7 | 670 |
| 5 | Walnut | 7 | 710 |
| 6 | Peanut | 8 | 615 |
| 7 | Almond | 9 | 645 |
| 8 | Pine | 9 | 690 |
| 9 | Pistachio | 12 | 650 |
| 10 | Cashew | 22 | 580 |
What’s not to love about nuts
You can see that Pecans, Brazil and Macadamia nuts are all pretty low in carbs, so can be eaten on a keto diet. Just don’t go crazy with the serving size, and you should be fine!
The nuts in the middle range (Hazelnuts to Pine nuts) can still be consumed but try and keep your intake low. For instance, if you eat 100g of Peanuts in a day. You will use up almost half of your carb intake, on just snacks alone (assuming an average 20g allowance)! Little things like that can quickly add up and kick you out of ketosis.
The last two nuts (Pistachio and Cashew), should be avoided on keto. Even a small serving still contains a relatively high amount of carbs.
Remember the calories
Nuts are quite nutrient and calorie dense. This makes them great for providing a quick blast of energy. Most nuts have between 500-700 calories per 100g. If you’re aim is to lose weight on keto, then make sure you don’t aimlessly snack on them.
One of the best ways to limit your intake, is to measure out servings ahead of time, and put them in bags/Tupperware. I generally tend to divide nuts into 20-25g servings.
Coatings and flavourings on nuts
If you walk down your local UK supermarket’s crisp and snacks aisle. You’re bound to see a whole range of nuts. Most are probably coated in some kind of flavouring, such as:
- Sweet chilli
- Honey roasted
- Salted caramel
- Flame grilled steak
Mmm, they all sound pretty good! Sadly, most coatings add a whole bunch of carbs. As such, they should be avoided on keto.
Side note – most salted and roasted varieties are generally OK for keto. Just remember to check the nutrition label to see if the carb count is acceptable.
Recipe ideas
If you want to add some extra flavour, then you could try your hand at making your own coatings:
