The ketogenic diet is characterized by a low-carb and high-fat intake, it is a diet plan which promotes weight loss and other health benefits such as balanced blood sugar levels, prevents risks of heart diseases, etc. With the development in the nutritional field, the keto diet also gets modified over time, now it has more food options and varieties. At first, people thought that all fruits are healthy, so they are a part of keto but with many studies, it was cleared that you can eat fruits on keto, but the ones which have a low-carb profile like avocadoes. The question arises here that is it allowed to have avocado on keto?
Avocadoes have been declared as one of the best fruits to be eaten on the keto diet as it has the exact nutritional quantities as keto which is high-fat and low-carb, but not only that it has numerous other health benefits which makes it so recommendable for the ketogenic diet.
Is Avocado a Keto-Friendly Food?
Most people think that avocado is a vegetable but this is not true, it is biologically a fruit and it should be eaten as a fruit. Avocado has a black outer covering with inner Luscious green flesh, its taste is very in between, and it is a little bit sweet and mostly savory. But the actual question here is that avocado a keto-friendly fruit or not? This fruit which is one of people’s favorite is very much keto-friendly, it is a must of this diet plan as it has low net carbs and high-fat content which makes it perfect for keto.
The dietitians suggest including this fruit in the diet plan very much as there are two reasons for that. Firstly, it suits the diet very much because it promotes the ketosis process as avocado contains proper high fat and lower carb nutrients which is the requirement. The second reason is, how versatile this fruit is you can do anything with it and can use it in every kind of dish, it makes an excellent appearance in whatever form you use it.
Is Avocado Having the Proper Keto Nutrients Percentage?
Yes, avocado does have the proper keto nutrients percentage. Let take a look at how many carbs does avocado and avocado oil contains;
Avocado:
One entire avocado contains about 12 grams of carbs but not all of these are net carbs the ones that can be used as an energy source. An avocado contains 10 grams of fibers and only 2 grams of net carbs which makes it so preferable for this diet plan.
Avocado oil:
Avocado oil is also another unique form of this delicious food which is very useful and also beneficial as it contains 0 net carbs which are best for the keto diet. This oil also has a high smokiness point which enables you to utilize it in various raw and cooked dishes.
How much Fat Does an Avocado Contains?
This is also a very commonly asked question that how much does this fruit contains, avocado is mostly fat-oriented which is almost equals 70 % of the whole fruit’s nutrients. A whole avocado has 20 – 25 grams of fats in it, which is a very good percentage for keto as we need foods that are higher in healthy fat content to enhance the metabolic process of ketosis.
Nutritional values of avocado and avocado oil:
The nutritional values of avocado are as follow:
- Net carbs: 2 grams
- Fiber: 10 grams
- Fat: 20 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
But this the macronutrient quantities, while avocado is a fruit which is very rich and dense with various healthy micronutrients;
- Vitamin C: 16 %
- Folate: 20 %
- Potassium: 14 %
- Vitamin E: 9 %
- Vitamin K: 26 %
- Vitamin B5: 14 %
- Vitamin B6: 13 %
It also has minor quantities of copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin B2, B1, B3
This is the nutritional profile of about 100 grams of an avocado.
Avocado oil:
- This oil is very suitable for keto as it contains 0 net carbs, the other Nutritional values are;
- Vitamin E: 23 % of daily value
- Fat: 15 grams
- Mono saturated fat: 10 grams
- Poly saturated fat; 2 grams
- Saturated fat: 2 grams
- Total calories: 120 grams
Will Avocado Make You Fat Due to its High-Fat Content?
When many studies have shown that avocado has a higher fat content so people start to think that it is not a healthy fruit, then people take it as a fruit with a bad reputation but the reality is pretty opposite. This fruit does have a high-fat and low-carb content but this fat does not contribute to weight gain because it is the healthy fats that help you with weight loss andhealth benefits. It is a great appetite suppressant that stops you from mindless eating which directly contributes to a maintained weight
This is the reason why it is included in all the weight loss diet plans such as keto, Atkins, etc.
How many Avocadoes you can Have Per Day on Keto?
On keto, you can consume one whole or half avocado per day, as recommends by dietitians and doctors. You can have it as a snack fruit or you can include it in dishes or smoothies. Do not consume more than 1 avocado per day as it can disturb the nutrients content.
Health Benefits of Avocado
Here are some of the health benefits of avocado:
High amounts of nutrients:
Avocado has a high content of potassium which is good for your energy, blood sugar levels, heart health, and also it is a physiological relaxer it will help in better sleep and lower blood pressure. It has a lot of other healthy nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B1, B2, B3, and also zinc, copper, manganese, etc. which is very helpful for the overall body’s health.
Keto-friendly:
It contains only 2 grams of net carbs which is very nutritional for the keto diet, 100 grams of an avocado provides only a little carb to the body which does not disturb the ketosis process which is incredible for this diet plan.
High healthy fat content:
Avocadoes are high in fat, but that does not mean that they are going to make you fat or obese, this fat is healthy which lowers high cholesterol levels and keeps the body in a good state.
High fiber content:
Avocado contains about 75 % fibers which are very beneficial especially when you follow a diet plan as it performs great as an appetite suppressant and gives you a feeling of fullness to reduce hunger issues and keeps you energetic for a longer time without consuming a lot of calories
Micronutrient rich:
This is one of those fruits which is very rich in micronutrient content which is good to cover any micronutrient-related deficiencies. It provides a boost to the body which is very good as we sometimes feel low during low-carb diets such as keto.
How to Incorporate Avocado in your Diet Plan?
Avocado is a very flexible fruit, as you can use it however you like:
- You can eat them raw as a fruit
- You can eat as a spread on bread (almond-floured)
- You can use it in the vegetable mix of a wrap or chipotle
- You can use it in sauces
- You can use avocado as a smoothie’s ingredient.
- You can also stuff a lot of things in an avocado.
- You can use it in various salads and dressings like guacamole.
- You can use the avocado oil to cook various dishes and as a top drizzle for salads, steaks, etc.
Popular Avocado Keto Recipes
Following is some of the best and popular recipes and all are keto-friendly:
Keto avocado-walnut smoothie with collagen powder:
This smoothie contains avocado, peanut butter, and collagen powder with walnuts to create a creamy texture with a delicious taste. You can use whatever flavor of collagen powder you want like chocolate, vanilla, etc. Avocado walnut smoothie is a perfect blend of fats and proteins which provides a very nutty and tasty drink.
Keto avocado coconut and spinach smoothie with chia seeds:
This smoothie is a blend of avocado, spinach, coconut milk, and chia seeds which deliver the perfect portions of fibers, fats, and protein which is very beneficial for the diet plan.
Lemon chicken stuffed avocado:
This is a stuffed avocado recipe with a tasty and simple recipe of lemon chicken, it makes the perfect lunch or dinner meal with its whelming taste and flavor.
Stuffed avocado salads bowl:
It is a simple recipe of a vegetable or chicken salad stuffed inside an avocado, it is very nutritional and tasty as it provides a perfect portion of vegetables which is very important for the body’s nutrition.
Avocado dressings:
Avocado has been using as a dressing ingredient for years because it is a perfect addition to any dressing due to its creamy and tangy flavors. Popular dressings include avocado cilantro lime ranch dressing, lemon avocado dressing, etc.
Avocado soup:
It is very weird to hear about avocado soup but it is a very luscious dish that is not unique but very beneficial health-wise.
There is also dozen other ways and recipes of avocado like pickled avocado, as a raw fruit, avocado, and egg salad, etc. But one thing that is common for sure is the delicious flavor of avocado and its health benefits.
Conclusion
Avocado is a true labor of nature, as it is so flavorful but also has more than dozen health benefits. It is a perfect addition to the keto diet due to its high-fat, high-fiber, and low-carb content. A keto diet without this fruit is incomplete because it such as crucial food as it is a part of hundreds of dishes and smoothies, it gives us versatility which we need in a restricted keto diet.
