Is coffee permitted on the keto diet?
If you’re a keto beginner, you'll have to give up a number of your favourite beverages — fizzy drinks, diet fizzy drinks, juice and most forms of alcohol, to name a few. Luckily, coffee isn't one of them. Weighing in with 0 carbs, 0 grams of sugar and just 2.5 calories, coffee is perfectly fine to consume on the keto diet [1].
Below, we explain why coffee and tea are keto-friendly beverages. In addition, we offer a recipe for a delicious keto coffee recipe, giving you an extra keto-friendly way to prepare your morning brew.
Are Coffee and Tea Keto-Friendly?
Yes. Both coffee and tea are permitted on the ketogenic diet.
The goal of the keto diet is to limit your carbohydrates below 20g per day, thereby your body chooses an alternative energy source (Fat). When glucose is no longer available, your body will start burning fatty acids for fuel. Stored fat is transformed into ketone bodies in the liver, which helps your body enter ketosis, an optimal state of metabolic function, flexibility and fat-burning.
To enter ketosis, most keto dieters limit their net carb count to 20 grams of carbs per day (or less). Therefore, high-carb foods, including gluten, grains, most fruits, legumes, starchy vegetables and refined sugar must be eliminated. In addition, many sugary beverages — fizzy drinks, beer, wine and juice — must be cut out of your diet.
Coffee and tea, on the other hand, contain zero carbs or sugar and therefore are keto-friendly beverages. Decaf coffee, regular coffee, espresso, black tea, matcha tea, chai tea, unsweetened iced tea and green tea are all keto-friendly options.
With that being said, you might have to change how you take your coffee. Sugar, most sugar alcohols (artificial sugar-free sweeteners) and most natural sweeteners are not permitted. In other words, you'll need to skip the two packets of Sweet’N Low or drizzle of honey, and drink black coffee instead.
Is Black Coffee the Only Option on the Keto Diet?
The best choice on the keto diet will always be to drink your coffee and tea plain. However, if you simply can't enjoy your morning cup of coffee without anything added to it, you have a few options available to you.
To understand which coffee add-ins are keto-friendly — and which are not — keep the basic premise of the keto diet in mind. The goal of the keto diet is to eat a high-fat, low-carb diet, with a heavy focus on real foods. Therefore, if an add-in is high in healthy fats, low in carbohydrates and comes from a real food source, there's a high chance you can consume it in your coffee.
How To Make Keto Coffee: Best Add-Ins for the Keto Diet
If you don't enjoy black coffee or plain tea, you have a few options available to you. Below, we share some low-carb, high-fat and real food ingredients that are perfectly suitable for the keto diet.
Keto-Friendly Sweeteners
You may not be able to enjoy your typical Starbucks order on keto, but there are plenty of other options to enjoy. If you simply must have some sort of sweetener in your coffee or tea, try these low-carb alternatives:
- Stevia: Stevia is an extract of the stevia plant, containing 0 grams of carbs or sugar. In addition, it's been shown to lower blood sugar levels after a meal [2].
- Monk fruit: Monk fruit sweetener is extracted from the monk fruit plant, and is filled with antioxidants. Like stevia, it contains 0 calories and 0 grams of carbs and sugar.
- Erythritol: Technically, erythritol is categorised as a sugar alcohol (which we don't recommend), but it is found naturally in some fruits and vegetables. In addition, it doesn't have the same negative side effects as other sugar alcohols.
Keto-Friendly Coffee Cream
Almost all store-bought coffee creamers are not permitted on the keto diet.) For the most part, we recommend staying away from products advertised as coffee creamer and choosing one of these add-ins instead:
- Coconut cream: Coconut is filled with healthy fats. Add a dollop of coconut cream to a cup of espresso for a keto spin on your traditional latte (or tea latte).
- Coconut milk: Like coconut cream, coconut milk is perfectly suitable for the keto diet. Be sure to purchase full-fat coconut milk.
- Unsweetened almond milk: Almond milk is a keto-friendly beverage. Simply be sure to select an unflavored, unsweetened version at the supermarket.
- Double cream: If you choose high-quality dairy that is grass-fed and preferably raw, double cream is perfectly suitable on the keto diet.
- Whipping cream: Like double cream, whipping cream is keto-friendly. Be sure to select an unsweetened whipping cream product at the store.
- Ghee: Ghee is clarified butter. Since ghee contains neither lactose nor casein, most individuals who are lactose intolerant can still consume it.
- Grass-fed butter: Add a dollop of grass-fed butter to your morning coffee to make bulletproof coffee (discussed in detail below).
Bulletproof Coffee Recipe: The Ultimate Keto Coffee
Keto coffee, also known as 'butter coffee' or 'bulletproof coffee', is regular coffee with a dollop of grass-fed butter added to it. Originally designed by Dave Asprey, an entrepreneur and everyday biohacker, the healthy fats in bulletproof coffee can help prevent cravings, promote satiety and jumpstart your morning.
With zero carbohydrates and plenty of healthy fatty acids, keto dieters enjoy bulletproof coffee as a meal replacement for breakfast. In addition, keto coffee can be consumed while intermittent fasting without breaking a fast.
How To Make Keto Coffee
To make bulletproof coffee, simply add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to a cup of hot coffee (or cup of tea, to make bulletproof tea). To make it frothy, we recommend mixing it with an immersion blender.
If you prefer, you can add the following keto-friendly ingredients to your bulletproof coffee:
- MCT oil: MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) are a type of fatty acid found naturally in coconuts, palm oil and some dairy products. MCTs are metabolised immediately in the liver (rather than being stored as fat), making them a preferable energy source.
- Coconut oil: If you don't tolerate dairy, you can use a tablespoon of coconut oil in place of butter. Coconut oil does contain some MCTs — they just come in a more diluted form than 100% pure MCT oil.
- Collagen: Collagen offers a number of health benefits, including healthier joints, hair, skin and nails [3]. Add a tablespoon to your bulletproof coffee to enjoy these health benefits.
Enjoy a Cup of Keto Coffee To Stay in Ketosis
The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that transitions your body to an optimal state of metabolic function and flexibility. To enter ketosis, you may need to give up a few of your favourite beverages, including fizzy drinks, juice and sweetened coffee beverages.
Luckily, black coffee and plain tea are completely keto compliant. To enjoy a cup of hot coffee or tea, add a dollop of coconut cream, add a pinch of monk fruit sweetener or a small pour of double cream. Otherwise, you can enjoy a bulletproof coffee or tea — one of the most popular keto recipes available.
To make a bulletproof coffee or tea, simply add a tablespoon of grass-fed butter to your morning brew. Otherwise, you can add pure MCT oil and a spoonful of collagen peptides to help you reach (or stay in) a ketogenic state.
All information provided on our website and within our articles is simply information, opinion, anecdotal thoughts and experiences to provide you with the tools to thrive.
It is not intended to treat or diagnose symptoms and is definitely not intended to be misconstrued for medical advice. We always advise you seek the advice of a trained professional when implementing any changes to your lifestyle and dietary habits.
We do however recommend seeking the services of a trained professional who questions the conventional wisdom to enable you to become the best version of yourself.
RESOURCES
[1] https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beverages/3898/2
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900484/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6835901
