Alcohol And Mixers To Avoid On A Ketogenic Diet
Most of us that are on a low-carb, ketogenic diet know that sugar is in just about everything you can find. This also applies to mixers and chasers for alcohol, as well.
- Port/Sherry. These are also known as dessert wines and include all types of port, sherry, and sauternes. They have a very high sugar alcohol, commonly averaging over 13g carbs for just a 3 oz serving. Avoid these where possible.
- Sweet Wines. Much sweeter than dry wines, these are typically enjoyed with dessert and are a bit lighter than port or sherry. These include Moscato, auslese riesling, tokaji, and malvasia wines. They typically have around 11-18g carbs per glass, so you should avoid these.
- Sangria/Margarita Mix. Typically sangria mixes and margarita mixes have over 10g carbs per 1.5 oz serving . Avoid these as much as possible.
- Wine Coolers/Alcopops. The most common of these are Smirnoff ice theyre essentially sugar-laden soda with alcohol in them. You should definitely avoid these.
- Liqueurs. Usually a combination of alcohol and a simple syrup , these are extremely high in carbohydrates. Below, youll find a full list of the most common liqueurs and their respective nutrition information.
| Liqueur Type | |
| 165 | 26 |
Keto Wine #: Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a red wine thats known and loved for its versatility. Whether youre having nourishing fatty keto meat for dinner, a rich keto cheese appetizer, or an eggy omelet for lunch, Pinot Noir can make a great pairing.
This versatility is thanks to its balanced flavor profile. Not too sweet yet not too dry. Not too light, yet not too strong think of Pinot Noir as the just right wine.
Some of our favorite Pinot-Noir & food pairings include:
- Roasted Lamb
Pino noir contains 3.4 grams of residual sugar per 5 ounce serving.
Keto Wine: 10 Best Low Carb Wines
Drake is famous for a lot of things, including the quote, Seven days without wine makes one weak. Though thats not based on a clinical study, if you can relate to it, then we can say with scientific certainty, youre really into wine. If youre reading this article youre also probably into keto and wondering if theres such a thing as low-carb keto wine.
Luckily there are many low-carb wines you can enjoy on a keto diet.
Here are our tips for selecting the best keto wine, and a list of the 10 best keto wines to choose from.
Recommended Reading: Wines With Honeybaked Ham
Which Wines Contain The Least Carbohydrates
This becomes a bit complicated because red wine, white wine and rosé can contain both much and little sugar. Unfortunately, you cannot determine the amount of sugar in a wine based on the color.
In general, there are a few things to look out for.
Dry wines are your best friend these are wines from which the sugar has been fermented, so that the wine is less sweet but also contains fewer carbohydrates.
On the other side of the spectrum, you will find dessert wines. These are the types that are packed with sugar. Wines that are sold as a late harvest usually also contain a lot of carbohydrates, so you should also avoid them if you follow a ketogenic diet.
The same can be said of champagne. Champagnes that fall under the name dry, brut or extra brut and sparkling wines contain the least sugar and are therefore the most keto-friendly within the entire range of champagnes.
You can find a quick overview below. Keep in mind that the stated values are averages and do not necessarily have to be correct across the board!
Dry red wines
- Pinot noir: 0.68 g carbohydrates for approx. 28 ml
- Cabernet Franc: 0.71 g
- Pinot blanc: 0.57 g carbohydrates for approx. 28 ml
- Sauvignon blanc: 0.6 g
- Pinot grigio: 0.6 g
Another handy reference is the image below. On the left, you see the absolute NO-GO wines such as sweet white wine and rosé. On the right, you see the more suitable wines such as dry white wine and red wine.
Can I, therefore, drink wine during the keto diet?
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Low-carb drinks, alcohol, and even hot chocolate and lattes can be part of your keto beverage repertoire. Below, youll learn which beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are keto-friendly.
Read Also: Making Drinking Glasses Out Of Bottles
Are You Crushing Your Keto Diet But Still Longing For That Celebratory Glass Of Wine Keep Reading Today Were Giving You The Details On How To Drink Wine On The Keto Diet
Whether youve been living that keto life for a while or youre just getting started, were cheering for you! We want people to live life to the fullest. That means eating delicious and healthy foods, being active, and celebrating special moments with a glass of wine. And yes, you read that last part right.
Diets are almost always associated with restrictions on what you can eat and drink. To a certain extent that makes sense, but being so strict isnt always sustainable. The key is balance. So, how can you drink wine without blowing all your progress? By choosing low-carb / low-sugar wine and drinking smart!
So get out your favorite wine glasses and make sure you know where your bottle opener is. Today were telling you how to drink wine on the keto diet.
Is White Wine Keto
Yes, some types of white wine can be consumed on the keto diet. However, since white wines tend to be sweeter and contain more sugar in wine than reds, you’ll need to be careful. Try to avoid any white wine where the label says sugar added or anything marketed as a dessert wine. These will have artificially increased carbs to make them sweeter, and they can easily break your diet.
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The Best Wine For Keto And The Worst
You dont need to know the difference between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir, to know your way around a wine list. Weve put together a handy guide to help you understand which wine has the least carbs and sugar, and which ones to avoid on a keto diet.
Best Keto White Wines
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Health Benefits Of Alcohol
You might have heard that drinking one glass of wine a day is actually good for you. Drinking once in a while actually has these health benefits: reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
The negative side effects stem from abusing alcohol. So, if you drink more than what your body can handle, it will hurt you in the long run.
Keep in mind that alcohol can only have these benefits if you drink it in moderation.
Keto Diet And Alcohol: The Best And Worst Drinks To Choose
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet used by many people to lose weight and improve health.
It typically requires careful planning so that you stick within your daily carb allotment and keep your body in ketosis. This may mean giving up sweets, snacks and other high-carb indulgences like soft drinks and alcohol.
However, there are plenty of low-carb alcoholic beverages that you can enjoy in moderation even on a keto diet.
This article gives you the best and worst alcoholic drinks to choose on the keto diet.
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How Many Carbs Are In Keto Wine
Drier wine varieties usually have less than 4 grams of carbs per 5 ounce serving, but bottles rarely have a nutritional label or test for carb content. So, you may have to rely on taste testing to choose the ones with the least amount of sweetness.
Another indicator that can help you choose is the alcohol by volume. The higher the percentage, the drier the wine typically is. Generally speaking, youll want to drink wines that have 13% or more alcohol.
If you need some help getting started, youll find a list of top picks for both red and white keto-friendly wines that have low residual sugar below.
Best Red Wines For Keto
1. Pinot Noir
As the first red on the top keto wines list, pinot noir isnt too far off from a glass of chardonnay with just 3.4 grams of carbs per serving size.
2. Merlot
Merlot and cabernet sauvignon take the prize for being the most popular reds in America, but merlot has a slight advantage at 3.7 grams of carbs compared to Cabernets 3.8 grams per glass.
3. Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon may not be the absolute lowest in carbs, but at 3.8 grams per 5 oz. glass, its still a decently dry red wine for anyone following a ketogenic diet.
4. Syrah
Syrah is a full-bodied, dry red with a little higher alcohol level on average. Its rich flavors make it the perfect wine to go with a rich meal or to drink all on its own. At just 4 carbs per glass, most keto dieters can get away with a glass or two if youre low-carb, but be careful if youre keto.
5. Red zinfandel
Red zinfandels are full-bodied, flavorful wines that pair well with red meat and other richer meals. At 4.2g of carbs per glass, you can easily enjoy a glass with dinner and stay in ketosis. Be careful if you want to enjoy more than one!
Read Also: Lowest Calorie Pinot Noir
Can You Drink Wine On The Keto Diet
We love pampering our guests and helping them live life to the brim with decadent, handmade meals and our portfolio of luscious, award-winning wines. Often we encounter visitors who are committed to a particular dietary lifestyle, which usually translates to a handful of hefty restrictions. The most popular of these is the keto diet. Many Ketonians long for a celebratory glass of wine and worry that theyll erase all their progress if they choose to indulge. If youre on the keto diet and wonder if you can drink wine, read on the answer might surprise you!
The Keto Diet and Ketosis
In a nutshell, the keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat lifestyle that focuses on moderate protein content to help you lose weight, improve your health, and increase your energy. The idea is that you need to stick to a low daily allotment of carbs to keep your body in the state of ketosis.
When you keep your carbohydrate intake low enough, your body will enter ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body will begin burning fat for energy. Your liver uses stored and consumed fat to produce ketone molecules for energy. This is great news for your brain, which thrives on glucose and ketones, but it can be difficult to say goodbye to your favorite sweets and indulgences like wine.
Alcohol and Ketosis
The Consensus
- Cabernet sauvignon
- Zinfandel
How to Enjoy Wine on the Keto Diet
Choose Chaumette
What Makes A Wine Keto Friendly Or Not
For a wine to be considered keto-friendly, it generally needs to fit the following two conditions:
- Low in alcohol
- Low in residual sugar
Some of the types of wine that are typically keto-friendly include merlot, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and pinot grigio.
But even these varieties can be more or less dry. Wines that arent considered dry may be too high in residual sugar to be suitable for keto.
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The Keto Diet And Alcohol
Just because you are on the keto diet doesnt mean you have to give up drinking entirely. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about drinking.
Will it kick you out of ketosis? What is the best alcohol to drink? What drinks should you definitely avoid?
This guide will cover all of that and more. We will look really closely at what alcohol is, how it affects your body, which to drink, and what to avoid.
You will also learn how many carbs are in your favorite mixed drinks. It might even make you rethink about ordering that margarita at that Mexican restaurant tonight.
Is Red Wine Keto
Yes, many red wine types can be consumed on the keto diet. Since your goal is to limit carbs, red wine is actually the perfect choice. Red wines are naturally a little higher in calories than whites due to the tannins, but they usually don’t have added sugar. This means the total calories are lower, and they don’t have nearly the same amount of carbohydrates.
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What’s The Best Way To Choose Keto Wine
As mentioned, dry wine is the best option on keto. Be it red, white, or rosé, you want wine that has the least amount of residual sugars.A good rule of thumb for choosing keto-friendly wine is to look for bottles that contain less than 10 grams of sugar. However, nutrition information isn’t typically included on wine bottles or restaurant menus, so you’ll have to do your own sleuthing.
One surefire way to reduce your risk of consuming hidden sugars is to avoid cheap, low-quality wine producers. Many commercial brands use added sugar to compensate for the lack of quality.
Instead of going mainstream, opt for wines that are made using Old World practices and dont rely on additives. Also, look for wines that have “no added sugar” on the label so you have a better chance of keeping your carb count down.
Usual Wines sources grapes from small, sustainably farmed winemakers who favor traditional winemaking techniques. Plus, none of these wines have any added sugars or additives.
It’s also worth checking out biodynamic wines, which sometimes have lower naturally occurring sugars and certainly no synthetic ingredients. In general, you’ll want to avoid non-keto wines such as sangria, dessert wines, wine coolers, and any other sugary wines that aren’t dry.
It’s Possible To Enjoy Keto Wine While Staying Low
When you’re ditching carbs, lowering your sugar intake, and trying to live a healthier lifestyle, oftentimes one of the first things to go is drinking alcohol. But while you might be saying goodbye to donuts, chips, and sugar-filled margaritas on the keto diet, you can still enjoy a glass of wine and stay in ketosis.
The key is to keep your alcohol consumption in check and choose dry, low-carb wines that won’t send your blood sugar soaring. So go ahead and get yourself a Usual Wines mixed pack featuring red, brut bubbly, and dry rosé. You wont have to worry about kicking yourself out of ketosis, and your taste buds and macros will thank you.
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The Downsides Of Wine On Keto
Even though wine can bring health benefits, you wont lose weight or flatter your health if you consume it excessively.
Therefore, according to studies, the best health benefit is obtained with a glass of red wine a day .
In contrast, too much alcohol increases the risk of heart failure, cancer, liver disease, and mortality in general.
In addition, there are other disadvantages of alcohol consumption in ketogenic diets:
- Although there are no studies about it, you tend to get drunk faster on the keto diet, which you should not underestimate.
- Since the liver preferentially takes care of breaking down alcohol, this can inhibit ketone production and weight loss .
- Its no secret that a large appetite usually follows increased alcohol consumption. The more you drink, the more likely you are to overeat afterward.
Finally, science gives us the ideal amount of alcohol per day, about 90 ml of wine for women and about 180 ml for men .
Indeed, you do not have to drink wine every day. However, now and then, 1-2 glasses of the right wine are allowed even on the keto diet.
In Moderation Wine Is Fine
If you choose the right wine, 1-2 glasses wont throw you out of ketosis. Moreover, moderate alcohol consumption can even be beneficial to your health, which is especially the case with red wine.
Therefore, the ideal keto wine has the following characteristics:
- Low residual sugar content
- No added sugar
- No chemical additives
- Lass than 15% alcohol
To enjoy wine on the keto diet without worry, ask a professional wine merchant for dry varieties.
This list of the best low-carb grape varieties will help you choose wherever you shop. With traditional vinification, they are always keto-friendly.
In addition, high-quality sparkling wines exist with exceptionally low residual sugar. Therefore, look for the brut designation when choosing.
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Mixed Drinks / Cocktails
If things seem likely to go off the rails with cocktails for carb counts, your worry is with good cause. It’s actually the mixers in mixed drinks that tend to contain all of the sugar. This is fairly straightforward: sugary sodas, fruit juices, and liqueurs are sweet from sugar, whether added or naturally occurring. When you add any of them to alcohol, you increase the carbohydrate count significantly and make yourself much more likely to fall out of ketosis. You also increase your chances of a hangover from the sugar content.
There’s no doubt that cocktails are more enjoyable than sipping on straight alcohol. If cocktails are your drink of choice, pick simple low or no calorie mixers such as soda water, stevia sweetened soda, pure cranberry juice, flavored sparkling water, or tea.
