Usually keto blogs are all about how evil carbs are. Well, we can eat a few of them, just not very many when you compare what we eat to what the average Canadian or American eats. Keto restricts you to between 20 – 50 grams of net carbs a day. For comparison, there are 21 grams of net carbs in one hamburger bun. So, we have to be very particular about what carbs we eat. Is there a certain time of day that’s better to eat carbs? These are some of the questions we examine in this blog around carbs on keto.
The Quick and Dirty Information on Carbs
If you’re not sure what qualifies as a carb, we did a blog on that. So, I’m not going to get into it all that much here. Basically, carbs are your fiber, starches, and sugars. This includes things like fruits, vegetables, and grain products. Our bodies can break down carbs into glucose and use that for energy. That’s the process most people in North America use.
On keto, we starve our bodies of carbs so we switch over to using fat as an energy source. The typical American diet consists of approximately 50% carbs, 35% fat, and 15% protein. It’s important to note that out of the carbs count, about 22% of those are from added sugar. I think we can all agree that is not a healthy way to eat, but it is the standard american diet. Keto people get their calories from about 75% fat sources, 5% carbs, and 20% protein. With the carb levels that low, our bodies choose burning fat over glucose.
The Best Carbs on Keto
As someone who does keto, I choose fruit and vegetables that offer low carb counts and high levels of vitamins and nutrients. This includes cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts. Other nutrient-rich vegetables that are low-carb include celery, asparagus, and zucchini. There’s also the complicated tomato, which is technically a fruit, but eaten as a vegetable.
Many fruits are high in natural sugars, and therefore not overly keto-friendly. We tend to stick to the berries. Strawberries are in season right now in Nova Scotia, and I have enjoyed a few of these. Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are also pretty low-carb. It’s important to use your scale or measuring cup with these, as it is all too easy to over-indulge.
The Worst Carbs on Keto
In a word – sugar. Sugar will sabotage you in so many ways! Some people have asked if they can save up their carbs for the day and then indulge in a bit of ice cream, for example. Well, technically, there is about 17 grams of carbs in ½ a cup of vanilla ice cream. 16 grams of that is sugar. This is going to spike your insulin and get your body all ready to get back to burning carbs. If you’ve been following a keto diet for a while, it’s also going to make you feel terrible. For me, it’s not worth it!
Simple carbs, like white bread or white pasta, also convert to glucose quickly. They don’t have a lot of fiber to slow down the process, so your body is again going to experience a spike in insulin production and then you’re going to crash when it’s all burned off. Will it throw you out of ketosis? Maybe. Is it good for your body? Definitely not. Again, to me, it’s just not worth it.
When To Eat Carbs on Keto
In general, if you are eating to try to lose weight, the information we’ve had for generations is to avoid food in the evenings. According to Healthline, new research suggests our bodies are better at burning carbs in the morning and fat in the evening. With that information, it would seem you should eat your carbs earlier in the day.
If you are trying to build muscle, many people eat carbs right before a workout. They call this carb-loading. The idea behind that is that you build up lots of energy just before you expend a lot of energy with exercise. There is some conflicting research about whether this works well for athletes. Most recognize that unless you are a professional athlete, this is not going to be necessary.
Keto is, of course, a different kind of animal. We are using fat for energy, rather than carbs. Some people still eat their carbs right before a workout. There isn’t much research about the results of this technique. There is some research that suggests if you experience insomnia on keto, eating carbs right before bed may help you relax and fall asleep.
A Final Thought
Truly, there isn’t a lot of research on when to eat carbs. We tend to eat carbs at lunch (as leftovers) and dinner time. We try to stick to about 20 grams of net carbs a day, and that seems to work for us. Do what works well for you and your lifestyle. Honestly, the researchers are still trying to figure out if keto is okay in long-term use. It will be a while before they figure out if there is an ideal time to eat the carbs we take in.
As for the types of carbs, I have never eaten so many healthy fruits and vegetables in my entire life. You can take in a lot of them before you get knocked out of ketosis. I used to eat a lot of carbs in the form of sugar and simple carbs. When I was trying to be health conscious, I’d eat corn and peas, which taste good, but aren’t as nutrient-rich as broccoli and asparagus. Now, I eat fruit and vegetables pretty much every day. It’s not about staying away from carbs – it’s about the types of carbs you eat.
Wendy
