Are Avocados Keto? How to use them for weight loss

Avocado is a low carbohydrate fruit and is widely used as a healthy fat on a ketogenic diet. Although it has a total carbohydrate count of 17g in a single avocado, the carbs are mostly in the form of fiber and the net carb count is only around 4 grams in a single avocado which makes it an excellent fruit for the keto diet.

A single serving of avocado is a single avocado fruit, weighing approximately 304 grams. This contains 79% water and 365 kcal of calories.

A single avocado contains approximately 7 grams net carbs. Total carbohydrates are 24 grams with 17 grams of fiber.

Avocados are very low carb and assuming your target daily carb intake is 25 grams, it would take 3 avocados to fill that limit and you would be unlikely able to eat that many! On average depending on your daily activity level, eating half or a whole avocado is a good amount, keeping you satiated for a long time and provide a good level of energy as fat.

Avocados are keto friendly but they are composed mostly of fat at 1:4.5 protein to fat ratio. If trying to lose weight, avocados should be eaten sparingly to allow your body to use its stored fat for energy instead of from dietary intake. Avocado is good to use as a side dish or a garnish to go with your meal and can help with controlling hunger and keeping you satiated. Keep a higher protein to fat ratio in your daily meals to sustain weight loss.

Also avoid eating avocados with carbohydrates (like avocado toast), as this carb and fat combo will cause your body to preferentially use carbs as fuel and cause your body to store the ingested dietary fat instead.

Avocados are an ideal type of fat to eat on a ketogenic diet if you are trying to enhance your performance and get more energy. It is a great source of potassium which would help athletes support their electrolyte balance.

An avocado contains 30.6 grams of fat and 6.7 grams of protein making them a nutritious whole food. They are an excellent source of Potassium, VItamin C, Vitamin B5, B6, Folate, Vitamin K and Copper. This is one of the best ways to get more potassium into your diet without a high amount of accompanying sugar like bananas.

Although avocados are keto friendly, they may not be for everyone. You may not like the flavor or texture and they can be quite expensive since they are popular with high demand.

1. Eggs are a great substitute for avocados since they are nutritious and high in fat which are great for eating by itself or adding to salads.
2. Cheese can be used to replace avocados as well and are also high in fat with more protein than avocados in general.
3. Nuts and Nut Butters are tasty substitutes which are both high in fat. When choosing nut butters, try to find options that don't have vegetable oil as an ingredient.