Is Ketchup Keto or Not?

Are you looking for a way to eat healthily and lose weight? If so, you might be trying to follow the keto diet. Unfortunately, there are a lot of restrictions you have to follow if you would like to adhere to the keto diet. For example, you might be wondering if ketchup is keto or not. This popular condiment can be added to a wide variety of foods, but it may derail your diet. So, is ketchup keto or not? Learn more about ketchup and the keto diet below.

Short Answer: Regular Ketchup Is Not Part of the Keto Diet

Unfortunately, most traditional ketchup products such as store-bought ketchup are not part of the keto diet. Ketchup contains a relatively high number of carbohydrates, with a lot of them coming from sugar. Therefore, this is not going to work well if you are trying to follow the keto diet. Fortunately, there are alternatives available including some low-carb ketchup that have keto-friendly sweetener. What do you need to know about the relationship between ketchup and the keto diet?

Long Answer: How Many Carbs in Ketchup?

When you follow the keto diet, the goal is to limit the number of carbohydrates you consume. Your body primarily burns carbohydrates as an energy source when they are available. By depriving your body of carbohydrates, you force it to burn other nutrients for energy, such as fat. As your body converts fat into energy, you should lose weight. If you consume a high number of carbohydrates, such as those found in ketchup, you will depart ketosis, derailing your diet.Even though every brand of ketchup is slightly different, even a single tablespoon of ketchup will have close to five grams of carbohydrates. Because a lot of people consume more than a single tablespoon of ketchup in a sitting, it is easy for ketchup to move your body out of a state of ketosis, which stops your body from burning fat.

Where Do the Carbs in Ketchup Come From?

When people think about ketchup, they usually do not think about something that is sweet. After all, there are lots of sodas and desserts that taste sweeter than ketchup; however, the carbohydrates that are found in ketchup frequently come from high fructose corn syrup . High fructose corn syrup is an incredibly high source of carbohydrates that is frequently found in other products, including a lot of types of soda.

Even though ketchup is made with a number of other ingredients that could conceal the sweet taste found in sugary beverages, many of the ingredients overlap. This is where a lot of the carbohydrates in ketchup come from. If you are trying to find ketchup that is healthier, you may want to take a closer look at the ingredients. Then, try to stay away from ketchup products that use high fructose corn syrup. You may be able to limit the number of carbohydrates you consume, including table sugar.

Are There Versions of Ketchup with Lower Numbers of Carbohydrates?

Yes, there are versions of ketchup that have lower numbers of carbohydrates. First, you may want to take a closer look at ketchup products that do not use high fructose corn syrup. Or, you may be able to identify a ketchup product that says “no added sugar.” Some of these ketchup products have lower numbers of carbohydrates. Even though they may not necessarily be keto-friendly, they may help you reduce the number of carbohydrates you consume. Finally, you may even want to make your own low-carb or keto homemade ketchup. These home-made versions allow you to make a tasty sugar-free ketchup that you can use on a ketogenic diet

What makes ketchup keto friendly?

The answer has to do with the number of carbohydrates you consume. Everyone has a slightly different limit to the number of carbohydrates they consume on a daily basis when they are trying to follow the keto diet. For example, some people may try to limit themselves to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. Other people may be trying to limit themselves to 30 grams of carbohydrates per day. Whatever limit you choose, you need to pay close attention to the number of carbohydrates you consume from keto-friendly ketchup, no sugar added ketchup, or even ketchup that does not have high fructose corn syrup. If you can consume these types of ketchup products without exceeding your carbohydrate limit, then you should be able to adhere to the keto diet.

Homemade Keto Ketchup: Can You Make Your Own Ketchup Keto?

If you are feeling particularly creative, you may even want to try to make your own keto ketchup recipe. For example, you should be able to create your own homemade sugar-free ketchup with a number of simple ingredients including:

• Tomato paste as the base
• Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar to give the ketchup some bite
• Onion powder and garlic powder to create some seasoning flavors
• Water to improve the consistency
• A small amount of sugar-free brown sugar to give it some sweetness

After you mix all of these ingredients, you will need to add them to a saucepan and heat them slightly. As the ingredients heat up, mix them together to create a smooth paste. You can let the sauce cool before you transfer it to a container.

The best part is that you can play around with the ratio of these ingredients to find something you light. Depending on the exact number of ingredients you use, you may be able to reduce the number of carbohydrates in a single tablespoon to less than one gram. Now, you have made ketchup that is keto-friendly.

Are There Any Good Low Carb Alternatives To Ketchup?

If you are looking for alternatives to ketchup, you do have some options available. Just like ketchup, you need to take a close look at the nutrition facts to make sure they are keto-friendly. A few possible options include:

• Tomato Paste: Tomato paste has the first option you may want to consider. It is similar to ketchup, but does not necessarily have the sweetness or bite of ketchup itself. Tomato sauce that doens;’t have much added sugar might also be an option.

• Salsa: Depending on the type of food you are subsituting a high-carb ketchup,  salsa might be a reasonable low-carb, ketogenic option as well. A lot of salsa options have a relatively low number of carbohydrates, so they may work well for the keto diet.BBQ Sauce:
• Barbecue sauce is another option you may want to consider. Unfortunately, a lot of barbecue sauces do have a high number of carbohydrates , so you may want to look for something that has been specifically made for the keto diet.

These are just a few of the many options you have available if you are looking for a keto-friendly alternative to ketchup. Everyone has slightly different carbohydrate limits, so you may want to take a closer look at these alternatives to make sure they work for you.

Looking for a spicier alternative to ketchup? Find out if Sriracha sauce is keto or not.