To get maximum health benefits out of the ketogenic diet, you must choose keto-friendly foods. As the ketogenic diet is all about minimizing your carbs and consumption of fats, you have to take high-fat and low-carb food to achieve its purpose. Among several keto-friendly foods, nuts are a great choice due to their high-fat and low-carb nature. Many nuts are also rich in fiber, nutrients, minerals, and vitamins, making them a perfect fit for the Keto Diet.
Here, we are going to enlist some of the best keto-friendly nuts to fit your keto lifestyle.
Best nuts on Keto Diet
Following are some of the best keto-friendly nuts:
Walnuts
Walnuts are keto-friendly nuts with a fantastic nutrient profile. They are grown and eaten worldwide. Walnuts are not only high in fats but also good for heart health because they reduce heart disease risk factors. Researches suggest that walnuts play a key role in lowering down the body level of high LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintaining healthy blood pressure.
You can enjoy walnuts as a satisfying snack or use them in desserts like fudge or brownies. Adding them to salads is another good idea.
Nutritional Profile
Per Ounce (25 grams):
- Fat: 15 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
- Total Carbs: 4 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Calories: 180
Pecans
Pecans are high-fat tree nuts that are not only the best fit for the ketogenic diet but may help reduce levels of insulin. As you know, insulin is a body hormone involved in the storage of fat. So, a low level of insulin can help you in trying to lose weight, which is the primary purpose of the keto diet as well. Pecans are a rich source of energy, antioxidants, minerals, and nutrients. They are also rich in healthy fiber which boosts heart health by reducing the risk of coronary disease.
Pecans, like most keto-friendly nuts, contain a high concentration of vitamin E, vitamin A, zinc and phosphorous, etc. You can enjoy pecans as a snack or as a crunchy crust for chicken or fish.
Nutritional Profile
Per Ounce (25 grams):
- Fat: 18 grams
- Protein: 3 grams
- Total Carbs: 4 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Calories: 190
Brazil nuts
As the name implies, Brazil nuts are tree grown nuts native to South America. They are considered the best source of selenium, a mineral present in trace amounts in the body and necessary for various bodily functions. Selenium is also important for normal reproduction and protein synthesis.
According to many research studies, keto dieters may be at an increased risk of selenium deficiency due to eating high-fat and low-carb foods for a long time. A single brazil nut is enough to meet your daily needs of selenium. For this reason, Brazil nuts provide an ideal way to introduce natural minerals to your ketogenic diet.
Nutritional Profile
Per Ounce (25 grams):
- Fat: 17 grams
- Protein: 3 grams
- Total Carbs: 3 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Calories: 179
Macadamia nuts
Macadamia nuts are tree-grown nuts mostly found in Australia. They are high-fat keto-friendly nuts idea to include in the ketogenic diet. Several research studies claim that macadamia nuts may help improving cholesterol levels of the body. They increase protective HDL (good) cholesterol in the body and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Macadamia nuts are a perfect keto-friendly snack. If you don’t like the nut form, macadamia is also available in the form of but milk, flour, and butter in the market.
Nutritional Profile
Per Ounce (25 grams):
- Fat: 19 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Total Carbs: 4 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Calories: 200
Hazelnuts
With a buttery, smooth texture, hazelnuts are well-suited nuts for keto-friendly desserts. Hazelnuts are a great natural source of vitamin E. With their only one-ounce serving, you can get 28% of your daily Vitamin E’s RDI (Reference Daily Intake). Vitamin E plays a key role in reducing risk factors of heart disease. It also acts as a strong antioxidant that neutralizes the excessive harmful free radical compounds in the human body.
You can take hazelnuts by combining them with keto-friendly chocolate. Making a low-carb dessert by combining hazelnuts with high-quality dark chocolate is the best and delicious way to consume them. Hazelnut flour is considered a keto-friendly flour.
Nutritional Profile
Per Ounce (25 grams):
- Fat: 17 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
- Total Carbs: 5 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Calories: 180
Peanuts
Although peanuts are technically a legume, they are the most widely used keto-friendly nuts. Peanuts provide a large concentration of plant-based protein that is good for overall body health. They are also rich in essential amino acids to fuel the protein synthesis process in the body.
Peanuts have a very high level of leucine, an essential BCAA (Branched-chain amino acid) necessary for normal muscle growth. You can use peanuts in the form of peanuts butter as an easy snack or add them to keto desserts, protein shakes, and smoothies. Some keto dieters use peanuts in savory Asian-style sauces as well. To get maximum benefits out of peanuts, always select their sugar-free form.
Nutritional Profile
Per Ounce (25 grams):
- Fat: 15 grams
- Protein: 6 grams
- Total Carbs: 5 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Calories: 160
Pine nuts
Pine nuts are a well-known ingredient of pesto (an Italian Sauce). They are tree-grown nuts having a unique earthy flavor and extremely versatile properties. Pine nuts can be paired up with different keto-friendly foods as they are high in fat and low in carbs.
Pine nuts are rich in fat called pinolenic acid which is helpful in decreasing hunger to speed up the weight loss process. Researchers are still working on the keto-friendly properties of Pine nuts.
You can eat Pine nuts in raw or roasted form as a keto-friendly snack. However, taking them in the form of pesto is a good idea.
Nutritional Profile
Per Ounce (25 grams):
- Fat: 15 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
- Total Carbs: 4 grams
- Fiber: 1 gram
- Calories: 190
Almonds
Apart from nut form, almonds are available in the form of different products like almond butter, flour, and milk. All of the almond products are keto-friendly and healthy. Almonds provide a high concentration of protein, fiber, and healthy fats to the body with a considerable amount of Vitamin E, antioxidants, and copper.
Almonds can be enjoyed raw or roasted as a keto-friendly snack. You can also use them in the form of almond milk or butter.
Nutritional Profile
Per Ounce (25 grams):
- Fat: 14 grams
- Protein: 6 grams
- Total Carbs: 5 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Calories: 162
