May 2019 Update!
I have started a small biz making Keto flatbread for pizza crusts and wraps, which has 2 net carbs per 2 oz serving. Long term goal is to get a true Keto crust in stores. Check out the Fattyhead Facebook Page to follow along. Now onto the subject at hand…Cheers!
Alcohol on Keto
Can you drink, imbibe, partake of a cocktail on the keto diet? Probably one of the more common questions. The answer to all questions is: you can do anything you want. But what are the consequences? Will it throw you out of ketosis? That, like all things, depends on your total carb count, your activity level, and your own unique body and biochemistry. But you know what? It’s cocktail-thirty, so let’s start with a Keto cocktail recipe!
Keto Sangria Recipe
Get out your blender, or make yours on the rocks!
Option #1: Blend 4 oz. red wine with ice, lime squeeze, 2 medium strawberries, 2-4 ounces of coconut milk and Pyure, a Keto friendly sweetener.
Note: The coconut milk I use has water, but it keeps it light and low carb. The brand is called “So Delicious.” I get mine at Costco, but it’s online as well. Pyure is a blend of stevia and erythritol, and it is my favorite sweetener.
Option #2: Use white wine instead. It has slightly fewer carbs than red wine, depending on the brand, but I prefer the taste of red. Also, vary your berry! Hmmm, how about blueberries or raspberries?
Option #3: For fizz, add in unsweetened, carbonated flavored water. I found a combo pack at Costco. The flavors are lemon, grapefruit, and raspberry lime. This does have a few carbs, maybe 2 per can, but you only need a splash to get that fizz that tickles your nose. And it’s cheap! Fifty cents a can. This is the brand.
Alcohol and the Keto Diet
Now, back to the questions about alcohol on keto. For you beer drinkers is, yep, beer is too high in carbs to be a consistent part of a strict keto diet. Wines are lower, but it will cost you 4-5 carbs per 5 ounce glass, depending on the type and brand. And hard alcohol is the lowest at 0 net carbs if it is unflavored, despite being made from fruits and grains, because fermentation and distillation converts that sugar to ethyl alcohol.
So while a vodka cranberry would be out because of the cranberry juice, you can do a lovely Vodka-Hibiscus Tea with a squeeze of lime, as pictured. Here is more info on Hibiscus Tea, which is super high in vitamin C. But beware that alcohol will affect you differently if you are fat adapted on the keto diet, meaning that your body is burning stored fat for fuel as opposed to carbohydrates. It’s a more complicated process than I am qualified to speak on, so for more on the science of alcohol and ketosis as well as a fantastic reference for carb counts on alcohol, I refer you to a source I trust: Ruled.Me
If you’re new to keto, please poke around the blog. I do things simply ’round here, from explanations to recipes. Need a meal plan or book recommendation? Click here. Want a virgin drink? I promise you that you cannot beat these 90-second keto shakes. I am pretty much a newbie, so I cook simply and explain the basics so as not to overwhelm. I am THRILLED with how much better I feel on keto: so much energy, reduced depression, drastically reduced body aches and pains, and a slightly smaller butt.
May 2019 Update!
