Can I eat dates on keto?

In this article we are going to answer can you eat dates on keto, what is keto, what are dates, are dates healthy to eat on keto, and what can and can’t when on keto. 

Can you eat dates on keto?

No, you can’t eat dates when on keto. Dates are in the off-limit fruits you can’t eat when on keto. Dates naturally are high in sugar so they might get you out of ketosis. 

There is some evidence that you can eat no more than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day when you are on the keto diet. So if we follow this statement, you can eat about 3 to 4 dates. 

You can make trial and error and eat some dates and make a test for ketones to know if you are still in ketosis. 

What is keto?

Keto or ketogenic diet is a term to refer to very low carbohydrate diets. The main idea of the keto diet is that you eat your whole calories from fat and protein. Fat is the main source of energy for your body in this diet. 

When on keto, you have to cut all carbohydrates like sugar, soda, pastries, white bread, rice, and high carbohydrates fruits and vegetables.

Keto works when you eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, your body starts running out of its main source of energy, carbohydrates, so it starts using fat as the main source of energy. It takes about 4 to 7 days to achieve this process known as ketosis. 

You need to eat enough fat so you can ensure that your body dont use proteins from your muscles as energy or you will lose muscle mass. This whole process has one objective and it is to lose weight. 

Keto diets are also used with patients that have epilepsy. When you are on keto, your brain activity decreases because you are not using carbohydrates as the main source. This process helps epilepsy or the brain activity that causes convulsion to decrease. 

The ketogenic diet is also used to prevent heart disease, brain disease, acne, and other medical conditions. If you are trying to lose weight, you need to do the keto diet always with a doctor or nutritionist’s supervision because it can lead to other health problems. 

When you achieve a metabolic state of using fat as the main source you can use blood, urine, or breath tests to confirm you have entered ketosis.

What are the dates?

Dates are a fruit that comes from date palms and are among the sweetest fruits. They are native to the middle east where they have been eating dates for centuries. 

Dates can be sold fresh or dried and are very famous to add to some desserts and salads. Fresh dates are the ones that are most easily found in the United States and they contain more sugar content than dried dates. 

Medjool dates are more expensive than fresh or dried dates because their harvests take more time and work. 

Are dates healthy to eat on keto? 

Dates are healthy fruit but not ideal to eat when you are on keto. Dates are naturally high in sugar which can mess with ketosis. Sugar from dates is packed with plenty of nutrients.

One average date contains 20 calories, 5.33 grams of carbohydrates of which 4.5 grams are from sugar, and 0.17 grams of protein. 

You can eat small amounts, no more than one or two if you really can’t live without dates but the ideal is to stay away from dates as much as you can. Especially, try to stay away from desserts made from dates because they are very high in sugar. 

According to some studies, when on keto, there is small room for carbohydrates. In theory, you can’t eat more than 30 grams of carbohydrates when on the keto diet. So about 3 dates are safe to eat according to this study. 

Follow this link for more information on fruits with the lowest carbohydrates content

What can and can’t you eat when on keto?

When you are on keto you should focus on eating fat and protein. Try to eat as simple as you can with a low quantity of processed products so you can keep a healthy diet with no side effects. Some basic food you can eat when you are on keto is

  • Meat can be lean or fatty protein
  • Fish and seafood
  • Cheese
  • Avocado
  • Poultry
  • Eggs
  • Nuts and healthy oils
  • Plain greek yogurt
  • Cottage cheese and cream cheese
  • Dark chocolate
  • Unsweetened coffee and tea
  • Low carb veggies

Try to add as much low carbohydrate vegetables and low carbohydrate food and healthy fats so you do a ‘clean keto’. There is a type of keto that is called dirty keto where you focus your calories on processed food. Dirty keto can lead you to health problems. 

Some vegetables and fruits you can add when on keto are 

  • Asparagus
  • Celery
  • Tomatoes
  • Spinach
  • Mushrooms
  • Cucumber
  • Zucchini
  • Strawberries (only ½ cup per day)
  • Raspberries (only 1 cup per day)

Other FAQs about Dates that you may be interested in.

How are dates processed?

How to eat dates with milk?

How many dates to eat per day for constipation?

Conclusion

This article answered can you eat dates on keto, what is keto, what are dates, are dates healthy to eat on keto, and what can and can’t when on keto. 

Citation

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101

https://sureketo.com/is-it-keto/natural-delights-medjool-dates

https://www.ketoliciouskreations.com.au/post/are-dates-keto-friendly-low-carb-date-alternatives-to-consider

https://www.thespruceeats.com/all-about-dates-4067019

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