Can I eat lentils on keto?
In this article, we are going to discuss and answer the question “can I eat lentils on keto?”. We will also discuss some alternatives to lentils. These include beans that are low in carbs and some recipe ideas.
Can I eat lentils on keto?
No, you can not eat lentils while on the keto diet. Lentils are rich in carbs and make it hard to fit into a ketosis diet plan.
It has 38.6 grams of carbs in one cup which would flip the balance of the carbs for you in just one serving. If you subtract 14 grams of fibers it will yield 22 grams which is still considered high.
What is the nutritional composition of lentils?
Despite their high carbs content, lentils are packed with vitamins and minerals. Some of which include:
One serving is one cup which is 198 grams containing:
- Calories 226 kcal
- Protein 17.9 grams
- Total fat 0.752 grams
- Carbs 38.6 grams
- Fiber 15.6 grams
- Sugars 3.56 grams
- Calcium 37.6 milligrams
- Iron 6.59 milligrams
- Magnesium 71.3 milligrams
- Phosphorous 356 milligrams
- Potassium 731 milligrams
- Sodium 471 milligrams
- Zinc 2.52 milligrams
- Vitamin C 2.97 milligrams
- Vitamin B6 0.352 milligrams
- Vitamin A 15.8 IU
How to stay on keto then?
Keto diets limit the carbs intake to switch the carbs burning for energy to fat instead. Carbs should not be more than 5-10 % of the daily calorie intake.
With that in mind, lentil consumption would put your body out of ketosis. To be safe you should eliminate lentils from your diet.
What food group do lentils belong to?
Lentil belongs to the food group legumes. Legumes are defined as plant seeds. For vegetarians, it is a plant protein source instead of meat.
Legumes include lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans, soybeans, and peanuts. Despite their nutritiously packed content, their carbs content is high for keto diets.
How many carbs are there in lentil soup?
No, you can not even eat lentil soup. With almost 22 grams of carbs in it, it is still considered non-keto friendly.
The soup is almost 2 times less in the number of carbs in the lentils. But if you had soup, you will have to exclude the other carbs from your diet during the day.
What are some beans substitutes for lentils?
There are some lentil alternatives you can have and still stick to your keto diet. These beans are low in the total net carbs.
Soybeans
Soybeans have only 2.36 grams of net carbs in a 100 grams serving. They contain 18.21 grams of protein and 8.87 grams.
Despite having a moderate amount of fat, they are natural. This means they are not processed nor have any additives in them.
Black soybeans
Black soybeans are low in net carbs containing 0.76 grams in a 100 grams serving. They are also low in fat 4.62 grams in a 100 grams serving.
The good news is you can replace this by adding your own keto-friendly fats. Some of these fats are olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil to your dish.
There are a lot of recipes to try with these black soybeans . one recipe is low-carb Cuban-style black beans that you can find here. This recipe is keto approved too with only 11 grams of carbs per serving.
Another recipe is for Mexican lovers out there. This recipe is also keto friendly and takes 5 minutes to make. You can find this keto Mexican-style black soybeans recipe here with less than 3 grams of carbs.
Mung Bean Sprouts
These sprouts contain 3.39 grams of net carbs in 100 grams. Unfortunately, they are low in fat 0.09 grams of fat. This can be adjusted by adding healthy fat. You can add butter or olive oil as well.
This stir fry keto mung beans sprout recipe is easy to make. It takes 10 minutes to make. It is considered a side dish. You can find the recipe here.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed and answered the question “can I eat lentils on keto?”. We discussed some alternatives to lentils. These include beans that are low in carbs and some recipe ideas.
References
Are Soybeans Keto? | Sure Keto – The Food Database For Keto
Legumes: Good or Bad? (healthline.com)
Are Lentils Keto-Friendly? (healthline.com)
