Whether at the gym or on a lunch break, having the right drink— in terms of both taste and nutritional content—by your side is important. While you may already know how to spot hidden carbs and sugar in food, finding them on the label of your favorite beverage might be a little trickier. With a little know-how, there are still a number of keto-friendly drinks to choose from that are perfect for daytime. (For adult beverages, check out this article for keto-friendly alcoholic drinks.) In fact, choosing the right drinks gets even easier if you have the additional flexibility of a ketogenic diet such as Atkins20® or Atkins40®*. Below are detailed lists on what drinks you can consume and what drinks to avoid while on keto.
Keto-Friendly Drink Options
- Water: Staying hydrated is an important part of any diet, but is especially important when eating low carb to avoid “keto flu.” Plus, water possesses a wide variety of other health benefits, like regulating body temperature and maximizing physical performance.
- Sparkling Water: Sparkling water options, like La Croix, are a great (and bubbly!) way to hydrate with an added dash of zero carb and zero calorie flavor.
- Coffee: No need to sacrifice your morning pick-me-up! Having your cup-of-energy black or with keto-friendly coffee creamers are both great ways to continue limiting carbs, maintaining a keto diet, and more.
- Unsweetened Tea: Unsweetened tea, served either hot or iced, keeps you on track and is a great keto-friendly choice for a warm day. On top of being perfect for your next picnic, this drink is both carb- and calorie-free.
- Diet Soda: Craving a cold soda, cola, or pop? As the use of artificial sweeteners lowers the carb count, diet soda on keto is a permitted indulgence, as long as you’re not overdoing it.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Dairy milk on keto may need to be sidelined, but nut milk is ready to shine. Unsweetened cashew or almond milk provides fats and protein without the carbs, making it ideal to consume while on a keto diet.
- Keto-Friendly Shakes: Many shakes minimize carbohydrate consumption while providing a quick energy boost. While there are many great keto-friendly options, keep an eye out; some protein shakes contain a lot of extra sugar and carbs. Even better, Atkins shakes offer ready-to-drink shakes in delicious flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and more that work perfectly with your low carb lifestyle!
- Bone Broth: Yes, bone broth is a tasty drink to many! Bone broth minimizes sugars and carbs while presenting a unique flavor profile that can help keep you full between meals.
Drinks to Avoid While Eating Keto
- Non-Diet Soda: One 12 oz. Pepsi may seem relatively innocent, but in reality it has a whopping 41 grams of carbs and could derail any keto-related progress. Non-diet soda is a no-go on keto.
- Sports/Energy Drinks: These bright-colored drinks can be tempting when searching for an added boost of energy. While living keto, sticking to energy-filled foods is the better option as sports and energy drinks are ridden with sugar and carbs.
- Vitamin Water: Packed with sugar, standard vitamin water should be avoided in order to stay on a low carb diet. Yet, similar options exist without the added sugar. One tasty and keto-friendly alternative is Vitamin Water Zero.
- Hot Chocolate: Santa does not follow a keto lifestyle. For those who do, most hot chocolate should not be included in a keto diet due to the carbs and sugars present. Maybe Santa can try these low carb holiday cookies instead.
- Mocha: The typical combination of milk, whipped cream, and mocha sauce may make for a sweet treat, but it also makes for a carb-filled beverage.
- Fruit Juices: Watch out: An 8 oz. cup of apple juice contains roughly 24 grams of carbs, making it a beverage to steer clear from. Added sugars and low carbs do not frequently come together.
- Lemonade: The neighborhood children may be trying to sell you on this beverage, but don’t fall for it! Typically jam-packed with sugar, those partaking in a keto lifestyle should be wary of the ingredients present in lemonade. Consider purchasing another product from these young entrepreneurs instead.
