Are Bananas Keto (1)

Are Bananas Keto?

Discovering which foods to seek out and actively avoid on a ketogenic diet can be tricky, especially when most people assume that all fruits and vegetables are “healthy.”

If you’ve recently started the ketogenic diet, you might be curious to know: Are bananas keto?

In this article, I will cover some key information about bananas, including whether bananas are keto. So, if you’ve just become keto, you have a better idea of what you can consume on this diet.

Keep reading to find out more.

Are Bananas Keto?

Are Bananas Keto?

Despite the fact bananas are considered a healthy and nutritious snack for many, in short, bananas are not keto. This is due to the fact that bananas are too high in carbohydrates to be considered ketogenic-friendly.

Despite the fact that bananas come in a range of different sizes, the fact that they mostly consist of water and carbohydrates isn’t conducive to a ketogenic diet.

Let’s take a closer look at the carbohydrate of standard sized bananas.

  • Extra small bananas (smaller than 6 inches, 81 grams) = 19 grams of carbs
  • Small bananas (6 to 7 inches, 101 grams) = 23 grams of carbs
  • Medium bananas (7 to 8 inches, 118 grams) = 27 grams of carbs
  • Large bananas (8 to 9 inches, 136 grams) = 31 grams of carbs

Bananas are packed full of potassium and vitamin B6. However, as the ketogenic diet is a low carb, high fat diet, bananas are therefore not suitable to eat when you’re keto.

Simply by eating an extra small banana, you’d almost have eaten your entire carb quota in one snack.

It can be a challenge to fit even one serving of fruit into a strict keto diet. This comes down to the fact that ketogenic diets severely restrict carbohydrates to 5% of calories or about 20 grams per day.

If you were to eat a medium banana that contains 27g of carbs, for example, you will have exceeded your carb intake for that day.

That being said, when following a ketogenic diet, you’re much better off getting these vitamins and minerals from eating other foods that don’t compromise your diet or lead to you bending the rules.

Will Eating A Banana Kick My Body Out Of Ketosis?

Maintaining a state of ketosis is the point of following a ketogenic diet, as this is what causes your body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates for fuel. This is why ketogenic diets are commonly used for weight loss!

When you first begin your keto diet, the initial phase of the diet is to maintain a state of ketosis, and therefore high-carb fruits like bananas will not be on your meal plan.

That being said, this highly restrictive phase is only temporary. As more carbohydrates are added to your diet in later phases, you might decide to include bananas in your diet in moderation.

However, if you continue to follow a strict ketogenic diet, then there are much more suitable alternatives to bananas. If you’re struggling for ideas, then check out some ketogenic alternatives to bananas below.

Ketogenic Alternatives To Bananas

Now I have established that bananas are not ketogenic friendly, you might be wondering what are some ketogenic alternatives to bananas.

Avocado - One of the best keto-friendly alternatives to bananas in terms of texture is avocado. Avocados are great for providing your smoothies with a similar creamy texture, without exceeding your carb intake.

That being said, the flavor of avocado is obviously nothing like banana, so this is something to consider when using this as an alternative.

Banana extract - If you’re missing that banana flavor from your diet, banana extract is both potent in flavor and low in carbs, making it a good keto alternative.

A little goes a long way, and it’s great for using in a variety of different recipes, including protein shakes and even iced coffee. That being said, as the flavor is quite potent, it can be quite synthetic in taste if you’re not careful.

More Suitable Snacks On Ketogenic Diet

There are a variety of different snacks that are more suitable for you to consume when you’re following a ketogenic diet.

These snacks include but are not limited to:

Smoothies

There are numerous smoothies that are suitable for you on a ketogenic diet!

You can make smoothies keto-friendly by using high fat foods such as nut butter, avocado, and coconut to provide a creamy texture and to boost the fat content to stay in line with your diet.

Olives

Olives make a great keto-friendly snack as they’re rich in healthy fats, and they also provide a good level of vitamin E and fiber.

You can either enjoy olives as they are on their own, or snack on them with some cheese to give your snack a boost of fat.

Mixed Nuts

Bananas are a convenient snack to keep with you when you’re on the go, granted. However, mixed nuts are a great grab and go option that are much more suitable, as they’re high in fat and full of protein.

Instead of packing a banana, why not grab a bag of keto-friendly trail mix?

Coconut Yogurt

Coconut yogurt has become hugely popular amongst the vegan community as a dairy-free alternative, and some types are also great if you follow a ketogenic diet.

You can either eat coconut yogurt on its own, or paired with some ketogenic-friendly granola.

When shopping for coconut as a keto, just make sure that you check the ingredients list to ensure that the coconut yogurt is suitable for you to consume.

Veggie Sticks

Veggie sticks are another wonderful keto friendly snack. They are great for cutting up in bulk and storing in the refrigerator to grab and go as and when you feel like you could do with a snack.

Great options for veggie sticks include carrot slices, cucumber and sliced bell peppers.

You can even pair your veggies with a keto-friendly guacamole to up the fat content of your snack. After all, who doesn’t love having a dip next to their fresh veggies?

In Summary

No, bananas are not suitable for a ketogenic diet.

This is because they’re primarily made of carbohydrates, and even consuming an extra small banana on a ketogenic diet will result in you consuming nearly all your carbohydrate intake in one sitting.

There are plenty of other foods that are more suitable for you on a ketogenic diet, so if you’re serious about sticking to your diet, then make sure you seek out these foods instead.

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