Are Almonds Keto Friendly – Everything You Need To Know!

When you follow a keto diet, it can be easy to obsess about the foods you can and can’t have.

However, nuts are in a gray zone. While some nuts are heavy on carbs, others contain fewer amounts of carbs making them an excellent option for a keto diet.

Therefore, if you’re going to understand which nuts you can and can’t eat on a keto diet, you need to know more about each type of nut. One popular type of nut you’re probably going to want to know about is almonds.

Hugely popular, almonds are highly nutritious, versatile, and packed with healthy fats, but are almonds keto? In this post, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know.

We’ll tell you why almonds are keto-friendly, provide you with some nutritional information, and show you how to include them in your keto diet. Let’s get started!

What Are Almonds?

Let’s kick things off by taking a closer look at what almonds actually are as this is a great way to understand why they are keto-friendly. The name almond is given to a species of tree native to Iran and neighboring countries.

This name is also used for the edible seed of the tree which is widely cultivated and consumed. Despite being referred to as a nut, almonds are not a true nut. In fact, they are a type of fruit that belongs to the prunus family.

Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop us from calling them a nut and consuming them like one. Brown in color, almonds feature an outer hull and a hard shell.

Removing the shell reveals the edible seed, which can be eaten raw, roasted, toasted, and in a variety of other ways.

Are Almonds Keto Friendly?

So, are almonds keto-friendly? The answer to that question is yes, almonds are keto-friendly. It could even be argued that almonds are one of the best types of nuts to add to your keto diet.

The average serving of almonds is super easy to fit into your keto diet. In 1 ounce of almonds, you can expect there to be approximately just 3 net carbs. 

Why Should You Add Almonds To Your Keto Diet?

Aside from the obvious fact that almonds fit nicely into a keto diet because of their lack of carbs, there are a few other reasons why you should add them to your keto diet. The main reason is due to their versatility.

Almonds are one of the most versatile types of nuts we can eat. Not only do they make an awesome snack, but we can also find them in a huge variety of different products.

Almonds can be made to make healthy flour, almond milk, butter, and oil.

When it comes to eating almonds, you can enjoy them whole, sliced, flaked, toasted, and roasted. They are a fantastic snack to enjoy raw too.

Nutritional Information

On the whole, almonds are very nutritious and healthy. They are packed with healthy fats and only contain a small amount of carbohydrates. Below, you’ll find the nutritional information you need to know about almonds!

• Carbohydrates – There are only 3 net carbs in 1 ounce of almonds. 1 cup of almonds contains approximately 8.6 net carbs and 20.5 total carbs.
• Calories – One cup of almonds usually contains roughly 550 calories.
• Fats – You can expect approximately 47 grams of fats from one cup of almonds.
• Sugar – There are approximately 4.1 grams of sugar in a cup of almonds.
• Protein – Finally, a single cup of almonds usually contains at least 20 grams of protein.

The Benefits Of Eating Almonds

Their low carbohydrate content and versatility aren’t the only reason why you should eat almonds. Almonds also come with a wide range of health benefits that make them a healthy option. 

To give you a better understanding of why almonds are a healthy food to add to your diet, we’ve put together a list of the biggest benefits below!

1. Improved Cholesterol

Almonds may be high in fat but that fat is unsaturated fat, which doesn’t increase the risk of bad cholesterol. In fact, in moderation, most unsaturated fats can improve cholesterol. 

It’s also worth noting that almonds don’t contain any cholesterol. 

2. Reduced Risk Of Heart Disease

There is some evidence that suggests that almonds and other types of seeds and nuts may improve the fat levels in our blood. This can be linked to improved heart health, which in turn may reduce the risk of heart disease.

The main reason it is believed almonds have this capability may be due to their high vitamin E, fiber, and healthy fats content. This may also be due to the antioxidant impact the almond flavonoids offer.

3. Improved Blood Sugar Management

If you’re struggling to manage your blood sugar levels, almonds might be able to help. There are some studies that suggest almonds might be able to help manage our blood sugar levels.

A large proportion of people that suffer from type 2 diabetes have lower magnesium levels. It has even been suggested that there may be a link between insulin resistance and magnesium deficiency.

Almonds might be one of the solutions because they contain high levels of magnesium. One ounce of almonds contains 76.5 milligrams of magnesium.

This accounts for approximately 18% to 24% of our daily magnesium requirement.

4. Reduced Hunger

One of the main reasons almonds make a great keto snack is that they can help reduce hunger. As a result, by eating almonds, not only can we reduce our carbohydrate intake, but we can also reduce our overall calorie intake.

5. Improved Bone Health

Another awesome benefit we can associate with almonds is improved bone health. Almonds contain magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium, protein, zinc, and vitamin K. All of these nutrients contribute to bone health.

It is generally believed that eating almonds is a great way to improve bone strength and obtain these valuable nutrients.

Other Types Of Nuts You Can Eat On A Keto Diet

You might be very pleased to hear that almonds aren’t the only type of nuts you can eat on a keto diet. There are other types of nuts you can enjoy too. This includes peanuts and pine nuts. 

We’ve put together a list of other keto-friendly nuts below!

• Pine nuts
• Peanuts
• Walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Brazil nuts
• Pecans

Types Of Nuts You Should Avoid

If you’re following a keto diet, here are some of the types of nuts you should try to avoid!

• Cashew nuts
• Pistachios
• Chestnuts
• Lotus seeds
• Breadfruit seeds

How Can You Use Almonds In Your Keto Diet?

To finish off, we’re going to leave you with some of the best ways you can use almonds in your keto diet. Of course, you can eat almonds raw, but we like to enjoy our almonds in a variety of different ways. 

You’ll find a list of our favorite ways to include almonds in a diet below!

• Almond macaroons
• Low-carb almond brownies
• Almond tortillas
• Fruit and almond milk protein shake
• Almond pretzels
• Almond flour cake

Final Thoughts

That concludes our post telling you everything you need to know about almonds concerning the keto diet. Now you’ve made your way through this post, you should know that almonds are suitable for a keto diet.

Thanks to their versatility, they may be one of the best types of nuts we can eat when following a keto diet. Now you know everything you need to know, you can start adding almonds to your keto diet.

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