Are Grapes Keto? Carbs, Calories, And Health Benefits Of Grapes

Grapes are undoubtedly one of the most popular fruits out there. Available in green and red varieties, grapes are packed with antioxidants that are essential for boosting the immune system.

They’re also incredibly tasty alone, or in salads, desserts, and can even be turned into jam and wine. 

When you commit to a strict diet, such as the ketogenic diet, you naturally become super aware of what you’re putting into your body.

It’s no secret that the transitional period between your regular diet and the keto diet is difficult, but it’s made far easier when you plan your food routine in advance.

This includes researching what foods are suitable for keto. 

So, are grapes keto? Can you still eat your favorite fruit while sticking to a keto diet, which is notoriously strict when it comes to sugary foods?

Here is everything you need to know about whether grapes are keto, including the carbs, calories, and health benefits of grapes. 

Are Grapes Keto?

Let’s get into it. Technically, most foods are considered keto, it just depends on how much of the food you are consuming at one time.

Grapes are keto-friendly, but you’ve still got to limit yourself to a certain number of grapes a day to maintain ketosis. This is great news for those who absolutely love grapes!

Unfortunately, grapes are high in carbs and sugar, which is why they taste so sweet and are surprisingly filling. This is why you should limit yourself to only 3 grapes a day on a keto diet. 

To stretch out the wonderful flavor of these 3 grapes, people on a keto diet will often cut the grapes into halves or quarters to sprinkle on top of a salad.

After all, you’ll only want to eat more if you munch on the whole grapes within seconds. 

However, just because grapes are only keto-friendly in small quantities doesn’t mean that all fruits are high in carbs and sugar.

There are plenty of other keto-friendly fruits that you can consume more of than grapes, such as avocado, strawberries, lemons, and raspberries to name a few. 

Carbs In Grapes 

As mentioned above, grapes are a particularly carb-heavy fruit.

This is typically why some nutritionists will advise against the consumption of grapes while on a keto diet, unless you restrict yourself to 3 a day as a maximum. 

In 100 grams of fresh grapes of any color, or a cup of fresh grapes, contains roughly 17 grams of carbs. 

If you choose to have raisins instead of grapes, these are even higher in carbohydrates.

Every 100 grams of raisins or currents is filled with 79 grams of carbs, which is far more than the daily carb allowance on a ketogenic diet. 

Considering that the keto diet allows for less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day, eating 100 grams of grapes will take up a large portion of that allowance.

Instead, keto dieters need to be smarter with their carb intake, and use that allowance for carbohydrates that will fill you up more than grapes. 

Calories In Grapes 

In a 100 gram serving of fresh grapes, there is about 67 calories. For the same amount of raisins or currents, there are 299 calories. 

Interestingly, ketogenic diets don’t really focus on calories. It’s more about the carbohydrates, sugars, and fat content of foods that make up the requirements of keto.

It mostly depends on what specific keto diet you’re following. 

For example, the Atkins 20 Diet’s calorie requirements are 1,500 – 1,800 a day for women, and 1,800 – 2,200 a day for men.

Given that grapes fit well within the calories requirement, you’d think you could eat as many as you like within a day.

However, it’s the carb content of grapes that makes them only keto-friendly in small amounts. 

Red Vs Green Grapes

There are two types of grape categories: red and green grapes. Red grapes include pinot noir, merlot, grenache, champagne grapes, syrah, tempranillo, and sangiovese.

These grapes are sweeter than green grapes are. 

Green grapes include moon balls, sultana, golden muscat, cotton candy, riesling, and fry muscadine.

The cotton candy variety is an example of a genetically modified grape that features more calories than a regular green grape. 

The only difference between red and green grapes is the flavor. Red grapes are sweeter than green grapes, with the latter being slightly more tart.

There is no difference between red and green grapes when it comes to calories and carbohydrates, so the keto rules of eating less than 3 grapes a day refers to both green and red grapes. 

Health Benefits Of Grapes 

As with any type of fruit, grapes are filled with an array of health benefits. Not only are they high in antioxidants, but they are also filled with water, countless vitamins, and very rich in potassium. 

Here’s a breakdown of the health benefits of grapes. 

Boosts Immune System

Because grapes are so high in antioxidants, they help to protect against diseases by boosting the immune system. 

One of the most potent antioxidants in grapes is resveratrol, which helps to protect the immune system as well as the brain and heart.

Other antioxidants include zeaxanthin and lutein among others, which work to counteract any damage caused by free radicals in the body. 

Interestingly, while red and green grapes are almost the same nutritionally, red grapes have higher concentrations of resveratrol found in the skin. 

As a result of such high antioxidant content, grapes are believed to help protect the immune system against diseases such as cardiovascular disease, eye problems, and cancer.

Most of the antioxidants are found in the skins of grapes, particularly red grapes, which is why it’s important to eat the entire grape including the skin. 

Lowers Cholesterol Levels

Grapes are high in potassium and fiber, which are nutrients that support a healthy heart.

Not only this, but the quercetin and resveratrol in grapes are believed to lower cholesterol levels, which is why grapes are often advised by dieticians and the American Heart Association (AHA) for those who have blood pressure problems. 

Eating foods that are high in potassium prevent the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as strokes. 

Good For Allergies

As grapes are so anti-inflammatory, they are believed to relieve the effects of allergic reactions.

Whether this is to combat the effects of hives or hayfever, adding grapes to your diet might help to lessen these reactions. 

Promote Healthy Bowel Movement

One reason why people love grapes is because of how juicy and refreshing they are.

This is because grapes are filled with water, which is helpful not only for hydrating the body, but also works to promote healthy bowel movement.

The high fiber content in grapes also contributes to relieve the effects of and prevent constipation. 

Improves Eye Health

The antioxidants found in grapes are believed to not only improve vision, but also to prevent future eye problems.

Eye conditions often are a result of oxidative stress to the retina, which these antioxidants work to relieve. Studies have shown that grapes can prevent cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. 

Side Effects Of Grapes

Unfortunately, too much of anything will inevitably be bad for you. This is the same with grapes, which are often consumed in high quantities.

If you eat too many grapes, this can lead to the complete opposite of constipation, and instead can result in stomach aches and diarrhea. 

Grapes are not advisable for those who take beta blockers and blood-thinning medications.

This is because the high levels of potassium and resveratrol can be harmful to the medication, resulting in health issues. 

When talking about the side effects of grapes, you’ve also got to consider the side effects of wine.

It is advisable that women don’t drink more than one 5 ounce glass of wine a day, and men shouldn’t have more than 2 glasses a day.

Not only is this to avoid the effects of a nasty hangover, but also because excessive wine comes with its own side effects. 

Summary: Are Grapes Keto?

So, to put it simply: Yes, grapes are keto, but only in small quantities. Grapes are high in carbs, which is the main issue when it comes to a low-carb diet like keto.

This is why dieticians don’t recommend more than 3 grapes a day to maintain ketosis. As long as you don’t exceed more than 3 grapes a day, you shouldn’t break your ketosis!

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