Have you recently started following a keto diet and want to know if half and half are ketogenic? Maybe you have heard that half and half is unsuitable for a keto diet and want to know if that’s true?
Or are you curious about the nutritional breakdown of half and half and want to know more? No matter the reason that brought you here today, we have the answers for you!
Finding out if half and half is ketogenic or not can be tricky, especially if you are new to the keto diet. You head online for some guidance but are met with pages and pages of conflicting and contradicting information.
Frustrated and overwhelmed, you are left unsure who to trust or where to turn. How will you know if half and half is keto friendly now?
Well, you can turn to us! Today, we are here with the answers you need. Keep reading to find out if half and half is ketogenic or not and everything else you need to know about half and half.
What Is Half And Half?
Before we get into the article, let’s have a brief recap for those that need it. Half and half is a rich and thick liquid that is equal parts cream and whole meal.
Half and half can sometimes be made with reduced-fat or low-fat milk to reduce the calorie content.
Half and half can be made at home yourself by mixing heavy cream and whole milk, or you can purchase it in grocery stores. Half and half can be purchased in most stores in the diary section.
Half and half have many uses, but it is commonly used in coffee to sweeten it. It is also used in cooking to thicken pasta sauces and gravy, or even as a milk substitute in cooking.
Now that we have briefly established what half and half are, let’s dive into the article to learn more about half and half.
Half And Half Nutritional Information
Let’s take a look at the nutritional value of half and half now. Below we have the nutritional value based on 100 grams of half and half, let’s take a look at it now!
- Calories – 131 kcal
- Protein – 3.13 grams
- Fat – 11.5 grams
- Total carbs – 4.3 grams
- Net carbs – 4.5 carbs
- Fiber – 0 grams
Is Half And Half Healthy?
Half and half can be a healthier choice for some people as it has a lower fat content and fewer calories than heavy cream. It is often used by people trying to cut calories from their diet and is considered a good swap from heavy creams, creamers, or flavored coffee creamers.
The whole milk that features in half and half is made with 3.2% fat, with most of its fat content coming from saturated fat. It’s this fat content that causes some people to consider it an unhealthy choice.
But various studies have found no evidence that the saturated fats found in whole milk have an increased risk of heart disease and cardiovascular diseases.
Other studies have also found there is no evidence that dairy fat increases the risks of obesity. Studies have also shown that drinking milk after physical exercise can increase muscle strength, improve muscle repair and decrease muscle damage and pain.
Milk is also packed full of vitamins and minerals! It contains protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin K2. All of these have been linked to calcium bone health, making milk (and half and half) a healthy addition to your diet.
Heavy cream, the other ingredient in half and half, is a high-fat milk product that is separated from milk to make a separate product. Sometimes additives are added to heavy cream to help preserve it.
Heavy cream is keto-friendly as it is low-carb and high-fat. It is often added to keto-friendly recipes to increase the fat content and add more vitamins to dishes.
Although it has a high-fat content, it contains many vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy diet. Providing that it is not consumed in large quantities, heavy cream (and half and half) are a healthy addition to your diet.
Overall, half and half is a healthier option for most people. It can be included in your diet provided that you don’t have large quantities of it.
Can I Have Half And Half On Keto?
There is some debate as to whether half and half is keto friendly or not. To understand why there is a debate, we need to look at the main ingredients in half and half.
Milk is not considered ketogenic as it contains lactose, a milk sugar that affects ketosis.
Lactose does not raise blood glucose levels in the same way pure glucose does, but it does significantly affect your glucose levels if you have large amounts of milk.
So how much does lactose raise blood sugar? Well, you need to know the glycemic index (GI) of lactose.
The GI is a scale from 0 to 100 which is given to foods to work out their effect on blood sugar when compared to pure glucose, which is 100 on the scale. The glycemic index of lactose is 69 + 10. The GI of full-fat milk is 39 + 3.
The other ingredient in half and half, heavy cream, is considered to be keto-friendly. This is because heavy cream has far less lactose than whole milk and does not affect blood sugar in the same way, especially when consumed in low quantities.
With both whole milk and heavy cream in half and half can we consider it keto-friendly? Well, yes and no. Those following a strict keto diet tend to avoid half and half due to the milk content.
Some brands also add sugar and additives to half and half which can also make them less suitable for a keto diet.
However, many people do consider half and half to be keto-friendly and will use it in their diet. It’s worth noting that half and half tend to be used in small quantities to avoid high sugar levels.
Adding a splash to your morning coffee should be fine, but you should consider the serving size carefully to ensure that you remain in ketosis.
One tablespoon (15 grams) of half and half has 20 calories, 0.6 grams of net carbs, 1.7 grams of fat, and 0.4 grams of protein.
This means that half and half is easy to fit into your daily carb allowance if you want to!
Just be sure to pay attention to how much you are using, many people using half and half on a keto diet will measure out their half and half before adding it to their coffee to avoid adding too much.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! While there is some debate about half and half, it is ketogenic providing that you use the correct portion size.
While there are some on a strict keto diet who will avoid half and half due to the milk content, others will use it sparingly in their morning coffee or cooking.
You will even find half and half listed in the ingredients list of some keto recipes, so you should not worry about using it as part of your keto diet.
Providing that you use the correct serving side and have room for it in your daily carbs allowance, half and half can be considered ketogenic!
Frequently Asked Questions
Be sure to check out our brief FAQ section before you leave us today to get the answers to your last-minute questions!
Half and half contain 4.3 grams of net carbs per 100 grams. 1 tablespoon or a splash of half and half contains 0.6 grams of net carbs.
A splash or tablespoon is usually the portion that is added to keto-friendly recipes or morning coffee.
Both half and half and heavy cream offer a good source of fat for anyone on a keto diet.
However, heavy cream is usually considered to be the better option. This is because it does not contain whole milk, has fewer carbohydrates, and contains more fat.
Of course, you will need to consider your carb and fat intake when deciding which is the better option for your body and ensure that you are eating the correct portion.
Yes, providing that you have the correct portion you can have half and half in your coffee on keto.
Be sure to select a half and half which is free from additives and you are good to go! The addition of half and half into your coffee can be worked into your carb allowance on a keto diet.
