The Keto diet is a very popular modern diet style that contains low carb and high fat foods. A standard keto diet maintains daily 30 grams of net carbs to achieve the ketosis symptoms or to enter into a ketosis state.
In fact, to follow the 30 grams net carbs limit without compromising nutrient-rich heavy meals, keto dieters should control the intake limit of fruits, nuts, and seeds. This means you should not eat any more than 5-7 grams of net carbs from keto-friendly fruits.
On the other hand, pomegranate is a very popular and highly nutritious fruit. So, as a keto lover, you may wonder whether pomegranate is keto-approved. Unfortunately, pomegranate is not keto-approved because it is high in carbs and it can easily kick you out of ketosis.
Is Pomegranate Low Carb?
Pomegranate is not low in carbs, in fact, it is a high carb fruit. A 100-gram serving of fresh pomegranate contains 18.7 grams of carbs. The same serving size also contains 4 grams of dietary fiber (1).
So, what about the net carbs of pomegranate? Is pomegranate low in net carbs? No, pomegranate is also high in net carbs. After deduction of the dietary fiber, the net carbs of pomegranate become 14.7 grams.
This high amount of net carbs can easily break your ketosis level. That’s why pomegranate is not considered among the keto-friendly low carb fruits list.
How Much Pomegranate Can I Eat On Keto?
One single piece of pomegranate weighs 282 grams(4” diameter). This serving size provides 52.7 grams of total carbs and 11.3 grams of dietary fiber. After omitting the dietary fiber component, the net carbs of pomegranate come down 41.4 to grams.
These net carbs are greater than the recommended level of keto diet net carbs of 30 grams. That’s why you should avoid eating pomegranate on keto. However, there is a trick to eating pomegranate on keto.
Pomegranate contains numerous edible arils. People consume these arils. To eat pomegranate on keto, you can take a few pomegranate arils which should weigh under 6 grams.
This tiny amount of pomegranate arils will help you to stay in ketosis without any issues.
Are Pomegranate Seeds Keto Friendly?
People are often confused with pomegranate seeds. Actually, the pomegranate seeds are covered by bright red-colored arils, which are consumed. As pomegranate arils are packed with carbs you should avoid them on a keto diet.
Is Pomegranate Juice Keto Friendly?
No pomegranate juice is not keto friendly, in fact, it may contain more net carbs than raw pomegranate. It’s because during juicing the fibers are removed which can increase the net carbs value of pomegranate juice.
A standard 100 grams serving of pomegranate juice contains 13.1 grams of total carbs and only 0.1 grams of dietary fiber (2). After deduction of the dietary fiber, the net carbs of pomegranate juice becomes 13 grams.
On the other hand, the same serving contains very little amount of fats aka 0.29 grams. That’s why pomegranate juice is not keto friendly. It is actually the opposite of the keto standard of low carb high fat combination.
Pomegranate Nutrition Value
Pomegranate is packed with essential nutrients like phosphorus, folate, vitamin K, etc. Moreover, this fruit is high in potassium also. Furthermore, pomegranate contains a moderate high amount of vitamin C.
A 100-gram serving of pomegranate contains:
- Calories: 83
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 1.67 grams
- Fat: 1.17 grams
- Carbs: 18.7 grams
Keto Pomegranate Recipes
It is difficult to find keto pomegranate recipes because of their high carb and low fat combination. However, if you are eager to consume ketogenic recipes with pomegranate, you can add 3-5 small sized pomegranate arils.
But their intake limit should be fixed to 5-6 grams only to maintain the net carb limit. You can add pomegranate with the following keto-approved recipes:
- Strawberry, blueberry fruit mix
- Avocado, tomato, cucumber salad
- Roasted broccoli with mayo
- Almond, walnut mix
Pomegranate Alternatives on Keto
There are several substitutes for pomegranate on keto. All of these fruits are low in carbs which fulfills the criteria of keto. Moreover, these fruits are nutrient-dense and help to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
You can consider these fruits as:
- Low carb fruits for diabetics
- Best keto fruits for glowing skin
- Low carb fruits for weight loss
- Liver friendly fruits
Some alternatives to pomegranate are:
Final Thoughts
Keto fruits are low in carbs and help to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, pomegranate is high in carbs and it is not a keto approved fruit. The high carb combination of this fruit can kick you out of ketosis within a short time frame.
Both pomegranate and juice of this fruit are high in carbs and not keto-friendly. It is a wise idea to avoid pomegranate on keto to stay at ketosis level for a prolonged time.
