Popcorn Is Keto-Friendly Unless You Make This One Mistake (2024)

And actually really healthy.

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Popcorn Is Keto-Friendly Unless You Make This One Mistake (1)Medically reviewed by

Popcorn Is Keto-Friendly Unless You Make This One Mistake (2)

IF YOU’VE RECENTLY embarked on the ketogenic diet, you might be struggling to find the ideal snack. After all, you don’t want to lose out on all your favorite foods, like your movie theater favorite, popcorn. Is this salty, crunchy classic considered keto-friendly?

Most of your traditional snack options—like chips, crackers, and fruits—include too many of the keto-killing carbohydrates.The keto diet involves eating a small amount of carbs in an effort to lose weight by pushing the body into a process called ketosis. Our bodies burn carbs as our first-line fuel source. When carb intake is restricted, the body turns quickly to its second option: fat.

The strategy has seen success since its beginnings as a treatment option for epilepsy in the 1920s. The only issue is, to maintain a state of ketosis, you need to be intaking only around 25 grams, or less, of carbohydrates per day. The specific cutoff is different for everyone, but regardless, it's a small amount of carbs. For reference, there’s 45 grams of carbs in a single cup of rice. To adhere to that extreme restriction (to which there’s lots of conversation about), you need the right snack tools in your arsenal.

We know just as well as you do that there’s nothing like posting up with a tub of popcorn. Corn in itself is considered pretty carb-heavy. But, believe it or not, popcorn isn’t that high in carbs: One cup of air-popped popcorn has 6 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of net carbs, says Natalie Rizzo, M.S, R.D. Unless you’re eating some kind of wacky sugary caramel-coated popcorn, that’s not too bad.

But still, popcorn is, by nature of its source, a carb-heavy snack. So what to do?

Is Popcorn Keto?

Because 5 grams of net carbs is pretty low, popcorn can definitely fit into a keto diet, says Rizzo. “It’s a healthy whole-grain snack that is low in carbs,” she says.

Plus, it has nutritious carbs and fiber, which contribute to energy production and digestion, so you’re getting in some nice sources of fiber to promote gut health and keep you regular—something that is actually of concern to those on keto due to the lack of naturally high fiber sources.

What's a Good Keto Popcorn Recipe?

Now, if you go ahead and drizzle your popcorn with chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, or another high-sugar topping, then your popcorn, though now more delicious, is likely not keto.

To bump up the fats (and flavor) in your popcorn snack: "Pair a cup of air popped popcorn with nuts and top with cinnamon and salt to make a trail mix. Or drizzle 1 cup of air popped popcorn with nut butter,” says Rizzo.

Popcorn Is Keto-Friendly Unless You Make This One Mistake (3)

Popcorn Is Keto-Friendly Unless You Make This One Mistake (4)

Medically reviewed byErin Kenney, R.D

Erin Kenney is a Registered Dietitian, personal trainer, and CEO of Nutrition Rewired, a virtual private practice where she helps individuals achieve optimal levels of health and human performance. She takes a holistic approach and helps clients address health concerns from a root cause perspective. She works with athletes, CEO's, fortune 100 companies, and everyday individuals looking to achieve optimal health.

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Popcorn Is Keto-Friendly Unless You Make This One Mistake (2024)

FAQs

Popcorn Is Keto-Friendly Unless You Make This One Mistake? ›

What's a Good Keto Popcorn Recipe? Now, if you go ahead and drizzle your popcorn with chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, or another high-sugar topping, then your popcorn, though now more delicious, is likely not keto.

Is popcorn keto friendly to eat? ›

Net carbs are calculated by taking the total grams of carbohydrate in a food and subtracting the amount of fiber. In this case, popcorn contains 6 grams of carbs per 1 cup serving and 1.2 grams of fiber, bringing the net carbs per serving to 4.8 grams. Yes friends, popcorn is indeed a keto food.

How much popcorn will kick you out of ketosis? ›

Considering the typical daily limit on keto, which is 50 grams of net carbs, you can have up to 5 servings of popcorn — for a total of 25 grams of net carbs — and still leave room for other carbs during the day.

Will movie theater popcorn kick me out of ketosis? ›

Does popcorn have carbs? Yes, which can kick you out of ketosis if your snacking gets out of hand. This isn't really a risk, but it is something to keep in mind if you're eating any sort of low-carb diet.

Can corn kick you out of ketosis? ›

Can corn kick you out of ketosis? Yes. Corn doesn't easily fit into a keto diet, because this starchy vegetable contains far too many carbohydrates. For a corn fix, popcorn may be a better occasional snack option if you are on a keto diet.

Is skinny pop popcorn OK on keto? ›

Skinny Pop Popcorn can fit into the keto diet and make an excellent healthy snack. Each serving provides 4g of dietary fiber and only 1g of net carbs per serving, making it an ideal option for those trying to keep their carb intake low.

Does popcorn spike blood sugar? ›

Popcorn offers people with diabetes a low-sugar, low-calorie snack option. It will not increase a person's blood sugar levels by a significant amount, making it a safe choice between meals.

Is peanut butter keto-friendly? ›

Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

Will 15 carbs break ketosis? ›

Most ketogenic diet guidelines recommend limiting your total carbohydrate intake to 15-30 grams or 5%-10% of your total calorie intake a day. Eating more than 50 grams of carbs may disrupt ketosis. With keto diets, however, carb restrictions vary from person to person.

Can I have butter on keto? ›

Butter is perfect for your keto lifestyle, as it's carb-free and about 80% fat ( 21 ). Though it was long considered a menace to heart health, current research indicates that there is only a small or neutral association between butter intake and heart disease and stroke risk ( 22 ).

Is hummus keto? ›

While hummus is suitable for the keto diet, you'll want to limit yourself to a small amount. Consider using it as a garnish rather than as a dip, and avoid dessert flavors. You may also want to consider other low carb dips and spreads, such as baba ganoush, pate, or black soybean hummus.

What foods can I eat unlimited on keto? ›

Foods you can eat on the keto diet include fish and seafood, meat and poultry, non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, and zucchini, avocados, berries, nuts and seeds, eggs, high-fat dairy products, olive oil and other oils, and high-cocoa chocolate.

Will one cheat day ruin ketosis? ›

It's okay to have a cheat day while observing keto. But keto practitioners recommend you plan your macros carefully. Don't go all out on your cheat day — know your limits so you don't get knocked out of ketosis and become unable to get back.

How many eggs a day on a keto diet? ›

It's totally fine and safe to eat up to 6 eggs a day while on the keto diet. You can consume even more eggs per day occasionally, as long as you make sure that you eat your greens, healthy fats and proteins from other sources.

Is corn keto friendly? ›

Is Corn Keto? It shouldn't be a surprise to you, based on the amount of carbs in corn, that corn is not keto. But remember, Boehmer says, keto dieters are allowed roughly 3o to 40 grams of carbs per day. A half-cup of corn contains about 15 grams of carbs, which makes it a tasty salad topper or egg scramble mix-in.

How many carbs are in 1 cup of buttered popcorn? ›

Popcorn With Butter (1 cup, popped) contains 5.7g total carbs, 4.7g net carbs, 6.6g fat, 0.9g protein, and 83 calories.

Is oatmeal keto friendly? ›

Is oatmeal keto-friendly? No, not unless you're interested in only a spoonful a day. Oatmeal is high in net carbs, which doesn't fit the low carb, high fat strategy needed to achieve ketosis.

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