Consuming large amounts of alcohol can increase your appetite, which can lead to overeating and slow down weight loss progress, undermining the benefits of your diet plan.
If you can control your intake, you can enjoy a moderate amount of low-carb alcohol. However, it’s important to note that this is individual to each person. Low-carb alcohol options include wine, champagne, whiskey, and vodka. Beer and sweet cocktails contain high amounts of carbs.
How Many Carbs are in Alcoholic Drinks?
The lowest amount is found in a flute of champagne – 1 g. Dry white and red wine contain approximately 2 g per glass, while sweeter varieties may have up to 4 g or more. Regular beer contains 13 g per pint!
Can I Drink Rose Wine on a Keto Diet?
If you consume around 20-50 carbs per day, dry wines can be included in your daily keto diet. This may lead to a slight reduction in the effectiveness of your diet plan. If you strictly limit your carb intake to less than 20g per day, you can have a glass of wine on special occasions.
Wines to Avoid on a Keto Diet:
- Red or white sangria
- Rosé Zinfandel
- Moscato
- Riesling
- Rosé wine
- Port/Sherry
- Dessert wine
- Ice wine
A glass of dry wine contains approximately 0.5g of sugar, as well as small amounts of glycerol and other residual carbs from the winemaking process, which typically adds up to less than 2g. It’s unlikely that a glass of wine on a keto diet will significantly affect blood sugar or insulin levels.
Sweeter varieties, such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer, contain approximately 4g of carbs per regular glass. Even sweeter dessert wines, such as Muscato, Tokaj, Ice Wines, and fortified wines like Port, Sherry, and Madeira, are even sweeter in taste and contain more fructose, with carb counts of around 5g or more per glass.
Is Beer Allowed in Keto Diet?
The hops and fermented grains used in brewing beer can be seen as liquid bread – the large beer bellies are proof that it promotes belly fat. The amount of carbohydrates in beer depends on the brand, but there are a few options with low carb content. See below for more detailed information.
Whiskey, vodka, brandy, gin, tequila, and other pure spirits have zero carbs and are allowed in small portions. Do not add juice, sweetened soda, or other sweeteners such as sweet cream. Adding tonic to zero-carb gin raises the count to 16g per serving! Use vodka, soda, and lime as a carb-free summer drink. Thinking vodka and orange juice is a good choice? The combination contains 28g carbs, while rum and cola contain even more carbs (39g).
Can I Drink Whiskey on a Keto Diet?
When it comes to hard liquor, it’s straightforward. Pure spirits like whiskey, brandy, cognac, vodka, gin, and tequila contain no carbs at all, so they are allowed on a keto diet. However, sweetened drinks should be avoided. Do not add juice, non-alcoholic drinks, or other sweeteners like fresh cream to alcoholic drinks. If you add tonic to zero-carb gin, the carb content will rise to 16 grams per serving! You can drink vodka, sparkling water, and a slice of lime. This drink is perfect for those on a keto diet.
The worst option is to mix alcohol with sweetened soda or juice. This way, you will end up with a real sugar disaster.
Top 5 Alcoholic Drinks for the Keto Diet
On a low-carb diet, you can still enjoy alcoholic beverages on special occasions. While most alcoholic drinks are high in sugar, there are some worthy low-carb options.
Sparkling wine (extra-dry or brut) or champagne on keto – one glass contains approximately 2g of carbs.
Nothing says celebration quite like a glass of bubbly! While champagne can be very expensive compared to other types of sparkling wine, it is available at a wide range of price points. Champagne on keto can be enjoyed as an aperitif, with meals, or as a standalone drink.
Dry wine on keto – red or white – one glass contains approximately 2g.
There must be a reason why people have been drinking wine for thousands of years. One of them is the pleasant taste. Benjamin Franklin even called it “proof that God loves us constantly.” Fortunately, consuming one glass of dry wine on keto does not harm your low-carb eating plan.
“Skinny Bitch” – contains 0 carbs.
Skinny Bitch is an excellent choice if you want to eliminate sugar and artificial sweeteners. This amazing long drink with vodka, soda, lime, and ice is quite enjoyable.
Whiskey on keto – 0 g in one serving.
Although whiskey is made from different grains, it contains no carbs or gluten. Whiskey comes in different varieties. Too much ice can kill the aroma, but serving it with a small amount of water will help it to open up and enhance the aroma.
Dry martini – 0 g.
In the iconic James Bond cocktail, gin and vermouth are combined and garnished with an olive or lemon twist. But be sure to remember to shake it, not stir it.
Alcohol’s effects on the keto diet are stronger. When a person follows a strict low-carb diet, they require less alcohol to become intoxicated. You may only need half of your usual amount of alcoholic drinks to enjoy yourself.
The reasons for this phenomenon are still unclear. It may be related to the fact that the liver is busy producing ketones or glucose, thus slowing down the process of alcohol elimination from the body.
