To all those wondering is coconut sugar keto, the answer is no.
An increasing number of people are jumping on the keto trend. And, even if you aren't going fully keto, you are probably trying to reduce your carb intake. A lot of my clients have asked me if they can have coconut sugar on the keto diet and I have had to tell them that this sweetener has too many carbs.
Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it. In this post, I breakdown the nutritional profile of coconut sugar and show you exactly what it is made up of. I also go through some of the sweeteners that may be a better fit for your keto diet. Find out more here:
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What is the final answer? Is coconut palm sugar keto?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question would be no.
Coconut sugar is just a little too high in carbs for it to be considered keto.
So, while many other coconut derivatives do fit the keto bill, coconut sugar does not.
Here is the nutritional profile of coconut sugar, per teaspoon:
On the surface, 4g of sugar may not seem like a lot.
So, does this mean that the carbs in coconut sugar is low enough?
Not really. This is because coconut sugar has the same amount of carbs per teaspoon as white sugar!
Of course, the carb content is only half of the story.
It is just as important to understand the impact of coconut sugar on your blood sugar levels.
Well, it would appear that coconut sugar does score lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar.
However, the results do vary.
Despite this, there is some evidence to show that your blood sugar level may not rise as much when you consume coconut sugar.
OK, so coconut sugar can’t be a part of a keto diet.
Can be considered a healthier alternative to white sugar, though?
Well, the jury is still out on this.
Now, you could make the case that coconut sugar does contain a minute amount of nutrients as it doesn’t undergo heavy processing.
Nevertheless, there are only trace amounts of these nutrients.
You would have to consume a significant amount of coconut sugar to get any benefit.
As mentioned, though, coconut sugar may not cause as much of a spike in your blood sugar levels as white sugar.
If this is an advantage that you are interested in, then coconut sugar could do the trick for you.
Let’s switch gears for a moment.
To really appreciate whether or not there is a link between coconut sugar and keto, you have to understand what kind of sweeteners are allowed.
You are still allowed a certain number of carbs on keto – around 50 grams a day.
Since sugar falls under this category, your sweetener needs to be far lower than this accommodation.
Keep in mind, your total carb intake has to be equal to or less than 50 grams.
Thus, the sweetener has to be low enough in carbs to make allowances for other carbohydrates that you may be consuming within a day.
At the same time, when on the keto diet, you have to select sweeteners that won’t cause much of a spike in your blood sugar levels.
You need to understand what is meant by the term “coconut sugar”.
Despite its name, coconut sugar isn’t actually made from coconuts.
Instead, it is derived from the sap of the flower buds from the coconut palm tree.
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It is sometimes referred to as coconut palm sugar as well.
The sap is boiled over heat, until all the liquid has evaporated.
The resulting crystals is the coconut sugar.
So, there you have it – coconut sugar isn’t keto after all! However, it is certainly an interesting sweetener to learn about. And, now you have a much better understanding of why this sugar can’t be added to a low-carb diet.
If you enjoyed this post, go ahead and check out our Pinterest page. You will find lots of other ways to incorporate coconut into your diet.
