If you’re new to the keto diet, you may be wondering what tasty foods you can eat. You’ll be pleased to learn that avocados are an excellent keto-friendly food that is packed with a trove of health benefits in addition to being low-carb.
Avocados are extremely keto-friendly and low carb.
Sticking to low-carb foods is the crux of the ketogenic diet. The process of your body burning fat instead of carbs for fuel is known as ketosis, which is a normal metabolic process. The keto diet loves ketosis because it allows for the consumption of fewer calories minus the hunger pangs. Perfect for weight loss goals!
If you don’t already know, it’s important to understand in-depth of what is ketosis and how your body operates during it.
Avocados are the perfect keto food because they have very few net carbs, they’re packed with fiber, and they contain high monounsaturated fats. You can eat them with some salt and pepper or even soy sauce to make a delicious and nutritious snack.
Just take a look at the macronutrients in an avocado in this image:
The Importance of Fats on a Keto Diet
Sticking to a diet that’s low in carbs and high in fats is the whole premise of the ketogenic diet because it leads to ketosis, which then leads to weight loss [1]. While fats play a very important role in our overall health, keep in mind that not all are created equal. Fortunately, the fats found in avocados are the good ones, adding to the keto-friendliness of this fruit.
The Three Main Fats: Good vs Bad Fats
There are three main fats we see in our everyday foods: saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and monounsaturated fats. While there are plenty of misconceptions and misinformation about fats, the fact is that all are essential to our health and should always be a part of our diets.
We can identify what type of fat we are ingesting by the amount that is dominant in the mixture. For example, an avocado contains roughly 60% of monounsaturated fat and butter contains about 60% of saturated fat.
Here is a quick breakdown of the different fats and which ones are better than others for your health:
Saturated Fats: 3.1 grams per 1 cup of avocado slices.
You might not have thought it, but saturated fats are necessary for our diets and help keep our immune system healthy. They also work to maintain our testosterone levels and keep our bone density normal.
A common misconception is that saturated fats are dangerous to our health. However, studies have shown [2] them to be important components of our diet and have no association with heart disease. Some foods that contain saturated fats include eggs, butter, and meat.
Polyunsaturated Fats: 2.7 grams per 1 cup of avocado slices.
These fats are much more accepted than saturated fats, but are often highly processed. Studies reveal[3] a direct correlation between eating too many foods containing these fats (such as vegetable oils) and increased rates of heart disease.
The key thing to remember is that processed polyunsaturated fats are bad. However, natural polyunsaturated fats are good.
Monounsaturated Fats: 14 grams per 1 cup avocado slices.
These fats are generally considered to be healthy and are found in foods like avocados, nuts, and olive oil. Some benefits to consuming these fats include an improvement in insulin resistance and better cholesterol levels.
Monounsaturated fats alone have been proven to lower blood pressure, increase HDL (high-density lipoprotein), reduce insulin resistance, protect skin from premature aging, and reduce belly fat.
Trans Fats: Zero grams per 1 cup avocado slices.
While they aren’t included in fatty foods (only those that are processed), trans fats are still worth mentioning here. These fats have also been linked to heart disease and can worsen your cholesterol levels. So keep away from these fats! Fortunately, avocados do not contain measurable amounts of trans-fats.
10 More Benefits of Eating Avocados
Here is another way to look at the way avocados can serve you on the keto diet (or any diet really).
#1 Avocados are nutritious across the board.
Avocados are incredibly nutritious and are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and fiber. The new adage is “an avocado a day keeps the doctor away”, and truer words have never been spoken.
This fruit has long been prized for its high nutrient value. Some of the most abundant nutrients found in avocado include:
- Vitamin K: 26% of the RDA (recommended daily allowance)
- Folate: 20% of the RDA
- Vitamin C: 17% of the RDA
- Vitamin B5: 14% of the RDA
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the RDA
- Vitamin E: 10% of the RDA
- Potassium: 14% of the RDA
It also contains small amounts of Manganese, Magnesium, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A, Phosphorous, B1, B2, and B3.
#2 Avocados are pleasant on heart health.
Avocados have been shown to reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides while also increasing the good (HDL) cholesterol.
This is pretty major when it comes to a healthy heart as your lipid composition can greatly determine how healthy your heart is.
Higher levels of LDL and triglycerides have long been correlated with higher risks of developing cardiovascular heart disease.
#3 Avocados support weight loss and healthy metabolism.
Avocados have been linked to hunger reduction, increased satiation, and even post-prandial blood glucose levels.
Incorporating avocados in your diet could help you naturally consume fewer calories. This is because they are high in fiber, which tends to leave you feeling fuller for longer. Being high in fiber and low in carbs have been shown to promote weight loss.
Using the keto diet for weight loss is why people usually sign up for it in the first place, so be sure to add in an avocado to optimize the process.
#4 Avocados are exceptionally rich in potassium.
Research shows that potassium is one nutrient we simply aren’t getting enough of. [4] Avocados are very high in potassium, containing 14% of the RDA compared to bananas, which only contain 10%.
High potassium intake has been linked to reduced blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure.
#5 Avocados promote skin health naturally.
This superfood even has its place in promoting skincare Eating an avocado a day can be great for your skin due to its bioactive compounds, such as lutein.
Lutein has antioxidant properties that work to protect the skin by filtering high-energy UV rays and reducing their oxidative damage.
#6 Avocados assist in absorbing more nutrients.
While it’s crucial you’re getting enough nutrients in your diet, it’s not just what goes in that matters, but how your system absorbs them and spreads their benefits to the rest of your body.
While we can utilize some nutrients easily, others are fat-soluble, which means they have to be combined with fat for our body to make the most of them. Some fat-soluble nutrients include antioxidants like carotenoids, and Vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Studies have shown that adding avocado or avocado oil to dishes can increase absorption [5] by a factor of 15. So not only are avocados great for you on their own, but they can also dramatically boost the health value of other plant-based foods in your diet.
#7 Avocados are full of fiber.
The fiber content in avocados is a major reason why they’re amazing on pretty much any diet—with a 200-gram avocado containing 13.5 grams of fiber and only 3.6 grams of net carbs.
Avocados consist of insoluble fiber which is useful when dealing with constipation, and it also contains soluble fiber which is good for diarrhea. Having a healthy balance of the two will promote a much more robust digestive system.
#8 Avocados have the potential to fight cancer.
While more extensive research needs to be conducted on avocados’ cancer-fighting properties, there have been promising studies in recent years. Under laboratory conditions, avocado extract has been shown to inhibit the development of prostate cancer cells [6] as well as having the potential to reduce some of the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy treatment.
Further exploration of the positive effects is needed, but with all the other amazing benefits of avocado, there’s no reason not to stock up either way.
#9 Avocados promote healthier eyes in multiple ways.
The abundant antioxidants in avocados include the fat-soluble carotenoids mentioned earlier, more specifically lutein and zeaxanthin. Both of these play a crucial role in ocular health, and some studies have shown links to a massive reduction in the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts in older people.
#10 Avocados have unique versatility for keto!
One of the great things about avocado is that it can be used in numerous dishes, and even in drinks. You can use it to make fresh guacamole, add a new twist to your Eggs Benedict, or make a tasty banana and avocado smoothie.
The possibilities are endless!
It can be easily integrated into a variety of different meals, making it an excellent food for keto, whatever your personal taste.
Summary: this fruit is a must for the keto diet.
You’ll never have to search far and wide for an article or research study promoting the wealth of benefits that come from avocados, on or off the ketogenic diet. With its high concentration of valuable nutrients and good fats, you can be sure that an avocado a day will keep the doctor away.