The keto diet is a high-fat eating plan that cuts out carbs completely. When you’re on the keto plan, you eat foods that are low in carbs and rely on fatty fillings such as Greek yogurts, nuts, berries, eggs, and protein.
As for beverages, it’s important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. You can also drink teas and coffee, so long as there is no added sugar. But what about alcohol?
In short, alcohol does not help with weight loss. The more alcohol you drink, the slower your weight loss results will be — and this applies to everyone, not just people on the keto diet. As a general rule, if you want to get the best results out of your keto diet, it’s recommended that you stay away from alcohol. However, some kinds of alcohol contain fewer carbs and sugars than others, and you don’t have to cut the low-carb drinks out of your diet completely.
Here is a running list of the best keto-friendly alcoholic drinks, and the ones you shouldn’t touch:
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Wine
Wine is the best alcoholic option for the keto diet. Dry wines and champagnes are the healthiest options for keto-friendly wines — each glass contains just over one gram of carbs. Red wines have slightly more carbs, with about three grams per glass. Sweeter dessert wines have the most carbs.
Because most people on keto ingest 20 to 50 carbs a day, enjoying a glass of champagne or dry wine should be a viable option fairly frequently.
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Liquor
Pure spirits, including whiskey, vodka, gin, rum and tequila, contain zero carbs and are all keto-friendly alcoholic beverages. The tricky part is paying attention to how you drink them. Many classic cocktails including margaritas, gin and tonic and whiskey sours are packed with sugar that will severely hinder your keto diet.
The best option is to drink your liquor straight and not mix it with any sodas, juices or other mixers. But if you aren’t a fan of straight alcohol, a popular keto-friendly drink to turn to is a vodka soda loaded with lemon or lime. You can also make low-carb versions of some cocktails by substituting sugar for stevia, such as low-carb Moscow mules or spiked strawberry spritzers.
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Beer
If you’re on the keto diet (or any diet), it’s smart to stay away from beer. Though there are many different types of beers with different makeups, the drink is almost always packed with carbohydrates. After all, beer is called “liquid bread” for a reason.
But if you’re a beer lover and need to unwind with a cold one every once in a while, there are a few brands you can turn to that are low-carb. Bud Select 55, Busch Light and Natural Light are all good choices to turn to if you’re trying to stick to your diet and avoid a beer belly.
