Are Cherries Keto-Friendly?

Learning the nuances of any new diet is confusing, particularly if you’re following a plan with complicated rules or a lot of restrictions. The popular Ketogenic diet can be tricky for beginners who are trying out the high-fat, low-carb lifestyle.

As a refresher, keto dieters get roughly 70 percent of their daily calories from fat in order to force their bodies into ketosis, or fat burning mode. This means only 20 percent of your daily calories can come from protein while 10 percent is allotted to carbs. Most dietitians recommend eating only 20-30 grams of carbohydrates, which makes eating many healthy foods, like fruit, difficult. For example, one medium apple has 22 grams of carbohydrates. But can you eat other fruits, like cherries?

Are cherries keto?

Generally, most fruits are high in carbohydrates because of their natural sugars. This makes it difficult to eat fruit and maintain ketosis. That said, cherries may be keto-friendly if eaten in moderation. According to the USDA, a single cup of cherries contains 22 grams of carbohydrates. Does this mean you have to deprive yourself of the antioxidant-rich fruit? Not, exactly. Eat a smaller serving if you really want to satisfy the craving. A half-cup of cherries makes it possible to enjoy the fruit and stay in ketosis, but you’ll have to severely limit carbs from all other foods. Your best bet is to keep the amount to roughly one-fourth of a cup.

And cherries are a rich source of antioxidants, so you probably don’t want to eliminate the fruit from your diet–if you enjoy eating them. Studies show they may help reduce inflammation, exercise-induced muscle soreness and lowered blood pressure.

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