Milk and keto: Is Milk Keto Friendly? (The Best Milk For Keto)

29.10.202215.07.2023 by alexxlab

Is Milk Keto Friendly? (The Best Milk For Keto)

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Milk is considered a key component in many diets, but is milk keto friendly? Let’s talk about whether milk fits into a keto diet, the amount of carbs in milk, keto diet milk alternatives, and how to include the flavor and texture of milk into keto recipes.

You can also learn more about how to start a keto diet here, and calculate how many carbs to eat in a day with the keto macro calculator.

Is Milk Keto Friendly?

Can you drink milk on keto? No… at least, not typical cow’s milk.

Milk is not keto friendly because it contains high amounts of sugar in the form of lactose. Milk may fit in to a lower-carb diet, but it contains too many carbs for a traditional keto lifestyle.

How Many Carbs In Milk?

One cup of 2% milk contains 12 total carbs and 0 fiber, which means it also contains 12g net carbs per cup [*].

Since many keto dieters consume less than 20 net carbs per day, milk is not an ideal food choice because a single serving would use up over half one’s daily allotment of carbs.

Is Whole Milk Keto?

No, whole milk is not keto friendly.

Since the keto diet encourages consuming more dietary fat, you may think that whole milk is more keto friendly. However, one cup of whole milk contains 12g net carbs — the same as 2% milk [*].

For anyone counting carbs closely, cow’s milk is not a very good option.

The Best Milk For Keto

So, which milk is best for keto if cow’s milk is off the table? There are a few options…

Is Almond Milk Keto?

Yes, almond milk is keto friendly milk! It contains 1.4g net carbs per 1-cup serving.

If you enjoy almond milk on keto, choose plain and unsweetened varieties to keep net carbs low.

Is Coconut Milk Keto?

Coconut milk is a keto milk too, just like almond milk. Coconut milk comes in two forms:

Coconut milk beverage (in a carton) has 2g net carbs per 1-cup serving. This is most similar to regular milk with a consistency that you would drink.
Full-fat coconut milk (in a can) has 2g net carbs per 1/4-cup serving. Canned coconut milk is very thick and rich, which is why the serving size is smaller, and is usually used in recipes rather than for drinking.

Canned coconut milks and coconut milks in a carton are both low in net carbs, as long as you choose plain and unsweetened versions.

Is Heavy Cream Keto?

Heavy cream is the best milk for keto if you tolerate dairy, and it clocks in at approximately 0.426 net carbs per 1-tablespoon serving [*], but varies slightly by brand.

Pay special attention to serving size for this keto milk. Many labels will round the carb count up to 1g or down to 0g for a tablespoon, and that adds up to a big discrepancy when using a lot.

Is Oat Milk Keto?

Can you have milk on a keto diet made from oats? Considering the high carb count in raw oats, oat milk is not keto friendly.

A cup of oat milk has 8g net carbs in a 1-cup serving, so while it’s slightly lower than dairy milk, it is not a very good choice for low carb eating.

Carbs In Different Kinds Of Milk

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Keto Milk Substitutes For Recipes

If dairy milk itself is not keto… what milk is keto? You can still enjoy flavor and creaminess similar to milk with the right substitutes.

Give these keto milk alternatives a try:

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk – It’s smooth and sweet like regular milk, without the high sugar content. You can easily make it yourself! You can also buy it, but make sure it’s unsweetened.
Heavy Cream – If you tolerate dairy, this is the most realistic keto milk substitute. Heavy cream is typically too rich and caloric to drink straight, but is delicious for coffee or using in recipes. Sometimes you can water down heavy cream with water to make a milk replacement.
Coconut Milk – Full-fat varieties are the most keto-friendly, though lower fat coconut milk beverage is fine for drinking, too. Watch out for added sugar.
Cashew milk, macadamia milk, and hemp milk – These cow milk alternatives contain between 0-1 net carbs per cup.
Butter – While you can’t drink it alone (!), blending butter into hot coffee transforms it into a creamy latte. Try it in this butter coffee recipe!
Keto Coffee Creamer – This makes the perfect sweet substitute if you like milk or half and half in your coffee.

So, while traditional milk doesn’t easily fit into a ketogenic lifestyle, you can choose from plenty of low carb milk alternatives. Any of these options are great candidates to be the best milk for keto, so you can choose the one you like best.

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Is Milk Keto?

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Is Milk Keto-Friendly?

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Medically reviewed by Adrienne Seitz, MS, RD, LDN, Nutrition — By SaVanna Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD on March 10, 2020

Milk and milk alternatives are tasty drinks and key ingredients in a lot of recipes. Still, you may wonder whether you can drink them on the keto diet.

Keto is a very low carb, high fat, moderate protein diet. On the keto diet, most people need to restrict their carb intake to about 25–30 grams of net carbs per day. The concept of net carbs refers to the total number of carbs minus the fiber content.

Therefore, for a milk to be keto-friendly, it needs to be low in net carbs.

Although some milks are not keto-friendly, several varieties are compatible with a keto diet.

This article lists milks that fit the keto diet, as well as those that don’t.

Keto dieters should avoid milks that contain moderate or excessive amounts of carbs.

For instance, all sweetened milks — including sweetened versions of keto-friendly milks — should be avoided because they are high in carbs from added sugar.

Here are some other milks that you should avoid while on keto:

Cow’s milk. Cow’s milk contains lactose, or milk sugar. This includes evaporated milk, ultra-filtered milk, and raw cow’s milk. One cup (244 mL) of 2% milk contains 12 grams of net carbs (1).
Oat milk. Oat milk is made from oats, which are naturally high in carbs. This makes oat milk inappropriate for keto. One cup (240 mL) provides 17 grams of net carbs (2).
Rice milk. Like oats, rice is naturally high in carbs, making rice milk a higher carb milk choice, too. One cup (240 mL) contains 21 grams of net carbs (3).
Sweetened condensed milk. Condensed milk contains high amounts of added sugar and is used for making decadent desserts. Because of its high sugar content, you shouldn’t use it while on keto. One cup (240 mL) contains a whopping 165 grams of net carbs (4).
Goat’s milk. Similarly to cow’s milk, goat’s milk contains natural sugars that make it too high in carbs to be keto-friendly. One cup (240 mL) provides 11 grams of net carbs (5).

Summary
Some of the higher carb milks that should be avoided on keto include cow’s milk, oat milk, rice milk, condensed milk, and goat’s milk. You should also avoid sweetened versions of keto-friendly milks.

Keto-friendly milks need to be low in carbs. Luckily, there are several good options.

However, you should note that only the unsweetened versions of these milks are appropriate for keto.

Additionally, carb counts will vary significantly between different brands due to their varying ingredients and formulations. Be sure to carefully read the nutrition facts on the label to assess whether a milk is truly keto-friendly.

Here are some keto-friendly milks:

Almond milk. Almond milk is probably the most widely used milk on keto. It’s inexpensive, sold at most grocery stores, and relatively low in carbs, containing only 1 gram of net carbs per cup (240 mL) (6).
Coconut milk. Coconut milk is also a good choice for keto, but some brands contain up to 5 grams of net carbs per 1-cup (240-mL) serving. As this is one-fifth of the daily carb allotment for keto, it should be used sparingly (7).
Macadamia nut milk. Macadamia nut milk is more expensive than other keto-friendly milks, but it’s the lowest in carbs. One cup (240 mL) contains 1 gram of fiber and 0 net carbs (8).
Flax milk. Made from flax seeds, flax milk is high in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. One cup (240 mL) contains only 1 gram of net carbs (9, 10).
Soy milk. Unsweetened soy milk contains 1 gram of fiber and 3 net carbs per cup (240 mL). Plus, it provides 7 grams of protein (11).
Cashew milk. Cashew milk contains only 2 grams of net carbs per cup (240 mL) (12).
Pea milk. As a legume, peas are naturally high in protein, and pea milk boasts 8 grams of protein and 2 grams of net carbs per 1 cup (240 mL) (13).
Half-and-half. Half-and-half is a combination of whole cow’s milk and heavy cream. It contains only 1 gram of net carbs per ounce (30 mL) and is a good substitute for cow’s milk in coffee and cooking (14).
Heavy cream. Heavy cream is the fatty portion that’s separated from fresh cow’s milk to make butter or whipped cream. It’s high in fat and calories but contains only 1 gram of net carbs per ounce (30 mL) (15).

Summary
Unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, macadamia nut milk, flax milk, soy milk, cashew milk, and pea milk — along with half-and-half and heavy cream — are all keto-friendly milk options.

There are plenty of keto-friendly milk options.

Your best choices are unsweetened, plant-based milk alternatives — with the exception of rice and oat milks. Half-and-half and heavy cream are solid choices as well.

Avoid cow and goat milks because they contain natural sugar, and avoid sweetened milks, as they’re high in added sugar.

Thankfully, milk doesn’t have to be a thing of the past just because you’re following a keto diet.

Last medically reviewed on March 10, 2020

How we reviewed this article:

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Mar 10, 2020

Written By

SaVanna Shoemaker

Edited By

Susanne Arthur

Medically Reviewed By

Adrienne Seitz, MS, RD, LDN

Copy Edited By

Christina Guzik, BA, MBA

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Medically reviewed by Adrienne Seitz, MS, RD, LDN, Nutrition — By SaVanna Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD on March 10, 2020

Dairy products on a keto diet: what can you do?

Milk is familiar to all of us from infancy. It contains a lot of calcium, necessary for the growth of bones, teeth, nutrients for
development of the nervous system, strong immunity. Probably, not a single child had a childhood without porridge with milk. Attitude
adults to dairy products is formed from childhood. Someone cannot imagine life without them, someone is neutral, and someone
can’t stand it at all. What to do if you love them very much and decide to switch to a ketogenic diet? Is it possible to continue
Should I use it or should I limit it now?

What’s in it?

Dairy products are sources of proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. They contain vitamin A, K2, B6, B12, calcium,
zinc and other beneficial nutrients. On keto, it is important to choose those foods that are suitable for a low-carb diet in terms of BJU.

Milk contains a complete protein of animal origin, including all essential amino acids. It is represented by two
species: 80 – 90% casein and the rest whey protein.

Fat in dairy products is dominated by saturated (70%) and monounsaturated (25%) fatty acids, and
very few polyunsaturated. These proportions are great for keto because saturated fat promotes active
production of ketone bodies.

Carbohydrates are the most important macronutrient to look out for! They increase blood glucose levels
insulin release and can easily get you out of ketosis. It is by the content of carbohydrates that allow or limit the use
certain products on keto.

The main carbohydrate in milk is lactose, a disaccharide of glucose and galactose. Some types of dairy products contain quite a lot of it, and
in others there is little. It all depends on what happens to lactose in the process of obtaining them. For example, the production of kefir, yogurt
or cheese involves the treatment of milk with bacteria that, in the course of their life, convert lactose into lactic acid.
Therefore, the amount of carbohydrates in them is less than in the feedstock.

What is possible?

On a ketogenic diet, dairy products with a carbohydrate content of up to 7 g per 100 g are allowed. These include:

butter, ghee, ghee;
hard, soft cheeses: brie, camembert, mozzarella, cheddar, swiss and others;
Greek yogurt;
heavy cream;
fat cottage cheese;
sour cream;
feta, parmesan, ricotta, cream cheese;
whole milk yogurt;
kefir.

The best dairy product on a ketogenic diet is ghee! On the Ruketo website, it is presented in two versions:
sweet cream and sour cream.
Thanks to a special production method, ghee is hypoallergenic. It is almost 100% fat, lactose and dairy free.
protein. Excellent for frying, improves the taste of dishes. Rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, E, easily digestible medium chain
fatty acids. Sour cream ghee additionally contains metabiotics that promote a healthy microbiome.

All dairy products with added sugar are banned, including store-bought sweetened yoghurts, curds, and cheese curds.
The amount of carbohydrates in them is too high, and the health benefits are very doubtful. Milk is also limited on keto, especially
fat free.

Dairy products allowed on a low-carbohydrate diet are high in fat and protein. It’s pretty satisfying
high-calorie food, so you should not get carried away too much so that there is no surplus of calories. The main thing is moderation, especially if
you want to lose excess weight.

Who should limit or eliminate dairy products?

The main warnings are that dairy products increase insulin levels, can bring you out of ketosis, prevent
weight loss, support inflammation.

Indeed, due to the presence of lactose and protein in the composition, they affect the level of insulin. Therefore, in metabolic syndrome,
insulin resistance or diabetes, you need to choose foods with a low insulin index (AI). Feature of dairy
products in that the glycemic (GI) and insulin index for them are very different. For example, the GI of yogurt is 35,
but the AI is 115, which is more than the AI of white wheat bread!

In addition to yogurt, a high insulin response is given by:

cottage cheese;
kefir;
curdled milk;
ryazhenka;
milk.

The lowest AI value for butter, heavy cream, soft cheeses, in which the content of protein and lactose is minimal.

Due to the high AI, dairy products are recommended to be limited when losing weight. Insulin inhibits the breakdown of fat reserves,
because its job is to store fat. If you have been trying to lose weight for a long time, but nothing works, try eliminating milk from the menu.
for at least 7 days. This will help overcome the plateau effect and shift the weight.

Milk causes skin rashes in some people. This is due to the fact that it contains insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1),
increases the production of sebum and promotes the formation of acne.

Most dairy products are not suitable for people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein.

Lactose intolerance manifests itself in the form of abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, diarrhea. If lactose sensitivity is not
too high, sometimes it is allowed to use butter, cheese, yogurt in which its content is minimal.

Milk protein allergy is usually associated with casein. More precisely, with a variety of one of its fractions – A1 beta-casein.
When it is cleaved in the gastrointestinal tract, the peptide beta-casomorphin-7 is formed, which provokes the release of histamine. Allergy manifests itself in the form
hives, indigestion, vomiting and can even cause anaphylactic shock.

How to choose?

When used in moderation and without contraindications, dairy products have a beneficial effect on health. Important
only take into account the serving size, as well as the amount and ratio of macronutrients.

What to look for when choosing them?

Buy grass-fed or grass-fed dairy products whenever possible.
on free range. Dairy products from grass-fed cows contain more anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids
and linoleic acid than from cows raised on grain.

When buying dairy products in the store, read the labels carefully. Sometimes there is added sugar in the composition,
which is unacceptable for keto.

Products made from goat’s or sheep’s milk are healthier and safer in terms of allergies. They suit people
with sensitivity to beta-casein A1, because the proteins that make up them do not cause allergic reactions. Goat milk
in fat content comparable to cow’s. It is a good source of easily digestible calcium, carotene, vitamin A, niacin, bioavailable
iron, magnesium. Compared to cow, it contains more capric, linoleic acids and due to the smaller size of fat globules
better absorbed by the human body. Sheep milk is richer and more nutritious. It has more protein, essential amino acids,
calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, iron than in cow’s milk.

When consuming dairy products, it is important to monitor your body’s reaction. Here everything is individual. on keto
there is no need to completely abandon them. However, for many people, avoiding dairy helps you feel
feel better, reduce skin rashes, food cravings, facilitate weight loss.

Is milk possible on a keto diet

When can you drink milk on a keto diet?

When should you avoid milk on a keto diet?

Many of us grew up on milk. In fact, most newborn mammals depend on their mother’s milk for survival and nutrition. Note that whole milk contains about 12 g of net carbohydrates, 8 g of fat and 8 g of protein per serving (about one glass).

Dairy products are acceptable on a ketogenic diet, but you need to be careful. While one glass of whole milk won’t hurt you (or kick you out of ketosis), this product contains slightly more carbs than you need during keto. They can easily fit into the awful hidden carbs that you might forget to factor into your macros throughout the day.

However, one glass of milk offers impressive health benefits.

1. Calcium
Calcium is most commonly associated with bone health. However, he also plays many other roles. Recent studies have shown that it may protect against heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sun exposure, but can also be taken as a supplement or consumed in certain foods such as milk. Vitamin D has been shown to improve bone health, immune system health, regulate insulin levels, and improve the cardiovascular system.

3. Phosphorus
Did you know that phosphorus is the second richest element in the body? It makes up one percent of our body. With that said, there is no doubt that it is an important mineral that is responsible for hundreds of different processes.

4. Potassium
Potassium is the third most abundant mineral in the body. It “works” with another important mineral, sodium , to support and enhance optimal cell function.

5. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a key antioxidant offering multiple benefits to different systems throughout the body. It helps fight inflammation, which has been shown to be the root cause of many chronic diseases.

6. Vitamin B12
Some of the best benefits of vitamin B12 include its role in improving brain and heart health. Not only does it boost cognitive function, but it also helps form the protective covering of myelin. It is safe to say that if you are deficient in vitamin B12, your cognitive abilities will be seriously affected.

Do you like milk?

YesNo

When can I drink milk on a keto diet?

On a targeted ketogenic diet when you consume milk before or after your workout.
This is a type of keto diet designed for more active people who need more carbohydrates. It allows 20 to 50 grams of extra carbs an hour before or after your workout.
On a cyclical ketogenic diet when you drink milk during “carbohydrate” days.
This is another form of diet that suggests 5 days of the standard ketogenic diet and 1-2 days of “carbohydrate”. This means eating low-calorie, high-carb foods 24 to 48 hours a week to fully replenish your 400 to 600 grams of glycogen stores. However, this diet is only recommended for athletes or individuals who train at such a high intensity that they absolutely need this serving of carbs.
Your carbohydrate intake during the day, including milk, does not exceed 50 grams.

When should you avoid milk on a keto diet?

Expert opinion

Alena Kovaleva

Former “carbohydrate addict”, happy mom and chief editor of KetoDieto.

Milk and keto: Is Milk Keto Friendly? (The Best Milk For Keto)

Is Milk Keto Friendly? (The Best Milk For Keto)

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

Is Milk Keto Friendly?

How Many Carbs In Milk?

Is Whole Milk Keto?

The Best Milk For Keto

Is Almond Milk Keto?

Is Coconut Milk Keto?

Is Heavy Cream Keto?

Is Oat Milk Keto?

Carbs In Different Kinds Of Milk

Keto Milk Substitutes For Recipes

FREE PRINTABLE: LOW CARB & KETO FOOD LIST

Is Milk Keto?

Is Milk Keto-Friendly?

Nutrition

How we reviewed this article:

Read this next

Dairy products on a keto diet: what can you do?

What’s in it?

What is possible?

Who should limit or eliminate dairy products?

How to choose?

Is milk possible on a keto diet

When can I drink milk on a keto diet?

When should you avoid milk on a keto diet?

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