Garlic is widely used in cooking recipes for flavor and aroma, although it has been also used for medicinal purposes.
Garlic is related to the genus Allium and closely related to the onion. Researchers have found evidence that shows that garlic has been using for 5000 years ago.
Contents
Does Garlic nutrition fit into a low-carb diet?
Garlic contains antioxidants that are very beneficial for health.
As per the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidelines, it is one of the healthiest ingredients to your diet.
It is a low-calorie food with lots of nutrients, which easily fits in your keto diet.
3 cloves (9g) of garlic contain nutrients.
- Energy 13
- Carbohydrates 3g
- Protein 0.5g
- Fiber 0.2g
Vitamins and minerals
- Vitamin C 2.8mg (5% DV)
- Vitamin B6 0.1mg (6% DV)
- Calcium 16.3mg (2%DV)
- Manganese 0.2mg (8% DV)
Source USDA Food Composition Databases
Garlic contains lots of antioxidants. That can have lots of health benefits that we will catch later.
The bottom line is yes, garlic can fit into a low-carb diet. But, is garlic keto?
How many carbs in garlic?
An average raw garlic clove (3g) contains 1g carbs and 4.4 calories, according to the USDA food composition database.
Average supermarket garlic can contain 10-15 cloves, and each clove can weigh around 4 – 6 grams.
But, a clove can weigh around 50g depending upon garlic. If we calculate a garlic bulb can weigh around 50g to 100g.
So if we calculate average garlic which weighs around 30-45g contains 10-15g carbs and 45 to 70 calories.
Although, when carbs in garlic it is always carbs in a clove of garlic because no-one eats full garlic. We generally use garlic for aroma and flavor no to full tummy.
The bottom line is a 3g clove of garlic contains 1g carbs and no more than 5 calories.
Should you eat Garlic with Keto-Diet?
We use garlic in our dishes for flavor and aroma.
Yes, garlic is keto-friendly and low carbs. One teaspoon(4g) of garlic contains less than 1g net carbs.
In a standard keto diet, you can eat 30g of carbs. This means you can eat 10g carbs a meal. So, you can add just a clove to your meal which contains less than 1g of carbs. It won’t affect your ketosis at all.
So, it is ok to eat garlic on a keto diet. Go ahead and eat garlic daily.
You should limit garlic to just 2 or maximum 3 cloves a day because you are consuming carbs from other sources too and you don’t want to cross the 20g carbs limit on keto.
If you are a great fan of garlic and want to eat more garlic even on ketosis, then it is totally doable. But, you need to follow the targeted keto diet and high protein keto diet.
In these keto diets, you can eat 30-50g more carbs per day, but these types of diets only for people with a very active lifestyle.
How much garlic you can eat on a keto diet?
You are on a keto diet to stay in ketosis. So, you shouldn’t eat more than 20g carbs during the ketosis adapting stage and no more than 50g fat once you have adapted ketosis fully.
Average supermarket garlic can contain 10-15 cloves, and each clove can weigh around 4 – 6 grams.
But, a clove can weigh around 50g depend upon garlic. If we calculate a garlic bulb can weigh around 50g to 100g.
It is suggested that people should eat 2 to 5g garlic a day which will contain around 1g net carbs.
So you can eat daily recommended value of garlic or 1-2 garlic cloves a day on a keto diet.
This amount of garlic adequate and it will give your dish enough flavor. So, you can use average garlic for more than 5 days on a keto diet.
This amount of garlic will not affect your ketosis. But if you eat more than 2 cloves of garlic make sure you also count on carbs. Because almost 60g garlic contains 20g carbs.
How to eat garlic on keto?
People can eat garlic in different forms such as Garlic sauce, Garlic powder, garlic salt, and garlic butter. We will try to find which allowed in keto and which is not.
1. Garlic sauce
Garlic sauce is a sauce made oof with garlic as primary ingredients. It is a pungent smell with garlic sauce. Read the label before using any garlic sauce. You can read on the label about carbs, calories, and fat on the label. You should use it after that.
It is used to add flavor to food and dishes such as fish, seafood, mutton chop, etc. you can use garlic sauce on a keto diet.
| Net carbs – 7g | Fat – 46g | Protein – 3.57g |
Servings – per 100g Source – USDA Food Composition Databases
2. Garlic powder
Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic. It is the most common seasoning. Garlic cloves, peeled and sliced and heated at 150 degrees Celsius temperature and further chopped and reduced to the desired size.
You can use garlic powder on a keto diet, but no more than 1 teaspoon with a meal.
| Net carbs – 1.9g | Fiber – 0.3g | Protein – 0.5g |
Servings – per 1 tsp (3.1g) Source – USDA Food Composition Databases
3. Garlic salt
Garlic salt is seasoned salt. It is made of a mixture of table salt, dried ground garlic, and anti-caking agents. It is made of 3 part salt and 1 part dried garlic. You use garlic salt in a keto diet.
| Net carbs – 1g | Fiber – 0.1g | Protein – 0.2g |
Servings – per 1 tsp (5.6g) Source – nutritionix
4. Garlic butter
Garlic butter is a compound used for flavoring. It is made with butter and garlic mixture. You can eat garlic butter in a keto diet because it contains low carbs and high-fat content.
| Net carbs – 0.3g | Fat – 11g | Protein – 0.2g |
Servings – per tbsp (14g) Source – nutritionix and USDA Food Composition Databases
How to make garlic on a keto diet?
- Roast – you can roast garlic. But you will eat only one clove of garlic, there is no need to make that effort.
- Eat raw garlic- it is the best way to eat garlic. You are eating for just flavor.
- Chopped garlic – people chop garlic and add to recipes to give flavor. One teaspoon of chopped garlic will be enough to give flavor to your diet for one person.
You should avoid
- Burn it- you should avoid burning.
- Do not overuse – you should not overuse garlic. Remember, it also contains carbs and overuse can ruin your ketosis.
Fast facts of garlic
- China produces two-thirds of the world’s garlic, about 46 billion pounds per year.
- The average person eats 2 pounds of garlic per year.
- You can make glue from garlic.
- There are more than 300 varieties of garlic grown throughout the world.
Health benefits of Garlic on a keto diet
Garlic has a number of health benefits. Such as
- Garlic can prevent the common cold. [1] [2]
- It contains a compound that can help to reduce blood pressure. [3] [4] [5]
- It can reduce bad cholesterol and can lower the risk of heart diseases. [6] [7] [8]
- Your performance may increase by using a garlic supplement.
- Garlic can help to eliminate toxins from your body. [9]
- It contains that can prevent your body from oxidative damage. [10]
Conclusion
Garlic is a low carb food. So you can add garlic to your meal. You should eat 1-2 cloves a day on a keto diet and also in your normal diet.
People mostly use garlic for flavoring which is safe in a keto diet. But if you are thinking about making whole dishes of garlic, then you should avoid them.
The bottom line is garlic has a number of health benefits and its all forms are low in carbs. So, you can eat garlic on a keto diet.
Most Frequently asked questions
Is Garlic low in carbs?
Yes, garlic is low carbs. 3 cloves (9g) of garlic contain 2.8g net carbs, according to USDA Food Composition Databases.
How many carbs are in roasted garlic?
10g roasted garlic contains 5.6g net carbs. So, you should avoid roasted garlic on a keto diet. But, you can add 1 or 2 cloves just for the aroma.
What are the best ways to eat garlic on keto?
You can eat garlic on keto in many ways. Go to the article to know in detail. But you should check this out. These links will redirect you to Amazon. But it is always better to make all these items at home.
1. Garlic sauce (2g net carbs)
2. Garlic powder
3. Garlic salt
4. Garlic butter (2 net carbs per bagel)
Is garlic good for weight loss?
Yes, garlic is good for weight loss. It can boost your metabolism and also suppress appetite.
How many cloves garlic a day?
The daily recommended value for adults is 4g of raw garlic, or 7.2 g of aged garlic extract or one 300-mg dried garlic powder tablet, according to American Family Physician.
Does garlic cause liver damage?
Studies suggest that A 1.0 g/kg body weight/day can damage the liver after 21 days. You should eat no more than 0.1 or 0.25 g / kg body weight/day.