Answer: At 1.4 g of net carbs per serving, pickles are generally keto-friendly, but there are some sugar-heavy brands you should avoid.
Low in everything but sodium, pickles are a great keto-friendly snack. But you need to be careful when choosing your pickles. While cucumbers, salt, and vinegar are all low-carb, some manufacturers add sugar to their brine, a keto no-go. Fortunately, a quick peek at the nutrition label will tell you if your gherkin is sugar-free of sugar-full.
Pickle Variety | Keto-friendly Brands |
---|---|
Dill | Mt. Olive, Vlasic, Clausen, Boar's Head |
Kosher | Bubbies |
Cornichons | Maille |
Sours | Mt. Olive, Boar's Head, Vlasic |
Sweet | Mt. Olive |
Bread and butter | Mt. Olive |
Horseradish | Avoid, this variety typically contains added sugar |
A medium-sized dill pickle contains only 0.9 g of net carbs. But while the carb count is low, you don't want to pig out on pickles. Each pickle also contains around 526 mg of sodium, more than a fifth of the CDC's recommended limit of 2,300 mg per day.
Kosher pickles, which are fermented rather than brined, are a great source of probiotics. The microorganisms responsible for fermentation synergize well with the bacteria in your gut, boosting digestive health. To tell a fermented pickle from a brined one, look at the ingredient list: if it includes vinegar, it's a brined pickle. You can taste the difference, too. Fermented pickles will tingle on your tongue, almost like they're carbonated.
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Serving size: 1 medium, 3-3/4" long
Name | Value |
---|---|
Net carbs | 0.9 g |
Fat | 0.2 g |
Protein | 0.3 g |
Total carbs | 1.6 g |
Fiber | 0.7 g |
Calories | 8 |
Source: USDA