How to Tell the Invisible Carbs on the Keto Diet
Refined carbs, such as pasta, rice, bread, and desserts, are not allowed in the recipes of the low-carb ketogenic diet, and they are easy to tell because they are large targets with nothing to hide. However, some ‘invisible carbs’ are hidden in unknown places and are hard to detect.
Without realizing it, you are getting farther and farther away from ketogenic, which not only affects the speed of weight loss, but for strict keto people, these invisible carbs can easily affect the ketogenic state. So, to maintain your ketogenic state, it’s vital to learn to recognize invisible carbs.
Top 10 Common Hidden Carbs
The so-called invisible carbs are the more deeply hidden sources of carbs that we can’t see. If you’re not careful, these can easily sabotage your weight loss program.
- Processed Snacks
Strictly small keto people usually love to eat a little snack, and at the supermarket, a variety of snacks can be made into low-carbon snacks. Meat, fish, vegetables freeze-dried, and beans are good low-carbon snacks. However, when we go to the supermarket to pick these snacks, a look at the ingredient list will begin to doubt life.
Why does good food, have to add sugar the reason is very simple, do not add sugar, most people think the taste is not good, no one loves to eat, and sales will not go. Also, from the food technology, sugar may extend the shelf life of food, so that some foods look more attractive, for the food industry, sugar is cheap and good, simply their favorite.
- Sugar Substitutes Such As Xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol extracted from the fibers of natural fruits and vegetables and is a substitute for white sugar, which is kinder to dental health compared to white sugar and is commonly found in xylitol chewing gum.
The GI of xylitol is 13, containing 3 calories per gram, which is a low GI, but intake of xylitol, will still cause an increase in blood glucose and insulin, and other sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, and lactitol, as well. But containing sugar alcohol products, almost all labeled “0 sugar”, which is a marketing strategy, but do not be these so-called “health food” cheat.
In short, I think you recognize the concept of low-carb ketogenic, if you do not want to eat sweets, do not eat any sugar substitutes, although the glycemic index is low, the sugar substitutes may make you always miss the feeling of sugar, it is difficult to quit sugar.
- Condiments And Sauces
Sauces and dressings used in cooking are also one of the common invisible carbs. These off-the-shelf condiments are not always reassuring, and in addition to very sweet pasta sauces, ketchup, and salad dressings, other seemingly “safe” condiments can also increase your daily carb count.
Additionally, restaurant sauces almost always have flour or sugar added to add flavor, and even outside salad dressings are not safe. All in all, with all these sauces, there are quite a few hidden carbs. However, for those who are not strictly ketogenic, these sauces, as long as they are not eaten in large quantities, are not a big problem to eat occasionally.
- Medications And Supplements
Hidden carbs can also come from non-food sources, the most common of which are: herbs, vitamins, and mineral supplements. Sweet cough syrups and fudge, which is no surprise, but some unsweetened medications may contain cornstarch.
Of course, medications and supplements have very little corn starch and carbs in them, and because of the small amounts, if you aren’t taking too many medications and supplements, there isn’t much of an effect. In conclusion, it is also necessary to take any medication, and it is also necessary to look at the ingredient list of these items, and if you need to take a lot of them, and they are not low in carbs, it is better to look for other alternatives.
- Processed Meat
Meat is good, processed meat not so much, the problem of trans fats is well known, as well as the fact that a lot of sausages are added starch, sugar, no starch, no sugar sausages are really rare. The wheat flour in sausage is used as a filler and binder, there is sugar in almost all bacon, most processed meats on the market are probably made with starch, and the sauce in any canned fish contains starch and sugar.
However, the carb content varies from brand to brand and from type to type, so it’s important to read the ingredient list when making a purchase. All in all, it’s better to keep these types of mass-processed foods to a minimum.
- Starchy Vegetables
Different vegetables have different starch content, and root vegetables, which generally grow underground, are usually high in carbs. Vegetables are good for your health, and when on a ketogenic diet, we just need to understand the differences in the carb content of these vegetables to make sure that we know what we are doing, that vegetables with more carbs can be eaten, and that it’s best to eat less of them. Of course, if you’re not on a strict ketogenic diet, root vegetables can be eaten in moderation.
- Certain Pickled Vegetables And Meats
Many pickled items, another trap that hides very high sugar content, especially Korean spicy cabbage, pickles, and cured meats, can taste distinctly sweet. You think you’re buying a healthy piece of meat, or pickled vegetables, but they’ve been bathed in sugar all along. There are a handful of pickled items that have been sweetened, so again, look at the ingredient list.
- Certain “No Added Sugar” Products
Many of the products with this label are naturally sweet, such as honey, fruit juices, breakfast cereals, raisins, and other dried fruits, which are rich in sugar and carbs themselves, and while not adding extra sugar may seem healthy, they’re still fundamentally unsuitable for a low-carb ketogenic diet.
- Milk And Yogurt
Milk and yogurt are also high in carbs, especially the low-fat ones, and in a cup of low-fat yogurt, it’s possible to have 16g of carbs, whereas in full-fat yogurt, it might only be around 11g. When picking a yogurt, it’s time for you to use your fiery eyes, look at the recipe, and look at the amount of carbs.
- Most Fruits And Juices
Fruit is high in fructose, which is transported directly to the liver and increases the risk of fatty liver. If you want to eat them, choose the ones that are low in carbs, such as tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, raspberries, small tomatoes, cantaloupe, and avocado.