Drinking beer on a ketogenic diet, more popularly known as a “keto” diet, might seem impossible, since the entire point is to put your body into ketosis by upping your fat content and aggressively lowering your carbohydrate intake. (The idea is that this forces your body to burn the fat you consume during the day, as well as the fat inside your body, for energy, instead of burning carbs. Keto has grown in popularity over the years, but it has several similarities to other low-carb diets as well, including Paleo, Whole 30, and the original carb-damning diet, Atkins.
If you’re cutting out carbs, one can’t blame you for assuming beer is a no go, since it’s basically liquid bread — but you can in fact have an occasional beer on a keto diet; it’s just all about the type of beer you can consume. It’s important to note, if it’s not already clear: I am not a nutritionist, and I completely realize that some keto diehards omit beer entirely, preferring to maintain a strict adherence to the diet for maximum results. But there are many people on the diet who treat themselves to an occasional beer (or hard seltzer) at the end of the week, and feel satisfied doing so. The key is to drink beers that are low in calories and carbohydrates — yes, they do exist!
Miller Lite, one of the most popular light beers in America, only contains 3.2 grams of carbohydrates and 96 calories per 12-ounce serving, perfect for a cheat day. Those preferring an even slimmer serving might instead opt for Michelob Ultra, the market leader when it comes to “active beers,” coming in at just 2.6 grams of carbohydrates and 95 calories per 12-ounce serving. Other beers you might want to consider include the following: Corona Light, for Taco Tuesdays sans taco shell (5 grams of carbohydrates and 99 calories); Heineken Light, for when you want to drink a macro European lager instead of a macro American one (7 grams of carbohydrates and 99 calories); or you might want to “tap the rockies” and grab a Coors Light (5 grams of carbohydrates, 102 calories).
Are Hard Seltzers Keto Friendly?
If you’re more of a hard seltzer fan, a lot of hard seltzers have around 2 grams of carbohydrates per can, White Claw and Truly included. However, these may also have a few more calories than the beers above, with most around 100 (take that, seltzer bros!). That said, if hard seltzer is more your speed for treat day than light beer, go ahead and enjoy. I’ll be at home baking bread and eating cheese.
