Many fruits are incredibly healthy for you. But if you are on the keto diet, you need to be careful about which you eat! Some fruit are fine, but most are very high in carbohydrates, a no-no for Keto.
The worst fruits are nearly impossible to fit in your macro ratios, and you should avoid them. They are as follows:
- Bananas
Bananas are a popular tropical fruit that you can find almost everywhere – from the grocery store to the gas station convenience store.
You will also find bananas used in many “healthy recipes” such as smoothies or no-sugar-added ice creams. But there is a reason they are so popular – they are filled with sugar!
Most bananas sold in US supermarkets are “large” (or ~130 g). One large banana has 28 g net carbs, 17 g of which are sugars. Clearly, a banana is exceedingly challenging to fit in the keto diet.
- Grapes
Grapes are another high sugar fruit. A cup of grapes contains 16 g net carbs, all of which are sugars!
You could eat just a couple of grapes – two grapes contain one net carb. But odds are you’d probably be more satisfied by eating a more substantial portion of a more keto-friendly fruit.
I should also note that some “no sugar added” products use grape juice as a sweetener. You should look for it on the ingredients list and avoid any products that contain it.
- Dates
Dates are another type of tropical fruit and are also sugar-bombs. Two dates contain 17 g net carbs, 16 g of which are sugars.
There is a reason that dates are used frequently in desserts.
- Plantains
Plantains are a close relative of the banana and are similarly bad on the keto diet. Unlike many fruits, plantains are not usually eaten raw. Instead, they are cooked and served as a mash or chips.
A small green (unripe) plantain contains 44 g net carbs when cooked. A small ripe plantain includes a whopping 60 g net carbs when cooked!
- Pineapples
Many types of pineapples frequently have a tart or sour taste, so you may not think they have that much sugar. However, a cup of pineapple contains 19 g net carbs, of which 16 grams come from sugars.
Interestingly, pineapples are also tropical. Four of our five worst fruits on this list are considered tropical. That isn’t a coincidence.
In general, tropical fruit is very high in sugars, and you should avoid them. Other tropical fruits to stay clear off include mango (28 g net carbs), passion fruit (31 g net carbs), and kiwi (25 g net carbs).