Milk is a favorite drink of people of all ages. People usually have a glass before bedtime, make a delicious smoothie, or add it to their breakfast cereals. Now, you might be wondering if milk is actually a keto-friendly drink. Get the answers below.
Is Milk Keto-Friendly?
It depends on the type of milk you choose. Certain milks are higher in carbohydrates than others. For example, cow’s milk has 11.49 grams of carbs per cup while almond milk has 1.4 grams of carbs per cup.
To stay in ketosis, be sure to choose milk with the lowest possible carb content per serving that will easily fit into your daily carb allowance (20-50 grams per day or lower). The sweeter the milk, the more likely it should be avoided. As a best practice, always check the nutrition facts label on the package.
Carbs In Different Types of Milk
Below, we explore common milk types you’ll encounter at the grocery and their carbohydrate content:
- Cow’s milk (1 cup): 11.49 grams of carbs
- Almond milk (1 cup): 1.4 grams of carbs
- Coconut milk (1 cup): 1 gram of carbs
- Soy milk (1 cup): 12.08 grams of carbs
- Heavy cream (1 cup): 6.64 grams of carbs
- Pea milk (1 cup): 0 gram of carbs
- Macadamia nut milk (1 cup): 1 gram of carbs
- Flax milk (1 cup): 1 gram of carbs
- Cashew milk (1 cup): 0 gram of carbs
Fats In Different Types of Milk
The same serving will provide you with the following fat content:
- Cow’s milk (1 cup): 4.88 grams of fat
- Almond milk (1 cup): 3.58 grams of fat
- Coconut milk (1 cup): 4 grams of fat
- Soy milk (1 cup): 4.7 grams of fat
- Heavy cream (1 cup): 88.06 grams of fat
- Pea milk (1 cup): 4.50 grams of fat
- Macadamia nut milk (1 cup): 5 grams of fat
- Flax milk (1 cup): 2.5 grams of fat
- Cashew milk (1 cup): 1 gram of fat
Protein In Different Types of Milk
The same serving will provide you with the following protein content:
- Cow’s milk (1 cup): 8.03 grams of protein
- Almond milk (1 cup): 1.51 grams of protein
- Coconut milk (1 cup): 0 gram of protein
- Soy milk (1 cup): 10.98 grams of protein
- Heavy cream (1 cup): 4.88 grams of protein
- Pea milk (1 cup): 8 grams of protein
- Macadamia nut milk (1 cup): 1 gram of protein
- Flax milk (1 cup): 0 gram of protein
- Cashew milk (1 cup): 0 gram of protein
Calories In Different Types of Milk
The same serving will provide you with the following calories:
- Cow’s milk (1 cup): 122 calories
- Almond milk (1 cup): 40 calories
- Coconut milk (1 cup): 40 calories
- Soy milk (1 cup): 127 calories
- Heavy cream (1 cup): 821 calories
- Pea milk (1 cup): 70 calories
- Macadamia nut milk (1 cup): 50 calories
- Flax milk (1 cup): 25 calories
- Cashew milk (1 cup): 13 calories
Summary
As a general rule, you should choose milk that’s low in carbs. Thankfully, most of the options presented above can fit into your keto diet. If you encounter a different type of milk, check the nutrition facts label. You’ll want to note the carbs per serving as well as the sugar content — keto is not just low in carbs, but also low in sugar.
