How Many Avocados a Day on Keto? Nutrition, Quantity, and Health Benefits
Avocados are full of healthy fats that make a keto diet staple, but is there such a thing as too much avocado? Discover how much avocado you can eat on keto as we cover the nutrition facts and the proven health benefits of eating avocados.
The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet.
It prioritizes polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats from healthy whole meals over saturated fats. Keto-friendly meals are low in carbohydrates but high in healthy fat. Avocado meets each of these requirements, making it one of the finest keto foods.
The fruit is abundant in nutrients with a rich and creamy consistency. It’s great sprinkled with lemon juice, mashed up on toast, chopped up in salads, or added to your favorite green smoothies. While avocado is keto-friendly, is there a limit on how much you should eat?
In this article, you can discover how many avocados a day on keto is suitable.
How Many Avocados a Day on Keto?
Avocados have 1.83 grams of net carbs per 100g serving. That’s about the equivalent of half an avocado, making avocado a low-carb plant food. So, you can safely eat one avocado per day on the ketogenic diet without worrying too much about your carbohydrate consumption.
However, eating avocado in excess will gradually increase your carbohydrate intake. If you are eating other carb-containing foods, you shouldn’t eat avocados in excess because you might exceed your daily budget, which is typically 20–30 grams of net carbs per day.
Avocado is high in calories, so you should keep this in mind if you are trying to create a calorie deficit to lose weight. It is also a high-fat food, although it is full of good fats for keto. To prevent exceeding your daily caloric intake, limiting consumption to one a day might be best.
Avocado is full of dietary fiber and heart-healthy fat. Therefore, people who eat avocados tend to feel full and satisfied for longer. This makes it more difficult to overeat this satiating fruit.
Nutrition Value of Avocado
How many calories and macronutrients do avocados have? The table below shows the full nutritional content of a 100g serving of avocado.
This information can help you calculate your macros when following the keto diet. It will also help you keep track of your daily caloric intake if you choose to count calories for weight loss.
Net Carbs | Total Carbs | Fats | Protein |
1.83g | 8.53g | 14.7g | 2g |
Calories | Fiber | Sugars | Glycemic Index |
160 | 6.7g | 0.66g | 15 |
Can I Eat a Whole Avocado on Keto?
Yes! You can safely eat a whole avocado on the ketogenic diet. One average-sized avocado has only 3.6 grams of net carbs. Most keto dieters keep their daily net carb consumption to under 50 grams per day. So, you will have no problem eating an entire avocado on your low-carb diet.
Avocados can easily fit into a healthy diet. They are versatile, and you can easily incorporate one a day into keto meal plans. You could pair it with eggs and bacon for breakfast, eat avocado toast for lunch, or have it alongside chicken, fish, or steak for dinner.
If you want to know more about including it on keto or keeping a check on how much you eat, you can try the Keto Cycle app. It works as a keto assistant to ensure you succeed and reach your weight loss goals with a personalized meal plan and expert guidance.
Can You Eat Too Much Avocado on Keto?
It would be difficult to eat too much avocado on keto because these fruits are low in carbohydrates. With only 3.6 grams in an average-sized avocado, you would have to eat over five avocados to reach the minimum net carb count of 20 grams per day. However, excess intake of this fruit can be the cause of nausea, vomiting, and allergic reactions.
As they are so filling, most people would struggle to eat several avocados daily. Many people are happy to eat one avocado a day as part of a balanced diet, but others may eat more or less depending on their personal goals and macros calculations.
If you choose to eat more for whatever reason, remember that they are high in calories. There are 322 calories in a single avocado. This is a high amount, especially if you pair it with other high-calorie, high-fat foods like olive oil. While strict calorie control isn’t usually necessary on keto, some people might still like to keep track to prevent weight gain.
Is It Okay to Eat 3 Avocados a Day?
Usually, one or two avocados a day is enough for most people. As they promote satiety and are high in calories, three avocados a day seems a little excessive. However, the number of avocados you can stomach daily depends on factors like your body type, physical activity level, and current body weight.
Keto is a diet high in fat, but if you’re already getting adequate fat intake from other sources, such as olive oil, nuts, and seeds, you might want to limit avocados. The average intake is 70 grams a day, as adding just half an avocado to your diet daily can give you plenty of benefits.
4 Benefits of Avocado for the Keto Diet
We’ve discussed why avocado is great for keto, but how does it benefit your overall health? Well, avocado is a superfood with multiple proven benefits. Even outside of keto, avocado makes the perfect addition to a healthy diet, whatever your weight loss goals.
Below you can discover 4 reasons to eat the popular fruit.
#1 Great source of healthy fats
Avocados are high in fat, but it’s the good kind. They are full of monounsaturated fat, which can help lower bad cholesterol and support a healthy heart. Higher avocado consumption in replacement of saturated fats is linked to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
Consumption is also associated with improved diet quality, and people are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome – a cluster of conditions including high blood sugar, hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity.
The improvements in metabolic syndrome make avocado good for diabetes.
#2 Keeps you fuller for longer
One of the best things about eating avocado is that it promotes satiety. Adding avocado to your meals will keep you satisfied for extended periods, which may prevent binge eating as you won’t feel hungry. This makes avocado great for weight loss.
It is one of the best high-fiber foods for keto. Keto and fiber are important because those on a high-fat diet can miss out on certain nutrients. A lack of fiber can cause constipation or keto diarrhea. Eating more fiber from healthy foods will help to alleviate digestive issues.
#3 Supports digestion
Avocado is an excellent source of dietary fiber, with 6.7g per 100g. Fiber is essential for keeping a healthy digestive tract and regular bowel movements. Daily avocado consumption is associated with positive effects on gastrointestinal bacteria and promotes weight loss.
Avocados also have more potassium than bananas, with 485mg per 100g. Potassium is another essential nutrient and electrolyte that supports healthy digestive function. It helps the intestinal muscles contract so your body can properly digest food.
#4 Good for skin, hair, and nails
Avocado is a good source of biotin, a water-soluble B vitamin naturally present in some foods.
Biotin helps your body metabolize fats, carbs, and amino acids. It has several important roles, but it also has great benefits for nail, skin, and hair health and is often found in cosmetics. Biotin deficiency can cause brittle hair and nails, which is why avocado consumption is frequently linked with hair growth.
Avocados are also a great source of vitamin C and vitamin E, which both have skin-boosting benefits. Vitamin C speeds up wound healing and helps protect your skin from oxidative damage. Vitamin E has firming, hydrating, and anti-aging properties to benefit the skin.
A Word From a Nutritionist
Avocado is a superfood as it contains many vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to support and boost your general health. This nutrient-dense food is great for the heart and the immune system. It helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins and is a staple for aiding people in losing weight.
The monounsaturated fatty acids make avocados a source of good fats, and they are also very low in carbs. Anybody starting out on keto will find that it perfectly matches the clean keto dietary requirements. It doesn’t contain unhealthy fat that is detrimental to health.
Although avocados are relatively high in calories, studies show that those who regularly consume avocados have lower abdominal obesity than non-consumers. They also have a lower body mass index (BMI) and lower odds of becoming overweight or obese.
As with anything, you should consider eating this food in moderation. Too much of anything is never a good thing. You can eat it every day, but one or two is an adequate amount. People with health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, may get adverse symptoms after only a small amount. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure about eating avocados.
Conclusion
How many avocados should you eat a day while on keto?
Generally, the number of avocados you should eat depends on your personal macros requirements, your overall diet, and how much you enjoy eating them. Fat makes up the majority of your diet on keto, and avocados are an excellent choice for reaching your daily fat requirements.
One a day is enough to get essential nutrients without overdoing it on calories. This delicious fruit is one of the best healthy foods to support weight loss, lower cholesterol levels, protect against heart disease, give you energy, and keep you feeling full as you cut back on carbs.