Are Sweet Potatoes (Yams) Keto-Friendly?

Sweet potatoes, sometimes called yams, are not keto-friendly as they contain too many net carbs. Consuming too many carbs can kick you out of ketosis or prevent you from reaching ketosis entirely.

Not Keto-Friendly

• You need to avoid eating sweet potatoes if you are following the keto diet. The keto diet typically calls for a macros ratio of 75% fats, 15–20% protein, and only 5–10% carbohydrates. 
• That means you must be mindful of the carb content of the foods you eat. If you don’t restrict your carb intake, your body will not be able to facilitate ketosis. 

Healthy but Too High in Carbs

• Sweet potatoes are a delicious and highly-nutritious whole food rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and magnesium. 
• Unfortunately, sweet potatoes are high in carbs. In a 100g serving, there are 18.6g of total carbs and 14.4g of net carbs.
• Consuming even a small portion of sweet potato could prevent you from reaching the metabolic state of ketosis, where the body begins burning fat as an alternative fuel source.

Low in Fats

• Sweet potatoes are low in fats and contain only 4.28g of fats per 100g serving. 
• The majority (70–80%) of the keto diet is made up of fats. To achieve success with the ketogenic diet, you need to eat a sufficient amount of fat from foods that are high in healthy fats. 
• As your body can no longer rely on glucose for energy from your usual carb intake, it switches to using fats instead.
• Avocado is a great replacement for sweet potato while on the keto diet. As it is both low in carbs and high in fats, it is one of the top keto foods to include in your diet.