9 Fruits You Can Actually Eat on the Keto Diet

You may have heard of the trendy ketogenic, or "keto," diet. 

The gist of the eating plan? Taking in fewer carbs sends your body into ketosis. Ketosis is a state of burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates or sugars, explained Beth Warren, RDN, founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Secrets of a Kosher Girl. 

The low-carb, high-fat keto diet is a popular option for managing weight. And while some fruits are high in carbs, here's what you need to know about nine fruits you can actually eat on the keto diet.

What Is the Keto Diet?

To stay in ketosis, you can only consume 5% to 10% of your calories from carbohydrates and instead eat moderate amounts of protein and high amounts of fat. For most people, that's fewer than 20 grams total per day, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

While lightening up the meat, cheese, and cream-heavy plan with fruit sounds like a good idea, "fruit is notoriously high in carbohydrates," said Warren. A medium-sized apple, for example, has 20 to 25 grams of carbs (half of a full day's carbohydrate allowance).

"That being said, there are some fruits you can have that fall more easily within the allotted amount of carbs per day," said Warren.

Avocados

Another reason to love avocados (technically classified as a fruit) is that they're a keto superstar. Not only do they pack healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but they are low (like super low) in carbs, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"The serving size of an avocado is hotly debated. Some people say one-quarter of the fruit, some people say one-half," said Sarah Jadin, RD, PA-C, a keto diet specialist. "Net grams of carbohydrates is the total carbs minus the grams of fiber. A whole avocado only has two net grams of carbs," said Warren. 

So while a whole avocado may be a lot of calories per serving, it's keto-approved.

Blackberries

Keto diarrhea (and constipation) is a real phenomenon. While there are a few possible culprits, insufficient fiber is one of them. That's why eating fiber-rich plant-based foods, like blackberries, is important, said Jadin. 

One cup of blackberries has nearly eight grams of fiber, according to the Department of Agriculture. The recommended daily value for fiber is 25 to 38 grams, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Regarding carbohydrates: "One cup of blackberries has six grams of net carbohydrates, which fits into the diet. But I usually recommend that people consume one-quarter cup, which is only 1.5 grams of net carbs," Warren said.

Blueberries

"A good rule of thumb is that fruits that are sweeter to the taste tend to be higher in carbohydrates, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that blueberries have more carbs than blackberries, which are less sweet," explained Jadin.

A one-cup serving of blueberries is around 17 grams of net carbohydrates, which is much higher than the other berries on the list. However, Warren said you could most likely fit one-quarter to one-half of a cup into your daily menu while staying in ketosis.

Coconut

"Coconuts are definitely keto," said Jadin—but not everyone's convinced they're a fruit. Some categorize coconut as a nut or a seed. According to the Library of Congress, it can be classified as all three.

"One half-cup of coconut has 13 grams of healthy fat and about 2.5 grams of net carbs," noted Warren. 

You can buy an entire coconut and scoop the meat out yourself or buy it dried or canned. If you opt for the canned variety, ensure no extra sugar has been added.

Lemon

Okay, so you're not exactly going to start munching on lemon slices at breakfast. But if you used the citrus fruit to spice up your water or tea pre-keto, you can keep using it. 

"Lemons are totally fine for keto-followers," said Jadin.

One teaspoon of lemon juice has less than half of a gram of net carbs plus some vitamin C and calcium, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Limes

"Limes are like lemons," Jadin said. "A spritz in your water is so negligible." 

It's safe to say those sour citrus fruits have your (low-carb) back.

Olives

The salty snacks are also technically categorized as a fruit. 

The healthy fats in olives are extracted to make extra virgin olive oil. So, it shouldn't be too surprising that those antioxidant-packed bites boast around 10 grams of healthy fats in a 100-gram serving, according to the Department of Agriculture. 

"About a palm's worth only has three grams of net carbs," added Jadin.

Raspberries

"There's nothing that raspberries taste bad on," Jadin explained, adding that they're especially tasty with yogurt. "The good news is you can have them every single day, even if you're keto."

Ten raspberries contain about 2.26 grams of carbs, according to the Department of Agriculture. You'll also be getting a solid amount of vitamins C and K.

Strawberries

"Strawberries have about two grams net carbs in one-quarter cup or eight net grams of carbs in a full cup," said Warren.

 Either serving size is fine, according to Warren, it just depends on what other foods are on your menu for the day.

The best part about strawberries is their versatility. You can consume them in several creative ways, such as:

• Add them to Greek yogurt.
• Toss them in a salad.
• Throw them on top of a keto dessert.
• Use them to flavor water.

A Quick Review

Although it may seem difficult to incorporate fruit into your keto diet, options are available. 

The low-carb options include berries, avocado, olives, lemons, limes, and coconut. So, if you are on the keto diet and still want to eat fruit, there are plenty of choices.