Wait, You Can Have Wine on the Keto Diet? It's True — Plus 8 Other Keto-Friendly Drinks

Published on 11/7/2018 at 1:27 PM

So you've read up on the keto diet: you know which foods you can and cannot eat, are mentally prepared for the keto flu, and got your recipes in order for meal prep. But what about what you can drink? You know you're not supposed to have much sugar or many carbs, but sipping on strictly water and black coffee sounds incredibly boring.

We tapped nutrition scientist Catherine Metzgar, PhD, RD, member of the clinical team at Virta Health, who outlined what you can drink while on the keto diet. Although full-fat dairy is allowed on keto, such as cheese and Greek yogurt, she said that full-fat milk is not recommended for people on keto since milk still has the sugar lactose. To find out which creamer to put in your coffee plus nine other drinks you can have on keto, keep reading.

Coffee

If you're saying "hallelujah" that your beloved coffee is on this list, then you're in luck; you don't even need to enjoy it black on the keto diet. While you can't add sugar, Catherine recommends a splash of half-and-half, heavy cream, or an unsweetened milk alternative, such as almond milk, coconut milk, or pea protein milk. Skim milk, 2 percent, and full-fat milk have too much sugar in the form of lactose to be keto-friendly. If you need a little bit of sweetness, try stevia.

Unsweetened Tea

Like coffee, tea is allowed on the keto diet. Just make sure you are drinking it without sugar (opt for stevia instead if you need a sweetener) and half-and-half or a plant-based milk alternative.

Plant-Based Milk Alternatives

There are dozens of plant-based milk alternatives on the market, just make sure it is unsweetened and has a couple grams of carbs or fewer. Some keto-friendly examples include:

Unsweetened almond milk
Unsweetened cashew milk
Unsweetened coconut milk
Unsweetened pea protein milk
Unsweetened hemp milk

Seltzer

You can sip on your beloved zero-calorie, unsweetened sparkling water (we see you, La Croix-lovers) on the keto diet as well as club soda, seltzer, and diet tonic water.

Liquor

Yes, you can imbibe on the keto diet (in moderation, of course). Unsweetened liquor, especially coupled with other zero-calorie mixers such as club soda and diet tonic water, are keto-friendly cocktails. "Spirits are very low-carb because the distilling process removes almost all of the sugar from the final product," Catherine told POPSUGAR, citing rum, tequila, gin, whiskey, and vodka as examples.

Dry Wine

Catherine said dry wines are a great way to indulge in alcohol (in moderation, of course) and stay in ketosis. "Common dry wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc," she said.

Light Beer

Just because you see beer on this list doesn't mean you should go crazy; light beer isn't for everyone following the keto diet.

"People with higher carbohydrate tolerances may be able to drink light beers with fewer than five grams of carbs per serving," Catherine told POPSUGAR. She added that the only way to know if you are able to enjoy light beer and stay in ketosis is to test your ketone levels.

For some examples of low-calorie, low-carb beers, check out this list.

Diet Soda

Although diet soda isn't ideal for overall health or even weight loss, it is allowed on the keto diet, just every once in a while. Catherine said to be mindful that some sweeteners may impact your satiety and ketone levels.

Crystal Light and Other Similar Zero-Calorie Beverages

Like diet soda, other zero-calorie beverages are allowed, just in small amounts due to the artificial sweeteners. Some of these beverages include Crystal Light, Vitamin Water Zero, and Sparkling Ice. Again, be mindful that artificial sweeteners may impact satiety and ketone levels.