Many people who want to lose weight or manage chronic health problems limit their intake of carbs (1, 2, 3, 4).
Although grains are typically avoided on low carb and ketogenic diets owing to their high carb content, quinoa is frequently regarded as a nutritious food. As a result, you may be wondering if it conforms to any of these diets.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), while technically a pseudocereal, is a complete grain in terms of nutrients. A diet high in whole grains is associated with a lower risk of illness and mortality (3, 5).
This grain is praised for its numerous health advantages and wide variety of minerals. It’s naturally gluten-free, comes in various colors, and is frequently used on its own or in salads, stews, and porridges (5).
This article will inform you if quinoa is low carb or keto-friendly.
How many carbs are in quinoa?
Quinoa is a heavy carbohydrate, with 21.2 grams in a cooked 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion. This provides nearly the exact carb count as millet (5, 6, 7).
A single serving of quinoa may surpass your daily carb allotment depending on the sort of low carb diet you follow.
Net carbs
Because your body does not completely digest the carbohydrates in dietary fiber, subtracting the total fiber from the carbs in food shows you how many carbs your body digests.
This statistic is known as net carbs.
With 2.6 g of fiber in 3.5 ounces (100 g) of cooked quinoa, this serving has roughly 18.6 g of net carbs.
Although this figure is lower than the total carbohydrates, it is still much higher than the 13 g of net carbs in a single slice of whole grain bread — a product ordinarily off-limits on low carb regimens.
Can you eat quinoa on low carb or keto diets?
Quinoa is popular on low carb or keto diets due to its high nutritional profile (5).
However, serving size is critical. If you want this grain in your keto or low carb diet, do it sparingly – not in full-sized servings.
On a rigorous keto diet that limits carb consumption to 20 grams per day, for example, one full 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion of quinoa exceeds your carb allotment since it contains more than 21 grams of carbohydrates (4, 8).
Even on a more lenient keto diet that allows up to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, you would still need to limit all other carbs and stick to meals higher in protein and fat for the rest of the day. (4, 8).
Although other low carb diets are less strict and allow for more carbs, quinoa should be consumed in very modest amounts, if at all, on a low carb or keto diet.
For example, sprinkle a teaspoon on a salad or stew. This way, you may enjoy quinoa’s unique crunch and nutty taste without exceeding your carb limit.
Preparation matters
Quinoa’s total nutritional value is affected by how it is prepared, making this grain especially crucial to restrict — or avoid entirely — on low carb diets, including keto.
Quinoa served with sauces or dressings, for example, has more carbohydrates than plain quinoa. Other dishes, such as starchy vegetables and high carb fruit, will also increase the carb level of your meal.
If you want to consume quinoa in tiny amounts as part of your low carb diet, cook it and count the other carbs in your meal.
Carb counts for low carb and keto diets
Low carb diets, on average, include less carbohydrates and more protein and fat than the standard Western diet (3).
These eating patterns emphasize lean meats, nuts, fish, and low carb vegetables while restricting high carb meals such as baked goods, sweets, certain fruits, and grains. As a result, quinoa would be automatically excluded from a stringent low carb diet.
A conventional low carb diet limits carbs to 50-130 grams per day, more than the keto diet allows (4).
The keto diet is more restrictive
The ketogenic diet is a low carbohydrate eating pattern that is moderate in protein and extremely high in fat.
It’s intended to assist you in achieving ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body uses fat as its primary energy source rather than carbohydrates (4, 8).
On this diet, you should take 20-50 g of carbs per day to stay in ketosis (4).
Many keto diet recommendations expressly prohibit wheat.
The bottom line
Although considered a wholesome food, quinoa is heavy in carbs and should be used moderately on a low carb or keto diet.
If you decide to ingest it, never drink it in large quantities. Instead, use it as a garnish on salads, stews, sandwiches, or oatmeal.
If you like to keep your carb count low, you should skip quinoa entirely.
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