Pickles are Keto & Here’s why with Recipes
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As a general rule, pickles are keto-friendly. Pickles are just cucumbers soaked in brine that has vinegar, salt, and other seasonings, while others also use Lactobacillus bacteria to ferment the cucumber (source 1, source 2).
There are types of pickles where sugar is added to give them a sweet flavor, such as bread and butter pickles. These bread and butter pickles are not keto.
Pickles are keto-friendly because they are simply cucumbers altered slightly and cucumbers are keto-friendly.
The Keto-Friendly Pickles
Dill and sour pickles are the best types you can enjoy on keto without worrying about getting kicked out of keto. If you were to have 100 grams or about 2/3 cups of these pickles you would only be eating 2 total grams of carbs (source 3).
Non-Keto-Friendly Pickles
The pickles that should not be eaten on keto are called bread and butter, candied, and sweet (commonly called sweet Gherkin). If you were to have 100 grams or about 2/3 cups of these pickles you would be consuming 18.3 grams of sugar and 21.2 total carbs (source 4).
Pickle Juice
Often times you may hear that people are drinking pickle juice more on the keto diet. In fact, I do this myself when I have a small headache coming due to my low salt intake. To get 300 mg of sodium from pickle juice you would need to drink only about 2 tablespoons of it (source 5).
How to Make Pickles
- Wash and scrub your cucumbers.
- Slice or cut your cucumbers as you desire.
- Place them into a jar with seasonings of your choice, such as fresh dill.
- Make a brine of water, salt, and vinegar.
- Pour brine over the cucumbers in the jar.
- Refrigerate until pickled to your liking.
Keto Fried Pickle Recipes
Other Side Dishes with Pickles
- Ham Roll-Ups
- Dill Pickle Coleslaw
- Pickle Poppers
- Dill Pickle Devil Eggs
- Bacon-Wrapped Pickle Bites
- Egg Salad with Dill Pickles
Shopping for Pickles
When you look at different brands and flavors of pickles at the grocery store, always look at the labels. Dill pickles are always almost safe and will be keto. I haven’t found a brand that hasn’t been good.
Yet, if you are never sure, always read the nutrition labels and ingredients on the jars.
In recent years, the keto diet has been gaining traction as one of the most popular diet and nutrition trends. While eliminating starchy carbs and focusing on healthy fats is usually at the center of a ketogenic diet, there is an unlikely ingredient that is making its way into more and more people’s kitchens: pickles. That’s right, pickles are keto — and here’s why.
Pickles are a naturally low-carb snack or side dish. Most pickles are made from cucumbers and water, with a variety of added spices and flavors such as vinegar and dill. While pickles are naturally low in carbohydrates, be sure to read the label before you buy to ensure it is completely free of added sugars and carbs. Most store-bought pickles are around 1-2g of net carbs per serving, so it will depend on which brand you choose.
Pickles also have several health benefits. They are a great source of probiotics, which can help to keep your digestive system healthy. Pickles also provide electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which can help to balance the electrolyte balance in your body. Pickles are also an ideal snack for people on the keto diet, since they are low in calories and provide a satisfying crunch.
And pickles don’t have to just be eaten on their own. They can be incorporated into a variety of keto-friendly recipes such as “Bunless burgers”, tuna salad, and egg salad. You can also use them as a topping for salads, or mix them into a tangy dip or condiment. There are an endless number of ways to enjoy pickles on the ketogenic diet.
So why not give pickles a try? They are a surprisingly delicious and nutritious addition to a healthy ketogenic lifestyle. Give one of these recipes a try and see what all the hype is about.