If you’re on a ketogenic diet, you’re super focused on what you’re eating (and especially what you’re not eating). But don’t forget that what you sip can also help set you up for success.
Why Staying Hydrated Is Crucial on a Keto Diet
In the beginning stages of a keto diet, when your body is adapting to a severely restricted intake of carbohydrates, your body’s hydration status will shift. After all, your body stores carbohydrates as glycogen, which holds on to water, research shows. Exhaust those glycogen stores, and you’re going to dump water weight with it, notes Rush University Medical Center. What’s more, removing processed foods from your diet — which are traditionally higher in sodium — can also affect your body’s electrolyte and fluid balance, since excess sodium intake can lead to water retention.
“Hydration is difficult for many on the keto diet, especially in the beginning. You need to make sure you’re drinking a lot of water and replenishing electrolytes,” says Kendra Whitmire, a nutritionist and dietitian in Laguna Beach, California, who practices functional and therapeutic nutrition.
Drinks You Should Try to Avoid on the Keto Diet
Avoid sweetened drinks like regular soda and fruit juice (even 100 percent juice), which are packed with sugar and carbs. Dairy milk is also high in carbs, so it’s not keto-friendly. Skip (or at the very least, limit) diet drinks, too, says Jill Gulotta, a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice in White Plains, New York.
Is Diet Coke Allowed on Keto?
While beverages such as Diet Coke (or diet soda in general) are technically keto-compliant, they may lead you to crave more carbs. A mini review suggested that these artificially sweetened sips may trick the body into craving the calories and carbs it believes it’s getting from the diet soda. When your body realizes it isn’t getting them, you may make up for it by overeating.
Regardless of whether that effect would hold true on a keto diet, there are a lot of better drink options. Here are nine great drinks to try if you’re on this plan:
Water Is the Best Drink You Can Sip on the Keto Diet
This is hands down the best drink for you — keto or not, says Gulotta. Keep a water bottle near you at all times and sip throughout the day to stay ahead of your hydration.
Plain Low-Carb, Calorie-Free Tea Is Also Keto-Friendly
Tea is another great choice, as it’s carb- and (almost completely) calorie-free — as long as you keep it plain and don’t add sugar or another sweetener. Rich in health-promoting antioxidant flavonoids, teas may also improve the functioning of blood vessels to help keep your heart well, according to the Harvard Health Letter. If sipping tea in the afternoon or evening, go for a caffeine-free herbal variety, such as chamomile, so it doesn’t impact your sleep that night.
Seltzer or Sparkling Water Is Another Carb-Free Drink Option
This is a great way to switch up your usual water, and it’s preferable to tonic, which looks like plain bubbly water but actually contains a ton of sugar (it’s still considered keto-friendly, however). Adding a squeeze of lemon adds nearly half a gram (g) of carbohydrates, notes the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Plain Coffee, or Coffee With Unsweetened Heavy Cream, Is Also Okay on the Keto Diet
It’s what you add to your brew that matters most. Drinking it black is completely calorie-free, but many keto dieters will appreciate the added fat that heavy cream provides, says Scott Keatley, RDN, of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy in New York City. For adults, up to 400 milligrams (mg) per day of caffeine is considered safe, according to the Mayo Clinic. For reference, 1 cup — 8 fluid ounces (oz) — of coffee contains about 92 mg, per the USDA, while a short (8 oz) coffee at Starbucks contains 155 mg, according to the company’s website.
Bone Broth Can Be a Comforting Keto-Friendly Drink
There’s something uniquely warming and comforting about sipping a steaming cup of bone broth. This brand notes that its broth offers no carbs, and 1 cup contains less than 50 calories while adding 9 g of protein. Traditional broth is a stellar option, too, though it has less protein. One cup contains 15 calories and about 1.5 g of protein, according to the USDA.
Nut Milks Are Also Low-Carb and Okay for Keto Dieters
Almond and light coconut milks make for great choices if you want to mix things up, as they contain 1 g (or less) of carbs per cup. Just be sure to always read the nutrition label closely and choose unsweetened varieties. These milks are often fortified with vitamins and minerals, so they’re a good way to get calcium and vitamin D.
Kombucha Can Be an Acceptable Alternative to Soda, but Only in Moderation
This isn’t the best pick — nor should it be your go-to drink. But if you’re really craving something sweet and soda-like, consider kombucha, a gut-friendly fermented tea. The catch is that all kombuchas are made with sugar, which is needed for the fermentation process. “You’ll have to sacrifice carbs in order to drink kombucha,” says Whitmire. Read the label — the amount of sugar added is all over the map. You can find some brands and flavors that have about 3 g of carbs per half cup. (That’s one-quarter of the bottle, so measure it out.)
You Can Drink Alcohol on Keto, but Certain Types Are Preferable to Others
“Partying daily shouldn’t happen, but if you want to go out and have a glass of wine, that’s fine as long as it fits within your daily carbs,” says Whitmire. Both red and white wine have around 4 carbs per 5-oz serving, according to USDA data. The same goes for white table wine, also per the USDA. Generally, drier wines contain less sugar, Whitmire says. For instance, go for a sauvignon blanc over a riesling.
Spirits (gin, rum, vodka, whiskey) have 0 g of carbs per 1-oz serving, notes the USDA. Just remember to mix these with plain water or an unsweetened sparkling water, rather than fruit juice or soda. And certain hard seltzers may also fit, with some planning, as they contain about 4 to 5 g of carbs per can, though you should check the nutrition label on your favorite brand.
You Can Make Smoothies Work on Keto, but Watch the Ingredients
A smoothie is a great way to pack mega nutrition (and some fiber) into a single glass, but the carbs can add up quickly if you’re not careful. There are many keto-friendly smoothie recipes you can easily find online, featuring keto favorites such as nut butter, Greek yogurt, avocado, greens, berries, flax, coconut milk, or stevia (for sweetness), among other ingredients.
Kelly Kennedy, RDN, LDN
Medical Reviewer
Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media. She previously managed and oversaw nutrition content, recipe development, meal planning, and diet and nutrition coaching at Everyday Health. She developed and reviewed various meal plans, books, slideshows, and online tools, and oversaw the creation of more than 500 unique recipes. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.
Kennedy enjoys anything that takes her outside, from gardening and playing in the yard with her kids to hiking and even feeding her pet chickens.
Jessica Migala
Author
Jessica Migala is a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. She has written extensively about vision care, diabetes, dermatology, gastrointestinal health, cardiovascular health, cancer, pregnancy, and gynecology. She was previously an assistant editor at Prevention where she wrote monthly science-based beauty news items and feature stories.
She has contributed to more than 40 print and digital publications, including Cosmopolitan, O:The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, Fitness, Family Circle, Health, Prevention, Self, VICE, and more. Migala lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, two young boys, rescue beagle, and 15 fish. When not reporting, she likes running, bike rides, and a glass of wine (in moderation, of course).