Is Garlic Keto? (Powdered, Roasted, Minced, and More)

I can’t deny the health benefits of garlic. No one can. A 2001 study fed test subjects garlic supplements over several weeks. A second group received a placebo. After 12 weeks, fewer people developed colds in the garlic group, proving that garlic can fight the common cold.

Admittedly, the common cold doesn’t scare me. But I can’t say the same for uncontrolled hypertension. And yet, in a 2010 study, the garlic group had a lower systolic blood pressure than the control group. Clearly, as far as immune boosters are concerned, garlic is practically unrivaled.

But what can it do for your keto diet? Is garlic keto? Yes, it is. But as the guide below will soon show, quantity is a significant factor.

Do you have a particular question about whether or not garlic is keto ? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page. 

How many Carbs in Garlic?

The USDA Food Central Database has a table that explores the constitution of garlic in exquisite detail. In a 100g portion, you have 63.1g of water, 1.06g of nitrogen, 6.62g of protein, 0.38g of fat, and 28g of carbohydrates, not to mention 2.7g of fiber. 

But that doesn’t help you because no one eats 100g of garlic. If your math is as shaky as my own, brighter minds have already identified 3.1g as the number of carbs you will find in a regular 10g serving. 

If you don’t know, it is detrimental to your goals to consume more than 30g of net carbs a day. Fortunately, the carb content of garlic is too low to have a significant impact on your carb intake. Don’t forget: garlic is a flavor enhancer rather than the main dish. 

Most people cannot consume enough garlic to raise their carb intake drastically. The enhancer’s flavor is too strong to permit such gluttony.

Is Garlic Sauce Keto?

Garlic sauce is tricky. Ketogenic diets stand out because they aim to starve the body of glucose by reducing your carbohydrate intake. E.g., you can make a garlic sauce using lemon juice, half a cup of peeled garlic cloves, and half a teaspoon of salt, not to mention avocado. 

The resulting garlic sauce will aid your keto diet because the net carbs in garlic are just 0.8 grams. But you can’t say the same for recipes with high sugar content. 

Artificial sweeteners prevent the body from achieving ketosis by raising blood sugar levels. Your garlic keto diet will fail if you can’t find suitable replacements, e.g., erythritol. 

Is Minced Garlic Keto Friendly?

Your keto diet will benefit significantly from minced garlic as an ingredient because a teaspoon of minced garlic has a carb content of just 1g (5 calories and 0 fat). But the brand matters.

Look for ‘Garlic Keto Friendly’ labels. My shelves have plenty of commercial minced garlic, and the jars are filled with preservatives. Some of those preservatives are organic, but others are not. If you do your own shopping, prioritize fresh garlic untouched by commercial preservatives. 

Is Garlic Powder Keto?

As with all questions that tackle garlic on keto, the answer depends on the quantity. A recipe that uses 1/8-1/4 of a teaspoon of garlic powder is excellent. I have used amounts like these to make garlic butter. 

You have to mix the garlic powder with an equal amount of melted, grass-fed butter and salt. Watch this video to appreciate how easy it can be to make garlic butter.

Even if you elevate the quantities to a full teaspoon of garlic powder, you’re still looking at net garlic carbs of only 1.5 grams. But a 10g serving can add as many as 6.37g of net carbohydrates to your diet, which is a lot. 

Additionally, garlic powder has a low-fat content. Because the body burns fat to produce energy during ketosis, you need fat supplements like virgin olive oil. 

To keep a meal keto-friendly, you need a low carbohydrate content and an appropriate serving size. For instance, one head of garlic has 11 cloves that contribute an impressive 11 grams (net carb) to your meal.

But the flavor of garlic is too strong for anyone to use an entire head in a single meal. Two or three cloves are enough for most occasions, equating to a gram of net carbohydrates. 

Garlic powder follows the same rationale. A teaspoon of garlic powder is keto-friendly because it adds just 1.5 grams of net carbs to your meal. Ten teaspoons of garlic powder are not keto-friendly. You have to prioritize quality over quantity. It only takes a small sprinkling of garlic powder to transform the taste of a meal.

Is Roasted Garlic Keto Friendly?

Roasted garlic isn’t the first item that comes to mind when I prepare a keto-friendly meal because it only requires one garlic clove. It isn’t worth the trouble. You might as well eat the garlic raw. 

The carbohydrate content (5.6g net carbs) is only concerning if you plan to add a 10g serving of roasted garlic. But suppose you limit the garlic to 3 cloves for the express purpose of adding a pleasant aroma. In that case, your diet’s carb content will only grow by 2 grams. It is acceptable for anyone that wants garlic to burn their excess fat by boosting metabolism and suppressing food cravings. 

Can I eat Garlic Butter On Keto?

Garlic butter can do wonders when mixing it with pressed or chopped garlic, salt, and fresh herbs. It gets even better when you add mushrooms. The salty yet savory meal adds 3g of carbs to your diet. But you have a decent fat (11g) and protein content (0.2g), much higher than expected. 

Is Garlic Keto?

Yes, garlic is keto. All forms of garlic can be trusted to add flavor without dramatically increasing the carbohydrate content. That includes roasted, minced, whole cloves, and garlic butter. 

Limit your portions to two or three cloves or a teaspoon of minced/ powder garlic. I use a lot of garlic, but only because I prefer biting flavors. Every meal I prepare consumes at least five cloves. (Yes-yes, I am a garlic queen). But most people can make do with just one. 

Thanks for the graphics: Canva.com

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