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Couscous and Keto Diet - Are They Keto-Friendly

Article author photo Elen Khachatrian by Elen Khachatrian | Last updated on August 11, 2023
Medically reviewed by Ani Harutyunyan Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan

Is Couscous Keto?

The Keto Diet requires low-carbohydrate food intake and replacement of carbs with other macronutrients, especially fats.

 Couscous has a high net carbohydrate content of 34 grams per cup (serving size).

Couscous should be avoided while on the Keto diet, or you should limit your intake to 1/4 cup as part of a larger meal.

Grain-based foods such as couscous, bread, rice, and pasta are not on the list of approved Keto foods due to their high carbohydrate content.

One serving size of couscous (157 grams) provides:

Calories: 176

Protein: 6 grams

Fat: 0.25 grams

Total carbs: 36.5 grams

Net Carbs

A standard Keto Diet recommends a net carb consumption limit of 20g-30g per day (for 2000 calorie diet). Couscous has 34g of net carbs per serving, so too much consumption can kick you out of Ketosis, particularly since the one-cup serving of couscous could potentially risk you losing your state of ketosis.

Summary

Couscous contains high net carbohydrate content and a lack of fat, the opposite of the keto diet.

Couscous is not a keto-friendly food because it is high in net carbs and low in fat.

References

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945587/
Article author photo Elen Khachatrian
Education: Nutrition & Microbiology at YSU
Last updated: August 11, 2023
Medically reviewed by Ani Harutyunyan
Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.