Cream cheese is a versatile spread that can be used to add flavor to a variety of dishes. Whether it’s added to toast bread or used as a dip for veggies, it’s a great way to get more texture and make every meal burst with buttery goodness.
With cream cheese being a household favorite, beginners of the ketogenic diet often wonder if it’s something they have to give up or can easily incorporate into their keto diet. Here, we look to nutritionists and experts to answer whether or not cream cheese is keto-friendly and give you all the information on the best types of cream cheese, their nutritional information, carb content, and more.
Is Cream Cheese Keto Friendly?
Here’s the good news — cream cheese, just like pork rinds, is very keto-friendly. In fact, nutritionists and keto advocates consider it one of the best keto foods thanks to its high fat and low carb content. It fits seamlessly into theketo diet macros, requiring your daily calories to be 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrates.
Because cream cheese is suitable for the keto diet regime, it becomes a versatile solution to add flavor and texture to your meals. Keto dieters add it to their keto bread, use it as a dip for veggie sticks, or incorporate it as an ingredient in their custom keto recipes.
What are the Best Types of Cream Cheese?
While cream cheese, in whole form, is keto-friendly, some varieties may not be suitable for the keto diet. Keto practitioners often opt for plain, high-fat, and whipped cream cheese and avoid flavored or sweetened cream cheese products that contain sugar and additives.
Proponents say the best type of cream cheese to consume on the keto diet is grass-fed cream cheese or organic cream cheese. Unprocessed and without additives, these varieties will keep your carb consumption low and facilitate ketosis.
If you’re looking for cream cheeses that you can add to your keto diet without compromising your daily macros, nutritionists swear by the following brands:
Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Plain, Full-Fat)
Di Stefano Premium Mascarpone Cheese
Trader Joe’s Mascarpone
Organic Valley
Green Valley Creamery
Nancy’s
How Many Carbs in Cream Cheese?
Keto dieters love adding cream cheese to their meals because it’s a good source of fat and a meager amount of protein. While it does contain carbs, the amount is insignificant when consumption is monitored.
According to theUSDA, 100 grams of cream cheese contains 34.4 grams of fat, 6.15 grams of protein, and 350 calories. As for its carb content, the same serving size has only 5.52 grams of carbohydrates. If you convert this to the regular serving size of 1 tablespoon (14.5 grams), that’s only 0.8 grams of carbs!
Different types of cream cheeses will also have different carb contents. 100 grams offull-fat and plain cream cheese, for example, only has 3 grams of carbohydrates. While the same amount oflight cream cheese has 4 grams of carbs.
Aside from helping you meet your daily keto macros, cream cheese also yields added health benefits. This is owing to its vitamin and mineral content. 100 grams of plain cream cheese contains the following essential micronutrients:
Calcium: 97 mg
Iron: 0.11 mg
Magnesium: 9 mg
Phosphorus: 107 mg
Potassium: 132 mg
Zinc: 0.5 mg
Copper: 0.018 mg
Manganese: 0.011 mg
Selenium: 8.6 µg
Thiamin: 0.023 mg
Riboflavin: 0.23 mg
Niacin: 0.091 mg
Pantothenic Acid: 0.517 mg
Vitamin B-6: 0.056 mg
Vitamin B-12: 0.22 µg
Vitamin A: 308 µg
Beta Carotene: 59 µg
Vitamin E: 0.86 mg
Vitamin K: 2.1 µg
Cream cheese is a good source of vitamin A, antioxidants, and probiotics, whichresearch links to immune system support and reduced information. Compared to other cheese varieties, cream cheese is low in lactose, making it suitable for those with a lactose intolerance.
Conclusion
Cream cheese, with its high fat and low carb content, is a great addition to your ketogenic diet. Nutritionists support cream cheese as a food item that helps you stay on top of your daily macros while also supplying your body with micronutrients to facilitate overall health and wellness.
The best part about it is its versatility — there are plenty of ways you can incorporate it into your keto meals to add more flavor and texture.
Love cheese in general? Here is a complete keto cheese list for you to explore and add even more amazing types of cheese to your keto diet.
We also have an article about the best keto meats, where you will find all the best keto meat options. Belive it or not, one of the healthiest options are pork rinds.
Is Cream Cheese Keto: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Philadelphia cream cheese keto-friendly?
Philadelphia is one of the best brands of keto-friendly cream cheese. A 2-tablespoon serving of Philadelphia cream cheese contains 102 calories, 10 grams of fat, 1.8 grams of protein, and only 1.6 grams of carbohydrates. It’s recommended to opt for plain or full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese for the keto diet.
How much cream cheese can I have on the keto diet?
While cream cheese is suitable for the keto diet, practitioners warn against going overboard. Of course, consuming cream cheese in large amounts can easily skew your daily macros. Limit consumption of cream cheese to the regular serving size of 2 tablespoons. But this will ultimately depend on your daily carb limit.
Does cream cheese break ketosis?
Cream cheese even in cheesecake does not break ketosis. It is high in fat and low in carbs, which fits the principle of the ketogenic diet regime. When carb intake is limited, the body will be forced to use up stored fat to create energy, bringing the body into a state of ketosis conducive to weight loss.
Here's the good news — cream cheese, just like pork rinds
pork rinds
Pork scratchings are entirely a century-old and popular snack. They are made by deep-frying pork skin from a pig's shank –the topmost portion of a pig's hind leg. Pork scratchings use a one-time cooking approach, making them more preservable and snack-like, having a harder and crunchier look than any porky cousins.
All types of cheese are allowed on the keto diet, as cheese is relatively low in carbohydrate, which complies with the key principle of the keto diet. The Ketogenic diet or “keto” diet is a low carbohydrate and high fat eating plan.
This is a keto favorite, thanks to its nutritional profile: Per the USDA, 1 oz contains 84 calories, 8 g of fat, 1 g of carbs, and 2 g of protein. That means it's a great addition to a meal or snack when you need more fat.
For example, cheddar cheese has less than 1g carbs, 9g fat, and 7g protein while gouda cheese has less than 1g carbs, 8g fat, and 7g protein per serving. That means it's okay to have up to three servings of gouda or cheddar and still say within your daily keto carb limit of 20-50 grams[*].
While cream cheese is suitable for the keto diet, practitioners warn against going overboard. Of course, consuming cream cheese in large amounts can easily skew your daily macros. Limit consumption of cream cheese to the regular serving size of 2 tablespoons.
Foods you can eat on the keto diet include fish and seafood, meat and poultry, non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, and zucchini, avocados, berries, nuts and seeds, eggs, high-fat dairy products, olive oil and other oils, and high-cocoa chocolate.
Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.
The best keto cheeses include cheddar, Gouda, goat cheese, and blue cheese, while the worst are cottage cheese and low fat and processed varieties. If you're following the keto diet or know someone who is, be sure to keep these cheeses in mind to promote ketosis and meet dietary goals.
Cow's milk is high in lactose, a type of carbohydrate, so it is not suitable for a keto diet. Milk and related dairy products are essential ingredients in many people's diets. You may enjoy pouring milk on your morning cereal, mixing sweet creamer into your coffee, and adding cream cheese to savory pasta dishes.
A lazy keto diet usually means one that restricts carbs but doesn't have other rules about calories, fat, or protein. And what is a dirty keto diet? That's one that includes fast food and other shortcuts like shakes and bars, as long as you stay below a specific carb limit.
Can you eat tomatoes on the keto diet? "Tomatoes are keto," says Abby Langer, R.D., author of Good Food, Bad Diet. "They're low in carbs, so they fit perfectly into keto." One whole medium tomato contains roughly 5 grams of carbohydrates, of which 1.5 grams are fiber and 3 grams are sugar.
Mayo is a great keto condiment because it is high in fat. Mayo contains polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that are good fats. Both of these fats can help decrease your heart disease risk and reduce your cholesterol levels.
Eggs are the perfect food to incorporate in a ketogenic diet, no matter if you're having frittata, omlet, or an egg salad. Research shows that it is safe to eat from 3 to 6-7 eggs every day.
Not watching your carb intake - Sugar and refined carbs are in many foods. You should be aiming to eliminate these from your keto diet. “Try to keep your net carb content under 20 grams/day or total carbs under 30 grams,” Dr Riggs says. Keep close track of your sugar and carb intake by reading nutrition labels.
But while Keto does increase hydration needs, drinking more water isn't necessarily the answer. In fact, drinking too much sodium-free water on Keto can exacerbate Keto flu. Why? Because over-hydrating dilutes blood sodium levels, bringing with it—yes—the dreaded symptoms of Keto flu.
Cow's milk is high in lactose, a type of carbohydrate, so it is not suitable for a keto diet. Milk and related dairy products are essential ingredients in many people's diets. You may enjoy pouring milk on your morning cereal, mixing sweet creamer into your coffee, and adding cream cheese to savory pasta dishes.
Full-fat dairy and most nuts are allowed on the keto diet, but too much of either can stall your progress. Dairy, such as rich cheeses or cream in coffee, can be easy to over-consume. And it can be hard to just eat a few tasty, salty nuts.
To stay in ketosis, a person requires up to 50 grams (g) of carbs per day. A person following a keto diet eats foods with high levels of fats and very low levels of carbohydrates. The diet excludes a wide range of foods, including some fruits and vegetables, as well as bread, beans, and legumes.
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