Can You Drink Coffee and Tea on the Keto Diet?

The Keto Diet has become incredibly popular in recent years as more and more people look to try and hit their health and fitness goals.

In case you didn’t know, following a Keto diet means sticking to low-carb, moderate protein and high fat foods on a daily basis. Following the Keto diet is claimed to have a number of health benefits.

Of course, if you do choose to follow a Keto diet, then making sure that the food and drink you consume on a regular basis is Keto-friendly is important to your chances of success.

So, where does Coffee and Tea come in when it comes to the Keto diet?

In this article, we’re going to take a look at Coffee and Tea to see if they are indeed Keto friendly or not, and bring you some helpful tips to make the most out of them.

We’re going to break this article up into the following sections:

• What is the Keto Diet?
• Are Coffee and Tea Keto-Friendly?
• Tips for making Keto Coffee and Tea
• Anything Else to Consider?
• Wrapping Things Up – Final Thoughts

So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s start taking a closer look at the Keto Diet in general.

What is the Keto Diet?

If you’ve landed on this article, then you probably already know all about the Keto Diet – but let’s cover the basics quickly anyhow.

It is thought to have a number of health benefits and many people report feeling better while sticking to the Keto Diet.

Sticking to the Keto Diet means that you will be drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat.

It is claimed that by reducing the amount of Carbs you consume and replacing them with fat can help to make your body more efficient at burning fat.

Ketogenic diets can also reduce blood sugar levels, which is claimed to have a number of health benefits.

Keto Diets are known for being very restrictive – so that means that you have to be very careful about what you eat and drink.

Generally speaking, most Keto Diets only allow you to get about 10 per cent of your daily calories from carbohydrates. To maintain a state of Ketosis, it is generally recommended that you keep your carb intake as low as between 20-30 grams per day.

So, it is clearly very important that you are careful about the types of food and drink you consume while on a Keto diet – and that includes things such as Tea and Coffee.

You’ll have to ration out your carbohydrate intake in a very selective manner to ensure that you get the benefits of staying in a state of Ketosis.

If you are interested in trying the Keto diet, we strongly recommend speaking to a certified medical professional first, to get their opinion on whether it is suitable for you or not.

So, now that we have covered the basic facts about the Keto Diet, it’s time to start taking a closer look at where Keto Coffee and Tea fits in.

Are Coffee and Tea Keto-Friendly?

A cup of Espresso Coffee (Photo: Adobe Stock)

So, the big question is can you drink Coffee and Tea while following the Keto Diet?

The short answer to this question is yes, as long as they are not sweetened. In short, drinking Black Coffee and Black Tea without any sugar or milk while on a Keto Diet is generally considered to be perfectly OK.

However, if you want to play it safe, it is best not to add milk to your Coffee or Tea. That’s because one cup of whole milk contains almost 13 grams of carbohydrates. Of course, you could factor this in to your daily intake of Carbs, but it’s probably easier to avoid milk altogether in your coffee or tea.

It’s also important to be careful of bottled coffee or tea drinks. This is because many of them are heavily sweetened and also contain milk. Carefully check the label to see the Carbohydrate content of any bottle Coffee or Tea product you’re thinking of buying.

You can buy unsweetened canned espresso drinks, that are essentially black coffee sold unsweetened and cold – these should be fine for those on a Keto diet.

So, the main takeaway here is that both Coffee and Tea are Keto-friendly as long as they are served black.

When you start adding things such as sweeteners or milk into the mix, then you may start to have a problem when it comes to saying in Ketosis.

Tips for making Keto Coffee and Tea

Green Tea (Photo: Adobe Stock)

So, you may have heard about types of Keto Coffee such as Bulletproof Coffee and other similar recipes.

In case you didn’t know, these types of Keto Coffee usually have some added fat to them to help keep you in Ketosis.

Let’s take a look at the most famous type of Keto Coffee – Bulletproof Coffee.

Here’s how to make your own Bulletproof Coffee:

• Brew one cup of coffee using filtered water
• Add 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons of Brain Octane oil (Sold by Bulletproof)
• Add 1-2 tablespoons of grass-fed, unsalted butter or 1-2 teaspoons of Grass-Fed Ghee
• Mix in a blender for 20-30 seconds

The thinking behind Bulletproof Coffee is that adding the Butter can help to make for a low-sugar alternative to a creamy latte. The Butter or Ghee can provide some quality fats to help your body stay in the state of Ketosis.

If you want to be totally sure that your Coffee is Keto-friendly, you could opt to buy a pre-made version of Bulletproof Coffee cold brew, so you don’t have to worry about adding the ingredients and mixing them yourself.

You can also make your own version of Bulletproof Coffee without buying the official ingredients. For example, some people choose to use some Coconut Oil in their coffee as an alternative to the butter.

What about Keto Tea? Well, in case you didn’t know, the founder of Bulletproof Coffee Dave Asprey actually first came up with the idea after he was handed a creamy cup of yak butter tea while on a trek in Tibet.

It was only after trying Yak Butter tea did Dave Asprey embark on a journey looking into the ingredients, before eventually founding Bulletproof.

So, the bottom line here is that the term ‘Keto Coffee’ usually refers to an unsweetened type of black coffee that has some source of fat, such as butter or coconut oil, added to it.

Anything Else to Consider?

As always, you should consult a certified medical professional before making any major diet or lifestyle changes.

If you’re new to the Keto diet, you should do your research and make sure that it really does suit you and your lifestyle.

The simple fact of the matter is that the Keto diet is not for everyone, so you’ll want to make sure that it really can help you to achieve your goals.

It’s also important to limit your Coffee intake. Coffee is high in Caffeine, which is a strong stimulant, and consuming too much Caffeine is known to bring on a number of side effects, such as the jitters or energy crashes later in the day.

So, the main things to bear in mind is to make sure that the Keto diet is right for you, by doing some thorough research and speaking to a certified medical professional before giving it a go.

Wrapping Things Up – Final Thoughts

So, that brings us to the end of our look at Keto Coffee and Tea.

We’ve walked you through the basics of the Ketogenic diet, and why many people are choosing to give it a go.

We’ve also explained how it is fine to drink black and unsweetened Coffee and Tea while sticking to the Keto diet.

You may also opt for a ‘Keto Coffee’ such as Bulletproof Coffee, which includes a source of fat to help keep you in a state of Ketosis.

The bottom line is that black Coffee and Tea are totally fine to be consumed in a Keto diet. The main things to be wary of is the addition of milk, and the potential for bottled coffees or teas to contain added sugars or other carbohydrates.