Edamame and Keto: Evaluating Their Compatibility in a Low-Carb Diet

Keto enthusiasts, listen up: you must know the truth about edamame. Is this tasty soybean keto-approved or not? Knowing what you can and can’t eat is crucial in today’s carb-conscious world.

Yes, edamame can be part of a keto diet. It fits well within keto carb limits with only 6g net carbs per serving. But moderation is key, as with any food.

In just a few minutes, you’ll have certainty about “Is Edamame Keto?” and can add it to your keto food list accordingly. I know you’re hungry for the facts – so let’s get started!

Short answer: Yes. You can eat edamame on the keto diet because it has a low net carb count due to its high fiber content.

Is edamame keto?

To determine if edamame is keto, look at the nutrient profile. We’re going to use 1 cup of edamame without the shells. Edamame is typically intended to be eaten without the shells, but often it is cooked in the shell.

With the shells removed, Edamame has about 224 calories, 12g of fat, 18g of protein, and 14g of carbohydrates. If we subtract the 8g of fiber from the 14g of total carbohydrates, we have 6g of net carbohydrates.

6g of carbohydrates can certainly fit into your daily carb allocation. Plus, you get additional benefits from eating edamame.

Should you eat edamame on keto?

If you look at the macronutrient breakdown by percentage, edamame is probably fine to eat on the keto diet. It’s a pretty good choice when you want to add a type of vegetable to your diet. It’s a better fit for the keto diet than many other legumes.

Many keto dieters tend to neglect vegetables, sometimes in favor of things like processed meats. This can lead to vitamin deficiencies mins requiring keto vitamin supplements. Eating food such as edamame can help reduce these deficits.

I used a 1-cup serving size in this article because I feel that is a more realistic serving size that the average person would eat. However, reducing this to eating a 1/2 cup serving even lowers your daily net carbs.

Keep in mind that the analysis is based on steamed or boiled edamame. Other methods of cooking could alter this. For example, some cooking methods may add carbohydrates, while others may increase the fat count.

What are some of the health benefits of edamame?

Eating edamame has many benefits that help offset the net carb impact of the keto diet. The net carb impact is already pretty low; you trade those carbs for many good nutrients.

It’s a good source of plant-based protein.

Edamame is soy, and soy is rich in protein. Eating protein can help you build and maintain muscle mass. This is important on the keto diet, even though the keto diet is not technically a high protein diet. A little bit of protein can still be good to eat on keto.

Plus, soy protein is similar to animal-based protein but is not associated with saturated fat.

Edamame reduces “bad cholesterol.”

Eating edamame has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol, which we often call bad cholesterol. Reducing this blood marker has decreased the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

It may help with depression.

Edamame contains folate, which is required to generate DNA—low folate levels as been linked to an increase in depression. Folate can help stop a substance called homocysteine from getting too high. Homocysteine can block serotonin in the brain, associated with a positive mood.

So eating edamame may be able to help lessen the symptoms of depression.

It has essential amino acids.

Lysine, threonine, tryptophan, and leucine are considered to be essential amino acids. Edamame gas all of these. It has essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source.

It’s a great source of fiber.

When you’re on keto, the lack of carbohydrates can often lead to a lack of fiber. This can cause issues in the digestive tract and lead to things like constipation. Like the fiber in edamame, eating fiber is an excellent way to keep your digestive health in line.

Edamame is packed with vitamins.

In addition to folate, edamame has high concentrations of riboflavin, vitamin E, copper, zinc, magnesium, thiamine, potassium, and manganese. Plus, it has good amounts of vitamin C, calcium, and vitamin K. These vitamins are important in any diet, especially keto.

It can help fight disease.

The isoflavones in edamame can help to fight many diseases, even cancer. Isoflavones are an antioxidant that helps to lower inflammation in the body. It can even help reduce the risk of stroke.

It can help with weight management.

The fiber and protein content in edamame can help you to feel more full or reduce your appetite. This can help you eat less and lose more weight. You should feel full for a longer period because of the fiber content.

Conclusion

Edamame is a great source of protein and fiber with a relatively low net carbohydrate count. It won’t greatly impact your daily carbohydrate limit or raise blood sugar significantly. Plus, edamame has many additional health benefits that make it hard to pass up as a good vegetable option on the keto diet.