Fruit juices on Keto? No, thank you. Or, wait… maybe there are some juices you can say big YES to!!! What if I tell you that these 4 beverages,  in essence, fruit juices – will boost your vitamin, mineral and antioxidant intake and you can have them without worrying about your carbs? Of course, most of Ketonians are concerned with the carb/sugar content and the majority of modern fruits are not welcome. Especially if you are on the weight loss journey and if you are managing any kind of metabolic syndrome. However, there are some fruits on this planet that seem to be designed by nature to help our health without loads of fructose.

Fructose might be worst of all sugars

Whenever I hear the word fructose I remember Dr Gary Fettke! It’s simple, the “FructoseNo“ doctor has given us all the information we need on fructose and its negative effect on health! You can watch his awesome lectures online or just visit his website for more info!

Dr Gary Fettke is an Orthopaedic Surgeon practising in Launceston, Australia.

Along with his wife Belinda, Fettke has also opened the ‘Nutrition for Life – Diabetes and Health Research Centre’ based in Launceston which provides nutritional care around Tasmania and Australia.

So why would The Greek recommend fruit juice on Keto?

It’s simple – because there are a few fruits on this planet that, for some reason, don’t contain that much or almost no fructose! How come they are still called fruits? Good question.

Well, botanically speaking, a fruit is a seed-bearing item that develops from the “ovary” of a flowering plant. On the other side, vegetables are all other plant parts, roots, leaves and stems. This is why tomato, cucumber, zucchini and eggplants are fruits, not veggies!

But don’t worry, I will not sneak in vegetable or celery juice here. I will give you 4 real fruit juices that contain so little fructose that you can enjoy them guilt free on Keto. In fact, the mighty fruit that sits at the throne of Keto fruits contains more fat than sugar! Yes, I am talking about mighty Hippophaes, (Sea buckthorn) favourite fruit of my wife!

No# 1 – The king of Keto fruit juices – Sea buckthorn juice

When Alexander the Great discovered Hippophae berries, the secret of ancient Tibetan medicine has been revealed to Greeks. For thousands of years, Tibetans have been using these Himalayan berries as food and remedy for numerous conditions.

Today, science has confirmed, it could be the most powerful natural remedy for many diseases! A plant called Hippophae rhamnoides comes in different names all around the globe. It contains almost 200 kinds of vitamins that our body can utilise. What’s exciting about Hippophae is that it holds the largest percentage of rare omega-7 fatty acids (30% – 35%) and Omega 9 as well!

Sea buckthorn contains almost 200 nutrients and phytonutrients essential for the healthy functioning of the body. It is abundant in flavonoids – phytonutrients that are acknowledged for reducing cancer spread, reduce pain and inflammation. Interestingly, flavonoids are also helping in achieving healthy body weight. Hippophae berries contain provitamin A, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, C, D, E and K1.

Their oil is rich in folic acid (vitamin B9), which is of fundamental value for DNA reconstruction. Its antioxidant potential is extremely high according to the ORAC scale (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity).  If you wonder just how much sugar they have, think very low! In fact, their glycemic index is quite low! A study proved that Seabuckthorn decreases and delays insulin response and improves the glycaemic profile.

On 10g of dried Sea Buckthorn  fruit, you’ll get 1.5g of fat, 1.3g of protein and only 1g net carbs! 

How to use it?

You can soak 2 tablespoons of dried fruit in 250 ml of warm water and then blend it. Strain it and add some monk fruit or stevia. This part is important because sea buckthorn is 10 times more sour than lemon juice. So, if you are not used to drinking sour stuff, add a dash of sweetener. 100% concentrated sea buckthorn juice is basically undrinkable on its own. Dilute it in a 1:20 ratio with water and feel all the benefits of this alien fruit that still exists on Earth! 

No# 2 Red currant 

Red currant berries contain protein, apple, citric, tartaric acids and gamma-linolenic acid. They are rich in calcium and phosphorus. Furthermore, they are abundant in B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and B6), C, A and K. Red currant berries are an excellent source of antioxidants and minerals that improve skin and hair quality. They help the detoxification process and thus increase the body’s resistance to the diseases. These berries contain vitamin C as well as the iron that helps with anaemia. Vitamin C also has antihistaminic properties that reduce the activity of the allergen. This is why red current protects against bacteria and viruses and alleviates the symptoms of asthma.

On 28g of red currant, you’ll get 0.1g of fat, 0.4g of protein and 2.7g net carbs! This amount makes 2 glasses of juice, so prepare it to share it with someone and cut the carb content in half!

How to use it?

You can blend 15g of red currant (fresh or frozen) and mix it with 200 ml of water. Since red currant is yet another sour little berry, add a dash of monk fruit or stevia. What’s interesting, red currant is rich in potassium, so you can add a dash of sea salt to make it even tastier!  

No# 3 Pink Lemonade

This is an old hack people use to refresh their standard lemonade. In most cases, raspberries are used for the dash of pink colour. As we know, in small amount, raspberries are quite Keto friendly.

Many people enjoy their lemon water without any sweetener. If you are not one of them, try adding a really small amount of salt to your beverage and then you will not need as much sweetener as usually. The salt brings up the taste of sweetness in Stevia or monk fruit! Please don’t use any blends with potential laxative sweeteners, such as xylitol or even erythritol. Try to have your lemonade as healthy as possible, so if you have to use the sweetener, go for 100% monk fruit or stevia extract.

On 19g of raspberries, you’ll get no fat, 0.2g of protein and 1.1g net carbs! This amount makes 2 glasses of juice (ideally share with someone and get 0,6g net carbs in your portion). You will also need 2 tbsp of lemon juice per glass. This will add less than 2g net carbs to the whole glass. 

Keto and lemon – just how much sugar does it have?

This is one of the most used fruit juices on Keto. But when it comes to sugar… It all depends on the time of harvest. The main ingredient of lemon juice is citric acid whose share in average lemon is about 7.5%. Lemon picked in April contains only about two-thirds of citric acid versus lemon picked in November. From April and onwards, the acid composition falls, while in July it remains in very small quantity. This occurrence is due to the conversion of citric acid into sugar and CO2. Conversion processes take place in fruit cells. In contemporary production, by introducing or removing oxygen from the fruit, the cellular processes can be regulated and thus produce the fruit of the desired acid composition.

Lemon juice also contains significant amounts of salt. The percentage of potassium in lemon juice is higher than that of apple juice or grape juice. This rich and unusual stock of minerals makes it an important source of nutrients. On average, one tablespoon of lemon juice contains 0,4g of sugar, so we are pretty much safe. At the same time, this amount will give us 15.7 mg of potassium!

How to use it?

You will start with 300 ml of water, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and then 10 g of raspberry puree. You can also just add frozen raspberries to your lemonade. This will make it pink in a few minutes. 

No# 4 Aronia/Chokeberry

These interesting berries are also known as chokeberries due to the tart taste! Now, you know what this means? low in sugar – of course! What in the world inspired someone to give such a frightening name to these powerful berries? Among numerous studies, one in particular published in 2016 found that blood glucose levels and obesity were quite positively affected by this berry consumption.

On 50g of Aronia, you’ll get 0,2g fat, 0,7g of protein and 2g net carbs! This amount makes 2 glasses of juice (ideally share with someone and get 1g net carbs in your portion).

How to use it?

You can use concentrated organic Aronia juice and dilute 25ml with 300 ml of water. Furthermore, you can just blend the berries and mix them with water then strain. Dried fruit can be prepared the same way as Sea buckthorn! Be prepared for a lot of tartness – this is why a dash of Stevia is an ideal companion.