Is Sriracha Keto-Friendly?
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Herbs, spices, and sauces are the quickest way to make your keto meals tastier. One flavoring loved by many is sriracha.
Sriracha has made its way from Thai cuisine to many cuisines. In fact. It has become a staple in many American dishes.
People enjoy sriracha on practically anything: chips, salads, steaks, sandwiches, and more! Some even enjoy a little sriracha on their ice cream and in their alcoholic drinks.
If you’re on keto, you’ve probably asked – is sriracha keto-friendly?
Many condiments are acceptable on the ketogenic diet, so check the label to make sure your favorite sauce has few to zero carbs.
We discuss if sriracha is low-carb and share with you some keto-friendly sriracha recipes!
How Sriracha is Made
Sriracha is a type of sauce that can be used to spice up anything. This popular hot sauce can be used on meals, drinks, even desserts!
This chili sauce has a Thai origin, but the original is different from the US sriracha. Thailand’s sriracha is runnier and tangier.
It’s often called sot Sriracha or nam prik Sriracha.
US sriracha is usually associated with the popular manufacturer Huy Fong Food. Its packaging means some people call it “rooster sauce”.
Traditional sriracha is made with chili peppers, but some US brands use jalapeno peppers. Be aware that some add maple syrup and tomatoes, which increases the carb content.
The famous sauce originated from the town of Sri Racha. Thais and Vietnamese people use it as a dipping sauce for seafood dishes, pho, and fried noodles.
Sriracha Carbs and Sugar
One teaspoon of sriracha hot chili sauce by Huyfong has 5 calories and 1g of net carb. This means you may enjoy a few teaspoons of sriracha without it affecting your ketosis.
Keto dieters need to consume approximately 20-50 grams of net carbs per day, so a few servings will not affect your fat-burning state.
As for sugar, that depends on the brand. Always check the ingredients list of the sriracha you are buying. Huyfong’s carbs are 100% sugar, so the sugar content is 1g.
While you do need to get most of your carbs from nutrient-dense sources like veggies, a few teaspoons of sriracha won’t hurt!
Sriracha Health Benefits
Did you know that sriracha has health benefits too?
Most of the benefits of sriracha come from red chili peppers, which contain capsaicin, a compound that can combat free radicals.
The highest concentration is found in the seeds. The most popular benefit of capsaicin is its potential to make you lose weight because of how it boosts your metabolism.
It also helps you lose weight because it increases oxygen consumption and body temperature, leading to a slight increase in calories burned.
Lastly, capsaicin has an appetite-suppressing effect that helps you cut your carb intake. It lessens your cravings and keeps you in a fat-burning state.
Chili peppers may help you control your blood sugar levels and lower the risk of high insulin levels in the blood. Best of all, these are all-natural ingredients that can benefit you and your overall health.
Red chili peppers also contain vitamins A and C, making them a great antioxidant. These antioxidants are great when it comes to protecting your body from free radicals. It helps prevent heart disease, cancer, and more.
However, make sure that red chili peppers aren’t the only ingredient in sriracha. It merely serves as the base.
Even if you consume sriracha daily, in moderation, it won’t hinder your fat-burning state.
Sriracha Side Effects
Sriracha may pose a few health risks, which happens rarely.
Not everyone enjoys spicy foods. And even if you do enjoy them, some experience side effects when consuming spicy food.
Chili may trigger heartburn in some individuals. You should avoid consuming sriracha if you notice signs of heartburn while you are on the ketogenic diet.
Sriracha also contains sugar and sodium which can be detrimental to your health when consumed in large amounts. Too much sodium can lead to an increase in your blood pressure. Fortunately, this is only temporary for some people.
When eating spicy food, some people may also experience gastrointestinal disturbances.
Oftentimes, people experience vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain after consuming too much spicy food like sriracha.
To avoid these side effects, only eat sriracha and spicy food in moderation.
Is Sriracha Keto-Friendly?
The short answer to this is yes.
A few teaspoons of sriracha occasionally won’t kick you out of ketosis. This condiment may even provide you with some vitamins, minerals, and the health benefits of capsaicin.
If you are mindful of your carb intake throughout the day, then 1g of carbs per 1tsp of sriracha may be worth it to you!
If your aim on the keto diet is to lose weight, then don’t worry about spicing up your meal with a little of this popular hot sauce.
What matters most is that you are monitoring your macros and expending more calories than you eat.
The keto-friendliest way to consume sriracha is by using one that has less sugar and sodium. Try Sriracha Granada Green Sriracha All Natural Hot Sauce, it’s fat-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly
Its ingredients are all-natural and organic without the fillers and preservatives.
Sriracha is also a spicy condiment, so, likely, you won’t consume too much of it. Unless you’re very into spicy food, sriracha is a good condiment to enjoy while you’re on a keto diet.
Keto-Friendly Sriracha Recipe
If you’re still unsure about store-bought sriracha, why not make your own?
This fermented sriracha sauce recipe by the Keto Diet App only requires the following:
- 1lb chili of choice
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of this sriracha recipe has about 1.4g of net carbs, almost the same amount of carbs as 1 tsp of store-bought hot sauce.
In the video below, you can find another recipe for low-carb Sriracha.
The video shows step-by-step instructions on how you can make a low-carb sriracha at home.
Creating this at home can help ensure that you are watching what you consume. This way, you know exactly what’s in your sriracha and what you’re putting in your body.
FAQ Keto Foods and Ketosis
Does Kimchi Kick You Out of Ketosis?
Kimchi is another spicy food made through the process of fermentation. It’s a very popular side dish in Asian countries, but is quickly making its name around the world.
Usually, kimchi is a great side dish you can enjoy without feeling too much guilt. If you’re on a keto diet, it won’t kick you out of ketosis. If you consume it in moderation, of course.
When you’re shopping around for kimchi, make sure to read the label. Some brands have a little sugar in them. So be sure to pick one that contains little to no sugar.
This way, you can enjoy consuming more without too much guilt.
You can also make your keto kimchi! Find out how to make keto kimchi now.
How Many Carbs Will Kick Me Out of Ketosis?
Keto is not a one-size-fits-all diet. Our bodies react differently. Hence, the number of carbs that will kick you out of ketosis depends on a number of factors.
However, as a rule of thumb for keto, it is safe to consume only 35-50g of carbs daily.
Carbs are one of the three macronutrients in our diets. We restrict them on the ketogenic diet so that the body shifts to a fat-burning mode for energy.
There are different types of dietary carbs. Learn more about carbs on the ketogenic diet.
Does Sugar in Sriracha Kick You Out of Ketosis?
Now that we know Sriracha has sugar in it, it is important to be careful. As previously mentioned, moderation is the key when consuming sriracha.
When consumed in large amounts, the sugar in this condiment may kick you out of ketosis.
This does not mean you can use your daily carb limit on consuming sugar.
Go for healthy carb sources like fruits and vegetables instead because they contain more nutrients which your body will thank you for.
Check out why you shouldn’t consume sugar on the keto diet.
Spice Up Your Keto Meals with Sriracha!
Sriracha goes well on any kind of food! Some even put it in their drinks and desserts, so giving it up on keto might be your hardest decision to ever make.
It’s a good thing that you don’t have to! Sriracha is keto-friendly because it is relatively low in carbs and has a lot of health benefits coming from the capsaicin.
Make sure to pick a sriracha sauce that is low in sugar, or just make your own keto sriracha with the recipes above.
Meanwhile, if you want your meal sweet instead of spicy, find out what to replace brown sugar with on keto!
