If you’re following a ketogenic diet and counting carbs, then raw blueberries are a good, low-carb addition to your meals. Dried blueberries and food products made from blueberries, however, will likely contain too many carbs.
Blueberries are low in sugar and calories, packed with nutrients, and flavorful, making them a great fruit choice to enjoy on their own, as a garnish, or in smoothies or desserts.
However, you may be curious about whether they’re a fit for the low carb, high fat keto diet.
On keto, most people aim to eat 50 or fewer grams of total carbs per day, or 25 grams of net carbs, which refers to the total carb content minus the fiber and sugar alcohol contents.
This puts your body in a state of ketosis, in which it burns fat as a primary fuel source instead of carbs. Ketosis provides some advantages for weight loss, blood sugar control, and epilepsy management (1, 2).
This article reviews the carb content of blueberries, whether they can be part of a keto diet, and some other low carb fruit options.
Share on PinterestMarketa Pavleye/Offset ImagesCarbs in blueberries
The carb content of blueberries varies drastically depending on whether they’re raw (fresh or frozen) or dried.
One-half cup (74 grams) of raw blueberries contains (3):
- Calories: 63
- Total carbs: 11 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Net carbs: 9 grams
On the other hand, 1/2 cup (60 grams) of dried blueberries contains (4):
- Calories: 190
- Total carbs: 48 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Net carbs: 43 grams
Dried blueberries are likely to be found in trail mixes or as a salad garnish. While this nutrition information is for unsweetened dried blueberries, some dried blueberries are sweetened with sugar, which increases their carb count even more (4, 5).
SummaryRaw blueberries contain 11 grams of total carbs and 9 grams of net carbs per 1/2-cup (74-gram) serving, while unsweetened and sweetened dried blueberries are significantly higher in carbs.
Are blueberries keto-friendly?
Blueberries can definitely be part of a keto diet, particularly if they’re raw.
However, you need to be mindful of your portion size. While 1/2 cup (74 grams) of raw blueberries can easily be worked into your day if you’re counting total carbs, it may be more of a challenge if you’re focusing on net carbs.
One the other hand, sweetened and unsweetened dried blueberries are packed with sugar and carbs. As such, they’re not a great fit for keto, even in small portions.
You should also be aware that products like canned blueberry pie filling, blueberry juice, or blueberry jams and jellies are typically loaded with sugar unless the label explicitly states they’re sugar-free. Even then, the product may be too high in carbs to work on the keto diet.
When including blueberries in a healthy keto diet, be mindful of your portion size, and — in the case of products that contain blueberries, including dried blueberries — the total and net carb counts.
SummaryRaw blueberries can be part of a keto diet if you stick to a reasonable portion size of 1/2 cup (74 grams). Other blueberry products like jellies or pie fillings are too high in sugar and carbs for keto.
Other low carb berries
While raw blueberries can be part of a keto diet, some other berries are even lower in total and net carbs and may be a better fit.
For example, 1/2 cup (72 grams) of raw strawberries contains only 6 grams of total carbs and 4 grams of net carbs (6).
Similarly, 1/2 cup (62 grams) of raw raspberries contains 7 grams of total carbs and 3 grams of net carbs (7).
Raw blackberries may also be a good option, containing just 7 grams of total carbs and 4 grams of net carbs per 1/2-cup (72-gram) serving (8).
Most other fruits are too high in carbs to be eaten regularly on a keto diet, but berries make a great fruit option for keto dieters.
SummaryRaw strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are lower in total and net carbs than raw blueberries, making them better choices for the keto diet.
The bottom line
Blueberries are healthy and nutritious, and raw blueberries can easily be part of your keto diet — especially if you’re counting total carbs rather than net carbs.
However, dried blueberries and most food products made with blueberries will be too high in carbs for keto.
What’s more, other berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are even lower in total and net carbs than blueberries.
Regardless, any of these berries are a great way to include nutritious fresh fruit in your keto diet — as long as you keep your portion sizes in mind.