A lot of people wonder if the ketogenic diet allows fruit. It’s a valid question to ask since, after all, you limit the number of carbs you’re supposed to eat. (And please let me emphasize that keto is not necessarily a zero carb diet. If you want it to be, then, of course, you can go on without any carbs or fruit. But the way I eat and recommend keto be done is through the consumption of plenty of low-carb, fiber-rich plan-based foods along with protein and fat. If you’d like to try this type of keto-eating for yourself, then check out my Keto Meal Plan.)
The short answer is that yes, you can indeed eat some fruit. Notice that I used the word some. You have to be very careful with fruit consumption and keto. Although fruit is extremely healthy for you, for the purpose of maintaining prolonged nutritional ketosis, you’re going to have to put a limit on it. It’s not because fruit is evil. It’s because of the fact that they contain enough carbs to knock you out of ketosis. In order to be able to sustain ketosis and have your fruit and eat it too, you’re going to have to be sensible with your portions and sources.
Which leads me suggesting what you can do to have a bit of fruit in your keto diet if you so choose.

1) Opt for Berries…

Berries are going to be your top choice when it comes to keto. Compared to other fruits like mango and pears, they’re relatively lower in both carbs and sugar. They’re also extremely high in antioxidants, and provide a good amount of fiber to boot (which supports gut health).
Here’s a list of berries for you to choose from, along with their macros:
Raspberries (1 cup = 64 calories, 14.6 g of carbs, 8 g of fiber, and 5.4 g of sugar) [1]
Blackberries (1 cup = 43 calories, 9.6 g of carbs, 5.3 g of fiber, 4.8 g of sugar) [2]
Strawberries (1 cup, whole = 50 calories, 13 g of carbs, 2.9 g of fiber, 6 g of sugar) [3]
Blueberries (1 cup = 84 calories, 21.4 g of carbs, 3.6 g of fiber, 14.7 g of sugar) [4]

*Note: As you can see, these berries still contain a decent amount of carbs that, when overeaten, can knock you out of ketosis. Aim for ½ a cup or less if you’re just starting out on keto. After you’ve been on it for a few months, then play around with portion sizes and test your ketones to see how much you can get away with.

2) And Other Low-Sugar Fruits

Next to berries, these fruits are also great to consume on a keto diet in moderation. (Aim for ½ a cup/fruit or less, as per my recommendation in the note above.):
Kiwi: (1 fruit = 42 calories, 10.1 g of carbs, 2.1 g of fiber, 6.2 g of sugar) [5]
Cantaloupe (Melon): (1 cup = 54 calories, 13 g of carbs, 1.4 g of fiber, 12.5 g of sugar) [6]
Watermelon: (1 cup = 46 calories, 11.4 g of carbs, 0.6 g of fiber, 9.5 g of sugar) [7]
Grapefruit: (1 large = 53 calories, 13.4 g of carbs, 1.8 g of fiber, 11.5 g of sugar) [8]

3) Garnish With the Rest

Here’s another tip: with other fruits, like apples, pineapple, and grapes, treat them as garnishes. For instance, if you’re making a delicious keto salad with plenty of leafy greens, nuts, and homemade vinaigrette, feel free to toss in 1-2 tablespoons worth of sliced fruit. This doesn’t mean you bathe your salad in diced fruit- remember, I said a couple tablespoons worth, which is less than a handful. That small serving size should be enough to satisfy your taste buds while keeping you well within your daily limit of carbs. (Not to mention that it adds a nice flavor to your meal.)
By the way, you can take a similar approach to your smoothies. Instead of using a full cup of frozen fruit, opt for a ¼ to a ½ cup serving; it will add a hint of flavor and smoothness to your recipe!

4) Infuse Your Water

Yet another option is to infuse your water with fruit. Instead of eating them whole and potentially breaking ketosis, try lending their flavor to plain old water. This not only keeps you from going over your carbs for the day but also gets you to drink more water, which is extremely important on keto. It ensures that you’re hydrated, energized, and protected from the dreaded keto flu. (For more tips on staying hydrated while eating keto, read my post here.)
Doing this is really quite easy: just add a handful of fruit to a jug of water (16-32 oz worth), and let it infuse at least for a few hours, or overnight. Then, remove the fruit (you can freeze or give them to a friend), and pour yourself a glass. Refreshing!
(In case you need a simple recipe to get started, give my Orange Rosemary Lemon Infused Water a try!)
I also have another option for those of you who’d rather not include actual fruit. Go with a fruity flavored electrolyte powder. Quite a number of keto-friendly electrolytes are popping up on the market, and one that I particularly like is Ultima Replenisher. It’s sugar-free, carb free, and calorie free, and perfect for anyone regardless of diet. It solves two issues: getting sufficient minerals and giving you a tasty fruity flavor. The current ones they offer are Raspberry, Pomegranate Cherry, Lemonade, Orange, Grape, and Strawberry Lemonade. (And no, I am not sponsored by Ultima- I just really like their products.)

And there you have it guys. My take on fruit in keto. I believe that you can have some fruit on keto, as long as you don’t have too much, and stick mostly to the ones that are lower in sugar. Hope these tips help, and let me know if you’ve got any fruity-flavored keto recipes to share!

Sources:

[1] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2374?manu=&fgcd=&ds=
[2] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/09042?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=BLACKBERRIES%2C+UPC%3A+070038580676&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=
[3] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/45346753?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=WHOLE+STRAWBERRIES%2C+UPC%3A+070038355922&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=
[4] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/09050?fgcd=&manu=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=blueberries&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=
[5] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2253?manu=&fgcd=&ds=
[6] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2274?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=50&offset=&sort=defaultℴ=asc&qlookup=cantaloupe+raw&ds=&qt=&qp=&qa=&qn=&q=&ing=
[7] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2393?manu=&fgcd=&ds=
[8] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2222?manu=&fgcd=&ds=