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If you’re new to keto and have been observing the diet for a couple of months, you’re probably getting tired of the basic meals. That fatty cut of steak has become distasteful, and you’re desperately looking for a way to add flavor to your dishes.
It’s a common misconception that the clean keto diet is bland and boring. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, keto dieters love using condiments to season, sweeten, and flavor their dishes. It’s all about finding the best low-carb condiments that will fit well into your keto diet regime.
According to nutritionists, the best condiments to consume on keto are those that are low in carbs or better yet, have zero carbs per serving. Some examples are hot sauce, plain vinegar, dry herbs, mustard, and other seasonings with no added sugar.
When looking for keto-friendly condiments, make sure you’re doing your own research instead of relying on the nutrition facts on the bottle. Some manufacturers may indicate that the product has zero carbs because the carb count is too small to register. In most cases, these products can have 1 or more carbs when you exceed the suggested serving size.
While there are low-carb condiments that you can definitely consume on keto, there are certain ones that you should completely avoid. The main condiments that do not fit well into the keto diet regime because of their high sugar content are full-sugar ketchup, maple syrup, jam, tomato paste, and premade sauces.
Here’s a complete list of keto condiments that proponents of the diet regime swear by. All of these are low in carbs and conducive to staying in ketosis.
Didn’t expect this to be on the list, did you? Practitioners of the keto diet say that mayonnaise can be keto-friendly, as long as you opt for brands that do not contain artificial carbohydrates or added sugar.
The Chosen Foods Classic Mayo is a great option, with its creamy and tangy flavor coming from avocado oil, organic eggs, organic mustard, organic distilled white vinegar, and organic rosemary extract. It’s completely carb-free and is a good source of fat with 11 grams per tablespoon.
Mustard is a staple condiment that you should have in your diet arsenal. For keto, opt for mustard brands with 100% natural ingredients, such as the French’s Classic Yellow Mustard.
Made with distilled vinegar, water, 1-grade mustard seed, salt, turmeric, paprika, spice, natural flavoring, and garlic powder, it’s a no-guilt condiment you can use for any keto meal. Plus, French’s Classic Yellow Mustard contains 0 calories, 0 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of sugar.
Hot sauce is one of the best ways to add flavor (and a spicy kick) to your keto dishes. Proponents of the keto diet love Franks’ Redhot Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce, made of aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, and garlic powder to create the perfect balance of flavor and heat.
With a Scoville scale of 450 SHU, it’s bound to make every bite of your keto dish more interesting. Franks’ Redhot contains 0 calories, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of carbs.
Made from vinegar and spices, Worcestershire sauce can add a tangy kick to your savory keto dishes. The Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce, in particular, is a keto diet staple, containing only 1.1 grams of carbs per 1 teaspoon serving.
It’s made of distilled white vinegar, onions, anchovies, garlic, cloves, tamarind extract, chili pepper extract, and natural flavorings to give your meals added zing.
Plenty of beginner keto dieters think that soy sauce should be avoided on the keto diet. But most soy sauce brands are actually keto-friendly, containing roughly 1 gram of net carbs or less for each tablespoon serving.
The key is avoiding those that contain sugar or molasses. The 365 Organic Reduced Sodium Shoyu Soy Sauce is a popular option, with only 1 gram of net carbs. It's made of organic ingredients, including organic soybeans, organic wheat, and organic alcohol.
Seasoned keto dieters also opt for Tamari, a Japanese soy sauce made from soybeans, as an alternative. Typical tamari sauce products contain around 0.8 grams of net carbs per tablespoon serving.
Olive oil is 100% fat and contains zero carbs, making it a very important ingredient in the ketogenic diet. Aside from cooking your meals with olive oil, you can also pour a small amount over your salads and meat for extra flavor.
The Mantova Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Lemon is a sure-keto brand, containing 0 net carbs. It’s a 100% natural, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, with a hint of lemon extract to add a zesty and citrusy kick.
Avocado oil is one of the top sources of fat for the keto diet. It’s also rich in essential nutrients, antioxidants, and monounsaturated fats. But avocado oil is more than just a cooking oil to fry, roast, or sauté your keto meals.
In the market are condiments with avocado oil as the main ingredient, such as the Primal Avocado Oil Mayo. With 0 grams of net carbs and 0 grams of sugar, it’s a fat-rich and tasty sauce for your keto diet made with avocado oil, organic eggs, organic vinegar, organic rosemary extract, and sea salt.
Salsa is one of the many keto-friendly condiments that can add a burst of flavor to your meals without the guilt. As long as you opt for salsa products without sugar, you can enjoy it with your homemade keto dishes.
The La Preferida Organic Medium Salsa is considered one of the top keto-friendly salsas in the market, containing only 1 gram of net carbs per 1 tablespoon serving. It’s made with organic ingredients, including tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, red peppers, spices, roasted green chiles, garlic, vinegar, jalapenos, and cilantro.
While pesto is most commonly used for pasta (not something you can eat in the keto diet), it’s a pretty versatile condiment that can flavor your chicken, vegetables, eggs, and seafood. The Freak Flag Organics Kale Pesto is a favorite among keto dieters, known for its tasty mix of kale, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, basil, jalapeno peppers, parsley, and garlic.
Only containing 3 grams of net carbs per tablespoon and absolutely no sugar, you can use it to give your keto dishes a bright, herby taste.
Guacamole is filled with healthy monounsaturated fat and is low in carbohydrates, making it perfect for dipping your raw veggies or keto-friendly chips into. Nutritionists love the Good Foods Organic Avocado Mash, made of healthy Hass avocados, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper.
A 56-gram serving of this guacamole contains 5 grams of carbohydrates but contains 0 added sugars or artificial ingredients.
Ranch dressing can add creaminess to your keto meals, making it all the more flavorful and appetizing. Many keto dieters use the Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing, a keto-certified condiment made with avocado oil, organic eggs, sea salt, nutritional yeast, and other organic herbs and spices.
This product contains 2 grams of net carbs and 0 grams of sugar, making it a suitable dressing for your keto salads.
Blue cheese is naturally low-carb, but it’s important to be selective about the type of blue cheese you consume on the keto diet. Some products can be made with buttermilk, which has a slightly higher carb content.
Keto dieters will swear by Toby’s Blue Cheese Dressing & Dip, a tantalizing condiment made of rBST-free cultured milk, expeller pressed non-GMO canola oil, live milk & blue cheese cultures, mustard flower, and other organically sourced ingredients. One tablespoon contains only 1 gram of carbs.
Tahini is a Mediterranean sauce made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It has an earthy flavor that’s slightly bitter, best paired with salads and raw veggies. Tahini is low in carbohydrates but high in fats and protein. It’s also rich in micronutrients, making it a healthy addition to your keto diet.
The Once Again Organic Unsweetened Tahini with Lemon is the best keto-friendly storebought Tahini, made with dry roasted, organically grown sesame seeds and organic lemon powder. It contains no added sugar and only has 2 grams of carbs per 1 tablespoon serving.
Horseradish, a spicy root vegetable from the mustard family, is another keto-friendly condiment that can add a unique pungent flavor to your keto dishes. The Woeber’s Pure Horseradish, in particular, is keto-approved, with only 1 gram of carbs per 1 tablespoon.
This horseradish product is made from 100% natural ingredients, including ground horseradish roots, vinegar, and salt.
Unbeknownst to many beginner keto dieters, heavy cream can be considered a keto-friendly addition to coffee and desserts. Those who’ve been observing the keto diet for years have been using the Natural by Nature Grass-Fed Heavy Cream, made from organic ingredients free from GMO and artificial preservatives and flavors.
1 tablespoon of the Natural by Nature Heavy Cream contains 0 grams of carbs. It’s also a good source of fat with 6 grams of total fat in the same serving size.
Everyone loves cream cheese — the dense, creamy, yoghurt-like texture adds a subtly tangy and sweet flavor to bland dishes. The Philadelphia Cream Cheese is a crowd favorite thanks to its buttery texture and flavor. It’s made of pasteurized milk and cream, whey protein concentrate, carob bean gum, vitamin A palmitate, and cheese culture.
A tablespoon serving of Philadelphia Cream Cheese contains a meager amount of carbohydrates (only 0.8 grams!)
Regular sweetened ketchup is a no-no for the keto diet. But nutritionists have found a loophole with sugar-free ketchup. Many consider the Heinz No-Sugar Added Tomato Ketchup as a suitable option for keto, only containing 1 gram of net carbs and 0.5 grams of sugar per 1 tablespoon serving.
It’s made of real tomatoes and a meager amount of sweetener to make it taste just like regular ketchup but with 75% less sugar.
BBQ sauce is a great way to add flavor to your meat — so long as you opt for low-carb options. Keto dieters are big fans of Yo Mama’s Foods No Sugar BBQ Sauce, which is completely free of high fructose corn syrup and additional sugars.
Instead, tomatoes, spices, and Monk Fruit give it its classic flavor. This BBQ sauce is certified keto with only 1 gram of net carbs and 1 gram of sugar per 1 tablespoon serving.
Craving for a sour kick to complement your keto meals? Sour cream is a go-to, specifically the Simple Truth Organic Sour Cream.
Low in carbs and high in healthy fats (1 gram net carbs and 7 grams of fats per 2-tablespoon serving), this product is made from organic cultured cream and microbial enzymes.
Garlic butter is almost guaranteed to make any keto dish taste amazing. The Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter is a classic, containing 0 carbs and 10 grams of fat per 1 tablespoon serving.
It’s made of grass-fed dairy, which means it’s high in Omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acids. In the ingredients list are also garlic, chives, parsley, dill, pepper, and paprika to taste.
The keto diet doesn’t have to be bland and unappetizing. You are more than welcome to season your dishes with condiments, as long as you choose keto-friendly options. Our list above contains the best condiments to consume while on keto, each adding a unique tasty flavor to every keto meal.
For keto-friendly snack options we recommend you get:
Keto practitioners incorporate a variety of different condiments into their diets, including hot sauce, low-carb BBQ sauce, sugar-free ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing, mayonnaise, guacamole, soy sauce, sour cream, and more.
Common seasonings like salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, curry powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper are all low-carb and keto-friendly. If you’re looking for a stronger flavor, you can also use cinnamon and cumin in small amounts.
To add flavor to your salads, you can opt for keto-friendly dressings such as mayonnaise, vinaigrette, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, tahini, avocado, or medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil dressings.