If you know a thing or two about fruit on keto, you know that not every variety is up for grabs. So, are oranges keto? See if orange carbs fit into your diet with this guide, including several ways to enjoy the flavor of oranges on keto. Looking for more keto food help? This massive keto food list is a good place to start, as well as these handy-reference keto cheat sheets.
Are Oranges Keto Friendly?
No, sorry! Orange carbs are too high to consider them a keto-friendly fruit. However, there are several orange keto substitutes worth trying. If they’re not keto, are oranges low carb? Maybe, but it highly depends on your macros.
How Many Carbs In An Orange?
In one medium orange, you’ll find 18.1 grams of total carbs [*]. Oranges do have fiber, but not enough to make the net carbs keto friendly — the same orange has 14.4 grams of net carbs… almost a full day’s worth if you follow a strict keto diet!
How many carbs in mandarin oranges?
Are mandarin oranges keto? No, but they might be considered low carb. So, how many carbs in a mandarin orange? A medium mandarin orange has 11.7 grams of total carbs and 10.1 grams of net carbs [*]. These orange carbs are much too high for a keto diet, but may fit in to low carb macros.
How many carbs in orange juice?
Now you might be wondering, is orange juice keto? Sadly, keto orange juice doesn’t exist: An 8-ounce serving contains 28.4 grams of total carbs, and 27.7 grams of net carbs [*]… much too high to enjoy on keto.
Orange Keto Substitutes
Now that you can answer the question of “can I eat oranges on keto?”, there are several substitutes you can use to capture their flavor.
Orange zest: Shhh… it’s the secret ingredient behind the flavor in my keto orange chicken and keto orange cranberry scones in my Easy Keto Cookbook. It has fewer carbs, but lots of flavor from the orange’s natural oils. Dried orange peel: Don’t have a fresh orange to zest? This is a shelf-stable alternative. Keto citrus fruits: Not all citrus is keto, but fruits that are low carb might be able to substitute for oranges depending on the recipe. Orange extract: Mix with water as a keto substitute for orange juice in recipes. Crystallized orange: Miss drinking orange juice? This is a low carb alternative (but it does have added sugar, making it a dirty keto option). Citric acid: For recipes that need an acidic flavor, citric acid is a useful orange keto substitute. Vinegar: A useful keto substitute for orange juice when you need sour flavor.
Conclusion: Can You Eat Oranges On Keto?
Are oranges keto (ever)? No — orange carbs are too high if you’re eating fresh, whole fruit. Enjoy the flavor of oranges on keto with substitutes like orange extract and zest instead.
