Is pesto keto?

Pesto is one of the most popular sauces. With its grassy and nutty flavor, this sauce pairs well with many foods. But should you give up your favorite Italian sauce if you’re on keto?

Is pesto keto?  Traditional pesto made with pine nuts, basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil is keto-friendly. A 2 tablespoon serving of this sauce contains about 2 grams of net carbs. You can easily incorporate pesto into your keto meals.

In this article, we explain why pesto is keto and whether all varieties of pesto can fit on a keto diet. Read on for a recipe for keto pesto with walnuts, as well as ideas for keto-friendly meals with this delicious salsa verde.

What is pesto?

Pesto is a bright green sauce that originated in the Genoa region of Italy, hence the name pesto alla Genovese.

The main ingredients of this popular sauce are pine nuts, garlic, basil leaves, Parmesan and olive oil.  The traditional way of making this sauce consists of crushing all the ingredients with a mortar.

First, the garlic and pine nuts are crushed until they reach the consistency of a paste. Then add the basil, salt and cheese.

The olive oil that is added at the end of the preparation process helps the ingredients to mix well and the consistency to be creamier.

The general flavor of the pesto sauce is garlic and herb, with the richness of the pine nuts and the saltiness of the cheese. 

Pesto is often used in pasta dishes. But if you like the taste of this sauce, you can combine it with almost everything.

From pizza to breakfast eggs, and from salads to grilled meat and vegetables, you can use this sauce to top any meal you choose.

You can also use pesto as an ingredient for sauces and as a marinade for chicken or fish.

Is pesto suitable for the diet?

Keto, which is short for ketogenic diet, is a highly restrictive, low-carb diet that has gained popularity in recent years. Keto involves eating high-fat foods. 

According to this diet, when carbohydrates are replaced by fats, the body enters a state of ketosis.

The latter is a metabolic state during which the body burns fat for energy. In addition to the weight loss benefits, eating keto also lowers blood sugar and insulin levels.

The usual foods that you will find in a keto meal plan are low carb vegetables, seafood, meat and poultry, avocado, eggs, nuts, seeds, etc.

So is traditional pesto keto-friendly?

Yes, pesto is keto friendly. All the ingredients used to make this sauce are keto friendly. Basil and garlic are keto friendly as they are very low carb. 

Parmesan is also a keto-friendly ingredient. It is one of the cheeses that you can eat while on keto. Another variety of firm cheese that is popularly used to make pesto is pecorino. Pecorino is also a keto-friendly cheese.

As for olive oil, it’s a keto staple, as it contains zero carbs and lots of healthy monounsaturated fat.

And what about the pine nuts? Pine nuts can also be part of a keto meal. They are low in carbohydrates and high in fat. One ounce of pine nuts (28 grams) contains 3 grams of net carbs.

How many carbs does pesto have?

A 2-tablespoon serving of traditional pesto sauce contains about 2 grams of net carbs or less.

The carbohydrate content of pesto can vary slightly based on the amount of each ingredient used to make the sauce. And yet, traditional pesto is keto-friendly.

Considering that the number of carbs you can eat while on keto can range from 20-50 grams a day , eating a serving of pesto on your chicken sandwich is totally acceptable.

Is store-bought pesto keto?

Although making pesto is fairly easy if you have a food processor or powerful mixer at home, buying a pre-made pesto sauce boat is easy.

Store-bought pesto sauces are often keto-friendly. However, we recommend that you check the nutrition label to ensure that the number of carbohydrates per serving does not exceed 3 grams. 

If the carb content of store-bought pesto is higher than 2-3 grams, check the brand’s recommended serving size, as it can be higher than 2 tablespoons.

If this is the case, reduce it to two tablespoons to count how many calories are in a serving of pesto and whether you can incorporate it into your keto meals.

Are all types of pesto keto?

Pesto is a highly appreciated sauce. It has been around for centuries and it is not surprising that there are now several variants of pesto.

Almost all varieties of pesto that come close to the traditional pesto recipe are keto-friendly. This is because most nuts and seeds are keto-friendly.

But there are pesto recipes that differ greatly from the original sauce based on pine nuts and basil. For example, there is a variety of Mexican-inspired pesto with pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and cilantro.

You can definitely eat it while on keto, as both pumpkin seeds and cilantro are keto-friendly.

Arugula pesto is also keto-friendly, as one cup of this healthy veggie only contains 0.4 grams of net carbs. 

A non-traditional pesto variant that will be a great addition to your keto diet is avocado pesto. Since avocados are a good source of healthy fats and low in carbohydrates, they are a staple in keto dishes.

The varieties of pesto that you should avoid on keto are those made with sun-dried tomatoes.  Sun-dried tomatoes contain about 24 grams of net carbs per cup , which is even more than the carb content of the same amount of raw tomatoes.

Calabrian pesto, which is a variety of pesto made with red bell peppers, tomatoes (fresh or dried), and ricotta cheese, may not be the best pesto option for you if you’re on keto.

As mentioned, sun-dried tomatoes are not the most keto-friendly ingredient, just like ricotta cheese.

In any case, if you’ve had a serving of pesto not sure if it was low carb or not, rest assured, a small amount of any variety of pesto wouldn’t be able to push you over your daily carb limit.

Even then, you can always limit your carb intake at your next few meals.

Ketone Friendly Pesto Recipe

As already mentioned, nuts and seeds are usually keto-friendly. And while the traditional pesto sauce is fine to eat when you’re on keto, you can also use other nuts to make pesto, just to switch things up.

Keto-friendly nuts that work well for pesto include almonds, macadamia nuts, peanuts, walnuts, and pecans. You can also use pumpkin and sunflower seeds to make a ketone-friendly pesto sauce. 

You can make a traditional pesto with pine nuts and enjoy it with your keto meals. But this pesto recipe that we recommend you make is with walnuts.

Pecans are one of the lowest carb nuts, as one ounce of these nuts only contains 1 gram of net carbs. 

The pecans in pesto have a slightly different nutty flavor. The flavor of the pecans is more intense than that of the pine nuts. These nuts are also sweeter and creamier than pine nuts.

Here’s what you’ll need for this keto walnut pesto sauce.

• 1/3 cup pecans
• 2 cups of fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 50 g grated Parmesan 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
• 8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Here’s how to make keto walnut pesto:

1. Start by toasting the nuts and let them cool.
2. Add the walnuts, basil leaves, garlic, and grated Parmesan into your food processor or a blender and process until you get a medium coarse medium smooth consistency. You can also use a mortar and pestle to reduce the ingredients to a paste.
3. Once mixed, add the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to achieve the perfect pesto consistency. Avocado oil is another great option for keto pesto sauces.
4. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. 
5. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container for about 5 days. 

Pesto Keto Meal Ideas

If you like pesto, you’ll eat it with just about any keto-friendly meal, as pesto is such a versatile sauce. But in case you need some pesto keto meal ideas, here are some.

• Baked pesto chicken. This is an easy keto dinner idea the whole family will enjoy even if you’re not on keto. Simply spread a tablespoon of pesto on each chicken breast, top with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella, and bake. 
• Zucchini noodles with pesto. Vegetable options for keto are limited. But you can still have fun with your recipes if you choose the right vegetables. Zucchini are perfectly keto friendly. An average size zucchini only contains 3 grams of net carbs. Make zucchini noodles any way you like and serve with a dollop of pesto for a delicious low-carb meal. 
• Green salad with pesto. Grab a handful of spring mix, add soma avocado, chickpeas, and top it all with lemon juice and your favorite vegan pesto.