From low carbs to high fat, there are many restrictions to consider to be successful on a keto diet. Many consider it to be a good way to lose weight, while maintaining a diet full of essential nutrients and health benefits.
Is soy milk keto friendly? No, soy milk is not keto friendly. The nondairy beverage is made from a legume, which includes half the daily carb intake in one cup.
Soybeans are part of the legume plant family, which are generally not keto-friendly.
Soy milk can be used very sparingly on the keto diet, but it still contains a lot of the allowed daily intake of carbohydrates in a small amount of of beverage.
If you’re following the keto diet, you’re probably aware that dairy milk isn’t ketogenic and shouldn’t be consumed on a low-carb or keto diet. This is because it includes lactose, a form of sugar that can take you out of ketosis.
Soy milk is a low carbohydrate and high protein beverage. Unfortunately, just because unsweetened variants are low in carbs doesn’t imply they’re beneficial to consume on a ketogenic diet.
If you are on a keto diet and looking for whether soy milk is safe to drink or not, this article is perfect for you. Answered below are frequently asked questions about keto diets and consuming soy milk.
What is a keto diet?
The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. Ketosis decreases blood sugar and insulin levels while shifting the body’s metabolism from carbohydrate to fat and ketones.
Ketogenic diet resembles the Atkins and low-carb approach in many ways. It entails substantially lowering carbohydrate intake by substituting for increased amounts of fat. The decrease in carbohydrate causes your body to enter a metabolic state known as ketosis where fat becomes the primary energy source.
In ketosis phase, the body becomes very effective at burning fat for vitality. It also causes fat in the liver to be converted to ketones, which can be used to fuel the brain.
Ketogenic diets can drastically drop blood sugar and insulin levels, which increases weight loss. This, in addition to the increased ketones, has certain health benefits that many people have gravitated towards.
Is soy ok on keto?
No, soy is not ok on keto. Soy beans are a legume, which has high amounts of carbs that are a big no-no for keto dieters.
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. As a result, you should consume more fat than protein in whatever you eat or drink.
Apart from the macronutrients, soy is a legume species, and legumes are not keto-friendly. Soy milk is a wonderful source of protein, but it lacks the necessary fat to benefit a keto diet.
Furthermore, soy products are abundant in phytates, a soy-derived substance that can promote gastrointestinal irritation. As a result, doctors advise avoiding soy products while on a keto diet.
One cup of soy milk accounts for about half of the daily carb limit for a keto dieter. This does not make it impossible to incorporate soy milk into a keto diet, but it does make it substantially more difficult.
If you are searching for a plant based beverage that is keto diet friendly, consider coconut milk or any nut-based milks.
Is soy milk high in carbs?
No, soy milk is not high in carbs compared to dairy milk.
For instance, soy milk that’s unsweetened has about 80 to 100 calories per cup. There are 4 grams of fat and 4 grams of carbohydrates in every cup.
On the other hand, milks that are keto-friendly must contain minimal carbohydrates.
Fortunately, there are various viable solutions. It’s worth noting that only the unsweetened versions of these plant milks are suitable for keto.
In terms of weight loss, the most obvious benefit of soy milk versus cow’s milk is its minimal sugar content and lower calories.
Whole soy milk comprises roughly 80 calories per cup, which is even less than typical skim milk.
Lactose is abundant in dairy, which accounts for the 12 grams of sugar per serving. Soy has half of the amount of sugar, and dietary fiber makes up the rest of the carbs found in soy milk.
In comparison, one cup of soy milk contains 3g of fiber, which is around 12% of your daily fiber needs. Increasing fiber intake will help you feel fuller for longer, and move food through the digestive tract more quickly.
Switching to unsweetened soy milk instead of skim milk for weight reduction gives you the added benefit of fiber.
Is soy milk good for keto?
No, soy milk is not good for keto. Because soy milk is made out of legumes, it is not technically ketogenic.
As a result, coy milk contains half of a strict keto dieter’s daily carb allotment in one cup. In general, many soy products are heavily processed, which is also not recommended on the keto diet.
Soy also contains a high level of phytic acids, which prevents some minerals from being absorbed. Therefore, some nutrients may not be absorbed properly when drinking soy milk with other foods.
Can you drink soy milk and still lose weight?
Yes, you can drink soy milk and still lose weight without being on a keto diet. Unsweetened soy milk is low in calories and sugar content, unlike dairy milk that is much higher in saturated fat.
When soy milk is used as a replacement for cow milk, and soy is consumed in moderation, it can help with weight loss.
If you add soy milk to your diet for one to two servings, but don’t reduce your consumption of anything else you typically consume, then it will not help with weight loss.
The reduction in calories and sugar content of soy milk over cow milk is the most obvious advantage in terms of weight loss. Soy fat is helpful for weight-watchers, unlike milk fat, which is extremely saturated and prone to forming deposits.
The monounsaturated fat in soy milk not only decreases blood fat accumulation, but also limits fat and cholesterol absorption in the intestine. The phytosterol in soy has a fat-blocking effect as well.
In other words, consuming soy milk reduces dietary fat exposure. As a result, consume full-fat version of soy milk in moderation.
Soy milk also contains a lot of fat-burning micronutrients. One cup of soy milk provides 30% of the necessary daily intake of riboflavin and 50% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B12.
Both of these vitamins play a role in energy production, and are particularly important for fatty acid metabolism. Increased intake of these nutrients can help you burn fat more efficiently, which can aid weight loss significantly.
However, too much soy in your diet can cause major health concerns. So, be careful to limit your intake of soy milk to one or two servings per week.
Can soy milk help you gain muscle mass?
Similar to whey, soy milk is as good, and has the ability to promote gains in lean muscle mass. Soy is a good source of protein that is low in fat and calories, which makes it a healthy choice to increase muscle.
However, soy milk is not recommended if you are on a keto diet.
Soy milk possess identical protein quantity as dairy milk. One serving of soy milk has 7 grams of protein, which is made up of a variety of necessary amino acids.
Moderate consumption of soy products, combined with a healthy overall diet and regular exercise, has been found to result in lower body fat and increased lean muscle.
Soy Milk for Keto: Conclusion
Soy milk is not keto friendly. Even though soy milk has low carbohydrate and high protein content, it is not keto appropriate for a number of reasons.
It is highly processed, made of legumes, and still contains a high number of carbohydrates despite having significantly less than dairy milk.
If you are not on a keto diet, drinking soy milk in moderation helps to loose weight because of low calories and sugar content compared to cow milk. Furthermore, it is protein rich and can help to increase muscle mass.
When it comes to a keto diet, it is not advised to add soy milk to your daily menu. Even though soy milk is not high in carbohydrates, it lacks abundance of healthy fat that is required for strict keto diets.