Bread is typically not keto-friendly but there are exceptions. Find out whether injera, aka Ethiopian (flat)bread, is keto-friendly.
100 grams of one example of injera contain around 15.6 grams of net carbohydrates which means total carbs minus fiber.
This is relatively high in net carbs so injera Ethiopian (flat)bread is generally not keto-friendly.
At the same time, it is worth noting that you may be able to eat very small amounts while still staying in ketosis.
This is generally still not a good idea but you may really like the taste and texture of injera.
Additionally, different injera recipes can vary in terms of how many carbohydrates they contain.
How many carbs are there in injera bread?
To figure out whether injera bread can fit into your ketogenic diet and in what amounts you want to know how many carbs it contains.
100 grams of one example injera contain the following amounts of carbs (1):
- Total carbs: 18.3 grams
- Of which fiber: 2.7 grams
- Net carbs: 15.6 grams
If you eat reasonable amounts of other foods too, the 15.6 grams of net carbs in 100 grams of Ethiopian bread is likely too much to stay in ketosis.
Other types of injera recipes can vary in carb contents but the standard ones will be very similar.
One injera with a 12″ diameter is about 127 grams and contains the following amounts of carbs:
- Total carbs: 23.2 grams
- Of which fiber: 3.43 grams
- Net carbs: 19.77 grams
The number of net carbs in 1 injera with a 12″ (30.48 cm) diameter, 127 grams, is even more challenging to fit into a ketogenic diet.
In theory, you could eat small amounts of Ethiopian bread. In practice, you likely don’t want to use so many of your daily carbs on such a small amount of food.
That means injera is not recommended for most people who want to stay in ketosis.
Other nutrition information injera
There are a few exceptional cases where it can be worth implementing small amounts of foods with somewhat higher carb counts on keto because they contain so many valuable nutrients.
Fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals still play important roles in your general health.
100 grams of the example injera contain the following nutrients (1):
- Calories: 87
- Protein: 3.48 grams
- Carbs: 18.3 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 2.7 grams
- Fat: 0.84 grams
- Magnesium: 16% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Thiamin: 12% of the DV
- Sodium: 10% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 9% of the DV
- Niacin: 9% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
While Ethiopian bread does contain a few valuable nutrients in nice amounts, these are likely not enough to consider this food on keto (from a nutrition standpoint).
Why injera bread could be keto-friendly in tiny amounts
In theory, you could fit in some injera bread in keto-friendly amounts. To understand why this is and to not overdo it, it can be helpful to go over the keto basics.
Ketogenic diets are basically ways of eating where you stay in ketosis. This is a state where your body mainly uses fat as fuel (2).
To get into ketosis you need to keep your carbohydrate intake low enough.
A typical recommendation is getting 55%-60% of your macronutrients from fat, 30%-35% from protein, and 5%-10% from carbohydrates.
If you do the calculations, you will likely conclude that you can eat about 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates a day (not including fiber) on your ketogenic diet.
While these guidelines can be helpful to get an idea of what to do and how much injera bread you could theoretically eat on keto, you do want to keep in mind that they are not perfect.
In reality, other factors like how much muscle you have and your activity levels can influence how many carbs your body can deal with while staying in ketosis.
How to avoid eating too much injera on keto
By now it should be clear that you will have to exercise some portion control if you want to eat injera on your ketogenic diet.
Making a big pile of Ethiopian bread, combining it with your favorite dishes, and hoping that you don’t eat too much is typically not a good approach.
Some of these tips can help you limit your portions of injera on keto:
- Estimate in advance how many grams of injera would align with your keto goals
- Prepare this many grams of injera and put the rest/other ingredients somewhere else
- Don’t eat unlimited amounts while doing other things like watching TV
- Consider not making or buying Ethiopian bread if you crave it too much
People who get kicked out of ketosis while eating injera may need to make their portions smaller.
Why do you follow a keto diet?
Injera aka Ethiopian bread is generally not keto-friendly. Eating it on top of a somewhat reasonable diet will likely increase your carb intake to the extent that you get kicked out of ketosis.
Why you follow a keto diet influences whether this is an issue.
There are people who need/want to stay in ketosis every minute of the day. If that is your situation, you likely want to stay away from injera.
On the other hand, injera can be a good food option for goals like losing weight and getting healthier. Even if it increases your carbohydrate intake too much to be considered keto.
FAQ
Is injera high in carbs?
One example recipe of injera contains around 18.3 grams of total carbs (including 2.7 grams of fiber) per 100 grams. It is fair to say that injera is relatively high in carbs compared to many other foods.
Does Ethiopian bread have carbs?
Yes, Ethiopian bread does have carbs. The 15.6 grams of net carbohydrates can even be considered above average compared to many other food options.
