Asian dishes often contain somewhat higher amounts of carbs. Find out whether miso soup is a keto-friendly exception to this.
Something important to note is that miso soup recipes can vary a lot. For example, there are ones that add barley and rice which are generally not that keto-friendly.
On the flip side, there are also miso soup recipes like the one below that are somewhat keto-friendly with its 2.5 grams of net carbohydrates per 100 grams.
At the same time, you do want to keep in mind that it is easier to consume 100 grams of fluids than solids.
In simpler words, it is somewhat easier to consume a lot of miso soup so you may want to schedule your portion sizes in advance to stay in ketosis.
Additionally, if you have the option, you like want to choose the miso or regular soups that contain smaller amounts of the less keto-friendly ingredients.
In the case of miso soup, that mostly means keeping the amounts of miso and to some extent tofu, smaller.
Example miso soup recipe
Miso soup is a broad category of different recipes. By changing the ingredients and in what amounts they are present, you will also influence how keto-friendly the mix is.
At the same time, looking at an example recipe can give you somewhat of an idea about how keto-friendly miso soup is, or at least can be.
This is the example of a list of ingredients for two servings of miso soup:
- 1 teaspoon dashi granules
- 2 cups (480 grams) of water
- 2 tablespoons miso paste
- 8 ounces (224 grams) of soft tofu
- 1 onion
- 1 medium carrot
I will use the nutrition information of this specific miso soup recipe in the rest of the article. You can check out the details for some of the individual ingredients if that interests you (1, 2, 3, 4).
Carbs in miso soup with tofu
How many carbs there are in this example miso soup recipe with tofu is important for figuring out whether this dish is keto-friendly for you and in what amounts.
100 grams of the example miso soup contain the following amounts of carbs:
- Total carbs: 3.1 grams
- Of which fiber: 0.6 grams
- Net carbs: 2.5 grams
In theory, there are situations where small amounts of carbs like this are enough to get you out of ketosis.
That being said, the 2.5 grams of net carbs in 100 grams of miso soup will typically be keto-friendly.
One bowl of this miso soup is about 180 ml (6 oz) and contains the following amounts of carbs:
- Total carbs: 5.6 grams
- Of which fiber: 1.1 grams
- Net carbs: 4.5 grams
4.5 grams of net carbs will still often be keto-friendly but the amounts do start to add up.
If you find it easy to consume multiple bowls of miso soup, you may need to set some specific guidelines in advance.
Other nutritional details about miso soup
Miso soup does not only contain carbohydrates. The other nutrients in it can also influence whether your diet is keto and how good this dish is for your general health.
100 grams of the example recipe miso soup contain the following nutrients:
- Calories: 29.1
- Protein: 2.2 grams
- Carbs: 3.1 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 0.6 grams
- Fat: 0.9 grams
- Vitamin A: 23% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 7% of the DV
- Sodium: 5% of the DV
- Selenium: 4% of the DV
- Folate: 4% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
While the extra nutrients in the miso soup are welcome, they are not that impressive either.
If you struggle with consuming enough nutrients on your ketogenic diet, it is likely smarter to turn to foods that are more nutritious than miso soup.
Carbs in regular miso
You may also wonder how many carbs miso itself contains compared to the soup. The table below shows you the amounts of carbs in the example soup and regular miso (1).
| Values Per 100g | Miso Soup | Miso |
|---|---|---|
| Total Carbohydrates | 3.1 g | 26.5 g |
| Of Which Fiber | 0.6 g | 5.4 g |
| Net Carbs | 2.5 g | 21.1 g |
As you can see, regular miso is not that keto-friendly. If you want to experience the taste of this food on your ketogenic diet, you want to stick to the low-carb miso soup examples.
Why miso soup will sometimes kick you out of ketosis
Miso soup is relatively low in carbs per 100 grams but that does not mean it will always be keto. It can be smart to quickly go over the keto basics to avoid getting out of ketosis while eating this dish.
Ketogenic diets involve lowering your carbohydrate consumption to the point where you get and stay in ketosis. Ketosis is a state where fat is your main source of energy (5).
At what number of carbohydrates you get into this state can vary because of differences in body weight, muscle mass, workout habits, genes, etc.
This makes reality more confusing but there are still general recommendations. Even if they are not perfect, they can still help you make an estimation of how much miso soup you can consume on keto.
A typical recommendation for getting into ketosis is getting 55%-60% of your calories from fat, 30%-35% from protein, and 5%-10% from carbohydrates.
If you apply these percentages, you will likely get that you can eat about 20g – 50g of carbs a day.
It is common to exclude fiber from these guidelines even though it is a category of carbs. Your body deals with fiber in more keto-friendly ways.
Miso soup modifications on keto
From the perspective of 100 grams, miso soup is relatively low in carbs compared to many other foods.
At the same time, because it is a fluid, it becomes somewhat easy to consume too much of the example miso soup recipe above.
Luckily, there are still modifications you can make to make it more low-carb and keto-friendly.
More specifically, you can replace the ingredients that are above-average in carbohydrates with alternatives or just reduce their amounts.
In the case of miso soup, the main ingredient to keep in mind is the miso itself. Additionally, certain types of tofu are more keto-friendly than others.
Why do you want to stay in ketosis?
There are situations where even the small number of carbs in miso soup can get you out of ketosis. Your reasons for staying in ketosis will influence whether this is bad and to what extent.
For example, miso soup can still be good for weight loss and health even if you consume it in amounts that are not keto-friendly.
On the other hand, you may need/want to stay in strict ketosis every minute of the day.
In that case, you can likely still eat some amounts of miso soup but you want to be careful about your portion sizes and the other foods you eat.
FAQ
Does miso soup have carbs or sugar?
Miso soup has small amounts of both sugar and other carbs.
Can you have miso soup on a keto diet?
Whether you can have miso soup while following a ketogenic diet depends a lot on the exact recipe, your portion sizes, your body, and the other foods you eat. That being said, a good amount of people will be able to have a bowl of miso soup on a keto diet.
Is miso soup high in carbohydrates?
Miso soup recipes can vary in nutritional details but the main example in this article contains around 3.1 grams of carbs (including 0.6 grams of fiber). In turn, you can say that this example of miso soup is not high in carbohydrates at all.
