Is Jalapeno Keto-Friendly? (& Substitutes)

Photo of author
Last Updated On

To stay in ketosis you need to pay enough attention to what you eat. Find out whether jalapeno is keto-friendly and what other options you have.

100 grams of raw jalapeno contains around 3.7 grams of net carbs (total carbohydrates minus fiber).

This is not necessarily an amount people actually eat but it allows you to see that jalapeno is relatively low in carbs compared to other foods and in turn, relatively keto-friendly.

You could eat jalapeno raw but you typically combine it with cream cheese and/or bacon or use it in a variety of other keto-friendly recipes to add some spice.

Something to note is that people who really want to eat a lot of jalapenos may still need to keep an eye on the other things they eat.

Even small amounts of net carbohydrates could kick you out of ketosis in combination with certain diets.

Carbs in jalapeno

The number of carbs in jalapenos and other foods is one of the most important details for figuring out whether this food is keto and how many grams you can eat.

100 grams of raw jalapeno contain the following amounts of carbs (1):

  • Total carbs: 6.5 grams
  • Of which fiber: 2.8 grams
  • Net carbs: 3.7 grams

There are foods that contain fewer carbohydrates than this but it is still fair to say that jalapeno is relatively low-carb.

In turn, this food is relatively keto-friendly. Especially if you consider that most people don’t eat this many grams of jalapeno in one sitting.

One whole raw jalapeno is about 14 grams and contains the following amounts of carbs:

  • Total carbs: 0.9 grams
  • Of which fiber: 0.4 grams
  • Net carbs: 0.5 grams

As you can expect, consuming smaller amounts of jalapenos will also reduce how many carbohydrates you eat. In turn, it becomes even easier to stay in ketosis while eating this food.

Most people will need to keep their carb intake below 5 to 10% of their daily calories to stay in ketosis.

In turn, how many grams of jalapeno is keto for you depends on your body and the other foods you eat.

Other nutrients in jalapeno

The number of carbs in jalapeno is important on keto but the amounts of fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals in food are still relevant too.

These nutrients also impact ketosis and more importantly, your general health.

100 grams of raw jalapeno contain the following nutrients (1):

  • Calories: 29
  • Protein: 0.9 grams
  • Carbs: 6.5 grams
  • Part of the carbs that is fiber: 2.8 grams
  • Fat: 0.4 grams
  • Vitamin C: 198% of the DV (Daily Value)
  • Vitamin K: 23% of the DV
  • Vitamin A: 22% of the DV
  • Vitamin B6: 21% of the DV
  • Niacin: 6% of the DV

And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.

Jalapenos are not just low in carbs. They can also provide you with a lot of vitamin C and a variety of other nutrients in small amounts.

Again, you will likely not eat this amount of jalapeno on keto or any other diet. At the same time, in combination with other nutritious foods, small amounts do add up.

Can you eat pickled jalapenos on keto?

It is also possible to pickle jalapenos and eat them this way. According to the nutrition detail sources, this changes their dietary composition.

More specifically, 100 grams of pickled jalapeno contain the following amounts of carbs (2):

  • Total carbs: 4.6 grams
  • Of which fiber: 2.6 grams
  • Net carbs: 2 grams

This implies that pickled jalapenos are lower in carbs than the regular version. In turn, you can say that this food option is generally keto-friendly.

Substitutes for jalapeno on keto

There are other types of peppers besides jalapenos you can consider eating on keto.

You may prefer the taste, texture, or carb counts of these substitutes more than jalapeno. They could also simply allow you to switch up the foods in your keto diet.

The numbers next to the peppers are the amounts of carbohydrates per 100 grams (3, 4, 5):

  • Black pepper: 2.4 grams of net carbs
  • Chili pepper: 2.9 grams of net carbs
  • Red bell pepper: 4.2 grams of net carbs

Similar to jalapeno, these substitutes still contain some amounts of carbohydrates. This means you may have to pay a tiny amount of attention to portion control in certain situations.

Keep this in mind for certain keto jalapeno recipes

Ketogenic diets can be helpful for goals like losing weight because they involve many filling foods.

At the same time, you still need to keep in mind that calories matter to some extent. It is possible to gain weight while staying in ketosis.

Even if you take into account that not all calories are equal, certain keto jalapeno recipes like jalapeno poppers can be fattening in big amounts.

That does not mean you can’t eat these at all but you could need to be mindful about your portions of these and other recipes that implement jalapeno.

FAQ

Do jalapenos have carbs or sugar?

Jalapenos have both sugar and other carbs in the form of fiber.

How many carbs are in one whole jalapeno?

One whole jalapeno is about 14 grams and contains about 0.9 grams of total carbs. This includes 0.4 grams of fiber.

Photo of author

Author:

Matt Claes founded Weight Loss Made Practical to help people get in shape and stay there after losing 37 pounds and learning the best of the best about weight loss, health, and longevity for over 4 years. Over these years he has become an expert in nutrition, exercise, and other physical health aspects.