When eating low-carb you limit the amount of carbs you eat daily. Can you eat berries on low-carb diets and if so, which ones are the best?
Carbohydrates or carbs in short are one of the three macronutrients. Keeping your carb intake low can offer benefits. You can fit in many types of berries on low-carb diets and on top of that they can offer valuable nutrients.
Are berries OK on low-carb diets like keto?
The amounts of carbs in berries per 100 grams vary a lot from type of berry to type of berry. In general, you can fit in certain amounts of berries but you will have to exercise some portion control.
Berries can be OK on strict low-carb diets like the keto diet but you will have to keep portions small and choose the lowest-carb berries.
There are other food groups like vegetables, mushrooms, cheese, animal meats, fish, etc. that can offer bigger quantities of nutrients for fewer carbs. But berries can contain specific micronutrients like specific antioxidants that are slightly harder to find in low-carb foods.
In general it is a good idea to get nutrients from a variety of food groups.
Below you can find a list of berries ranked from lowest to highest in net carbs, total carbs minus carbs from fiber, per 100 grams. From a botanical definition standpoint, some of these are not actually berries and other “berries” are not present but this list uses foods that are typically known as berries.
This ranking does not take into account total calories. If you are interested in a ranking like that you can check out the list of the best berries for weight loss.
Keep in mind that if your goal with eating low-carb is losing weight it is likely OK to go over your carb limit every once in a while if that means being able to consume nutrients that are beneficial for your metabolism and health.
1. Blackberries
The first berry on this list, blackberries, may only be the second-lowest in calories but due to the fiber in them, they are the lowest in net carbohydrates. On top of that, they contain nice amounts of vitamins and minerals. A great combination for a low-carb diet like a keto diet.
The micronutrients in blackberries can offer a wide variety of health benefits (1, 2). One small study even found that blackberries may promote fat oxidation and improve insulin sensitivity (3).
100 grams of raw blackberries contains (4):
- Net carbs: 4.9 grams
- Calories: 43
- Protein: 1.4 grams
- Carbs: 10.2 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 5.3 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Vitamin C: 35% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 32% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 25% of the DV
- Copper: 8% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 6% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Like most berries, blackberries combine great with foods like yogurt and oatmeal. When trying to keep your carbohydrate intake low you generally want to avoid blackberry juice and dessert recipes with blackberries like muffins, pancakes, crumble, waffles, cake,…
2. Raspberries
Raspberries are a type of berry available in a variety of colors but most commonly found in the color red. They are a great source of fiber and vitamin C and relatively low in net carbs.
100 grams of raw raspberries contains (5):
- Net carbs: 5.4 grams
- Calories: 52
- Protein: 1.2 grams
- Carbs: 11.9 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 6.5 grams
- Fat: 0.7 grams
- Vitamin C: 44% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 34% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 10% of the DV
- Folate: 5% of the DV
- Magnesium: 5% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
3. Strawberries
The next fruit on this list is strawberries. Besides being one of the most popular options, strawberries are also the lowest calorie berry on this list. Unfortunately, the amount of fiber in strawberries is also one of the lower ones on this list.
In any case, for most people strawberries can be a good addition to a low-carb diet.
100 grams of raw strawberries contains (6):
- Net carbs: 5.7 grams
- Calories: 32
- Protein: 0.7 grams
- Carbs: 7.7 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 2 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Vitamin C: 98% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 19% of the DV
- Folate: 6% of the DV
- Potassium: 4% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 3% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Some people like to eat strawberries dipped in chocolate. While tasty, this combination is a lot more high carb and can slow down or stop the weight loss progress you may be looking for.
4. Gooseberries
Unlike most of the other berries in this list, gooseberries have a slightly more sour taste. This may put off some people but it doesn’t change the fact that gooseberries are a relatively low-carb berry.
100 grams of raw gooseberries contains (7):
- Net carbs: 5.9 grams
- Calories: 44
- Protein: 0.9 grams
- Carbs: 10.2 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 4.3 grams
- Fat: 0.6 grams
- Vitamin C: 46% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 7% of the DV
- Vitamin A: 6% of the DV
- Potassium: 6% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 4% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
5. Cranberries
The next low-carb berry is a popular option, especially during the holidays. Cranberries play a role in a wide variety of recipes ranging from raw on their own to cranberry sauce.
100 grams of raw cranberries contains (8):
- Net carbs: 7.6 grams
- Calories: 46
- Protein: 0.4 grams
- Carbs: 12.2 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 4.6 grams
- Fat: 0.1 grams
- Vitamin C: 22% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 18% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 6% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 6% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 3% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
One of the most common ways to implement more cranberries in a diet is in the form of cranberry juice.
With goals like consuming a low amount of carbs and trying to lose weight you generally want to stick to eating calories from solid food instead of drinking liquid calories.
You certainly want to stay away from cranberry juice that contains a lot of added sugars and sweeteners.
6. Mulberries
Another type of berry that is less popular is mulberries. This berry doesn’t have the largest amount of fiber but due to its low calorie count and decent amount of fiber, mulberries can fit in low-carb diets.
100 grams of raw mulberries contains (9):
- Net carbs: 8.1 grams
- Calories: 43
- Protein: 1.4 grams
- Carbs: 9.8 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 1.7 grams
- Fat: 0.4 grams
- Vitamin C: 61% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Vitamin K: 10% of the DV
- Iron: 10% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 6% of the DV
- Potassium: 6% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
7. Currants
Currants may not be as popular as some of the other berries on this list but they can definitely fit in low-carb diets with their low calorie count and high amount of fiber.
100 grams of raw currants (red & white) contains (10):
- Net carbs: 9.5 grams
- Calories: 56
- Protein: 1.4 grams
- Carbs: 13.8 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 4.3 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Vitamin C: 68% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Vitamin K: 14% of the DV
- Manganese: 9% of the DV
- Potassium: 8% of the DV
- Iron: 6% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
8. Elderberries
Unlike the other options on this list, you should not eat elderberries raw. This can lead to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (11). After boiling them however, elderberries can help you a lot with reducing hunger because of their large amount of fiber.
From this point on the list on you will likely have to exercise portion control with the berries to keep your diet low-carb. These berries are not the highest carb foods but the amounts of net carbs in them do start to add up.
100 grams of raw elderberries contains (12):
- Net carbs: 11.4 grams
- Calories: 73
- Protein: 0.7 grams
- Carbs: 18.4 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 7 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Vitamin C: 60% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Vitamin A: 12% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 11% of the DV
- Iron: 9% of the DV
- Potassium: 8% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
9. Blueberries
Blueberries are especially popular due to the wide variety of health benefits associated with them. One of their benefits is being able to help you stay at a healthy weight.
These berries are likely less suited for very low-carb diets like the keto diet. It will be hard to eat enough other nutrient-dense foods and stay in ketosis while eating a lot of blueberries.
100 grams of raw blueberries contains (13):
- Net carbs: 12.1 grams
- Calories: 57
- Protein: 0.7 grams
- Carbs: 14.5 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 2.4 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Vitamin K: 24% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 17% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 16% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 3% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 3% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
10. Grapes
Even though they are near the bottom of this list grapes can still play a small role in a low-carb diet. Grapes are likely not keto-friendly for most people.
If you really love grapes you could fit in a few but there are many better berries and fruits for low-carb diets like the keto diet.
100 grams of raw grapes contains (14):
- Net carbs: 17.2 grams
- Calories: 69
- Protein: 0.7 grams
- Carbs: 18.1 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 0.9 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Vitamin K: 18% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Vitamin C: 18% of the DV
- Copper: 6% of the DV
- Thiamin: 5% of the DV
- Potassium: 5% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Much to the regret of many people, red wine is generally not helpful for staying low-carb. Whole grapes are generally also better for staying low-carb than raisins which are dried grapes.
