How To Make Keto Iced Coffee: 3 Ways
Nowadays, new trends always pop up from what seems like out of nowhere. One trend that has been on the rise for the past few years is a diet called the ketogenic diet. More commonly known as “keto,” this diet has been on the up and up for the past five years.
Most diet trends contain a lot of sacrifices, especially regarding our favorite foods, like carbs. However, one food in a diet that you should never have to sacrifice is coffee!
We’re here to tell you that if you’re on the keto train, you don’t have to sacrifice good coffee in the process. Let’s learn how we can enjoy iced coffee without giving up on another diet!
What Is Keto?
The ketogenic diet was first used as a diet to treat children with epilepsy back in 1921. What makes keto different from most diets is that it is high in fats and very low in carbohydrates, with proteins somewhere in the middle.
Low-Carb to No Carb
Unless you’re training for the Olympics, most diets encourage low carbohydrate consumption or at least strongly encourage tracking carbohydrate consumption closely.
With keto, only 25 to 50 grams of carbohydrates are to be consumed daily. The carb counting is very strict. Otherwise, results are not seen as quickly.
Protein To Keep It Lean
In the ketogenic diet, protein takes up to 30% to 35% of the daily calorie count. Fatty proteins are highly encouraged, yet protein consumption isn’t the main focus. Only a third of a day’s macronutrients that are consumed are proteins.
This is contrary to most diet trends, which focus on protein intake at every meal, with the idea that protein will help curb your appetite and make you feel fuller longer. However, the keto diet doesn’t work with high protein consumption.
Fats Are the New Healthy
The core of the ketogenic diet is the push for high amounts of healthy fats to be consumed every day.
The daily caloric percentage of fats that should be consumed in the keto diet is 50% to 60%. That’s 30% more than the usual recommended amount. The push for lots of fats is very different from the normal dietary recommendations, which makes keto unlike any other diet trend seen in the past few years.
How Does Keto Work?
The goal of consuming low carbs, minimal protein, and an immense amount of fats is to push the body into a state of ketosis.
Ketosis occurs when the body is deprived of carbohydrates long enough, and it begins using its own stored fat as energy. Usually, the body uses carbohydrates to have energy, but since so few carbs are consumed daily, the body then turns to its own stored fat to start burning for energy.
Let Your Body Do the Work
When the body burns its own fat, it aids in quick weight loss, especially if the keto diet is combined with low-impact, moderate to low-intensity exercises. This allows your heart rate to stay at a level that burns fat the most effectively.
A few examples of these exercises are walking, biking, and yoga, but there are many different low-impact exercise options.
By kicking the body’s gears enough into “fat-burn mode” through a controlled diet, your body starts to do all the work on its own. It’s easy in theory — but not always easy to carry out. The ketogenic diet is a trend that is sweeping our society today, but is there just one way to do keto?
Let’s dive into how keto can adapt to each person’s lifestyle and needs!
Different Ways To Do Keto
Not all dieting trends work the same because everyone has a different metabolic rate, and each body has different needs. There are six different ketogenic methods:
- Classic Ketogenic Diet
- Modified Ketogenic Diet
- Intermittent Fasting
- MCT Oil Diet
- Modified Atkins Diet
- Low Glycemic Index Diet
Each method has pros and cons, but overall they follow the same guidelines: high fat, low carbs, and just enough protein. Understanding your metabolic needs is critical before diving into a ketogenic diet.
Do your research, ask your doctor, and listen to your body if it starts having more issues than before. Through careful and controlled nutrient tracking, keto is an excellent way to lose weight while not having to sacrifice all of your favorite foods.
Keto and Coffee
With the rise of keto dieting methods, there are more keto resources online than ever. These ensure you don’t have to sacrifice the foods that may motivate you to walk that extra mile or work that extra hour.
Thankfully, coffee is a low-calorie beverage with very few carbohydrates for those following keto. Since coffee is an ever-changing item that is always full of fun ways to enjoy, it fits the keto diet nicely. We will be diving into how to enjoy fun coffees while keeping your body in ketosis!
Everybody Loves a Good Iced Coffee
As summer is reaching its peak, temperatures are reaching their highest, making it a hassle to drink coffee any way but iced. Thankfully, iced coffee is available and better than ever — even if you’re keto-ing!
Coffee Is Keto-Friendly
If you like black coffee, you are in luck because it contains little to no calories or anything to be aware of when counting calories, carbs, and proteins so intensely. However, if you aren’t a fan of black coffee, there are alternatives to look into without sacrificing coffee or training yourself to drink it black.
1. Unsweetened Flavored Iced Coffee
If you have a sweet tooth but you want to stick to your keto ways, flavored coffee concentratesare what you need.
Flavored coffee concentrates are a delicious alternative without too many added sugars or carbohydrates. Find your vanilla, mocha, and caramel fixes without worrying about adding any more sugar to your diet.
Easy to make and fun to enjoy, unsweetened flavored iced coffee can satisfy that coffee craving without ruining your keto diet.
Add one to two teaspoons (depending on the size of your cup) of concentrate, water, and ice, and you are good to go! Any additional keto-approved sweeteners can be added if preferred. However, it is delicious either way!
2. Heavy Whipping Cream Cold Foam
Heavy whipping cream contains high amounts of fat, as well as a low amount of carbohydrates, putting it on the “okay for keto” list!
The best thing about heavy whipping cream is how creamy it is.
Heavy cream is the best ingredient to use when making cold foam to top a cold brew or iced coffee. Add a splash of vanilla extract to your cream to add a little extra sweetness, whip it in a milk frother, and you have yourself a delicious cold foam that is keto approved!
Cold foam is a keto-friendly topping that is simple to make yet smooth and satisfying to add to your coffee. If no milk frother is available, try looking for unsweetened whipped cream as a replacement. It’s not the same as adding cold foam. However, in dire straits, it satisfies the whipped craving!
3. Sugar-Free and Happy
If you’ve tried the unsweetened flavored coffee and the cold foam, and you still desire a sweeter tasting coffee, there is one more option available that just might satisfy the sweet-coffee craving. Since it contains no added sugar, no carbs, and little to no calories, these flavors are keto-approved and delicious to add to coffee!
From vanilla to caramel to mocha, sugar-free options are available in almost any desired flavor. We recommend you add the sugar-free flavor to your coffee concentrate. It makes it sweet, simple, and extra delicious!
Coffee, Keto Style
The ever-changing fads and diet trends are overwhelming. Knowing when to eat what and how much of what you can eat at a certain time is confusing and stressful, not to mention the irritability that can come from starting a new diet. Despite the changes and stresses on your body, coffee shouldn’t be something that adds to your stress.
Diets shouldn’t cut out coffee, and thankfully with keto, there are many different options to enjoy your coffee without any concerns about breaking your state of ketosis.
Unsweetened coffee concentrates, heavy whipping cream, cold foam, and sugar-free flavors are a few of the many options to enjoy coffee the keto way. Try one of these coffee tips, and be sure to share your coffee story with us on Instagram @javy.coffee!
Sources:
Ketogenic Diet | StatPearls | NCBI Bookshelf
Coffee Composition & Nutritional Information | Coffee and Health
Atkins Diet: What's Behind the Claims? | Mayo Clinic
