Shortly after I began practicing the keto diet I began to notice the term gluten-free showing up from time to time, so I did some research to find out if gluten-free foods were also keto diet-friendly.
I the keto diet also gluten-free? Put simply the keto diet and the gluten-free diet are not the same thing. The keto diet is a diet is aimed at eating low/zero carb foods in order to put your body in a metabolic state called ketosis and the gluten-free diet means you are avoiding any food items that contain gluten which is primarily found in wheat, rye, and barley.
Although the keto diet and gluten-free diet are not the same thing, you may be surprised how much overlap there is between the two, We’ll look further into what foods may fit into both diets and we’ll also take a look at some of the similarities and differences of these two diets below.
Differences Between the Keto Diet and Gluten-Free Diet
The keto diet and the gluten-free diet have many differences. From the many reasons to practice each of these diets, to the benefits they possess, and even the pitfalls of each diet, they are not the same whatsoever.
Here is a helpful chart showing the major differences of the Gluten-Free Diet and the Keto Diet:
| Requirement | Keto Diet | Gluten-Free Diet |
| Calorie Restrictions | None | None |
| Fats Restrictions | Yes | None |
| Protein Restrictions | Yes | None |
| Carbohydrate Restrictions | Yes | None |
| Gluten Restrictions | None | Yes |
Keto Diet
Let’s take a deeper look at the keto diet to see exactly how it differs from the gluten-free diet.
What Is It?
The ketogenic(keto) diet is a diet that aims to change the body’s source for fuel by strictly limiting carbohydrates in hopes of making the body run off of something called “ketones” instead of the traditional glucose.
What Are the Main Benefits:
There are many proven benefits for people who practice the keto diet. Here is a list of some of them from medicalnewstoday.com:
- Supports weight loss
- Improves acne
- May reduce the risk of certain cancers
- May improve heart health
- May protect brain function
- Potentially reduces seizures
- Improves PCOS Polycystic ovary syndrome symptoms
Macro Restrictions:
There are a few ways to practice the keto diet. Some people will restrict their carb intake to 0 grams, but most people will limit their daily carbohydrate count to 20 grams or less. This restricts most snacks and foods found in the grocery store.
Due to these restrictions, you will find that a lot of people on the keto diet lean into the meats and proteins portion of the diet.
Gluten-Free Diet
Now, let’s take a deeper look at the gluten-free diet to see exactly how it differs from the keto diet.
What Is It?
The gluten-free diet main aim is to avoid wheat and some other grains that contain gluten while selecting any substitutes that will provide the needed nutrients for a healthy diet.
It was created to help anyone that had a gluten allergy or suffered from celiac disease but is also widely used by other people claiming many different benefits.
What Are the Main Benefits:
Here are some of the benefits related to practicing the gluten-free diet.
- Treats celiac disease and gluten sensitivity
- Improves cholesterol levels
- Promotes digestive health
- Increases energy levels
- Can reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes
- Promotes healthy weight-loss
- Improves the health of people with irritable bowel syndrome and arthritis
Macro Restrictions:
Gluten free dieters can not eat anything that contains gluten. Gluten is primarily found in foods derived from wheat.
The food must be absolutely gluten-free and have a gluten-free lavel. For any food to have the ‘gluten-free’ label, they will need to have a gluten content fewer than 20 parts per million, according to the FDA.
What Foods are Both Keto Friendly & Gluten-Free?
There are a good amount of keto friendly foods that are gluten-free so adding these items to your gluten-free diet will also have you practicing the keto diet.
Gluten-Free Foods That Are Also Keto Friendly
- Meats and fish
- Nuts and seeds
- Herbs and spices
- Non-GMO spreads and oils
What Foods to Avoid on Each Diet?
When it comes to dieting it is expected that you will have to avoid specific foods to stay true to your goals. And the gluten-free diet and the keto diet are no different. Here are some of the foods you will want to avoid on each diet.
Avoid These Foods on the Keto Diet
- Grains and starches – Pasta, rice, cereals, wheat-based products, etc
- High sugar foods – Cake, candy, ice cream, fruit juice, etc
- Fruits – except limited portions of berries
- Beans and legumes – Chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, peas, etc.
- Root vegetables – Carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc
- Alcohol Mixed Drinks – Due to alcohol mixers carb content, many alcoholic beverages are not recommended
- Beer – You may get away with having a single beer in a day, but most beers have 8+ carbs per beer
Avoid These Foods on the Gluten-Free Diet
- Energy bars/granola bars
- French fries
- Potato chips
- Processed lunch meats
- Candy and candy bars
- Cream-based soup or soup with barley
- Multi-grain or “artisan” tortilla chips or tortillas that are not entirely corn-based may contain a wheat-based ingredient
- Salad dressings and marinades
- Brown rice syrup made with barley enzymes
- Meat substitutes made with seitan (wheat gluten) such as vegetarian burgers, vegetarian sausage, imitation bacon, imitation seafood
- Soy sauce
- Self-basting poultry
- Pre-seasoned meats
- Cheesecake filling with wheat flour
- Omelets/scrambled eggs made with pancake batter
– Lists from celiac.com
Is Gluten-Free Keto?
This can be a tough question to answer quickly, but let’s break this down.
Gluten free foods are any foods that do not contain gluten (wheat), but this does not mean that the gluten-free food will have zero or a low carbohydrate count.
For this reason, it is safe to say that not all gluten-free items are keto because keto friendly foods are zero or low carb foods.
While some gluten-free foods are keto friendly, the majority are not. Just because it is gluten-free does not mean it will be keto friendly.
Related Questions:
What Are Some Keto Diet Gluten-Free Recipes? You can find some of my favorite gluten-free keto diet recipes below.
Can You Eat Gluten-Free Pasta on Keto? Unfortunately, you can not eat gluten-free pasta on keto because there is still an abundance of carbohydrates found in gluten-free pasta. I found a couple of sources that show the average serving size of gluten-free pasta contains about 44 grams of carbohydrates.
Is Gluten-Free Pizza Keto Friendly? Gluten free pizza is not keto friendly since it also contains too many carbohydrates for someone practicing the ketogenic diet.
Is Gluten-Free Low Carb? Just because something says it is gluten-free does not make it low carb or keto.
