Keto-Friendly Boiled Peanuts: What You Need To Know Before Indulging

When discussing whether boiled peanuts are approved for a keto diet, our in-house chef advises fans to be cautious about blindly trusting the labels on brands, as not all “boiled peanuts fit into a keto” friendly.¹

That’s right, some brands of boiled peanuts actually show they’re “low carb” but in reality, they aren’t. Luckily though, there’s a few things someone can do to allocate low carb boiled peanuts, they just need to know what to look for.

Are Boiled Peanuts Suitable for a Keto Diet?

Boiled peanuts can be keto friendly under certain circumstances. Peanuts aren’t actually nuts and they’re classified as a legume similar to beans and lentils that have a high amount of protein compared to other nuts and similar to beans—this is also the reason why they carry a higher carb load than other peanuts.²

Peanuts that are boiled can remain keto friendly if the right kind is chosen and furthermore, some brands will render the snack non-keto due to oils. Therefore, choosing the right kinds will make them keto friendly.

The one’s you need to look for are raw green peanuts that are boiled because they’re actually keto friendly.

When wondering whether you can eat boiled peanuts on a keto diet, the answer is yes. Typically, a serving of boiled green peanuts, which includes about 30 grams of peanuts, contains around 5 grams of carbohydrates. This is fairly low when considering maintaining a ketogenic diet requires no more than 20 to 50 grams of net carbs must be consumed daily based on a 2000 kcal diet.³

When considering whether boiled peanuts are suitable for a keto diet, it’s important to understand that you can include them as long as you consume them in moderation. This is especially relevant for those wondering how much weight you can lose on a keto diet. Eating boiled peanuts sparingly can contribute to a weight loss of up to 5 pounds in the first week.

Is Boiled Peanuts Low in Carbs? Why Do Some Brands Have Fewer Carbs Than Others?

Boiled peanuts typically vary in carbohydrate content. Whether they are suitable for a ketogenic diet can depend on the specific type. Some have higher carbohydrate levels even when the quantity consumed is the same, and they may also differ in carb content compared to raw green peanuts in their shell.

Source: ek_istock via Canva.com⁴

The reason why some peanuts have a higher carb content is because of the use of ingredients that are not low carb, such as sugar, highly processed oils, and in some cases, artificial sweeteners and food additives. Several boiled peanuts variations are available:

Cajun boiled peanuts— Cajun boiled peanuts serving weight of 34 grams and contain 5 grams of carbs, and 5 grams of fiber, making for 0 grams of net carbs.

Hot and spicy boiled peanuts— hot and spicy boiled peanuts serving weight of 34 grams contains 4 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of fiber, making for 0 grams of net carbs.

Original boiled peanuts— original boiled peanuts serving weight of 36 grams contains 3 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber, making for 0 grams of net carbs.

Original jumbo boiled peanuts Cajun— original jumbo boiled peanuts Cajun serving weight of 68 grams contains 14 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of fiber, making for 14 grams of net carbs.

All these peanuts, except the jumbos, have a nutritional claim that they have 0 grams of net carbs based on the dietary fiber they contain. This gives the impression that boiling the peanuts would make them have no carb content.

To put this into perspective, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a nutrition calculator for different quantities of peanuts and whether or not they are in their shells—a serving of dry roasted peanuts with salt, which contains 28 grams, has 3.6 grams of net carbs.⁵

However, raw green peanuts still have shells and are uncooked. These contain 0 grams of net carbs when boiled with no additives, oil, or sugar added.

Understanding the concept of net carbs will help a keto dieter better interpret a nutritional label or the information on the USDA website. Most nutrition labels list the total amount of carbohydrates; below are the dietary fiber and sugars.

The total carbohydrates include dietary fiber as well. Fiber is, however, not digested and absorbed by the human body and passes as waste.

Therefore, the net carbs are computed by subtracting the dietary fiber from the net carbs. The net carbs are the actual amount of carbs that contribute to the nutrition and will affect the keto diet.

How To Make Sure Your Boiled Peanuts Are Actually Keto Friendly

There are several ways someone can make sure that peanuts remain keto friendly. They include making sure the correct brand is chosen, ensuring that the correct type of peanuts is chosen, and counting them as regular peanuts.

Taking these steps to ensure this favorite snack remains keto can help stave off the feeling of giving up on weight loss when being on a keto diet for a while.

Use USDA Boiled Peanuts Nutritional Information

The USDA has a nutritional calculator aforementioned—this is an excellent tool to track the number of carbs in each serving. The tool provides a drop-down menu with different portion sizes and displays their corresponding carb content.

It even gives an option of displaying whether they are shelled or not. Carbs are not the only macro information shown—fats, protein, dietary fiber (key to computing net carbs), water, calcium, zinc, copper, vitamin B12, and other numerous macros are available for viewing.

Boiled peanuts can be included in a keto diet if consumed in the right quantities to maintain a state of ketosis. This tool helps users track their intake to ensure it aligns with their dietary goals.

Count Them as Regular Peanuts

For the most part, boiled peanuts will retain the nutritional content of their raw counterparts. Therefore, if they are prepared at home, the ingredients should be kept simple, and any components that contain refined sugar should be discouraged.

Carbs being evil is one of the common fasting myths; the reality is that processed carbs, such as refined sugars, are the culprits.

Choose the Right Type

There are several ways peanuts can be prepared as well as different additions that can be made to the peanuts. If any oil is used, then there should be an effort to stay away from processed oils. Instead, healthy oils that have little processing and are natural should be used.

Oils such as virgin olive oil are a great substitute for vegetable oil as they contain more oleic acid than saturated fats, which increase the content of carbs and are high in fat.⁶

It is crucial to ensure that fats come from healthy oils, allowing the body to expend clean fuel when in ketosis. Ketosis is a state where fats are burned for fuel by the body due to a lower presence of carbs in a ketogenic diet (keto).⁷

Pick the Right Brand to Avoid Asking “Can You Eat Boiled Peanuts on Keto?”

Several brands have misleading labels in regard to the nutritional information they contain. They may also include additives, unhealthy processed oils, and sweeteners that will render the boiled peanuts non-keto. For example, Peanut patch has a variety of boiled peanuts such as Cajun, original, and hot and spicy boiled peanuts.

Their salt and vinegar type should be avoided as they contain a higher amount of net carbs at 3 grams of net carbs due to the addition of additives or the use of peanut oil. Yes, it is possible to be in ketosis and still not lose weight. Therefore, choosing the correct brand of boiled peanuts that are low in carbs is crucial for enjoying them on a keto diet.

How Many Boiled Peanuts Can I Eat & Remain in Ketosis?

To ensure someone remains in ketosis, they will need to limit the number of boiled peanuts they will consume in a given day—limiting it to a serving of about 30 grams or less would be ideal as this yields to about 5 grams of carbs— approximately 33 peanuts.

If this number is exceeded, ketosis could be compromised due to other daily meals.

Top Brand for Enjoying Boiled Peanuts on a Keto Diet

The top brand available on the market to ensure that someone is a keto-friendly snack is Peanut patch green boiled peanuts.

They have 0 grams of net carbs—they do not contain additives, oils, or sweeteners that could compromise their low-carb content and healthy qualities.

Other Keto Friendly Nuts

People with peanut allergies or those seeking a lower-carb option might be curious about whether boiled peanuts fit into a keto diet. It’s good to know that there are other alternative nuts available that are keto-friendly. These include:

Pecans—these nuts are easily the most keto-oriented as they have a high-fat to-net carb ratio, a serving of a cup which is 100 grams, has 78 grams of fat to 5 grams of net carbs.⁸ A diet low in carbs and high in fat is ideal for maintaining ketosis.

Brazil nuts—this is a nut with a low carb count and, like pecans, has a high amount of fat relative to net carbs. A serving of 28 ounces of this nut yields just 1 gram of net carbs to 19 grams of fat. In addition to being keto friendly, it has added nutritional benefits, such as being able to fulfill the daily needs of selenium (aids in the manufacture of DNA and help protect cells against damage).

Macadamia nuts—macadamia nuts are tasty nuts with a very low carb count and have one of the highest fat content, with a serving of 28 grams bearing 21 grams of fat for just 2 grams of net carbs. These nuts contain iron, manganese, copper, and vitamin B6.

Walnuts—walnuts are healthy for the heart and are great for keto. A serving of 28 grams has a mammoth 18 grams of fat for 2 grams of net carbs.⁹ They are the perfect nut to maintain ketosis with such a high-fat content.

Pine nuts—pine nuts are an excellent option for peanuts containing 3 grams of carbs for 19 grams of fat in a cup serving of 28 grams.¹⁰ Since they have a higher carb content, care should be taken to limit their daily intake or risk compromising ketosis.

Hazelnuts—these nuts contain a relatively high amount of carbs, with a serving of 28 grams containing 6.5 grams of carbs. While they do make for a tasty and healthy snack packed with wholesome proteins, care should be taken to limit their daily intake.

Are Unboiled Peanuts Suitable for a Keto Diet?

Peanuts generally, when raw, green, and shelled, are keto friendly whether boiled, roasted, or fried. Regularly roasted peanuts cooked with salt and no other additives will have the same nutritional content and remain fairly low in carbs.

Source: Studio OMG via Canva.com¹¹

But this is not always the case. When peanuts are fried in oils that have been processed, they tend to lose their low-carb qualities.

For example, peanut oil used in preparing Planters redskin Spanish peanuts or Delish roasted and salted peanuts makes them not a good choice for those on a keto diet. Peanut oil is susceptible to oxidation which also causes inflammation (the body’s reaction to destructive objects such as bacteria or poison). Oxidation is the breaking down of oil due to chemical processes compromising its quality.

Honey-roasted peanuts are another type of peanut that are not keto friendly. For example, Planters honey roasted peanuts are a no-go for those on a keto diet—a 100-gram serving contains a colossal 18 grams of net carbs.

They are highly processed with high-carb ingredients such as high fructose syrup, peanut oil, and sugar. The sweeteners will also tend to raise blood sugar levels, preventing ketosis.

When discussing whether boiled peanuts are suitable for a keto diet, it’s important to note that peanuts contain more carbohydrates compared to other nuts. Therefore, individuals following a keto diet need to make sure they do not surpass the recommended daily carbohydrate intake to maintain ketosis.

How To Make Homemade Boiled Peanuts Keto Style (Keto-Friendly Boiled Peanuts Recipe)

The best way to make boiled nuts keto would be to boil them at home because the ingredients that go into the recipe are controlled and determined by the keto dieter.

The chef warns to watch out for common mistakes—that is to safeguard that no additives, sweeteners, or refined oils are included that can render the boiled peanuts non-keto friendly.

To make the most ideal and healthy peanuts, it is best to opt for organic peanuts that have been grown naturally, preventing any contaminants and pesticides on them.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of raw green-shelled peanuts
• 1 jalapeno
• 4 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of hot sauce (ensure that this contains no sugar)
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt (ordinary table salt is fine)

Directions

• Soak the peanuts for about 8 hours or do it overnight. This will help reduce the phytic acid contained in them—phytic acid prevents the absorption of iron, a key nutrient in the human body, even when present in low quantities.¹² It also helps speed up the process of boiling.
• Proceed to place the peanuts in a pan along with the water, whole jalapeno, 2 tablespoons of hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon salt.
• Stir the mixture to ensure an even mix of all the ingredients.
• Boil the peanuts by first using a high setting. Once a boil has been reached, you may lower the heat to a medium setting to allow the mixture to simmer.
• The boiling process will typically take about 2 hours or slightly more.
• To ensure they are completely cooked, eat one by opening the shell, which will usually be soft, indicating they have cooked completely.

This recipe yields a delicious chow that is mouthwatering and addictive to eat—it would be a good idea to hold the brakes when munching these down as eating intuitively is among the 3 steps to lose weight and eat healthier.

Keto dieters should keep in mind that boiled green peanuts, which are keto-friendly, are the best option as they have the lowest carb content. Preparing them at home ensures complete control over the ingredients, eliminating any uncertainty about their suitability for a keto diet.