Quinoa and other grains

Due to its rich nutrient profile, many people want to include quinoa and other grains in their low-carb or ketogenic diets. Serving size, though, is important. If you want to incorporate this grain into your keto or low-carb diet, you should only do so infrequently and not in large servings.

One full 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of quinoa, for example, has more than 21 grams of carbs, exceeding your daily carbohydrate requirement of 20 g on a strict ketogenic diet. You would still need to strictly limit all other carbs and stick to foods higher in protein and fat for the remainder of the day, even on a more flexible keto diet that allows up to 50 g daily. If you still want to eat quinoa as part of your keto diet, think of it as a garnish rather than the main course.