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Short Summary
Main recommendation: On a keto diet, you can include chocolate by limiting the amount and choosing very low-carb options, such as a low-carb chocolate protein shake used in small sips or a single square of chocolate per day. Dr. Eric Westman says chocolate is not forbidden, and that a small, controlled portion can help people stick with the diet long term.
Key Points
- Dr. Westman says that based on his experience, a sustainable keto program needs some treats, because people who cannot have anything they enjoy often stop following the plan.
- A low-carb chocolate protein shake can satisfy chocolate cravings. He estimates a single sip contains roughly half a gram of carbohydrate, though he notes this depends on swig size.
- Protein shakes are not meant to be meal replacements. He recommends getting most nutrition from real food.
- Keto chocolate does not need to be expensive; regular grocery-store chocolate works if the portion is limited.
- Chocolate should be limited by total grams of carbohydrate, not net grams, and some chocolate bars, frozen pops, and similar products carry enough carbs to cause problems.
- Trigger foods that cannot be eaten in small amounts should be avoided for now, with the note that carbs can be reintroduced after reaching a goal, which he says he will cover in another video.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- If you really feel the need for chocolate, choose a low-carb protein shake with a chocolate flavor. Pick one you like and confirm the carbs are very low; he mentions chocolate shakes at roughly 5 to 7 carbs for the whole shake, which often come pre-mixed.
- Take only a sip or small swig of the shake rather than drinking the whole thing, to get the chocolate flavor and satisfaction.
- Do not use protein shakes to hit your daily protein by drinking them repeatedly.
- Alternatively, eat a single square of chocolate every day, keeping total carbs low. Sugar-free keto chocolate or regular store chocolate both work.
- Buy individually wrapped squares or rectangles, and store the rest of the chocolate far away on a shelf so you have only one at a time.
- Walk away or go outside for a walk after eating your piece, to avoid reaching for more.
- If you cannot stop at one square and end up eating the whole bar, do not use this approach; he notes some trial and error is needed to learn how you respond to different foods.
- When eating out, chocolate mousse at a French restaurant is a small portion and expensive, so he suggests sharing a serving with someone rather than eating the whole thing.
- Speaker's clinical background: he and Dr. Yancey began a research program in 1998 to test whether a low-carb diet could be safe, and he says he now believes, after 20-plus years, it is safe when done correctly, comparing learning it to riding a bike with a good teacher. This is his account, not professional medical advice.
Bottom Line
Chocolate can fit into keto when it is measured, low in total carbs, and kept to a controlled portion, so the diet remains easier to sustain.
