A keto diet requires a very low carb intake, so having to reconsider most of your food options, even the side dips is necessary.
Salsa is one of the most famous dips for things like tacos and breadsticks, but many people also use it as a spread on crackers and bread slices. But is salsa keto?
In this article, we will answer that question and show you how to make your own salsa at home!
Is Salsa Keto?
Great news: Salsa is a very low-carb sauce, making it perfect for a keto diet. So yes, it is keto!
A typical salsa is made with low-carb veggies, and thus it is a low-calorie food with a low net carb content.
Not only that but the wide range of veggies used to make it renders it one of the most nutritionally rich sauces, with lots of micronutrients, fiber, and antioxidants.
It’s also very simple to make fresh salsa at home with simple ingredients, so making your keto salsa is a piece of cake.
However, it is normal for people, especially those who are new to the keto diet, to be confused by the ingredients of salsa and think it might not be keto-friendly.
That is because many vegetables and fruits are quite high in carbs to fit in a keto diet – potatoes, bananas, and apples being a few examples – so you could think that tomatoes and onions would be risky too.
Don’t worry though, as tomatoes are relatively low in carbs in comparison to other veggies, and when enjoyed in moderate amounts, they can easily become part of your keto diet.
What Are The Ingredients Of Salsa?
Salsa is one of the easiest dipping sauces you can make as it is made of simple ingredients that need no cooking whatsoever.
A classic salsa is made with:
- Fresh Roma tomatoes or canned chopped tomatoes
- Green onions
- Red onion
- Jalapeno pepper
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Lime juice
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
With no oil added to it and consisting mostly of vegetables, it is obvious that salsa is both keto-friendly and one of the dip options for people on a low-calorie diet.
How Many Carbs Should I Have On A Keto Diet?
There is no “benchmark” keto number determining how many carbs you can eat as most people actually end up having a different number on which they enter a ketosis state.
However, the ketogenic diet limits overall daily carbohydrate intake to less than 50 g per day, which is lower than what you can find in 100 grams of bread.
So, if you are planning on eating a sandwich with some fillings that have a carb content, you will be well over your daily recommended intake.
With such a low-carb intake, you can understand that most of your calories will come from other macronutrients.
While you can go for a high-protein keto diet, the conventional keto diet calls for a high-fat intake. In fact, it recommends that 70-80% of your daily calories should be fat, 10-20% should be protein and the rest can be carbs.
But let’s go back to salsa now.
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Salsa?
As we said, salsa is low in calories and rich in nutrients, with 100 grams of salsa providing you with:
- 36 calories
- 0.3 grams of fat
- 1.5 grams of protein
- 7 grams of carbohydrates
- 1.8 grams of dietary fiber
- 4 grams of sugars
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 430 mg sodium
- 270 mg potassium
- 23 mg of Vitamin A
- 1.8 mg of Vitamin C
As you can see, salsa is mostly carbs, with 7 grams of carbs per 100 grams, accounting for 77% of its overall calorie content.
These 100 grams of salsa contain 1.8 grams of fiber or about 2% of our daily value based on the recommended 2000-calorie daily intake for adults.
In this serving, there are 1.4 grams of sugars, which is about 3% of the recommended daily intake. This makes salsa perfect for diets that require a low GI (glycemic index).
However, as we all store-bought products, you need to check with the ingredients before grabbing that salsa jar and paying for it!
How To Make Your Own Homemade Keto Salsa
Even though you could certainly find some salsa products in your local grocery store that will be keto-friendly, salsa is so easy to make that you have no reason not to try it at least once.
To make your own keto salsa, you will need pretty much the same ingredients as the ones we mentioned above.
Furthermore, to make it more keto-friendly, you can add some fat to it. Since you are lowering your carb intake, increasing the fat content is important to supply yourself with the right amount of nutrients and calories for a healthy mind and body.
With this recipe you can make an 8-serving salsa sauce using the following ingredients:
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Chili
- Garlic
- Onion
- Lime
- Cilantro
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
So, what is the process of making salsa?
First, you need to chop all the veggies and cilantro and add them to a bowl so that you can then squeeze some lime juice on them and mix all the ingredients together.
If you want, you can try it with a spoon to make sure that there is a bit of everything in each bite.
Then, all you need to do is add some salt and pepper according to your preference and pour a tablespoon of olive oil to up the fat and taste.
For more details, check out this recipe from Real Balanced.
The Bottom Line
Salsa is one of the best keto, low-carb sauces you can make or find in the supermarket. However, not all salsa products have the same amount of carbs and the same ingredients, so before you buy any salsa make sure to check the nutritional info and ingredients in it. But, if you have 10 minutes in a day, make your own keto salsa!
